The Revolutionary War Podcast
by Matt Schmidt
The Revolutionary War podcast examines the American Revolution through the compelling stories of the people who lived it. From militiamen to celebrated founding fathers, from Indigenous allies, we explore the messy, complicated reality of America's founding conflict. Each episode brings listeners into the dramatic events that shaped a nation. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply curious about how thirteen divided colonies overthrew the world'
Episodes
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Washington Rides to New York City
In the early days of April 1776, with the siege of Boston freshly won and the British fleet vanishing over the Atlantic horizon, General George Washington turned his attention southward. New York would almost certainly be the next theater of war, and Washington knew he had to reach it before the...
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The British Evacuate Boston
Early 1776, the city of Boston had become the focal point of agrinding strategic stalemate between the Continental Army and the British garrison under General William Howe. Since the battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, American forces had maintained a loose but effective siege around...
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The Fortification of Dorchester Heights
On the night of March 4–5, 1776, George Washington executed one of the most audacious maneuvers of the entire war: the overnight fortification of Dorchester Heights. Dorchester Heights was a series of elevated hills on a peninsula to the south of Boston, overlooking both the city and its harbor....
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The Battle of Moores Creek Bridge
On February 27, 1776, nearly five months before the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, a brief but consequential clash of arms took placein the pine forests of southeastern North Carolina. The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge, fought roughly eighteen miles northwest of…
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Thomas Paine's Common Sense
In January 1776, a relatively unknown English immigrant published a pamphlet that would alter the course of human history. Common Sense by Thomas Paine became the most influential political document of the American Revolution, transforming scattered colonial grievances into a unified cry for...
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Americans Attack Quebec, December 31, 1775
The final hours of 1775 witnessed one of the most audacious and ill-fated military operations of the American Revolution. As snow swirled through the narrow streets of Quebec City and temperatures plunged well below freezing, a ragged army of American soldiers launched a desperate assault against...
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Battle of Great Cane Brake
In the early months of the American Revolution, the Southern colonies experienced violent struggles as Patriots and Loyalists clashed over the future of British rule. One such engagement, the Battle of Great Cane Brake, took place on December 22,1775, in the backcountry of South Carolina.
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Battle of Great Bridge Virginia
On December 9, 1775, an engagement at Great Bridge, Virginia, unfolded that effectively ended British royal authority in the oldest American colony. The Battle of Great Bridge, though modest in scale compared to later Revolutionary War clashes, delivered a decisive blow to Governor Lord Dunmore's...
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The Americans Join Forces
On a cold December day along the frozen banks of the St. Lawrence River, two weary American commanders finally met at the small village of Point-aux-Trembles, roughly twenty miles southwest of Quebec City. General Richard Montgomery, fresh from his successful capture of Montreal, arrived to find...
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Winter Grips Boston
At the start of December 1775, the Siege of Boston hadalready stretched into its eighth month. What had begun with the thunderous volleys at Lexington and Concord the previous April had devolved into a grinding stalemate, with General George Washington's Continental Army encircling the city while...
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First Battle of Ninety Six
In November 1775, while George Washington's Continental Army besieged British forces in Boston and American troops pushed into Canada, a different kind of battle erupted in the South Carolina backcountry. The First Battle of Ninety Six marked the second battle in South Carolina and the first...
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Henry Knox and the Noble Train
In the autumn of 1775, the Continental Army found itself in a frustrating stalemate outside Boston. General George Washington's forces had successfully contained the British within the city following the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, but lacked the heavy artillery necessary to...
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The Fall of Montreal
On November 13, 1775, Brigadier General Richard Montgomery led Continental Army forces into Montreal, occupying Canada's largest city without firing a shot. This bloodless victory represented the high-water mark of American ambitions to make Canada the fourteenth colony in the rebellion against...
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Birth of the Continental Marines
On November 10, 1775, amid the escalating tensions of the American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia to address a critical military need. That day, they passed a resolution that would forge one of America's most enduring military institutions.
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The Fall of Fort St. Jean
On November 3, 1775, after enduring a grueling six-week siege, Major Charles Preston raised the white flag over Fort St. Jean in Quebec. The surrender of this strategic British stronghold to American General Richard Montgomery marked a pivotal moment in the early stages of the American...
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Canadian Relief Force Repulsed!
On October 30, 1775, Governor Guy Carleton's relief expedition to break the American siege of Fort St. Johns met with disaster near Longueuil, a critical crossing point on the Saint Lawrence River opposite Montreal.
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The Battle of Hampton 1775
In the early morning hours of October 26, 1775, the coastal town of Hampton, Virginia, became an unlikely battleground in America's struggle for independence. The Battle of Hampton, though modest in scale compared to the epic confrontations that would follow, holds a significant place in...
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The Burning of Falmouth
On October 18, 1775, the coastal town of Falmouth, Massachusetts (present-day Portland, Maine) became the site of one of the most devastating British attacks during the early stages of the American Revolution. The bombardment and subsequent burning of this prosperous seaport marked a turning…
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Americans Capture Fort Chambly
On October 20, 1775, Fort Chambly, a strategic French-built fortification on the Richelieu River in Quebec, fell into American hands after a brief siege. This victory represented a crucial milestone in the Continental Army's audacious campaign to bring the northern colonies into the revolutionary...
