Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News
Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News
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Overview
For the colonists of the new world, the years of the American Revolution were a time of upheaval and rebellion. History boils it down to a few key events and has embodied it with a handful of legendary personalities. But the reality of the time was that everyday people witnessed thousands of little moments blaze into an epic conflict—for more than twenty years. Now, for the first time, experience the sparks of revolution the way the colonists did—in their very own town newspapers and broadsheets. Reporting the Revolutionary War is a stunning collection of primary sources, sprinkled with modern analysis from 37 historians. Featuring Patriot and Loyalist eyewitness accounts from newspapers printed on both sides of the Atlantic, readers will experience the revolution as it happened with the same immediacy and uncertainty of the colonists.
The American newspapers of the eighteenth century fanned the flames of rebellion, igniting the ideas of patriotism and liberty among average citizens who had never before been so strongly united. Within the papers, you'll also read the private correspondence and battlefield letters of the rebels and patriots who grabbed the attention of each and every colonist and pushed them to fight for freedom and change. From one of America's leading Revolutionary War newspaper archivists, Todd Andrlik, and guided by scores of historians and experts, Reporting the Revolutionary War brings you into the homes of Americans and lets you see through their eyes the tinderbox of war as it explodes.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781402269691 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Sourcebooks, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 11/01/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 181 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Introduction
There are no photographs of the American Revolution. No snapshots exist to show ordinary life or depict the struggles and suffering of the late eighteenth century. Engravings and oil paintings, made long after the war ended, portray epic battles and heroism but often fail to realistically capture the moment.
Newspapers are the closest thing we have to photos of the Revolution. They transport readers back in time, providing unmatched insight about common life and life-altering events. Despite their small size and lack of headlines, eighteenth-century newspapers pack an intense, concentrated punch and demonstrate the incredible power of the printed word. Through newspapers, we realize that history is much more than a chronological list of battles as we eavesdrop on everyday life and witness everyday realities of the American Revolution through the eyes of the British and the American colonists. The eighteenth-century newspapers presented in this book help us see that history is real life, messy, and exciting. We learn firsthand what many historians claim: without newspapers, there would have been no American Revolution.
Through vivid eyewitness accounts, battlefield letters, and breaking news compiled from hundreds of newspapers-primarily printed from 1763 to 1783 on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean-this story of the American Revolution is unlike any version that has been told. It is raw and uncut, full of intense action, drama, and suspense. From start to finish, these frontline newspapers deliver incomparable insight about America's founding. As a collection, they provide one of the most reliable and comprehensive narratives of the Revolutionary Era, loaded with amazing characters, better-than-fiction plot twists, and the perfect climax. Before these famous and infamous events became the history and foundation of America, they were littered among the news of the day for colonial Americans. Mark Twain wrote "of the wide difference in interest between 'news' and 'history'; that news is history in its first and best form, its vivid and fascinating form; and that history is the pale and tranquil reflection of it."
Reporting the Revolutionary War brings to life precious first drafts of history and lets readers experience the charming rusticity of eighteenth-century newsprint, complete with stains, tears, imperfect ink and paper, typesetting mistakes, misspellings, and grammatical errors that were all typical of the era. Reading Revolution Era newspapers in their original form helps reproduce the same immediacy and uncertainty felt by those who first held them.
With each newspaper, readers gain valuable insight into the social, economic, political, and military histories of the American Revolution. Reading newspapers in their entirety-including advertisements, obituaries, and essays-provides more than a glimpse of all the obstacles and ideas of the period. It creates a 360-degree view of the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.
Another important history lesson to be gained from this book relates to journalism. We live in a time of instant and on-demand news. Journalists and bloggers work frantically around the clock, competing to break news stories before anyone else. Cable news channels and websites stream updated headlines nonstop across their screens. Using Twitter and Facebook, millions of citizen reporters scramble to share the latest news affecting their lives, practically in real time. Despite the debated endangerment of printed newspapers, it is difficult to imagine a time when media were more important. However, 250 years ago, newspapers were the fundamental form of mass media and were more important than in any other time in America's history.
