Revolutionary War & Colonial History

Charleston, 1775–1783: where loyalty was as dangerous as rebellion.

Revisit the Revolutionary War through the eyes of Charleston’s most misunderstood figures, the Loyalists. Often erased from more traditional narratives, these men and women lived in the deadliest gray space of the war, where allegiance shifted by necessity, survival outweighed ideology, and every decision carried life-and-death consequences.

Featuring more than eighty rare and striking historic images, this book reconstructs Charleston as a high-stakes garrison town: a city of spies, secret networks, and double agents—one operating directly under General Nathanael Greene himself. Drawn from newly examined primary sources and firsthand accounts, the story exposes the covert war beneath the battlefield, where Patriots and Loyalists often moved indistinguishably through the same streets, salons, and homes.

Beyond the fighting, the narrative follows the war’s long shadow into post-Revolutionary South Carolina, where confiscation, exile, and political vengeance threatened to tear the region apart. Why did iconic Patriot leaders like Henry Laurens, Francis Marion, and Nathanael Greene intervene to restore seized Loyalist estates? And how did those decisions quietly shape the foundation of reconciliation in the new republic?

At the heart of the story are the women of Loyalist Charleston, forced out of the domestic sphere and into the raw machinery of power. Their petitions before the state legislature—pleas for property, protection, and survival.

Authors Kathy Roe Coker and Jason Wetzel detail the these stories and more in a riveting account of loyalty and struggle.

Charleston, 1775–1783: where loyalty was as dangerous as rebellion.

Revisit the Revolutionary War through the eyes of Charleston’s most misunderstood figures, the Loyalists. Often erased from more traditional narratives, these men and women lived in the deadliest gray space of the war, where allegiance shifted by necessity, survival outweighed ideology, and every decision carried life-and-death consequences.

Featuring more than eighty rare and striking historic images, this book reconstructs Charleston as a high-stakes garrison town: a city of spies, secret networks, and double agents—one operating directly under General Nathanael Greene himself. Drawn from newly examined primary sources and firsthand accounts, the story exposes the covert war beneath the battlefield, where Patriots and Loyalists often moved indistinguishably through the same streets, salons, and homes.

Beyond the fighting, the narrative follows the war’s long shadow into post-Revolutionary South Carolina, where confiscation, exile, and political vengeance threatened to tear the region apart. Why did iconic Patriot leaders like Henry Laurens, Francis Marion, and Nathanael Greene intervene to restore seized Loyalist estates? And how did those decisions quietly shape the foundation of reconciliation in the new republic?

At the heart of the story are the women of Loyalist Charleston, forced out of the domestic sphere and into the raw machinery of power. Their petitions before the state legislature were pleas for property, protection, and survival.

Authors Kathy Roe Coker and Jason Wetzel detail the these stories and more in a riveting account of loyalty and struggle.

On the Jersey Shore, the Revolutionary War was more than a contest between the Continental and British Armies. In this neglected region, locals divided into pro- and anti-independence camps that fought a tumultuous six-year war only intermittently tied to the larger conflict. This war brought unprecedented economic opportunity to the Jersey Shore’s formerly poor and secluded villages, as locals risked their savings on speculative salt-making ventures and risked their lives in privateer vessels. British ships bound for New York were hunted by smaller vessels lurking in shore inlets. Local leaders sought to find and punish stealthy “London Traders” smuggling provisions behind British lines, and militia battled so-called Pine Robber gangs that frequently bested them.

Richly documenting and vividly narrating these events and others, award-winning historian Michael Adelberg explores the shore’s roll in America’s war for independence. 

Those Who Fought for Liberty On Both Sides

In 1775, the people of Charleston were on the verge of eight years of revolution and war. They were bitterly divided. For Charlestonians, the War for Independence was a civil war, as some favored independence and some were Loyalists. Many on both sides contributed greatly to the war effort. They were famous and obscure, rich and poor, women and men, Black and white. Contrary to popular opinion, people on both sides appealed to patriotism and fought for liberty. For the enslaved majority, the war represented an opportunity to gain their freedom—by siding with the British. In telling the stories of a spectrum of participants, Peter McCandless recovers a history at odds with public memory, encrusted with layers of forgetfulness and myths.

