All you need is a spark and some powder… In the 18th century a cannon could not have been fired without gunpowder. Nor a musket ball discharged without gunpowder and a pistol was no more than a poor hammer without gunpowder. After the French and Indian war there was little use for gunpowder except for […]
Read more "Secret Gunpowder Mills Help Continental Army"Through the Ramapo River Valley ran a highway important to General Washington and his troops. On the road stood two farm houses that had served as headquarters for the General and his staff. Also on the road was the Ponds Church, with a hexagonal roof, that had been turned into a law court. Here legal […]
Read more "Death of a Continental Courier with a Secret Message"I never knew the first submarine invented for warfare was created during the American Revolution. It wasn’t in any of my history books when I was a child. Had I known about it, my interest in the subject, which was already high (I was in 6th grade in 1976 during the Bicentennial) would have peeked […]
Read more "The American Turtle, George Washington and Me"As my father and I did family research for our historical fiction tale Submarines, Secrets and a Daring Rescue, we discovered that our ancestor Berty Clark fought in the Battle of Brooklyn. Since most of my immediate family members were born in Brooklyn, I wanted to learn more about this battle. I was excited to […]
Read more "The Battle of Brooklyn & Ben Tallmadge"My Secret Message to You I have spent much time in 1777-1779. I’ve seen my father shot, had to do difficult things never thought possible. I’ve been in knife fights, gun battles, been beaten up and even met George Washington. One year later, in the sequel, I delivered precious gun powder and faced Loyalist bandits, […]
Read more "My Secret Message to You"One little boy in 1903 made the catch of a lifetime from 1776.
Read more "The Cocked Musket Frozen in Time"Every Patriot has a little rebel in them, whether one lived in colonial times or present day. Some people wear an American flag on their lapel or fly an American flag in front of their home to show their patriotism. But behind those gestures there is most often something deeper, something that makes the individual […]
Read more "5 Signs You Are Like a Colonial Patriot"