The American Revolution

The Real Revolution The latest scholarship on the war for independence casts new light on some well-told tales, including why patriots really fought—it wasn't always for the cause of liberty—and what turned a famous war hero into an infamous traitor.

A Traitor, But Once a Patriot

The one-time war hero, Benedict Arnold, chose a path of betrayal.

British Might Meets Yankee Ingenuity

An invention paves the way for modern submarine warfare.

How Washington's Savvy Won the Day

Despite his share of tactical errors, the commander in chief prevailed as a strategist and a politician.

The Rich Legacy of a Forgotten Founder

Baron de Steuben may have been a fraud but he knew how to wage war.

Allied With France, Enemy of Our Enemy

America needed the French to defeat Britain, but it was Paris that lost in the end.

In a Massacre, the Seeds of a Civil War

Americans slaughtered their countrymen in the bloody Battle of Waxhaws in South Carolina.

Why the Patriots Really Fought

Many soldiers were not necessarily driven by the cause of liberty.

In Paris, Taking the Salons by Storm

How the canny Ben Franklin talked the French into a crucial alliance.

‘Town Destroyer’ Versus Iroquois Indians

Forty Indian villages--and a powerful nation--were razed on the orders of George Washington.

Rewriting the Legend of Paul Revere

Every schoolchild knows the story, but most of it is wrong.

The Unlikely Role of Patriot Pirates

Privateers plundered British ships and made fortunes, to boot.

For Blacks, There Was No Clear Choice

African-Americans ended up on both sides of the war even though they shared the goal of evading slavery.

More Nation & World

CREDITS: George Washington Crossing The Delaware River: ART RESOURCE; Minutemen Fighting the British: ART RESOURCE; Benedict Arnold: BROWN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY--BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY; Benjamin Franklin: STOCK MONTAGE--GETTY IMAGES; Graphic; STEPHEN ROUNTREE FOR USN&WR

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