A Rural Connecticut County and its Citizens

From the first sparks of revolution in the 1770s, Litchfield County played an important role in the War of Independence.

Roger Sherman of New Milford was on the five-member committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Oliver Wolcott of Litchfield signed the document and oversaw the transportation of a toppled statue of King George III from New York City to his hometown, where it was melted down and turned into more than forty thousand musket balls. Those musket balls were perhaps fired by hundreds of local militia, including Black residents, who served in the war, while many other residents helped furnish supplies and information for the army.

However, not everyone supported the Patriot cause, as the county was also home to those who remained loyal to the British King. Later years saw the Continental Army make a winter encampment in New Milford and several visits by George Washington.

Local author and historian Peter Vermilyea reveals how liberty, sacrifice, and resilience in a small corner of New England helped shape the destiny of a new nation.

Six groundbreaking essays by Sons of the American Revolution reveal the significance of New Hampshire's role in the Revolution

New Hampshire is one of the oldest American colonies and one of the tiniest, but its small size obscures the mighty importance of its role in the American War of Independence. New Hampshire was one of the first colonies to assert control over its own militia and seize gunpowder from imperial control. It sent more men to Bunker Hill than any other colony, created a state constitution, and declared independence months before the rest of America. The Granite State provided heroes and generals in every major military campaign and cast the decisive votes for the ratification of the country’s new constitution.

William Fahey reveals six penetrating and inspiring essays from the archives and records of the Sons of the American Revolution to bring this rousing tale to life.

Meet the New England revolutionary Patriots who became Michigan pioneers.

The counties of South Central Michigan are the resting place of more than forty Revolutionary War Patriots. These men fought pivotal battles like Ticonderoga, Princeton, Bennington, Saratoga, and Yorktown, and when the fighting was done, they pioneered through western New York and across the Ohio Valley before claiming Michigan as their final home. Moses Cook of Massachusetts fought in some of the most lethal battles of the Revolution and endured a deadly winter in Valley Forge. Massachusetts native Lothario Danielson helped to squash a homegrown rebellion and authored a report on meningitis. Only one month after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Connecticut native William Maples was inspired to join the Connecticut militia. 

Exploring the lives of these men before and after the war, local authors David Van Hoof and Linda Hass tell the stories of these unsung heroes of the indomitable American spirit.

Where Patriots vs. Loyalists wasn’t a slogan—it was your neighbor

Across the rugged ridges of Southern Appalachia, the fight for American independence took on a raw and uncertain life of its own. Long before the ink dried on the Declaration of Independence, the backcountry of Western North Carolina and what would become Eastern Tennessee was already a pressure cooker of rebellion, loyalty, and survival. Here, far from Philadelphia’s debating halls, the American Revolution unfolded in skirmishes, alliances, and personal gambles that helped shape the future United States. Although George Washington never set foot in these mountains, the region’s role in the American War of Independence proved critical. Patriots, Loyalists, frontier dissidents, and multiple Native American nations fought for control of strategic valleys, trade routes, and communities. Their clashes left lasting marks on both regional identity and the national story. From shifting frontier loyalties to decisive campaigns, this was a battleground where everyday families became part of America’s founding struggle. Award-winning historian Michael C. Hardy brings the era to life with clear research, vivid storytelling, and a deep understanding of Appalachian history. Through profiles of influential figures, accounts of pivotal events, and insights into the geopolitical stakes of the backcountry, Hardy reveals how this overlooked frontier helped forge the nation.

From daring escapes and naval skirmishes to the resilience of everyday people, The Revolution on Raritan Bay reveals how this region’s sacrifices and conflicts influenced the outcome of America’s independence.

