A reckoning with the Revolution. Start with ‘Freedom Trail.'
Advertisement
We need a new history of the Revolution.
Barbara Brown
Brookline
The writer is the founder of Hidden Brookline.
I am pleased to read about how museums are understanding that the whole picture of the Revolutionary War needs to be presented and that the Concord Museum is taking clear steps to include the marginalized citizens of the period to make a full-bodied history ('Evolutionary thinking on Revolutionary War').
I always wonder which source material folks use. This project brought immediately to mind Howard Zinn's 'A People's History of the United States' and Ray Raphael's 'A People's History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence.' These authors deserve credit for having taken this subject on
decades before it became fashionable for people in influential positions to do so.
Advertisement
Sara Driscoll
Jamaica Plain
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Old Fort Niagara launches campaign to build Native American Education Center
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, Old Fort Niagara announced plans Tuesday to construct a replica 18th century Native American dwelling to serve as a Native American Education Center. The center will vividly represent the living conditions for Native Americans at the Fort during the Revolution and serve as a focal point for the Fort's Native living history programming. 'As one of the most historic sites on the Great Lakes, Old Fort Niagara has endured for nearly 300 years,' Robert Emerson, executive director, Old Fort Niagara, said. 'An integral part of that long history is the Fort's connection with local Native American nations — and it's important that we elevate that story.' Fort Niagara has already secured $200,000 toward the cost of the building and aims to raise another $50,000. The center's design reflects a little-known piece of local history. During the American Revolution, thousands of Native Americans fled to Fort Niagara to flee the ravages of war. Hewn log dwellings were constructed right outside the walls of the fort to house the Native allies of the British. The interior of the recreated log structure will include sleeping, dining and storage spaces — each incorporating period Native American clothing, weapons, trade goods, lighting and other historic pieces. Native interpreters will share with visitors the role of the Native peoples at the Fort, Native history and culture, trade, military alliances, diplomacy and survival. 'This facility and our enhanced Native programming will undoubtedly enrich the experience of thousands of school students, area residents and visitors to our region, who will have the opportunity to engage fully in both the military history of the Fort and its Native history,' said Jordan Smith, Mohawk, Bear Clan and head of Native education at Old Fort Niagara. In addition to educational living history experiences, the building will also serve as a hub for workshops for small groups to learn traditional Native skills such as moccasin making, beadwork, quillwork, finger weaving and even Native language classes. Old Fort Niagara also intends to invite local Native communities to use the building for social gatherings and small-group meetings. The public portion of the fundraising campaign, co-chaired by Chief Brennen Ferguson, Tuscarora, Turtle Clan and Michael McInerney, recently retired CEO of Modern Disposal Services, Inc., is underway with the goal of raising the remaining funds by early September. At a kick-off event attended by local Native American leaders and Old Fort Niagara supporters, Ferguson spoke to the importance of sharing the Haudenosaunee story. 'This cabin will stand not only as a window into the past, but as a doorway to greater understanding,' said Ferguson. 'The story of this land did not begin with the founding of Fort Niagara. Native Nations lived, traveled, and governed here long before European arrival. Today, Native staff at the Fort continue the vital work of educating the public about that deeper history. This structure will support their efforts, helping to share a fuller story; one that honors the presence, contributions and strength of Indigenous Peoples.' McInerney discussed the importance of supporting cultural sites like Old Fort Niagara and the imperative to attract new audiences. 'In addition to providing a new, engaging experience for all who visit the Fort, the Native American Education Center will draw new visitors and school groups, and help Old Fort Niagara broaden its reach,' said McInerney. 'The expanded draw will help ensure the Fort remains a vibrant educational resource in our community for generations to come.' The new building will be located adjacent to the Old Fort Niagara Visitor Center, with a planned opening in the spring. The facility will be open during regular operating hours, including for field trips, and can open for special events during the evening, lit by traditional lighting.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
President Trump shares birthday with Flag Day. 10 things to know about national holiday
During the Revolutionary War, the infant United States of America flew several different flags. That all changed on June 14, 1777, when Congress passed the Flag Resolution of 1777, establishing the U.S. flag with 13 alternating stripes of red and white, and a union of white stars on a blue field. While the number of stars has changed over the last 248 years, the overall design has not. But it took more than 170 years before Flag Day became a national holiday, celebrated on June 14 every year. "The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing, according to the official Flag Code." 