The American Revolution marked the beginning of an age of democratic revolutions that swept over France and challenged the old order throughout the Atlantic world. The French officers who served in the American War of Independence, whether as idealistic volunteers or resolute soldiers of their king, remembered the experience for the rest of their lives. […]
Leaders of the Revolutionary War were the national heroes of the early republic. Soldiers of the war cherished memories of serving with George Washington. They delighted in sharing stories of fighting under Nathanael Greene or Francis Marion. They revered the memory of Joseph Warren and Richard Montgomery, who sacrificed their lives for American liberty. Other […]
The American Revolution articulated ideals of universal liberty, but for more than a century the United States had little political or diplomatic involvement with other nations. A republic in a world dominated by imperial monarchies, the United States avoided the dynastic quarrels, territorial disputes and diplomatic maneuvers that consumed the European state system through most […]
To win their independence, Americans had to create an effective artillery service able to challenge the British on the battlefield. They had to secure cannon barrels, gun carriages, limbers, ammunition wagons and a wide array of other specialized equipment. They had to create a system to maintain that equipment. They had to obtain a steady […]
The War of the American Revolution was conducted mainly at sea and its outcome was ultimately determined by naval power. The war involved the two greatest naval powers in the world—Britain and France—in a maritime conflict of unprecedented scale. The two navies deployed more than 1,200 warships, 25,000 naval cannons and more than 300,000 sailors […]