American Revolution

12 Stories

A Late President, a Sword, and a Mystery

Cops says weapon used by William Henry Harrison was recovered; historian says no

(Newser) - A sword believed to have seen action in the American Revolution, been wielded by eventual President William Henry Harrison in the War of 1812, and gone missing from a Cincinnati museum is now said to be recovered after 40 years, though one historian refutes the claim. Fox News reports on...

Goodwill Employees Make Historic Find

A newspaper published months before the American Revolution

(Newser) - A quick eye by Goodwill workers in southern New Jersey turned up framed pages from an original 1774 Philadelphia newspaper with an iconic "Unite or Die" snake design on the masthead, the AP reports. The frayed Dec. 28, 1774, edition of the Pennsylvania Journal and the Weekly Advertiser boasts...

Experts Say First American Coin Has Been Found

Prototype was minted in 1783

(Newser) - Coin experts say they have found the first silver piece minted by the United States—one likely held by the most en vogue of Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. David McCarthy figured the silver coin had to be one-of-a-kind after spotting it in an auction catalog. Its front features the all-seeing...

At Revolutionary War Site, 'Heroism Cries Out'

Archaeologists find exact spots soldiers stood during Parker's Revenge

(Newser) - Archaeologists using 21st-century technology are mapping out the exact spots British soldiers and Colonial militiamen were standing as they fired at each other during a pivotal skirmish on the first day of the American Revolution. Parker's Revenge, as the fight is known, occurred on April 19, 1775, after the...

Museum Looking for Patches of 'Star-Spangled Banner'

Bits of original flag were given away as keepsakes long ago

(Newser) - If you happen to find some remnants of woven wool in your attic—in red, white or blue and marked Fort McHenry—the Smithsonian Institution would like to know. Two hundred years after a massive flag was hoisted over the fort in Baltimore that withstood a British attack, Americans from...

Man May Get US Citizenship —200 Years After Death

Bill could grant Bernardo de Galvez only the eighth such honor

(Newser) - A hero of the American Revolution who gave Galveston, Texas, its name may finally become an American. Some 200 years after he died, a bill that would give Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid honorary citizenship will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee this week, the New York Post...

The American Revolution Was a Failure

Historian Paul Pirie argues that the Founders fell short of their aims

(Newser) - Americans adore their revolution, but former historian Paul Pirie doesn't think it was terribly successful—at least not if you judge it against countries like Canada (from whence Pirie hails) that kept their monarchies, or by its own stated goal of advancing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness....

Mag Posts 'Conservative Version' of History
 Mag Posts 'Conservative 
 Version' of History 
new yorker
Sep 22, 2012 4:43 PM CDT

Mag Posts 'Conservative Version' of History

'The New Yorker' assembles history using quotes from conservatives

(Newser) - A "liberal version" of history might also make for good reading, but the New Yorker has beaten conservatives to the punch by posting "A Conservative History of the United States." Here are a few key moments, each inspired by a rather inventive quotation:

Perry Puts US Revolution in Wrong Century

 Perry Puts 
 US Revolution 
 in Wrong 
 Century 
historical oops
Oct 12, 2011 3:39 AM CDT

Perry Puts US Revolution in Wrong Century

He tells fraternity about founding fathers' 16th-century fight

(Newser) - George Washington must be rolling over in his grave: Rick Perry blew into a Dartmouth frat house after the debate yesterday and launched into an explanation of his view that the founding fathers fought for state rights during the American Revolution—in the 16th century, notes ABC News . He was...

Americans Flunk History
 Americans Flunk History 
happy independence day
Jul 2, 2010 2:36 PM CDT

Americans Flunk History

One-quarter of Americans don't know who got the short end of Revolution

(Newser) - On July 4th, Americans from all walks of life will gather to celebrate their independence from … someone or other. According to a new poll, more than 1 in 4 Americans can’t name England as the country the colonists fought in the Revolutionary War, CNN reports. That figure includes...

Guess Which War Has the Best Movies

 Guess Which War 
 Has the Best 
 Movies 
HINT: it's not WWII
Mar 20, 2010 9:05 AM CDT

Guess Which War Has the Best Movies

A look at Rotten Tomatoes gives the crown to the Civil War

(Newser) - The new Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks series The Pacific got the folks at New York magazine's the Vulture blog wondering which war has produced the best movies. They looked up every one they could think of at Rotten Tomatoes, then averaged the scores. The winner: the Civil War. Here are the...

10 Protests That Changed History

Iran's post-election storm has these precedents

(Newser) - The post-election storm brewing in Iran prompted LiveScience to round up some of history's most significant protests:
  • A piece of paper nailed to a church door in 1517 sparked the Protestant Revolution.
  • Parisians moved more boldly, beheading the Bastille's governor to spark the French Revolution in 1789.
  • The Boston Tea
...

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