Once in awhile, we fear that students of history don’t necessarily put things into the appropriate perspective when it comes to dates. We offer them some facts regarding what happened and when, but the events still kind of mush together. That’s how we get the Simpsons joke: “Let’s take a look back at the year […]

The post April 18, 1775: Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride appeared first on 250 and Counting.

War was coming closer, but nobody knew just how close. Two committees came together in Concord to make plans. They arranged for certain munitions to be moved around, for others to be prepared for action, and to ask people to lead combat units. And if those people said “No Thanks,” who the backup person would […]

The post April 17, 1775: Some Prescient Preparations appeared first on 250 and Counting.

I (Claude) remember once reading something about how it’s not so much the dates on the tombstones so much as it is the dash in between the dates. Because the dates represent singular events, but a lot of stuff happened during the dash. And while that sentiment is often so much glurge, it does get […]

The post April 16, 1775: Sylvester Maxwell appeared first on 250 and Counting.

In retrospect, we feel like we may be picking on this historic site a little bit. In fact, the park surrounding the ruins of Fort Pownall are quite nice for hiking, biking, picnics and, as we mentioned, there are historical markers all over the place so you do get a sense of how important this […]

The post April 15, 1775: The Short Life of Fort Pownall appeared first on 250 and Counting.

(Note: it’s in the alt text for the image, but in the interest of broader accuracy and general transparency, we know that this artwork isn’t the symbol for an American abolitionist society but rather a British one. But this is one of those cases where the story works better than the truth, and we found […]

The post April 14, 1775: America’s First Abolitionists appeared first on 250 and Counting.

It seems fitting that groups like this changed names and designations quickly, given that events in the Colonies were also moving quickly. In two events this week, we’ve told you stories of armies that were raised to defend individual colonies but quickly became part of the Continental Army. The Light Dragoons of North Carolina would […]

The post April 13, 1775: North Carolina Raises the Dragoons appeared first on 250 and Counting.

First off: apologies for the late posting. I had a very rough night last night, and there was no element of today that was my own. We’ve all had days like that, I think, and I thank you for your forbearance. A lot of people get their American History from the play 1776, and it’s […]

The post April 12, 1775: North Carolina Takes the First Step appeared first on 250 and Counting.

When the HMS Somerset first reached Boston, she was an old, leaky, weathered mess. Admiral Graves asked for permission to repair it, and while the work was slow at first, the sailors actually managed to get the important parts of the work completed. By this day in 1775, the ship was considered seaworthy and capable […]

The post April 11, 1775: Graves Brings in The Big Guns appeared first on 250 and Counting.

This isn’t the first time you’ll see a statement like this, but the bottom line is: the history books aren’t 100% correct. Sure, the Shot Heard Round The World was at Lexington and Concord. But that’s not where the fighting started. Nearly two weeks before Concord, there were small battles going on in Assonet, Massachusetts, […]

The post April 10, 1775: Skirmishes in Assonet, MA appeared first on 250 and Counting.

In January of 1775 someone took the time to write a 1400-word account of a riot that took place in Annapolis, Maryland just a few days earlier. The pseudonymous author alleged that a shipload of tea was burned in the harbor as an alternative to destroying the tea and tar-and-feathering the ship’s owner. But word […]

The post April 9, 1775: Something’s Happening…Maybe Not appeared first on 250 and Counting.