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.

Well…it’s official. It was on this day in 1775 that our assorted collection of irregular militiamen turned into a genuine army. The Provincial Congress in Massachusetts proposed, and adopted, a resolution that provided for a genuine army dedicated to protecting our shores against the British. That was the New England Army, but the name didn’t […]

The post April 8, 1775: The New England Army appeared first on 250 and Counting.

It’s cake and candles today for Francis Cabot Lowell, a manufacturer who helped modernize the textile industry in the United States, largely through industrial espionage: in the middle of a trade war with Europe, Lowell visited England and memorized the processes they were using so that he could bring them back to this side of […]

The post April 7, 1775: Francis Cabot Lowell appeared first on 250 and Counting.