Raritan Bay was more than a body of water during the American Revolution—it was a front line. Its villages, farms, and ports became places where Patriots, Loyalists, and those in between clashed in a struggle that reshaped the colonies. Smugglers, privateers, and spies used its waters and inlets to move men, messages, and supplies. Families were torn apart, neighbors eyed one another with suspicion, and violent raids brought the war directly to the doorsteps of New Jersey residents.

Historian and television host John R. Schneider uncovers these overlooked stories, weaving together local accounts with the broader fight for liberty. 

Discover and celebrate the heritage of Cape May County's revolutionary patriots.

Descendants of whalers and those accustomed to hard living, the people of Cape May County served their emerging country on land and sea. They fought in the Continental army and the local militia at places like Brandywine and Germantown, and they fought at sea and on Delaware Bay, mostly as privateers. Their activities devilled the vaunted British navy and damaged the British war effort. Men like the Stillwell brothers, Nicholas and Enoch, prowled the waters around Egg Harbor and Peck’s Beach. Others, like successful Philadelphia lawyer and merchant Thomas Leaming, financed privateer ventures at the risk of losing everything.

Cape May County author Ray Rebmann tells the story of the roles played by local men and women in securing America’s liberty. 

During the War of Independence, New England’s soldiers faced the possibility of death in battle on the field, from an errant cannon blast or, more commonly, from a skirmish in the woodlands. More feared, perhaps, were the dangers that came off the field of battle in the form of illness, hunger and exposure to the elements. Those who served “’til the war’s end” faced the tides of sickness and hunger that swept through their encampments and prisons during the region’s frigid and unforgiving winters. Historian Robert A. Geake explores these challenges through collected diaries, documents and letters. They reveal a largely untold story of the conflict, while providing a true testament to the grit and determination of the Continental army, including patriots of color, during the most demanding of times.

Six groundbreaking essays by Sons of the American Revolution reveal the significance of New Hampshire's role in the Revolution

New Hampshire is one of the oldest American colonies and one of the tiniest, but its small size obscures the mighty importance of its role in the American War of Independence. New Hampshire was one of the first colonies to assert control over its own militia and seize gunpowder from imperial control. It sent more men to Bunker Hill than any other colony, created a state constitution, and declared independence months before the rest of America. The Granite State provided heroes and generals in every major military campaign and cast the decisive votes for the ratification of the country’s new constitution.

William Fahey reveals six penetrating and inspiring essays from the archives and records of the Sons of the American Revolution to bring this rousing tale to life.

A Tale of Two Foes

After the Battle of Monmouth Court House, in June 1778, the Revolutionary War in Monmouth County devolved into skirmishes between local militias and British Loyalists. Chief among these warring factions were revered rebel hero Captain Joshua Huddy and his fierce rival, a runaway enslaved Black man called Colonel Tye, who fought for the British. Attempting to bring the captured Huddy to prison, Tye was killed in battle, and when Loyalists murdered Huddy without benefit of trial two years later, the resulting international outrage jeopardized Benjamin Franklin’s Paris peace treaty negotiations. Only when Marie Antoinette pleaded with George Washington to stop the retaliatory hanging of a young British lieutenant did the peace talks resume.

Author Rick Geffken reveals the stories of these two obscure enemies who died and rose to fame for their beliefs in independence.

In the years before the Revolutionary War, Norwich, Connecticut was a hotbed of radicalism. As a trade and transportation center, its merchants took a leading role in objecting to British taxes and laws that threatened their livelihood. Meet the Norwich men who risked everything in the cause of Liberty: Colonel John Durkee, the warrior; and Samuel Huntington, the statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Other notable figures include Major General Jedidiah Huntington, merchant turned soldier; and Benedict Arnold, brilliant soldier turned traitor; Col. John Durkee, a commander at the Battle of Monmouth; and Dr. Philip Turner, who became staff surgeon for the Continental Army.  Local author and historian Patricia F. Staley tells the story of America’s War for Independence through the stories of those from Norwich who fought to create a new nation.