Just as social media helped ignite and organize the Arab Spring revolutions of the Middle East and Northern Africa, colonial newspapers fanned the flames of rebellion, provided critical intercolonial communication during the war, sustained loyalty to the Patriot cause, and aided in the outcome of the war-all of which becomes evident after reading straight from the pages of newspapers. In Reporting the Revolutionary War, readers will see that Americans maintained "Liberty or Death! Join or Die!" attitudes with blood, as well as ink, on their hands. David Ramsay, who twice served as a delegate in the Continental Congress, wrote that "in establishing American independence, the pen and the press had merit equal to that of the sword."
Not only do eighteenth-century newspapers contain the exclusive essays, reports, and advertisements of the day, but they also include reprinted extracts from other primary sources such as private letters, journal entries, official government documents, and war-zone intelligence direct from merchants, travelers, soldiers, officers, and common colonists. They are a proverbial gold mine of information. Since the day the Revolutionary War ended, historians and authors have relied heavily on newspapers as the basis for their own analysis and interpretations of the course of the war. The endnotes of practically every history book about the Revolution are loaded with references to the up-close-and-personal perspectives found in newspapers.
Reporting the Revolutionary War brings to life eighteenth-century newspapers in a firsthand account of America's founding, distinct from the history we receive in high school and university texts. Never before has such a significant collection of American Revolution newspapers been made available to the general public in such color and detail. Never before has access to such an archive been made so easy. And never before has this version of the American Revolution been told.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Eighteenth-Century Newspaper Business
Revolutionary Newspaper Reading Tips
Chapter One: The Cursed Stamp Act
1. Sugar Act by Todd Andrlik
2. Stamp Act by Todd Andrlik
3. Stamp Act Repeal by Todd Andrlik
Chapter Two: Frugality and Industry
1. Townshend Acts by Todd Andrlik
2. Nonimportation and Nonconsumption by Todd Andrlik
Chapter Three: The Late Horrid Massacre
1. Arrival of the Troops in Boston by Robert J. Allison
2. Boston Massacre by Robert J. Allison
3. Gaspee Affair by Steven H. Park
4. Committees of Correspondence by Carol Sue Humphrey
Chapter Four: The Detestable Tea
1. Tea Act in America by Benjamin L. Carp
2. Boston Tea Party by Benjamin L. Carp
Chapter Five: Rebellion
1. Coercive Acts by Ray Raphael
2. Powder Alarm by J.L. Bell
3. Suffolk Resolves by Ray Raphael
4. Massachusetts Provincial Congress by Ray Raphael
5. First Continental Congress by Benjamin H. Irvin
6. Raid on Fort William and Mary by J. Dennis Robinson
Chapter Six: Bloody News
1. Battle of Lexington and Concord by J.L. Bell
2. Williamsburg Gunpowder Incident by Neal Thomas Hurst
3. Second Continental Congress by Benjamin H. Irvin
4. Capture of Fort Ticonderoga by William P. Tatum III
5. Battle of Noddle's Island by James L. Nelson
6. Battle of Bunker Hill by Don N. Hagist
7. George Washington Takes Command by Robert J. Allison
8. Battle of Great Bridge and Burning of Norfolk by John W. Hall
9. Invasion of Canada by Tabitha Marshall
10. Native Americans Choosing Sides by Daniel J. Tortora
Chapter Seven: The Spirit of Liberty
1. Common Sense and the American Crisis by Jim Piecuch
2. Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge by William P. Tatum III
3. Battle of the Rice Boats by Hugh T. Harrington
4. Fortification of Dorchester Heights by Don N. Hagist
5. Battle of Sullivan's Island by David Lee Russell
6. Declaration of Independence by Matthew P. Dziennik
7. New York Campaign by Barnet Schecter
Chapter Eight: Cut to Pieces
1. Battles of Trenton and Princeton by Bruce Chadwick
2. Siege of Fort Ticonderoga by Eric H. Schnitzer
3. Battle of Oriskany by Daniel J. Tortora
4. Battles of Brandywine and Germantown by Bruce E. Mowday
