American Revolution

James Monroe (L) and Alexander Hamilton (R) nearly dueled each other, but an unlikely political ally stepped in

That Time When Alexander Hamilton Almost Dueled James Monroe

And it was an unlikely ally who put a stop to their petty dispute

Why Do Astronauts on the International Space Station Float and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

John Paul Jones, an American naval hero during the Revolutionary War, was later known for wooing the women of France.

John Paul Jones and His Romantic Romp Through Paris

After the naval hero gained acclaim in the American Revolution, he met many adorers in the French city

How Rum Helped the U.S. Win Its Independence

Rum may was a key player in America's revolutionary days

The Hermione, 17 years in the making, replicates the original wartime frigate that ferried the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1780.

The Marquis de Lafayette Sails Again

Now that the ship that the Frenchman took on his 1780 trip to America has been rebuilt, its time to revisit his role in history

Benjamin Franklin reading letters, which may or may not have been written by his female friends.

The Founding Fathers and the Women, Not Their Wives, Whom They Wrote To

These words today would raise suspicion if written between married men and their female friends

Captain Loebl of the US Coast Guard, Sector New York cuts the birthday cake for Alexander Hamilton at the Museum of American Finance

Crashing Alexander Hamilton's Birthday Weekend

Each year, admirers of the oft-neglected Founding Father gather for a multi-day birthday celebration ranging across Manhattan.

A newspaper was the first item found upon opening the capsule.

What Was Found Inside the Oldest American Time Capsule

Historians in Boston have just cracked open a brass box originally buried in 1795 by Paul Revere and Samuel Adams

George Washington's only complete set of dentures, made out of lead, human teeth, cow teeth and elephant ivory.  

George Washington Didn’t Have Wooden Teeth—They Were Ivory

Washington's teeth were made of a lot of things, but not wood

The Forum was among the many sights in Rome that amazed Copley, who said he was “feasting my eyes.”

When Colonial America’s Greatest Painter Took His Brush to Europe

John Singleton Copley left for Europe on the eve of the American Revolution. A historian and her teenage son made the trip to see why

Patience Wright, c. 1782. Artist unknown.

The Madame Tussaud of the American Colonies Was a Founding Fathers Stalker

Patience Wright remained independence-minded in her correspondence with Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson

John Trumball's The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, 17 June, 1775.

The True Story of the Battle of Bunker Hill

Nathaniel Philbrick takes on one of the Revolutionary War’s most famous and least understood battles

An artist's depiction of the tarring and feathering of loyalist John Malcom in Boston.

The Worst Parade to Ever Hit the Streets of Boston

On the eve of the Revolutionary War, loyalist John Malcom was tarred, feathered and dragged through the streets, just for arguing with a young boy

On February 4, 1789, the 69 members of the Electoral College made George Washington the only chief executive to be unanimously elected.

George Washington: The Reluctant President

It seemed as if everyone rejoiced at the election of our first chief executive except the man himself

Britain's leaders made a miscalculation when they assumed that resistance from the colonies, as the Earl of Dartmouth predicted, could not be "very formidable."

Myths of the American Revolution

A noted historian debunks the conventional wisdom about America's War of Independence

"I think most Americans don't realize how close we came to losing the Revolutionary War," says Ferling.

Forget Independence

John Ferling, author of "100 Days that Shook the World," imagines an alternate history

General Marion Inviting a British Officer to Share His Meal

The Swamp Fox

Elusive and crafty, Francis Marion outwitted British troops during the American Revolution

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The Rocky Road to Revolution

While most members of Congress sought a negotiated settlement with England, independence advocates bided their time

In the summer of 1776, Franklin (left, seated with Adams in a c. 1921 painting) advised Jefferson on the drafting of the nation's founding document.

Benjamin Franklin Joins the Revolution

Returning to Philadelphia from England in 1775, the "wisest American" kept his political leanings to himself. But not for long

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