public:cb_mirror:patriots_of_the_past_inspire_the_present_txt_blogposts_11127
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Patriots of the past inspire the present
| As we ponder the role of patriotism today, knowledge of the courage and fortitude of former patriots is beneficial. I thought I knew the American Revolution, but this first book in a three-part series (The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson) is proving that there are many details I did not know. In engaging and highly readable text, Atkinson describes the complete and interesting story of the beginning of the revolution. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was publicly reviled and humiliated before the king’s council where he stood for over an hour while he was called “a man without honor,” “a hoary-headed traitor,“ and one who had “forfeited all the respect of societies and men”? Yet Franklin stood through this diatribe and continued to persevere. Consider the fact that Boston only had a population of 20,000 in 1775, yet there were enough critical and active patriots to spark the beginning of a move for independence. The “rebels” were not a few militiamen at the battle of Lexington and Concord but some 4,000 volunteers from that surrounding countryside. Prior to this battle most farms across the region had stockpiled and hidden away black powder and musket balls in anticipation of a conflict. Minutemen had trained for months to be prepared. This was a concerted drive by many volunteers. Over half of the towns of Connecticut sent men to the battle, and Yale College cancelled classes due to lack of students who had joined the soldiers. Revolution was not strictly a response to taxation, as commonly taught (e.g. the Boston Tea Party). Rather, it was a widespread movement for self-determination. Those were miniscule snippets from the very beginning of the book. Atkinson makes the leading characters and events come alive in this well-researched book. I am inspired by the volition and grit of our founding brothers and sisters. The book also includes a collection of excellent illustrative maps. The British Are Coming has won the following awards: George Washington Prize, Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize in American History, Excellence in American History Book Award, and the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award. It should be next in your reading list, and you will be eager for the next book in the series. Convention of States seeks to restore our nation to that revolutionary spirit of self-governance by proposing amendments under Article V of the Constitution. Join the movement to make history! # | LEADER_POSITION_FORM{leader_position:volunteer_activist} | # |
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| Created: | 2020-12-10 21:55 GMT |
| Updated: | 2025-02-19 04:15 GMT |
| Published: | 2020-12-11 05:00 GMT |
| Converted: | 2025-11-11 11:57 GMT |
| Change Author: | Suzanne Mcpherson |
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