Entrenched on Florida's Atlantic Coast since the sixteenth century, the Spanish presidio of St. Augustine was a prime target for piracy. For the colonial governors of Great Britain, France and Spain, privateering--and its rogue form, piracy--was a type of warfare used to enhance the limited resources of their colonies. While the citizens of St. Augustine were victims of this guerrilla war, they also struck back at their enemies using privateer...
Though New Castle did not see any battles during the American Revolution, it was the Delaware's Colonial capital, and at it was at the center of the rebellion in the state. Its village green, still present today, served as a venue for early forums where colonists aired their grievances with the British government. Though it was considered more radical and inclined towards rebellion than the rest of Delaware, the city was also home to a sizable...
Calls for independence shook the wealthy gentry with their grand mansions in Chestertown and their patchwork of prosperous Kent County plantations and farms. It was in the interest of the upper echelons of Kent County society to remain loyal to the Crown. Yet the Revolutionary spirit did ignite, as Chestertown protested parliament's duty on tea and sent flour to aid the poor in the closed port of Boston. While militia was raised, Kent County's...
This study focuses upon the rise and demise of the American resorts of Ballston Spa and Caldwell on Lake George, and Saratoga Springs. The author argues that resorts such as these created and recreated themselves to keep pace with changing times.
The Battle of Saratoga in 1777 ended with British general John Burgoyne's troops surrendering to the American rebel army commanded by General Horatio Gates. Historians have long seen Burgoyne's defeat as a turning point in the American Revolution because it convinced France to join the war on the side of the colonies, thus ensuring American victory. But that traditional view of Saratoga overlooks the complexity of the situation on the ground. ...