Myths of the American Revolution
A noted historian debunks the conventional wisdom about America’s War of Independence
By John Ferling
Smithsonian Magazine | Subscribe
We think we know the Revolutionary War. After all, the American Revolution and the war that accompanied it not only determined the nation we would become but also continue to define who we are. The Declaration of Independence, the Midnight Ride, Valley Forge—the whole glorious chronicle of the colonists’ rebellion against tyranny is in the American DNA. Often it is the Revolution that is a child’s first encounter with history.
Yet much of what we know is not entirely true. Perhaps more than any defining moment in American history, the War of Independence is swathed in beliefs not borne out by the facts. Here, in order to form a more perfect understanding, the most significant myths of the Revolutionary War are reassessed.
Read more:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/myths-of-the-american-revolution-10941835/#zAQIQWYJf8PH0koy.99