After the 1776 Battle of White Plains, Westchester County became known as the “Neutral Ground.” But there would be no peace here. Occupied by neither side, it was a place where no one could remain neutral amid clashes by detachments of the contending armies, as well as violence by groups of bandits, vigilantes and partisans. Families were driven from their homes, and violence flared between once peaceable neighbors. Espionage played a major role as well, culminating in the Arnold-André conspiracy, which nearly ended the war in a British victory. Local historian Stephen Paul DeVillo details the colorful personalities and diverse military units that shaped the course of the conflict.

During the War of Independence, New England’s soldiers faced the possibility of death in battle on the field, from an errant cannon blast or, more commonly, from a skirmish in the woodlands. More feared, perhaps, were the dangers that came off the field of battle in the form of illness, hunger and exposure to the elements. Those who served “’til the war’s end” faced the tides of sickness and hunger that swept through their encampments and prisons during the region’s frigid and unforgiving winters. Historian Robert A. Geake explores these challenges through collected diaries, documents and letters. They reveal a largely untold story of the conflict, while providing a true testament to the grit and determination of the Continental army, including patriots of color, during the most demanding of times.

Unsung heroes of the Old Dominion

Historians have spilled plenty of ink on the leaders of the Continental Army and French forces at the 1781 Siege of Yorktown. But less is known about the top leadership of the Virginia militia forces who were also at that decisive engagement. Several—including Brigadier General George Weedon, Colonel James Innes and Lieutenant Colonel William Darke—were former Continental Army officers with extensive battlefield experience. Others—such as Colonel Sampson Mathews, Colonel John Page and Colonel Sir John Peyton—were prominent civic leaders who took to the field to defend their native state.

Using a wide array of sources and compelling images, Sean M. Heuvel explores the lives and service of the regimental and brigade-level Virginia militia commanders who served at Yorktown.

Those Who Fought for Liberty On Both Sides

In 1775, the people of Charleston were on the verge of eight years of revolution and war. They were bitterly divided. For Charlestonians, the War for Independence was a civil war, as some favored independence and some were Loyalists. Many on both sides contributed greatly to the war effort. They were famous and obscure, rich and poor, women and men, Black and white. Contrary to popular opinion, people on both sides appealed to patriotism and fought for liberty. For the enslaved majority, the war represented an opportunity to gain their freedom—by siding with the British. In telling the stories of a spectrum of participants, Peter McCandless recovers a history at odds with public memory, encrusted with layers of forgetfulness and myths.

When the French and Indian War ended in 1763, Salem longed for a time of tranquility.

However, that conflict left England deeply in debt and determined to reduce its obligations by taxing America. Salem’s citizens initially opposed parliamentary taxes because they believed that the English were profiting from them. As Britain levied new taxes and pressed local officials to collect them, divisions erupted in town. In 1774, Salem became the capital of Massachusetts. By then, its citizens were being taxed from abroad, governed by an English general and tried before judges and juries appointed by royal officials. Join historian Richard J. Morris as he explores how the struggle for independence changed the town of Salem.

Though originally hailing from the East, twenty-two revolutionaries moved to Jackson County in their sunset years.

These brave men made various and sometimes surprising contributions to the war effort. Thomas Swartout served as a spy for George Washington, and Jabez Mosher Jr. drove cattle across New England to feed hungry Continental troops. Swift Woodworth got his first taste of combat at the famous Battle of Bunker Hill. Logging enough war experience for many men, John Wall fought in major battles with the militia, participated in raids as a ranger, helped capture British vessels as a sailor and was a prisoner of war.

Exploring the lives of these men before and after this pivotal conflict, local authors Linda Hass and David Van Hoof tell the surprising stories of these unsung heroes.

