250 and Counting

We hate to say it, but Thomas Jefferson was kind of a nepo baby. Jefferson was part of the Second Virginia Convention, and no doubt he got there honestly, as a man who had lots of property and was well-regarded, even at the tender age of 32. But when Peyton Randolph needed someone to replace […]

The post March 27, 1775: Thomas Jefferson Gets an Important Appointment appeared first on 250 and Counting.

Never let it be said that we can’t find the less-obvious folks in American History. Thomas Bayly was definitely one of them. Bayly was a one-term congressman to the US House of Representatives as part of the 13th Congress (as this is written, we’re in the 118th). By most accounts he wasn’t especially distinguished, but […]

The post March 26, 1775: Thomas Monteagle Bayly appeared first on 250 and Counting.

George Washington was a frequent letter writer, something that the creators of the stage play 1776 would poke some fun at. But the documentation he kept plays an important part not only in the history of the American Revolution, but in the more mundane details of life during that time in American History. What’s more, […]

The post March 25, 1775: Letters to and From George appeared first on 250 and Counting.

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about events in Virginia lately, but that doesn’t mean that the folks in Massachusetts weren’t getting things done. It just means that they weren’t making a big deal about it. For the past several weeks, they’d been working on the down-low to make plans in case the British […]

The post March 24, 1775: The Massachusetts Provincial Congress Steps Up appeared first on 250 and Counting.

This show isn’t just about the big moments in American history, though we’ve been giving you those. We also take the time to look at some of the smaller things, which may have an effect later on down the line. And today we can mark two of those events. First up is a wedding taking […]

The post March 23, 1775: A Wedding Announcement and a Birthday Celebration appeared first on 250 and Counting.

A quick note on the cover art: this may be the first time I (Claude) happened to match the side banner with the background of the webpage exactly. As we’ve noted in the past, Benjamin Franklin and Edmund Burke were good friends who worked together to come up with a solution that would get the […]

The post March 22, 1775: Edmund Burke Gives Parliament His Thoughts appeared first on 250 and Counting.

Benjamin Franklin was pretty good at diplomacy, but even when given several years to try, he was unable to bring about peace between England and the Thirteen Colonies. From December 1774 through February 1775, he and some of his British friends tried to put together a map to peace, but unfortunately both sides were too […]

The post March 21, 1775: Franklin Departs London Forever appeared first on 250 and Counting.

The people in Virginia were getting pretty upset about what was going on between the Colonies and the British Parliament. They called a convention and, as we’ve noted over the past several days, each county sent delegates with specific instructions, many of which recommended that the colony commit itself to resisting the British and supporting […]

The post March 20, 1775: The Second Virginia Convention appeared first on 250 and Counting.

The Watauga Purchase was one of several land purchases in the area of the Watauga River made around the same time. But this one was first, and we know this because it’s literally on Page One of the deed book, which still exists in the Archives of two different states (one is a copy, of […]

The post March 19, 1775: The Watauga Purchase appeared first on 250 and Counting.

Among the casualties of the early days of American History are all the friendships that were damaged by people being on opposite sides of the political fence. Good thing we’re all past that sort of petty nonsense nowadays, amirite? Sigh. We’ve talked in the past about John Adams and his former friend Daniel Leonard, who […]

The post March 18, 1775: Ben Franklin Confides in Edmund Burke appeared first on 250 and Counting.