5. Battles of Saratoga by Eric H. Schnitzer
6. Women and Children on the War Front by Eric H. Schnitzer
Chapter Nine: Good and Faithful Allies
1. Valley Forge Winter Encampment by Wayne Bodle
2. French-American Alliance by Julia Osman
3. Battle of Monmouth by Michael S. Adelberg
Chapter Ten: Conquer or Die
1. Revolutionary War in the West and George Rogers Clark by John Reda
2. Sullivan Expedition by Daniel J. Tortora
3. Battle of Flamborough Head and John Paul Jones by Dennis M. Conrad
Chapter Eleven: Marks of Heroism
1. Siege of Savannah by Rita Folse Elliott
2. Siege of Charleston by David Lee Russell
3. Carolina Backcountry Militia Actions by Charles B. Baxley
4. Battle of Camden by Jim Piecuch
5. Battle of Kings Mountain by Jim Piecuch
6. Treason of Benedict Arnold and Hanging of John André by Dennis M. Conrad
Chapter Twelve: Conquest and Capture
1. Battle of Cowpens by John Buchanan
2. Race to the Dan by Dennis M. Conrad
3. Battle of Guilford Courthouse by Dennis M. Conrad
4. Battle of Hobkirk's Hill by John Buchanan
5. Siege of Ninety Six by Robert M. Dunkerly
6. Raid on New London by Matthew Reardon
7. Battle of Eutaw Springs by David Paul Reuwer
8. Yorktown Campaign by Diane K. Depew
Chapter Thirteen: Delivered with Eloquence
1. Perils of Peace by Thomas Fleming
2. British and Loyalist Evacuations of America by Dennis M. Conrad
3. Resignation of George Washington as Commander in Chief by Robert J. Allison
Epilogue
Revolutionary Press Impact
The Value of Primary Sources
Contributors
Acknowledgments
Index
What People are Saying About This
""Newspaper archivist and historian Andrlik's book gives us original reports ... Read all about it the way Americans did when it happened." - New York Post" - New York Post
"I've seen nothing like it and I've been studying the Revolution since 1955... You didn't have to hold rallies [during the Revolution], you were rallying them with this journalism." - Thomas Fleming, author of 20 nonfiction books, many on the American Revolution
"Americans can now see a different side of the birth of our country, as it was reported in real-time by the journalists of the day... a fascinating account of Americans who witnessed the war unfold firsthand as it happened." - Soledad O'Brien, CNN Starting Point
"The events of the Revolutionary War may seem like ye olde news to today's history students, but they were breaking news to people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and newspapers were the main source of information. Some historians theorize there would have been no American Revolution without the era's newspapers..."" - Associated Press
"Stylish and intelligent collection... a fascinating display of the eyewitness accounts, battlefield correspondence, breaking news, editorial rallies to action and outright propaganda that helped to shape the young nation that would become the United States of America." - American Profile
Interviews
A Q&A with Todd Andrlik
Author of Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News
QUESTION 1: How were you drawn to write about the intersection of journalism and the American Revolution?
I've always had a strong interest in journalism because working with the media is a daily function of my career in marketing and public relations. I just happened to stumble upon the historical significance of newspapers in 2007 when I picked up an authentic Civil War newspaper in a rare book shop. It triggered a newfound passion and enthusiasm for history, which I eventually concentrated on the American Revolution. I learned just how critical colonial newspapers, still in the infancy of existence, were in igniting and winning the Revolutionary War. As the only true form of mass media at the time, they were an essential propaganda tool. For instance, one Founding Father wrote during the Revolutionary War that a newspaper “in the present state of affairs would be equal to at least two regiments.”
QUESTION 2: You have built one of the most significant private collections of American Revolution-era newspapers. How did you go about building it? What sets your archive apart from others?