Those who Saved South Carolina

In May 1780, Charlestown surrendered to the British army, and an ominous, dark cloud descended over the spirit of independence in South Carolina. More than five thousand Patriots of the Continental army and militias conceded their arms and declared an oath as true and faithful subjects to His Majesty, the king of Great Britain, or otherwise faced prison or exile. That left the volunteers of the state’s militia as the best line of defense for the state. More than two hundred skirmishes and battles in the state provide testament to the passion and dedication with which South Carolinians defended their state. Brian Eleazer details the behind-the-scenes story of how South Carolina survived.

“They neither need defense nor eulogy but only just recognition." - Nathanael Greene monument plaque

Despite their contributions in the late period of the American Revolution, the Virginia Line did not garner the same publicity as other units. What was written down often contained errors or misunderstandings regarding the nature of the battalions and their service. Consequently, much of that service has been forgotten. Following the disasters of Charleston and Waxhaws, officers such as Peter Muhlenberg, Nathanael Greene and the Baron de Steuben were left with the difficult task of rebuilding the ranks. This proved to be challenging. Uniformed in blue jackets and later called “the regiment of Hell-fired-blues of the Virginia Line,” the reformed Continentals would reinforce that name in campaigns such as Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown. Using primary sources and firsthand accounts, author John Settle gives a voice to those honorable veterans who many have forgotten.

Warfare in the Wilderness

Few images reflect the character of hardy New Englanders like that of the eighteenth-century colonial ranger. Rugged characters such as Robert Rogers, Israel Putnam and John Stark spent much of their lives carving a living out of the harsh wilderness of the region, while later proving themselves in battle against seasoned Abenaki warriors. The Wright and Porter families fought throughout western New England, from skirmishes in Charlestown, New Hampshire, to climactic battles on Lake Champlain and Lake George. From the bloody King Philip’s War battlefields of Massachusetts to the fight for the wilderness of New Hampshire and Vermont, author Anthony Blasi explores the journey from frightened homesteader to toughened wilderness warrior.

Discover the untold stories of Virginia’s heroes in the Revolutionary War—grief, sacrifice, and courage.

The stories of the passions and personalities that placed Virginia in the forefront of the Revolutionary War were replete with grief and sacrifice. The breakup of families over political differences was common. Bereavement spared few, as evidenced by the death of George Washington’s stepson. But courageous characters persisted, from the “Paul Revere of Virginia” to the enslaved man turned American spy who helped ensure the Continental Army’s final victory at Yorktown. Author and TV host Chuck Mills documents the human side of the Revolution in the Old Dominion, including chronicles of battles, leaders and the impact of war on ordinary men and women.

Discover the stories of two legendary leaders of the Revolutionary War

Robert Kirkwood and Peter Jaquett were close contemporaries and comrades in the Delaware Continental Regiment during the Revolutionary War. Battle buddies who relied upon one another on and off the field, they led their respective companies through 32 battles over almost eight years of war. They endured difficulties and hardships and exercised daring and initiative on the path to victory. Under their leadership, the Delaware Regiment gained a lasting reputation for punching far above its weight.

Local author Kennard R. Wiggins tells the stories of the daily lives of these two men and their soldiers in the field.

The American Revolution sharply divided families and towns on Long Island. Washington's defeat at the Battle of Long Island in August 1776 started seven years of British occupation.

Patriot sympathizers were subject to loyalty oaths, theft of property and the quartering of soldiers in their homes. Those who crossed the British were jailed on prison ships in Wallabout Bay in Brooklyn, where an estimated eleven thousand people died of disease and starvation. Some fought back with acts of sabotage and espionage. Washington's famed Culper spy ring in Oyster Bay, Setauket and other areas successfully tracked British movements. Dr. Joanne S. Grasso explores the story of an island at war.

A female Paul Revere, 16 year old Sybil Ludington's heroic actions helped  the army win many battles in the Hudson Valley of New York. Read the fascinating story of her life and legacy.

