Category Archives: REVOLUTION

The White Man’s Burden

British Imperialism At one time, the British Empire was a global system of dependencies (colonies and protectorates) and other territories that, for around three-hundred years, fell under the British Crown’s sovereignty and the British government’s administration.  How the British accomplished … Continue reading

Posted in ANTIQUITY, CANADA, CIVIL WAR, COLONIAL PERIOD, HISTORY, INDENTURE & SLAVERY, REVOLUTION | 5 Comments

Slaves in the American Revolution

Introduction Despite what the founding fathers said or wrote, the “new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” began as a slave society.  This unhappy fact has left an indelible imprint on … Continue reading

Posted in CANADA, COLONIAL PERIOD, FRONTIER, HISTORY, INDENTURE & SLAVERY, NATIVES, REVOLUTION | 4 Comments

Origins of the American Revolution

Introduction What most Americans know about their own country’s history is scarily nescient — although, to be fair, the fault for this lies at the feet of dismally educated teachers who offer their students the pablum of historical reinvention — … Continue reading

Posted in ANTIQUITY, COLONIAL PERIOD, HISTORY, REVOLUTION | 6 Comments

José Cosme de Urrea y Elías González

Introduction There are several definitions for the word filibuster.  In the modern sense, a filibuster is a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedure.  In its historical context, a filibuster is … Continue reading

Posted in HISTORY, LONE STAR, REVOLUTION | 6 Comments

The Texas Navy — Part 2

(Continued from Last Week) The Second Texas Navy In mid-1837, all Texas’ ships were either wrecked, captured, or seized by creditors — making Texas vulnerable to another Mexican invasion. Mexico’s effective blockade of the Texas coastline made any ship attempting … Continue reading

Posted in FRONTIER, HISTORY, LONE STAR, REVOLUTION | 2 Comments

British Ignobility

Introduction British colonial administrators were almost always members of the nobility — the peers and landed gentry.  But there were two groups of nobles: high nobles and everyone else.  In North America, the colonial administrators were mostly minor nobility.  Very few “high born” … Continue reading

Posted in COLONIAL PERIOD, HISTORY, REVOLUTION | 1 Comment

The Tragic Case of Dr. Benjamin Church, M.D.

All modern clandestine organizations employ psychologists.  They do this as a measure of self-defense because it is often the psychologist who is most capable of ferreting out a traitor or identifying a candidate for the secret service who may later … Continue reading

Posted in HISTORY, MILITARY, REVOLUTION | Leave a comment

The One You Never Suspect

Experts on spycraft tell us that the best spy is the one you never suspect.  I would argue that it’s the one who never gets caught.  I asked the question, “Who were the best spies during the American Revolution?”  Among … Continue reading

Posted in COLONIAL PERIOD, HISTORY, REVOLUTION | 2 Comments

Gentleman Johnny

Introduction For many years, British military officers purchased their promotions.  A young man who wanted to join the military as an officer paid for the privilege of serving in the army.[1]  The system that existed in the United Kingdom before 1871 for … Continue reading

Posted in CANADA, COLONIAL PERIOD, FRONTIER, HISTORY, NATIVES, REVOLUTION | Leave a comment

A New England Man

Introduction In 1755, British colonists had a full plate: French soldiers and their Indian allies were killing British settlers, parliament was finding ways to increase everyone’s taxes, and the British monarch, who couldn’t speak English, was mentally ill.  Amazingly, there was … Continue reading

Posted in COLONIAL PERIOD, FRONTIER, HISTORY, MILITARY, NATIVES, POLITICIANS, REVOLUTION | 1 Comment