The Rockets’ Red Glare – Congreve’s Invention, Fort McHenry, and a National Anthem
On September 12, 1814, HMS Erebus sailed up the Patapsco river toward Baltimore. The British Royal Navy had been roaming free throughout Chesapeake Bay for…
Skill, Luck, and Help From a Friend: Victory at Yorktown
The siege of Yorktown was considered to be the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought from 28 Sept – 19…
Which is Your Favorite? – Famous Charges in History
With the enemies’ formation looking impenetrable and the odds continuously climbing higher in their favor, the battle would take on the shapes and colors of…
Outsmarted and Outflanked – Washington’s Defeat at Long Island
The Battle of Long Island took place in Kings County, New York on August 27, 1776 as part of the New York and New Jersey…
Can the U.S. Navy Learn from King George III’s Mistake?
Though the British fought the majority of their wars in the 1770s to win and keep the American colonies, these soon became one of their…
Adopting New Tactics – The Battle of Carillon
Usually when we think of battles that are turning points of war, we think of close contests, hard-fought by dedicated and honorable men who take…
Andrew Jackson – Politician General in War of 1812
In the years leading up to 1812, the United States had become entangled in the conflict between the United Kingdom and France; Great Britain banned…
Revolutionaries or Privateers? – The Birth of the U.S. Navy
At the start of the American Revolution, shipbuilding grew in the Colonies because of raw materials and the many native white pine trees greater than…
Victory in the Balance – Yorktown: Ending the Revolutionary War
The siege of Yorktown began on 28 September 1781. It was to last until October 19. In the weeks preceding the final battle, the British…
“Old Ironsides” Gives 21-gun Salute on Independence Day
The USS Constitution, known as Old Ironsides, sailed into Boston Harbor to fire her guns to mark the Fourth of July. Old Ironsides left its…
Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, & the Green Mountain Boys – Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, located on the southern shores of Lake Champlain, New York City, was very vital during the Indian and French War as well as…
“Turning Point of the Revolution” – Battles of Saratoga 1777
It is said that the 1777 Battle of Saratoga was the most crucial and decisive during the American Revolutionary War. Often coined as the turning…