Why Study the Revolution?

  This is an important, yet loaded question that does not often get proper attention within the public consciousness. We have grown quite comfortable with the bicentennial-era interpretation of the American Revolution, which paints the event as a sort of heartwarming David and Goliath story that gave rise to our nation and its fundamental ideals. Though academics have been constantly re-examining and reassessing the conflict and the greater revolutionary period, the popular memory has not truly changed much in the past fifty years. People fondly remember the films, books, poems, and all other mediums that help form the mythology of the Revolution - Johnny Tremaine, "Paul Revere’s Ride," and dare I say, The Patriot. Essentially, the Revolutionary War is our country’s historic comfort food; an event far removed from present-day controversies and yet is somehow relatable to all.

As the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution draws near, the period will most certainly enjoy greater attention in the public eye. Ceremonies, parades, and all kinds of special events will once again allow us to reflect on our nation’s founding and the men and women who made it possible. We as a nation could easily dust off the old bicentennial banners, pop on our tricorne hats, and praise our forefathers for fighting over a tax on tea. However, we would be forfeiting a far more valuable opportunity for reanalyzing and rediscovering our identity as Americans. In my own time studying the period, I’ve been amazed at just how many parallels can be drawn between the colonial period and the many political, social, and cultural issues that we face today that are barely recognized or outright ignored in the popular memory of the conflict. Ideas including insurrection as political discourse, communal containment of infectious diseases, unanswered questions regarding race, and changing gender roles were just as relevant then as they are today. By simply defaulting to the “Comfort Food” narrative, we would be missing out on an even better story.

Rather than taking the classic “mythbusting” approach and simply pointing out how wrong our base knowledge of the conflict is, this blog will instead build off what many of us already know and use it to explore larger concepts. I know I’d hate it if some Gen-Z keyboard warrior told me that everything I knew about the Revolutionary War was wrong and that I should go back to collecting stamps and metal detecting; not to worry, that approach will most certainly not be taken. The Revolutionary War Files will explore everything from the battles and important events to the everyday people and culture of the colonial period in an attempt to let our existing knowledge shed new light on the past, and allow us to come to a better understanding of how it relates to the present.