The Revolutionary War in the Hudson Valley inspired the rise of heroes and heroines alike. On a rainy night in 1777, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington mounted her beloved horse and rode forty miles through enemy-infested Putnam County to warn her father’s regiment of impending British raids. Riding twice the distance of Paul Revere and under more dire circumstances, her heroic efforts helped position the Continental army in subsequent battles. A widow at a young age, Sybil became a successful businesswoman in a male-dominated profession and lived in the region for her remaining years. Through family documents and correspondence, author Vincent T. Dacquino charts the incredible life and legacy of Sybil Ludington.

Bruce Venter meticulously details the Revolutionary War battle that saved the Continental Army and possibly America.

British and German troops ran into stubborn rebel resistance at Hubbardton, Vermont, on July 7, 1777. The day would ultimately turn the tide for the Patriot cause. After capturing Fort Ticonderoga, the British, under Lieutenant General John Burgoyne, pursued a retreating Continental army under Major General Arthur St. Clair. In the fields and hills around Hubbardton, a tenacious American rear guard of about 1,200 derailed the British general's plan for a quick march to Albany. The British won a tactical victory, but they suffered precious losses. Patriots, under Colonel Seth Warner, Colonel Ebenezer Francis and Colonel Nathan Hale, left the British and Germans bloodied while also saving untold casualties from their own army. Burgoyne and his weakened force ultimately surrendered at Saratoga on October 17, 1777, paving the way for a French alliance with the colonies and American independence.

“It is true, Maryland did not . . . contribute its proportion, but it was, in my opinion, the fault of the Government, and not of the people.”

~Benjamin Franklin

During the French and Indian War the American colonies contributed to the imperial war effort like never before, Maryland included. Maryland’s involvement in the war saw colonial governor Horatio Sharpe and the elected delegates of the Lower House in near constant struggle over Maryland’s role. They battled over the deployment of Maryland’s militia, over raising troops, and over wartime funding. Meanwhile, frontier settlements burned and Maryland’s soldiers joined the effort to defend Great Britain’s claims to lands west of the Appalachians. Britain’s colonies in North America expanded substantially as a result.

Local historian Tim Ware details the political as well as the military conflicts Maryland faced in this unique war.

The Delaware Bay area was a pivotal battleground during the Revolutionary War. Follow along with this history of the Cape May Navy and its part in the War for Independence.

The Delaware Bay during the Revolutionary War was vital for trade and home to a host of armed conflicts between British vessels and American privateers. Cape May County captains in their light, fast vessels captured dozens of British merchant ships off the Atlantic coast. At the Battle of Delaware Bay, Lieutenant Joshua Barney aboard the Hyder Ally overcame massive odds and defeated the British warship General Monk. Colonel Elijah Hand, local hero of the skirmish at Quinton's Bridge, took his military talents to the seas, where he dueled with Tory privateers. Still in his twenties, Yelverton Taylor captured the Triton with hundreds of Hessian soldiers on board. Authors James P. Hand and Daniel P. Stites chart the exciting history of the Cape May Navy in the War for Independence.

Discover the people and places of colonial Boston during the tumultuous years of rebellion.

In 1764, a small town in the British colony of Massachusetts ignited a bold rebellion. When Great Britain levied the Sugar Act on its American colonies, Parliament was not prepared for Boston’s backlash.

For the next decade, Loyalists and rebels harried one another as both sides revolted and betrayed, punished and murdered. But the rebel leaders were not always the heroes we consider them today. Samuel Adams and John Hancock were reluctant allies. Paul Revere couldn’t recognize a traitor in his own inner circle. And George Washington dismissed the efforts of the Massachusetts rebels as unimportant.

With a helpful guide to the very sites where the events unfolded, historian Brooke Barbier seeks the truth and human stories behind the myths. Barbier tells the story of how a city radicalized itself against the world’s most powerful empire and helped found the United States of America.

Discover how Huck's Defeat spurred on the South Carolina militiamen to future victories during the Revolutionary War.

