British Army

The Road North: From Native Networks to the Champlain Canal

March 16, 2026 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Where the Hoosic and Mohawk rivers meet the Hudson River was a major Indigenous crossroads. Three major native pathways came together there: 1) The Hoosic River offered the main route east to New England, over the Berkshires and into Massachusetts. 2) The Mohawk River guided the way west. 3) The east side of the Hudson Valley provided a pathway north to Lake Champlain and Canada.

These well-worn trails, on which colonists later built their roads, linked the waterways used by Indigenous hunters, traders, and families moving between settlements. Stone, minerals, and other natural material from as far west as Michigan have been found in this region, revealing a broad network of trade among Native people, long before Europeans arrived. [Read more…] about The Road North: From Native Networks to the Champlain Canal

Lake Champlain: The Irish Lake

March 9, 2026 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Between 1840 and 1860, a great wave of Irish immigrants washed up on the shores of Lake Champlain. So many, in fact, that the inland sea was nicknamed “the Irish lake.”

The reason, of course, was poverty and job opportunities. Although Irish Catholics had started arriving in New York and Vermont in numbers by 1820, Champlain truly became the Irish lake in the mid-1840s during the Great Famine. [Read more…] about Lake Champlain: The Irish Lake

Unpacking John André’s Boot

February 6, 2026 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

The latest episode of the New York Minute in History podcast tells the harrowing story of the capture of British spymaster Major John André, who was caught attempting to bring vital information on the American garrison at West Point to the British army command during the American Revolution.

The documents hidden in André’s boot made it clear that American General Benedict Arnold was involved in the conspiracy and a traitor to the cause. [Read more…] about Unpacking John André’s Boot

Cohoes Airman Eugene Chouiniere, Missing Since WWII, Being Memorialized

March 30, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Even before the United States entered the Second World War, Americans joined Great Britain’s war effort – among those who volunteered was Capital District native Eugene E. Chouiniere.

Chouiniere was 19-years-old when he died in a British Royal Air Force (RAF) mission to Germany. The crew included three Brits, two Canadians and three Americans. Letters to the families of the crew from the RAF stated that “it must be regretfully accepted and officially recorded that he [Eugene] does not have a known grave,” and thus their aircraft was “lost without a trace.”

Now independent historians think they know where the aircraft, a Avro Lancaster R5695EM-C Bomber, rests 80 years after it went down. [Read more…] about Cohoes Airman Eugene Chouiniere, Missing Since WWII, Being Memorialized

Video Tour Tracks British Troops at Fort Stanwix in 1777

August 28, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Rome Historical Society (RHS) has released The British Lines, a digital tour reviewing the movement of British troops during the Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. [Read more…] about Video Tour Tracks British Troops at Fort Stanwix in 1777

Decision-Making in the British Military Justice Process

April 4, 2019 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

A presentation, Decision-Making in the British Military Justice Process by William P. Tatum III, Ph.D,will be held on April 11th at Siena College near Albany.

Contrary to popular stereotypes, the British military justice system of the Revolutionary War-era employed a complicated process, with multiple layers of courts and enforcement. Much as with contemporary civilian justice, an accused individual could enter the system at any one of these levels. Ultimately, the fate of both officers and soldiers charged with military misconduct depended on the individual decisions of commanding officers and courts martial judges. This presentation will chart the formal structure of the British Military Justice System and the decisions through which officers determined where military personnel would enter and leave it. [Read more…] about Decision-Making in the British Military Justice Process

British Redcoats of the American Revolution

January 7, 2015 by Dr. Liz Covart 1 Comment

When we discuss the military history of the American War for Independence, we tend to focus on specific battles or details about the men who served in George Washington’s Continental Army. Rarely do we take the opportunity to ask questions about the approximately 50,000 men who served in the British Army.

In this episode of the “Ben Franklin’s World” podcast we speak with Don N. Hagist an independent scholar and author of British Soldiers, American War: Voices of the American Revolution (Westholme Publishing, 2014). Don leads us on exploration of the “other” men who fought in the American War for Independence, the soldiers in the British Army. You can listen to the podcast here: www.benfranklinsworld.com/010 [Read more…] about British Redcoats of the American Revolution

British Army

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