Battle of Yorktown

Freeborn Black Soldiers in the American Revolution

March 5, 2026 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

In 1777, brothers William and Benjamin Frank enlisted in the Second Rhode Island Regiment of the Continental Army. Freeborn men of color, they gambled that military service would earn them what freedom alone had not: equality, land, and a better future.

In this episode of the Ben Franklin’s World podcast, historian Shirley Green draws on genealogical research rooted in her own family history to reveal what daily life looked like for free Black soldiers in the Continental Army and in Revolutionary Rhode Island. [Read more…] about Freeborn Black Soldiers in the American Revolution

How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution

February 5, 2026 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

It’s easy to focus on the American Revolution‘s famous battles, like Saratoga and Yorktown, its iconic leaders, like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, or its foundational documents, like the Declaration of Independence.

But International alliances — especially with France and Spain — played a critical role in securing the United States’ independence. [Read more…] about How France and Spain Helped Win the American Revolution

Lake Tonetta’s Black Revolutionary War Heritage

February 7, 2024 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

For many years, there has been great debate regarding the origins of the name of Lake Tonetta in the Town of Southeast in Putnam County, New York. Lake Tonetta, also known as Tone’s Pond or Waring’s Pond, has been associated with a great deal of folklore.

It was often suggested that the lake was named after Tone, an enslaved Black man who was promised his freedom by Southeast resident John Waring in exchange for his service in the Revolutionary War. [Read more…] about Lake Tonetta’s Black Revolutionary War Heritage

Revolutionary Blacks: Soldiers of Independence

December 26, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

William and Benjamin Frank joined the Second Rhode Island Regiment in the spring of 1777, following the tradition of military service established by their father, a veteran of the French and Indian War. The brothers became part of a cohort of free Black soldiers serving in an integrated Continental Army.

The Second Rhode Island saw action along the Delaware River in the defense of Fort Mercer (in New Jersey) and the battle of Red Bank, before falling back with the rest of the army to Valley Forge. [Read more…] about Revolutionary Blacks: Soldiers of Independence

The Marquis de Lafayette: A Short Biography

November 17, 2022 by James S. Kaplan 1 Comment

2024 will mark the 200th anniversary of the return of the Marquis de Lafayette (Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette) to America. In 1824, almost 50 years after the start of the American Revolution, the 68-year-old Lafayette was invited by President James Monroe, an old Revolutionary War comrade and lifelong friend, to tour the United States.

Lafayette’s visit was one the major events of the early 19th century. It had the effect of unifying a country sometime fractured by electoral discord and reminding Americans of their hard won democracy. [Read more…] about The Marquis de Lafayette: A Short Biography

Experiences of Revolution: Disruptions in Yorktown

July 13, 2022 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

What was everyday life like during the American War for Independence?

Our Fourth of July series continues with an investigation of how the American War for Independence impacted those who remained on the homefront. As episode 332 explored how the war impacted the lives of people who lived in urban Philadelphia, this episode investigates how the war impacted the lives of people who lived in the more rural setting of Yorktown, Virginia. [Read more…] about Experiences of Revolution: Disruptions in Yorktown

Experiences of Revolution: Occupied Philadelphia

July 6, 2022 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

What was everyday life like during the American War for Independence?

We’ll investigate answers to this question by exploring the histories of occupied Philadelphia and Yorktown, and how civilians, those left on the home front in both of those places, experienced the war and its armies.

These episodes will allow us to see how the war impacted those who remained at home. They will also allow us to better understand the messy confusion and uncertainty Americans experienced in between the big battles and events of the American Revolution. [Read more…] about Experiences of Revolution: Occupied Philadelphia

Simeon DeWitt: America’s Surveyor General

April 25, 2022 by Peter Hess 3 Comments

Tjerck Claeszen DeWitt immigrated to New Amsterdam (now New York City) from Grootholt in Zunterlant in 1656. Grootholt means Great Wood and Zunterland was probably located on the southern border of East Friesland, a German territory on the North Sea only ten miles from the most northerly province of the Netherlands.

By 1657, Tjerck DeWitt married Barber (Barbara) Andrieszen (also Andriessen) in the New Amsterdam Dutch Church and moved to Beverwyck (now Albany). While in Beverwyck, he purchased a house. At this time Albany contained 342 houses and about 1,000 residents, about 600 of whom were members of the Dutch Church. [Read more…] about Simeon DeWitt: America’s Surveyor General

Fighting After Yorktown: The End of Revolutionary War

April 1, 2020 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

When did the fighting of the American War for Independence end?

In school we learn that the war came to an end at the Battle of Yorktown. But, this lesson omits all of the fighting that took place after Charles, Earl Cornwallis’ surrender in October 1781.

Turning Points of the American Revolution

October 24, 2018 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

2018 marks the 241st anniversary of the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga and the 240th anniversary of the Franco-American Alliance. But was the victory that prompted the French to join the American war effort, truly the “turning point” of the War for Independence?

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World: A Podcast About Early American History, National Book Award-winner Nathaniel Philbrick joins us to explore the two events he sees as better turning points in the American War for Independence: Benedict Arnold’s treason and the French Navy’s participation in the war. You can listen to the podcast here: www.benfranklinsworld.com/208

After Yorktown: The Final Struggle for Independence

May 18, 2016 by Dr. Liz Covart Leave a Comment

When did the fighting of the American War for Independence end?

In school we learn that the war came to an end at Yorktown. But, this lesson omits all of the fighting that took place after Charles, Earl Cornwallis’ surrender in October 1781.

In this episode of the Ben Franklin’s World podcast, Don Glickstein, author of After Yorktown: The Final Struggle for American Independence (Westholme Publishing, 2015), takes us on a whirlwind and global tour of the fighting that took place after Yorktown. You can listen to the podcast here: www.benfranklinsworld.com/081

Battle of Yorktown

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