First Invasion: The War of 1812

I posted the trailer of this History Channel program on YouTube - partly to promote THIS site. Enjoy.

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Charlie Rose Show: Religion in the Constitution

Casting the American Revolution

If you were to film a movie or miniseries on the American Revolution AND you had a budget to get whoever you wanted for an all-star cast, who would you pick to direct and star in your epic?

Here we go....

Director - must be someone GOOD w/ action movies (need to keep the audience's attention after all)

George Washington - the star of the film

John Adams - the behind the scenes, noncombatant star (someone who could play a moody, yet very driven 'politician' type - and who would be convincing in romantic scenes with Abigail)

Martha Washington - the love interest for the main star (someone that is attractive in a calming, middle-aged way - not overweight, but heading in that direction)

Abigail Adams - need a strong actress for this role

Ben Franklin - the mentor type character, witty and wise

Lord Cornwallis - the main antagonist of the film (I think we let Tom Wilkinson who played Cornwallis in The Patriot reprise this role), but let's not make him villainous -- just determined and competent

Nathanael Greene - an underrated hero of the Revolution

Henry Knox - another underappreciated hero

Alexander Hamilton - need a young actor, preferably a heartthrob type

Joseph Plumb Martin - we need a guy in the trenches to give us the common soldier perspective in our film or miniseries; this actor needs to be a teenager


What do you think? Who am I missing?

George Washington Movie Trailer

If only this were real...

Why, oh why, can't Hollywood make a movie about the father of our country!?

David McCullough Interview

David McCullough is one of the greatest historians of our time. Here, McCullough is interviewed by Charlie Rose about his book 1776 - one of the best modern books written on the American Revolution.

Sesame Street's Guide to the Revolution

Follow this link for a rather humorous look at the American Revolution - courtesy of the folks at Sesame Street.

Do I need to say that this isn't an entirely accurate portrait of the way things happened?

Great Blog on the American Revolution

I'm thrilled to introduce to my readers an excellent blog on the American Revolution.

I love the articles, the links, the book recommendations, the polls, the music, the graphics. Just an outstanding blog.

It's great to see more people contributing to our knowledge of this critical period of our history. The more blogs on this period, the better!

The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening was one of the most influential movements or episodes in the history of North America. Not only did it significantly impact the culture of colonial America, but it laid the groundwork for many of the causes of the American Revolution.

The two most influential leaders of the Great Awakening were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

No American should be without knowledge of this critical period of our history.

Causes of the American Revolution

There are a lot of misconceptions about the American War for Independence. The biggest one is that it was all about taxes. The truth is that the American Revolution was caused by several events and issues. Certainly these issues included taxes, but the unifying or underlying theme wasn't taxes. It was self-government.

For more information, read my Suite101 article "Causes of the American Revolution."

For Liberty and Glory - New Book by James R Gaines

I'm currently reading For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette and their Revolutions. It's a very interesting and well-researched analysis of the two most important revolutions in western history - told with a focus on two men whose lives were deeply affected by BOTH events.

George Washington, of course, headed the American Revolution as the Continental Army Commander-in-Chief. But he was also impacted by the French Revolution while serving as President of the United States. Lafayette was an invaluable aide to Washington during the American Revolution, and became something like a son to the childless Washington. Lafayette would return to France as a hero and then himself be swept up in the revolution which gripped his own nation.

So far, I'm enjoying the book and can give it a solid recommendation. I will provide a more detailed review once I've completed it.

Today is Columbus Day

Though it precedes the American Revolution by close to 300 years, the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus is a critically significant event in the history of the United States.

Had Columbus not convinced his crew to continue their transatlantic voyage, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria would have turned back. Who knows when Columbus or any other European explorer would've made a similar attempt? The entire course of history would've been different.

Whether you consider Christopher Columbus a hero or a ruthless opportunist, no one can deny the significance of "Columbus Day."

For more information on Columbus and his discovery, visit The History Channel's special minisite.

The French & Indian War on the PC

I am currently playing "The French and Indian War," a PC game by John Tiller, published by HPS Simulations.

Since I've just started into it, I am not yet ready to write a full review. But the game is interesting. It's not for the Age of Empires RTS crowd. This is aimed at your rather hardcore armchair wargamers - the kind of people who read Armchair General magazine and have wargame parties at your local game and hobby store.

I will provide a more complete review later. In the meantime, I need to take a French fort!

Good Website on the Revolution

When you get a chance, here is a great website on the American Revolution. Lots of information. Pretty comprehensive. Enjoy!