On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered one of the most famous speeches in American history. While some of his words are still familiar today, many Americans are unaware of the turbulent times preceding his celebrated address. In the 1760s, Parliament passed numerous laws directly violating the rights of the colonists, including the Sugar Act [...]
David Barton was interviewed about the National Day of Prayer. This interview provides useful historical information that you might be interested in sharing with your friends and neighbors. The four questions David was asked appears below, along with his answers. Why is it important that we pray for our country and its peoples? First, [...]
March 17 is annually celebrated in Boston as "Evacuation Day," commemorating the departure of the British from the city after an extended eleven month occupation at the start of the American War for Independence. That occupation lasted from April 19, 1775, through March 17, 1776, encompassing the Siege of Boston and including early notable events [...]
Courageous Women During the American Revolution March is Women's History Month, but the contributions of women to the Revolution are often neglected today. Many women demonstrated exemplary courage during this time. Here are a few examples. In April, 1777, a large British force arrived in Fairfield, Connecticut. Marching through nearby Danbury, they searched for American [...]
November 21st marks the anniversary of the signing of the Mayflower Compact. To understand the significance of this date, you need to know the history of the Pilgrims who wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact. The Pilgrims were mainly English Dissenters who attended churches that did not belong to the Church of England. One objection they held was to any monarch being [...]
Veterans Day originally started as a national holiday to commemorate Armistice Day – the end of the violence in WWI, which had occurred on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month (i.e., November 11 of 1918). The following year in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson established the first observance of Armistice Day, [...]
The story of John and Abigail Adams is an example of lasting love, affection, trust, and openness. Abigail was born in 1744 to a Congregationalist minister; she had limited formal education, but her self-education was extensive. John Adams, born in 1735, was an attorney when he met Abigail in 1761. After an initial rocky start [...]
The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" so that they and their posterity (us!) could enjoy both spiritual and civil liberties to a degree unknown in the world at that time. That pledge literally cost many of them their lives and fortunes. Some of the 56 signers who [...]
The year 1776 is well known in American history. Obviously, it is directly associated with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but it is also the year Nathan Hale gave his life for America. [1] A simple schoolteacher, he wanted to serve his country. [2] Military intelligence about the British was badly needed, which [...]
In honor of Mother's Day, we wanted to share some inspiring stories of women in American history. We hope they encourage mothers and remind us all to be grateful for our mothers and grandmothers! Mary Morris (wife of Robert Morris) fled her home with her four young children (the oldest being only 7) as the British approached Philadelphia. Getting to safety, she wrote to her husband recounting her [...]
