In this episode of The History Twins podcast, storytelling duo Carla Lynne Hall and Jim Keyes discuss the events that led up to the American War of Independence.
Carla and Keyes discuss The Stamp Act of 1765 in which Britain taxed American colonists on virtually every piece of printed paper they used. They also describe The Townshend Act of 1767 which went a step further, taxing colonists for essentials such as paint, paper, glass, lead and tea.
Soon after, the American colonists retaliated with the Boston Tea Party which was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists, and it rallied American patriots across the 13 colonies to fight for independence.
This unrest led to shots being fired between the British and Colonists in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts in 1775. These were the “shots heard around the world”, which started the American Revolution.
These conditions led to American General Benedict Arnold making a deal to hand over the plans for New York’s West Point to British Major John Arnold.
Carla and Keyes also discuss the creative process behind, “The Revolution So Far/West Point,” which appears in This Man’s A Spy, their musical retelling of the treasonous plot between American General Benedict Arnold and British Major John Andre during the American Revolutionary War.
“This Man’s A Spy!” was originally commissioned by the Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission / Yorktown 250, in partnership with Revolutionary Westchester 250, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, this concert has modern stylings that are enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
You can listen to the podcast on Anchor.fm here.
You can watch the conversation on YouTube here.
The History Twins podcast teaches that New York history is more than just dates and dead people. It’s for people interested in history, and the creative process involved in bringing history to life through performance. It is a production of Gentle Giant Music Productions.
You will find more stories at CarlaandKeyes.com.
Leave a Reply