In July of 1780, when the Revolutionary War in the Southern states seemed doomed to failure, a small but important battle took place on James Williamson's plantation in what is now York County, South Carolina. The Battle of Williamson's Plantation, or Huck's Defeat as it later came to be known, laid the groundwork for the vicious partisan warfare waged by the militiamen on the Carolina frontier against the superior forces of the British Army, and it paved the way for the calamitous defeats that the British suffered at Hanging Rock, Musgrove's Mill, Kings Mountain, Blackstock's Plantation and Cowpens, all in the South Carolina backcountry. In this groundbreaking new study, historian Michael C. Scoggins provides an in-depth account of the events that unfolded in the Broad and Catawba River valleys of upper South Carolina during the critical summer of 1780. Drawing extensively on first-person accounts and military correspondence, much of which has never been published before, Scoggins tells a dramatic story that begins with the capture of an entire American army at Charleston in May and ends with a resounding series of Patriot victories in the Carolina Piedmont during the late summer of 1780-—victories that set Lord Cornwallis and the British Army irrevocably on the road to defeat and to surrender at Yorktown in October 1781.

Northern Vermont played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. While the larger campaigns such as the Taking of Fort Ticonderoga, the Quebec Invasion of 1775 and The Battle of Valcour Island have received appropriate historical attention, there were other vital actions in the area as well.

Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Franklin spent significant time in the Champlain Valley. George Washington kept a keen eye on events in the region as raiding parties descended upon numerous Vermont communities. The isolated waters of Missisquoi Bay were as vital as any waterway in America, and the Lake Champlain islands were some of the most strategic territory in the thirteen colonies.

Author and local historian Jason Barney exposes the details and explores how small towns were impacted by invading British armies from Quebec.

During the American Revolution, the Eastern Shore was filled with both Patriots and Loyalists. Both sides attacked the other using privateers - pirates to their enemies.

These enterprising locals plundered and pillaged, and motivated by profit, some even fought for both sides. The Chesapeake Bay was the site of one of the last and bloodiest naval battles of the Revolution, and privateers were instrumental in the eventual American victory in the war. Author Leonard Szaltis uses local records to bring these legendary Eastern Shoremen and their exploits to life.

1775 belonged to Boston but after April of 1776, the Revolutionary War’s focus became New York City and the highly strategic Long Island, from Brooklyn’s terminal moraine high ground to Queens’s Hell Gate.

1776 was the year when revolution came to Long Island, and in particualr the future Long Island City. The failures, defeats and eventual occupation of the area at the hands of the British forged the resolve and strength of character that would later ensure Patriot victories on distant battlegrounds throughout the rest of the colonies. The British did not evacuate western Queens county until November of 1783, but the events of 1776 would not soon be forgotten during the seven long years of occupation afterword. Join author Richard Melnick as he charts the military, political and cultural history 1776 in Long Island City.

A pivotal moment in American history, as told by our forefathers

On October 7, 1780, American Patriot and Loyalist soldiers battled each other at Kings Mountain, near the border of North and South Carolina. With over one hundred eyewitness accounts, this collection of participant statements from men of both sides includes letters and statements in their original form - the soldiers' own words - unedited and unabridged. Rife with previously unpublished details of this historic turning point in the American Revolution, described as the war's largest all-American fight, these accounts expose the dramatic happenings of the battle, including new perspectives on the debate over Patriot Colonel William Campbell's bravery during the fight. Robert M. Dunkerley's work is an invaluable resource to historians studying the flow of combat, genealogists tracing their ancestors and anyone interested in Kings Mountain and the Southern Campaign.

Michael S. Adelberg brings to life the struggles within Monmouth County, a place that New Jersey governor William Livingston called the theatre of spoil and destruction.

