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Revolutionary War Web Resources

At the battle of Monmouth, Molly Pitcher took over the cannon which had been manned by her fallen husband.An Internet search can reveal a wealth of material about lesser-known aspects of the Revolutionary War such as the Loyalists viewpoint, African-American participation, and women's roles. This article provides a starter list of Web sites offering content that ranges from academic, to government sponsored, to "home-made." Each site offers a variety of avenues for exploration.

Some Web sites, such as the National Park site (http://www.cr.nps.gov/military.html), are fairly general and can lead you to many related museums, historic houses, and battlefields-each with their own web sites, teacher materials, and historical information. Other Web sites, produced by reenactment groups and individuals, tend toward very precise information on their particular topic, bibliographies, and personal views on history. For example, the 2nd Virginia Regiment web site (http://www.secondvirginia.org) documents the regiment's 18th-century history which supports the Electronic Field Trip "Soldier of Liberty" storyline.

Canada's history incorporates the study of the African Americans loyalists in the Revolutionary War and the history of their citizenship in the British Empire. Some of those web sites (http://collections.ic.gc.ca/blackloyalists/wireframe.htm, http://www.royalprovincial.com, and http://museum.gov.ns.ca/blackloyalists/) remind us that the British colonial system was not just in the 13 colonies of the current United States of America, but also in Canada. The story of black loyalists is communicated and incorporated into the story of the historical community in the 21st century.

Remember, not all Web sites are created equal. While ".edu" and ".gov" sites would seem the most reliable, many ".org" and ".com" sites provide equally dependable materials. Most of all, have fun exploring!


Revolutionary War and Military

ushistory.org
http://www.ushistory.org
A site full of materials arranged by subject, such as the Revolutionary War. Timelines, documents, biographies, and games abound. Search by state or subject and see what great things are listed!

National Park Service—The American Revolution
http://www.nps.gov/revwar/
The American Revolution "Lighting Freedom's Flame" section of the National Park Service (NPS) web site commemorates the 225th anniversary of the war from 2000 to 2008. It also includes Revolutionary War history, lists of related battlefield/museum/sites, and teacher curriculum materials.

National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/parks.html
The National Park Service home page provides a list of battlefields and historic sites/museums nationwide with ties to the Revolutionary War, many with teacher's materials and curriculum guides. Search by Interest: select "Revolutionary War," "Battlefield/Military Parks," "Historic Park/Sites," then "Find a Park." Up pops a list with individual locations and their specific Web sites.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/index.html
Modules on major historical topics are located in this site's "Teacher Resource" section. In addition, current events and a variety of perspectives provide a rich resource from which to learn. Primarily, but not exclusively, aimed at Middle and High School users.

Digital History
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
Contains a great variety of teacher materials: handouts, fact sheets, glossaries, and learning modules on many subjects, including the Revolutionary War era. From virtual explorations to in class materials, this site is multi-faceted.

United States Constitution Unit for Middle School
http://mrbooth.com/edu/constit/diaries.html#1
This teacher-created unit on the U.S. Constituion includes the military diaries of Albigence Waldo, Joseph Plumb Martin, and Ebenezer Denny illustrate what life was like in the military during the Revolutionary War.


African American Soldiers in the American Revolution

Black Loyalists: Our History, Our People
http://collections.ic.gc.ca/blackloyalists/wireframe.htm
Part of the Canadian Digital Collections, this site provides a comprehensive discussion of the Revolutionary War and African-American loyalists.

The Revolution's Black Soldiers
http://www.americanrevolution.org/blk.html
An article by Dr. Robert A. Selig that provides background on the history of 18th-century African American's in the American Revolution.

The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
http://www.royalprovincial.com
The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies. A section on "Black Loyalists in the Revolution" offers links to other sites with related primary resources. Click on "Black Loyalists" in the text.

Remembering the Black Loyalists, Black Communities in Nova Scotia
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/blackloyalists/
Part of the Nova Scotia, Canada, Web site, this section includes teacher materials and primarily deals with how the American Revolution affected the lives of African Americans during and after the war.


Virginia Military

Second Virginia Regiment
http://www.secondvirginia.org
A site devoted to the reenactment group depicting the 2nd Virginia Regiment's history and military record.

Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center
http://www.historyisfun.org./visitus/teachers.cfm
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Web site. Offers historical background information and teacher materials, including "The Life of a Private." Just click on "Curriculum Materials"!


Women in the American Revolution

The Concord Magazine, September 1998
http://www.concordma.com/magazine/sept98/liberty.html
"Liberty's Daughters" is an article by D. Michael Ryan concerning the role of women in the Revolutionary War. This site provides an article on the names of many females who took part in war work.

Amazing Women in War and Peace
http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/femvets.html
Includes information about less well-known female participants in the Revolutionary War.

Women as Warriors in the Eighteenth Century
http://www.lothene.demon.co.uk/others/women18.html
A listing and links about females in 18th-century Europe and America who participated as soldiers in wartime.

Women Soldier in the American Revolution
http://www.continentalline.org/articles/0002/000202.htm
This article contains information about the lives of female soldiers who served during American Revolution.

americanrevolution.org
http://www.americanrevolution.org/nguyen.html
An article by Tina Ann Nguyen providing a brief introduction to female soldiers, spies, and heroines of the Revolutionary War. It also has an extensive reading list for more information on the topic of females and their roles during the American Revolution.

The King's Royal Yorkers
http://www.ajp.ca/yorkers/distaff.htm
A military reenactment group named "The King's Royal Yorkers" has a section on the women Loyalists in 18th-century North America.

The Role of Camp Followers in the American Revolution
http://users.erols.com/grippo/campfol.html
An article by Laura Webb dealing with camp followers.

The Minerva Center, Inc.
http://www.minervacenter.com/
A non-profit educational foundation supporting the study of women in war and women in the military. The information ranges from historical to the present day.



This article was written by Frances Burroughs, Associate Producer–Educational Media, Department of Education Outreach, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.