Posts related to
Early American History

Black-and-white illustration of armed colonial militia confronting British soldiers on a village green, with men firing muskets amid smoke and fallen bodies in the foreground, while organized troops advance near large colonial buildings, barns, and a church steeple in the background—depicting an early Revolutionary War skirmish.

"Huzzah!" The Semiquincentennial of American Independence is Upon Us

In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson, sequestered in a Philadelphia boarding house, drafted the Declaration of Independence as an "expression of the American mind." Just weeks later, on July 2, Congress...

An 18th-century prison scene depicting British soldiers guarding sick and emaciated prisoners inside a dark, crowded cell aboard a ship. The central figure, a red-coated guard with a musket, stands among suffering inmates—some lying on straw, others slumped or comforting one another. Light filters dimly through barred windows, highlighting the harsh and unsanitary conditions. The illustration conveys despair, illness, and confinement during wartime imprisonment.

"Rebels! Turn out your Dead!": The Prison Ship Martyrs of the American Revolution

The modern rush of life in Brooklyn's historic Wallabout neighborhood is a stark contrast to the brutal history beneath the pavement. Just a stone's throw away is Wallabout Bay where, in the winter of...

Image from New York Public Library digital library, Wikimedia Commons. Black-and-white engraving depicting the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (1775) during the American Revolution. In the foreground, Ethan Allen, dressed in military uniform with sword raised, confronts the British commander inside the stone fort. The caption below reads: “Capture of Fort Ticonderoga. ‘By what authority?’ ‘In the name of the Great Jehovah & the Continental Congress.’”

Ethan Allen: "...farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, and American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician..."

On September 25, 1775, Ethan Allen of Vermont was captured during the Battle of Longues-Pointe, his failed attempt to wrest Montreal from the British. After his storied capture of Fort Ticonderoga...

Black-and-white engraving of a large-scale battlefield scene showing soldiers in formation, officers on horseback, and cannons being prepared in the foreground. Dense ranks of infantry are seen advancing toward a hill under a smoky sky, with smoke and chaos at the Battle of Bunker Hill. The dramatic sky and dynamic composition convey the intensity and scale of the historical battle. From: The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library.

"...devoted to his country when her soil was everywhere pressed by the foot of her enemy and peril environed her on every side...": How Revolutionary War Veterans and Heirs Petitioned Congress for Pensions

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental Army, which was led by George Washington throughout the Revolution. In October, they established the Continental Navy, and...

Black-and-white photo of the Old Belfry in Lexington, Massachusetts, a wooden structure with a small belfry tower and a plaque above the door. Surrounded by trees and grass, this historic building is where the alarm was sounded early on April 19, 1775, summoning the Minute Men to the Lexington Common at the start of the American Revolutionary War. From the Library of Congress

"A cry of defiance, and not of fear": Did Paul Revere Ride Alone?

In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson, sequestered in a Philadelphia boarding house, drafted the Declaration of Independence as an "expression of the American mind." Just weeks later, on July 2, Congress...

An engraved illustration of The Custom House in New York, which was in use from 1799 to 1815. The neoclassical building features a grand portico with columns and a triangular pediment, surrounded by a fenced courtyard. In the foreground, a lively street scene depicts men and women in period attire engaging in conversation, a horse-drawn cart, and individuals carrying goods. The engraving is credited to W.M. Aikman and Wm. Rollinson, and it was published for the Society of Iconophiles in 1906.

"Tinkering the Tariff": Uncovering Tariff Debates in Historical Newspapers, Imprints, and Government Documents

Tariff: "a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports" per Oxford Languages. It seems simple on the surface. It has never been. A simple search using Readex AllSearch and...

Announcing ‘Foundations of American Government’ and ‘The Rise of American Politics’: Explore the evolution of American democracy

Readex is pleased to announce two new digital historical collections supporting the study of early American government and politics: The Shaping of America: Foundations of American Government and The...

New Webinar! Students Becoming Scholars: Using Digital Archives to Create a Powerful Primary Source Assignment

Students Becoming Scholars: Using Digital Archives to Create a Powerful Primary Source Assignment Presenter: Julie R. Voss, Associate Professor of English, Lenoir-Rhyne University A unique joy lies in...

The Short-Lived Republic of West Florida: A Tale of Deception and Intrigue

Map Credit: Courtesy of the Special Collections Department, University of South Florida. Digitization provided by the USF Libraries Digitization Center. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the...

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Early American History

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