Like much of New Jersey during the American Revolution, Monmouth County was contested territory in between the great armies. As the Battles of Trenton, Princeton and Bound Brook raged nearby, the people of Monmouth County fought their own internal revolution; Loyalist partisans led insurrections and raids that laid waste to entire neighborhoods. In 1778, General George Washington rallied his Continental army and fought the British within Monmouth's borders, barely holding the field. Monmouth Countians joined the fight and then spent the following weeks caring for the wounded and burying the dead. The remaining war years brought more hardships, as they grappled with a local civil war charged with racial, religious and economic undercurrents - a local civil war that continued long after the Battle of Yorktown supposedly ended hostilities.

From the rocky slopes of Kings Mountain to the plains of Hannah's Cowpens, the Carolina backcountry hosted two of the Revolutionary War's most critical battles

On October 7, 1780, the Battle of Kings Mountain utilized guerilla techniques - American Over Mountain Men wearing buckskin and hunting shirts and armed with hunting rifles attacked Loyalist troops from behind trees, resulting in an overwhelming Patriot victory. In January of the next year, the Battle of Cowpens saw a different strategy but a similar outcome: with brilliant military precision, Continental Regulars, dragoons, and Patriot militia executed the war's only successful double envelopment maneuver to defeat the British. Using firsthand accounts and careful analysis of the best classic and modern scholarship on the subject, historian Robert Brown demonstrates how the combination of both battles facilitated the downfall of General Charles Cornwallis and led to the Patriot victory in America.

On August 16, 1777, a motley militia won a resounding victory near Bennington, Vermont, against combined German, British and Loyalist forces.

This laid the foundation for the American victory at Saratoga two months later. Historian Michael P. Gabriel has collected over fifty firsthand accounts from the people who experienced this engagement, including veterans from both sides and civilians—women and children who witnessed the horrors of the battle. Gabriel also details a virtually unknown skirmish between Americans and Loyalists. These accounts, along with Gabriel's overviews of the battle, bring to life the terror, fear and uncertainty that caused thousands to see the British army as loved ones departed to fight for the fledgling United States.

A gripping account of  General Nicholas Herkimer's valiant defeat of British forces in the heart of New York's Mohawk Valley--and a striking account of the days before and after that fateful day in August 1777.

During the critical Battle of Oriskany in August 1777, Continental forces led by General Nicholas Herkimer defeated the British army under St. Leger in the heart of New York's Mohawk Valley. It was a hard-won victory, but he and his brave troops prevented the British from splitting the colonies in two. Although they did not succeed in relieving the British siege of Fort Stanwix, Herkimer's citizen-soldiers turned back the British and protected Washington's northern flank from attack. The Continental army survived to fight the decisive Battle of Saratoga the next month. Herkimer was mortally wounded, but his heroism and leadership firmly placed him in the pantheon of Revolutionary War heroes. Paul Boehlert presents a gripping account of the events before, during and after this critical battle.

This book chronicles the history of the HMS Gaspee, a sloop in the British Royal Navy that was sent to patrol the waters of Narragansett Bay in 1772.

The Gaspee cracked down on smugglers and enforced British customs regulation, particularly the Stamp Act. The ship and her captain, William Duddington, were quickly hated by colonists for their campaign of brutality, harassment, and arbitrary enforcement. When the Gaspee ran around in shallow waters, while in pursuit of a colonist merchant ship, they took immediate action. The colonists, led by John Brown and other local notables, burned Gaspee and wounded her captain. This act of revolt preceded the Boston Tea Party by 18 months.

In April 1775, a small band of men set out from Hartford and traveled swiftly north toward the shore of Lake Champlain, recruiting men to their expedition along the way.

Within only a few days, this loyal group of volunteers arrived in Vermont and, joining forces with Ethan Allen and his legendary Green Mountain Boys, launched a daring attack to capture more than one hundred cannons stored at Fort Ticonderoga. In this comprehensive look at America's First Victory, Richard Smith traces the Patriots' route from Connecticut, through the towns of western Massachusetts and the Berkshire hills and north to Bennington, Vermont, and Lake Champlain. He chronicles the rival expedition led by Benedict Arnold, his confrontation with Allen and the surprise attack that changed the course of the American Revolution.