Newspapers in the 18th century became a collectible almost immediately after being printed. Thomas Jefferson and many other Founding Fathers were the first collectors of newspapers because they realized the value of their historical record. “I consider their preservation as a duty,” Jefferson said regarding the importance of collecting 18th century newspapers. Surprisingly, these newspapers still often turn up for sale at auction and in rare book or antique shops today. There are also many historical document dealers, including some that only sell rare and historic newspapers. There are several factors that distinguish the archive featured in Reporting the Revolutionary War from others, including focus, scarcity, perspective and accessibility. Each issue was curated with meticulous attention to quality, detail and timeliness. Collectively, they tell an amazing firsthand version of the American Revolution.
QUESTION 3: Your book offers “amazing characters, better-than-fiction plot twists, and the perfect climax…history in its purest form.” Who do you think is the ideal audience for this book?
I think this book transcends normal history circles and will appeal to anyone who appreciates a good story with major drama, adventure and excitement. You can't help but read this book and feel like you're witnessing history.
QUESTION 4: In the book's introduction, you offer “Revolutionary Newspaper Reading Tips”. What do you want potential readers to know before diving in?
Readers will quickly realize just how flexible and fluid the English language was only two centuries ago. One thing that will instantly stand out is the Old English s. Lowercase s letters in 18th century newspapers often used this long s version, which resembles a modern-day f. The Old English s better matched the handwritten s letters of the period, so words like “last” and “congress” will often appear as “laft” and “congrefs” (still pronounced the same though). While this may require some adjustment for readers, it makes for an authentic primary source experience. I wanted readers to experience the American Revolution the same way that many colonists did -- reading straight from the pages of town newspapers.
QUESTION 5: In the course of reading colonial newspapers, was there any information you uncovered that surprised you?
Yes! Surprising details and exciting discoveries leap out from almost every page. I can read the same newspaper multiple times and still find thrilling new tidbits that I missed the first time around. It's like treasure hunting. Historian Robert J. Allison, one of 37 contributors to Reporting the Revolutionary War, explains the experience as a chance to encounter things and worlds that no one else knows exist, and to see the world as George Washington and Paul Revere saw it. Some of my favorite discoveries include:
Boston Tea Party: In New England newspapers we first learn that someone tried to steal some of the tea during the Boston Tea Party, but they were quickly seized by other participating colonists. The same account explains that a padlock was broken on one of the ships and was quickly replaced because protestors wanted to be absolutely blameless for property destruction of anything but tea.
Raid on Fort William and Mary: I learned just how close the American Revolutionary War came to starting in New Hampshire instead of Massachusetts.
Yorktown Campaign: By reading newspapers, I discovered that a celebrity — King George III's son, Prince William Henry — was being entertained in New York by the Commander of British military forces, which was a distraction from important military matters, including the urgency to relieve Cornwallis at Yorktown.
QUESTION 6: These days, a lot of young people get their news from the web, social media, and TV programs like The Daily Show instead of newspapers. What would you say to someone who tells you, “Print is dead”?
I'd say you're right and wrong. Print is not dead yet, just scaling to decreased demand and adapting to modern news consumption habits. It is perhaps more accurate to say print is endangered. I imagine the Baby Boomers will help keep printed newspapers and magazines alive for a few more decades, but media business models will eventually be forced to acclimate to almost exclusive digital consumption preferences. At a time when the life expectancy of printed news is widely debated, it's nice to be publishing a book about the birth of free speech and the role of printed news in making America.
QUESTION 7: What moments in American Revolution-era history stand out to you? Do you have any favorite events?
My favorite years of the era are 1765 and 1774 because they include some of the most emotionally charged newspaper accounts. In 1765, we see Americans first rise up against Britain in the wake of the Stamp Act. Newspapers reported the terror campaign that colonists launched to fight the tax, including eyewitness accounts of the mobs, violence and boycotting, which helped lead to the Stamp Act's repeal. This is also where we first realize the power of the printed word and how newspapers helped motivate American farmers to become soldiers. The Powder Alarm of 1774 is another favorite event because of the raw adrenaline and anxiety of the moment. A rumored British attack on Boston sent shockwaves through the New England countryside and caused a major mobilization of militia that nearly ignited war a full eight months before Lexington and Concord.
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