'Flag Day is an honor and tradition that displays the national flag with pride and happiness," said Anniston Army Depot Sgt. Maj. Happiness Brown on "It is an annual observance which reminds us of the dedication and sacrifices made by our military service members. It's also a time to pray for our troops, those at home and abroad." On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on the new country's flag design. "That the flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation," the resolution read. A flag of this design was first carried into battle less than three months later, on Sept. 11, 1777, in the Battle of the Brandywine, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "In the late 1800s, schools all over the United States held Flag Day programs to contribute to the Americanization of immigrant children, and the observance caught on with individual communities," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a presidential proclamation establishing a national Flag Day on June 14, according to the Library of Congress. Both Wilson, in 1916, and President Coolidge, in 1927, issued proclamations asking for June 14 to be observed as National Flag Day. Congressional legislation designating the date as national Flag Day wasn't signed into law until 1949 by President Harry Truman. The legislation also called upon the president to issue a Flag Day proclamation every year. President Trump was born on Flag Day on June 14, 1946. "I am blessed to have shared my birthday with the Star Spangled Banner and the U.S. Army," he said. ➤ US Army's 250th anniversary a celebration that coincides with Trump's birthday. How to attend In 2017, he proclaimed not only Flag Day but Flag Week, saying, "On Flag Day, we honor the symbol that reminds us that we are one Nation under God, united in our pursuit of liberty and justice for all. "By honoring our flag, we pay due respect to the patriots and heroes who have laid down their lives in defense of the liberty it represents. "The Congress also requested, in 1966, that the President annually issue a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as 'National Flag Week' and call upon citizens of the United States to display the flag during that week." "According to legend, in 1776, George Washington commissioned Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross to create a flag for the new nation. "Scholars, however, credit the flag's design to Francis Hopkinson, who also designed the Great Seal and first coin of the United States. Even so, Ross most likely met Washington and certainly sewed early American flags in her family's Philadelphia upholstery shop," according to the Library of Congress. There have been 27 official versions of the flag, but the arrangement of the stars has varied according to the flag-makers' preferences until 1912. That's when President Taft standardized the then-new flag's 48 stars, according to the Library of Congress. That changed when Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959. The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960. The current American flag was designed by Bob G. Heft, a high school student from Lancaster, Ohio, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. "Even though Bob's history teacher gave him a B- for not knowing how many states the Union had, Bob submitted his design to the White House (unprompted) in anticipation of Hawaii and Alaska joining the Union. To his surprise, President Eisenhower called him! Today, it's Bob Heft's 1958 design — showing 50 stars in a field that included five rows of six stars and four rows of five stars — which is now our 50-star American flag." Heft's teacher changed his grade to an A. The Continental Congress left no record explaining why it chose red, white and blue for the country's new flag. In 1782, the Congress of the Articles of Confederation chose the colors for the Great Seal of the United States with these meanings: white for purity and innocence red for valor and hardiness blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice The U.S. Flag Code provides guidelines on how to display and care for the U.S. flag. Flags should always hang freely but never with the stars down, except as a distress signal. The U.S. flag flies above any other flag. Never use the flag for decoration. Use bunting with the blue on top, then white, then red. It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, the flag may be displayed 24 hours a day if properly illuminated at night. When a flag becomes unfit to fly, it should be destroyed with dignity. Do not let the flag touch the ground. Do not fly flag upside down unless there is an emergency. Do not carry the flag flat, or carry things in it. Do not use the flag as clothing. Do not store the flag where it can get dirty. Do not use it as a cover. Do not fasten it or tie it back. Always allow it to fall free. Do not draw on, or otherwise mark the flag. No. The flag should be flown at full-staff, at the top of the pole on Flag Day. No, Flag Day is not a federal holiday, but the president traditionally proclaims its observance every year. The date, June 14, remains the same, no matter which day of the week it falls. Here are 2025 federal holidays: Jan. 1: New Year's Day Jan. 20: Inauguration Day; Martin Luther King Jr. Day Feb. 17: Washington's Birthday. Many state and local governments designation it as Presidents Day. May 26: Memorial Day June 19: Juneteenth July 4: Independence Day Sept. 1: Labor Day Oct. 13: Columbus Day Nov. 11: Veterans Day Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day Dec. 25: Christmas Day Contributing: Janet Loehrke, USA Today Network This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 10 things to know about Flag Day, President Trump's birthday
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
Revolutionary War veterans fought for the nation and pushed for a pension
Ichabod Beckwith was a 24-year-old patriot who heard the call for revolution in 1775 and set off with a company of battle-ready Minutemen on a march toward Lexington. That's where Beckwith's record as one of America's first veterans begins. And it ends in 1820, when the town overseers in Ludlow, Massachusetts, described the 69-year-old war veteran as 'a pauper disabled in body and mind' with no means of support other than the charity of friends and his town.
