Tag Archives: 4th of July

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 2016

American flagBalladeer’s Blog wishes a happy birthday to the USA! What happened in early July of 1776 certainly needs no rehashing so in keeping with my blog’s theme of addressing more out of the way subjects this post will examine various events that took place on other July 4th’s throughout American history.

JULY 4TH, 1778 – George Rogers Clark led his rebel forces in taking the British stronghold of Kaskaskia, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Kaskaskia Rivers. Clark and his Rangers were on a mission for then-Virginia Governor Patrick Henry.

JULY 4TH, 1783 – The Massachusetts Supreme Court is finalizing its written decision holding that slavery has been illegal in the state since adoption of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights in 1780.

JULY 4TH, 1788 – Continue reading

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Filed under Neglected History, Revolutionary War

FOURTH OF JULY MUSICAL: 1776

1776-musical-movieIt may be my fondness for mythology that makes me love to watch particular movies around particular holidays.  I say that because many of the well- known myths were recited on ancient holidays when their subject matter was relevant to those holidays. The stories helped accentuate the meaning of the special events and that’s the way I use various movies. At Christmas I watch countless variations of A Christmas Carol, around Labor Day I watch Eight Men Out, at Halloween The Evil Dead and the original Nightmare On Elm Street, Thanksgiving Eve I do Oliver! and for Frontierado (which is just a month away now) I do Silverado.

Since the actual 4th of July is loaded with activity I always show 1776 on the night before. It’s a great way to get in the mood for Independence Day. It’s a musical but with brilliant dialogue portions and the story involves the political maneuvering  surrounding the Original Thirteen Colonies at last announcing their independence from Great Britain, more than a year after Continue reading

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REVOLUTIONARY WAR: PART TWO OF NEGLECTED NAVAL BATTLES

Revolutionary War naval battlesBalladeer’s Blog continues its examination of neglected naval clashes of the Revolutionary War.

MAY 21st, 1777 – Off St Augustine, FL the USS Comet waged an all-night battle with the HMS Apalachicola until the British ship had lost all sails and riggings and was forced to surrender.

APRIL 27th, 1778 – THE John Paul Jones, leading a detachment from the USS Ranger, raided the British port of Whitehaven. The detachment’s commando-style raid resulted in Continue reading

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REVOLUTIONARY WAR FAQ

Fife and drum picThe Fourth of July is rapidly approaching! Some people get puzzled about the actual Thirteen Original Colonies of America. They know for instance that Daniel Morgan’s Kentucky Rifles were one of the most storied units of the war and saw action from Canada to the American South. Yet, Kentucky is not listed as one of the original colonies.

Similarly they know that Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys were a Vermont unit and that Chillicothe in Ohio was the site of the REAL last battle of the war, yet neither Vermont nor Ohio were original colonies, either. The reason for all that is this: Continue reading

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Filed under Neglected History, Revolutionary War

ELIZABETHTOWN: REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLE

Elizabethtown New Jersey Revolutionary WarIn the spirit of the 4th of July season here’s a neglected battle from the American Revolution.

BATTLE OF ELIZABETHTOWN

Date(s): January 5th-7th, 1777

Location: Elizabethtown and Springfield, NJ

American Commander: General William Maxwell

British Commander: Colonel Charles Mawhood

The Battle: On January 5th American Rebels attacked a British Cavalry patrol, killing one man and wounding another. The next day some cavalrymen and 50 infantrymen set out from the town to kill or capture any Rebels in the area. Continue reading

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REVOLUTIONARY WAR: THE FIGHTING QUAKER

Thomas Carpenter House

*** *** *** *** *** ***  The Thomas Carpenter House

THE FIGHTING QUAKER, THOMAS CARPENTER: The Fourth of July is fast approaching! As always Balladeer’s Blog will be marking the occassion with plenty of seasonal posts.  

Though his Quaker principles prevented him from taking on a combat role in the Revolutionary War, Thomas Carpenter became a Paymaster of militia units on March 19th, 1777.   Continue reading

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HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 2015

American flagBalladeer’s Blog wishes a happy birthday to the USA! What happened in early July of 1776 certainly needs no rehashing so in keeping with my blog’s theme of addressing more out of the way subjects this post will examine various events that took place on other July 4th’s throughout American history.

JULY 4TH, 1778 – George Rogers Clark led his rebel forces in taking the British stronghold of Kaskaskia, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Kaskaskia Rivers. Clark and his Rangers were on a mission for then-Virginia Governor Patrick Henry.

JULY 4TH, 1783 – The Massachusetts Supreme Court is finalizing its written decision holding that slavery has been illegal in the state since adoption of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights in 1780.

JULY 4TH, 1788 – Continue reading

14 Comments

Filed under Neglected History

INDEPENDENCE DAY: TO THE FOURTH POWER

To the 4th PowerTO THE FOURTH POWER (2013) – This film was one of the sleeper hits of last year. You’d think it would be impossible to do something creative with the mock documentary format at this point but To The Fourth Power proves to be a thought-provoking and inventive piece set “just a few years from now”.

The movie depicts a near future in which the Continue reading

16 Comments

Filed under Fantastic Movie Reviews, LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES

1776: THE 4th of JULY MUSICAL

1776-musical-movieIt may be my fondness for mythology that makes me love to watch particular movies around particular holidays.  I say that because many of the well- known myths were recited on ancient holidays when their subject matter was relevant to those holidays. The stories helped accentuate the meaning of the special events and that’s the way I use various movies. At Christmas I watch countless variations of A Christmas Carol, around Labor Day I watch Eight Men Out, at Halloween The Evil Dead and the original Nightmare On Elm Street, Thanksgiving Eve I do Oliver! and for Frontierado (which is just a month away now) I do Silverado.

Since the actual 4th of July is loaded with activity I always show 1776 on the night before. It’s a great way to get in the mood for Independence Day. It’s a musical but with brilliant dialogue portions and the story involves the political maneuvering  surrounding the Original Thirteen Colonies at last announcing their independence from Great Britain, more than a year after Continue reading

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Filed under Revolutionary War

SPANKTOWN: FORGOTTEN REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLE

William MaxwellThe 4th of July is fast approaching! In the spirit of the season here’s another neglected battle from the American Revolution.

BATTLE OF SPANKTOWN

Date: February 23rd, 1777

Location: Spanktown, NJ (Now Rahway)

American Commander: General William Maxwell

British Commander: Colonel Charles Mawhood

The Battle: Colonel Mawhood, with 2,000 men, was roaming the New Jersey No-Man’s Land with orders to destroy any American forces he encountered. At Spanktown Mawhood’s troops came upon American Militiamen herding livestock for supplies while being accompanied by Continental Army Regulars. The American forces totaled fewer than 900 men.  Continue reading

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Filed under Neglected History, Revolutionary War