France was a key ally during the American Revolution, and perhaps the most famous fighting Frenchman was the Marquis de Lafayette. This week, we're joined by Lafayette expert Laura Auricchio to talk about why he joined the fight for American independence, how he got France and America on the same page, and what he did after the war.
Here's a quick episode to catch you up on what happened between the Washington Crossing the Delaware and The Battles of Saratoga (which will have a full episode of its own coming up).
Learn all about Christmas during the American Revolution!
A classic episode! Learn all about Christmas traditions in Colonial America.
As head of the American military, George Washington needed the kind of information only spies could provide. Learn all about the Culper spy ring and how they fought for American liberty.
In this episode, we talked about what kids did during the American Revolution. How did they help the fight for liberty? We're joined by a special guest from Andrew Jackson's Hermitage to tell us all about how he served as a teenager.
In case you missed the Thanksgiving special last year, here it is again! Hear all about how Thanksgiving was celebrated during the American Revolution.
Things weren't looking so good for George Washington's Continental Army, so he had to do something fast! Why was it so important that he cross the Delaware River? Did he have to do it during the winter? What did it mean for the revolution? Find out in this episode!
Once the Revolutionary War started, we needed a flag so soldiers could tell each other apart on the battlefield. For this important job, they turned to Betsy Ross. Why did they pick her? Did George Washington like the flag? How did she feel about such an important job? This week, we're joined by Lisa Moulder from the Betsy Ross House as well as Betsy herself to answer these big questions!
We had declared independence, and the war was officially on. How did those first few battles in New York and New Jersey go fo American troops? Amelia is joined by 8 year-old Charlotte to find out all about The Battles of Long Island (also called The Battle of Brooklyn or The Battle of Brooklyn Heights), Harlem Heights, Valcour Island, and Fort Lee.
After the American colonies have declared independence, they had to fight for it! What kind of weapons did they have? What were they like? What did the British military have? How could we ever win? In this episode, we take on those big questions with firearms historian Ashley Hlebinsky.
The colonies had met and decided it was time to be independent. First, they had to tell the king! In this episode, we're joined by Thomas Jefferson himself, the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, to tell us all about it.
It was time for freedom, but it didn't come without a fight. The American colonies had to fight a war for their independence and the right man had to be in charge. George Washington stepped in as commander and the Continental Army took on the strongest military in the world.
The first shot has been fired, and American colonists are ready to fight for their liberty. Delegates from all 13 colonies meet to figure out how to win their freedom- and what to do once they have it!
The first shot is fired and revolution is on! It's one of the most important shots ever fired- but who fired it? Why? How was it heard around the world? Since we recorded this in the middle of a pandemic, Amelia is going solo for this quick minisode.
Words were a huge part of how America became free. Pamphlets, speeches, letters, and documents changed people's minds, but they were also dangerous! Today, we're joined by a free expression expert to talk about what words did to make us free- and why that still matters.
"The British are coming!" Is that really what Paul Revere said? Who was with him? In this episode, we find out what happened on the night of April 18, 1775- and what it meant for American history.
What was Christmas like during the time of the American Revolution? Did soldiers have time to celebrate? What about people at home? We find out in this special episode!
How was Thanksgiving celebrated at the time of the American Revolution? Did soldiers celebrate differently than civilians? In this special episode, we find out!
After Britain imposed the Intolerable Acts, the American Colonies decided something had to be done. Representatives from the different colonies met in Philadelphia for a Continental Congress to decide what that should be. In this episode, we get all of the details from a true expert!
After the Boston Tea Party, Britain wanted to punish the American colonies. They passed a series of laws that became known as the Intolerable Acts or Coercive Acts. They were supposed to prove to the colonists that they were in charge, but do you think the colonists obeyed? Find out in this episode!
When Britain taxed tea, colonists proved that they meant it when they said "no taxation without representation!" In December of 1773, patriots snuck onto a ship carrying tea into Boston and threw it into the harbor. Hear all about how that happened, why, and what happened next.
Things just kept getting worse between Britain and the American Colonies, and tensions boil over in Boston in what is now called "The Boston Massacre." How the people reacted is just as important as how it happened. Find out all the details in this episode!
Britain had to pay for the French and Indian War and, through things like the Stamp Act, were raising taxes on American Colonists to do it. The colonists didn't think it was fair that they could be taxed when their voices weren't even being heard by the British- they weren't being represented. The cry of "no taxation without representation" took hold in the American Colonies, and the idea that people deserved to be heard by their government was one that would change the world.
After the French and Indian War, Great Britain needed to raise money. They did that by taxing the American colonies- without giving colonists any say in it. Here comes trouble between Britain and the American Colonies, and the colonists' favorite saying: "no taxation without representation."
American colonists fought with the British army in The French and Indian War, but we don't talk about it much anymore. Today, we have an expert from Fort Ticonderoga, which was really important during the war, to tell us all about why it mattered so much.
Two things I love are Christmas and learning about colonial America, so I am crazy about this episode. Matt Arthur from Tryon Palace in North Carolina joins us to answer Christmas questions from the incredible 6 year-old Ella. In this episode, learn all about how Christmas was celebrated in Colonial times.
With Hanukkah celebrations underway around the world, we're taking some time this week to talk about how Jewish holidays were celebrated in colonial America. 12 year-old Zachary joins us with questions about holidays and Jewish culture, and Andrew Porwancher, history professor with the University of Oklahoma, joins us to answer them!
In this Thanksgiving special, we talk about Thanksgiving! How did it start, and how did it become the holiday as we know it today? Plus, did Virginia have the REAL first Thanksgiving, not the Pilgrims, like we've always thought?
What did people read in the colonial era? How were books printed? How else the the written word shape early America? This week, we're joined by an expert from the American Antiquarian Society to answer these questions and more on books and reading in colonial times!