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Benjamin Church: Doctor and Spy
In July 1775, one of the Continental Army's most trusted leaders committed an act of treachery that would shock George Washington and the fledgling American cause. Dr. Benjamin Church, the first Surgeon General of the United States, sent an encoded letter to British forces that exposed him as a...
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Siege of Fort St. Jean Begins!
The morning mist hung heavy over the Richelieu River as American forces moved into position around Fort St. Jean on September 17, 1775. This date marked the formal beginning of what would become a grueling 45-day siege, a pivotal engagement in the ambitious American campaign to bring Canada into...
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Benedict Arnold Launches His Quebec Expedition
On a crisp September morning in 1775, Colonel Benedict Arnold stood before approximately 1,100 Continental soldiers gathered at Newburyport, Massachusetts. The ambitious expedition he was about to lead would become one of the most daring military operations of the Revolutionary War, a grueling...
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The Invasion of Canada Begins
In the late summer of 1775, as revolutionary fervor swept through the thirteen colonies, American military leaders conceived an audacious plan that would shape the early course of the Revolutionary War. The invasion of Quebec, often called America's first foreign military expedition, began in...
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Americans Fortify Ploughed Hill
On August 26, 1775, American forces made the critical decision to fortify Ploughed Hill, a strategic elevation northwest of Boston that would prove instrumental in tightening the Continental Army's grip on the besieged city. This bold move, coming just two months after the costly victory at…
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Richard Montgomery's Gamble
In late August 1775, General Richard Montgomery faced one of those moments that define military careers and shape the course of wars. Standing at Fort Ticonderoga, the formidable stone fortress commanding the southern approaches to Lake Champlain, Montgomery received intelligence that would force...
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Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition
On August 23, 1775, King George III issued a proclamation from St. James's Palace that would fundamentally alter the trajectory of British-American relations and help seal the fate of the American colonies. The "Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition" formally declared that parts of...
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The Battle of Gloucester
In the early months of the American Revolution, before the Declaration of Independence was even conceived, a small but significant naval encounter occurred off the shores of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. The Battle of Gloucester represented one of the first instances of American maritime resistance...
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The Gunpowder Crisis
In early August 1775, George Washington received one of the most alarming reports of his nascent military career. After assuming command of the Continental Army just weeks earlier, he discovered that his forces besieging Boston possessed a mere 36 barrels of gunpowder—enough for perhaps nine…
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The Attack on Brewster Island
In the early morning darkness of July 31, 1775, three hundred American soldiers silently paddled through the black waters of Boston Harbor. Their target: the strategic lighthouse on Little Brewster Island, held by British forces and vital to their control of the harbor. Leading this daring raid…
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The Colonial Postal System Established
The establishment of an independent postal system in the American colonies during the summer of 1775 marked a pivotal moment in the journey toward American independence. This seemingly mundane administrative act represented far more than the mere delivery of letters; it was a bold assertion of...
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Patriots Destroy Fort Johnson NC
The flames that consumed Fort Johnston on July 18, 1775, marked more than the destruction of a military installation. They signaled the definitive end of British royal authority in North Carolina. This bold assault by Patriot militia forces, occurring just three months after the battles of...
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The Riflemen March To Boston
In July 1775, a company of ninety-six Virginia frontiersmen assembled in Winchester, Virginia, preparing for an extraordinary journey that would showcase both theirphysical endurance and their commitment to the American cause. Led by Captain Daniel Morgan, these riflemen would march to join…
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The Capture of Fort Charlotte South Carolina
In the sweltering heat of July 1775, Major James Mayson led a small band of South Carolina patriots on a mission that would mark one of the first overt acts of rebellion against British authority in the Southern colonies. Their target wasFort Charlotte, a strategic outpost guarding river traffic…
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The Olive Branch Petition
In the summer of 1775, as tensions between Britain and its American colonies reached a boiling point, the Second Continental Congress made one last desperate attempt to avoid full-scale war. The Olive Branch Petition, adoptedon July 5, 1775, represented the colonists' final effort to reconcile…
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Washington Takes Command
On the morning of July 3, 1775, the fate of American independence hung in delicate balance on a grassy field in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As dawn broke over thecolonial encampments surrounding British-occupied Boston, thousands of New England militiamen gathered to witness a ceremony that would...
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The Northern Army Is Formed!
In the tumultuous summer of 1775, as tensions between Great Britain and its American colonies reached a breaking point, the Second Continental Congress faced the monumental task of transforming scattered colonial resistance into a unified, organized military force. Among the most significant...
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George Washington Appointed Commander in Chief
On June 19, 1775, George Washington accepted the Continental Congress’s appointment as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, a decision that changed the course of American history. This moment, often overshadowed by the dramatic battles and the eventual triumph at Yorktown, was a turning...
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The Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, 1775, the hills overlooking Boston Harbor witnessed one of the most significant early engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The Battle of Bunker Hill, despite its name, was primarily fought on nearby Breed's Hill and would demonstrate to both sides that the conflict between...
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Congress Establishes the Continental Congress
On a humid June day in 1775, as tensions between the American colonies and Great Britain boiled over into violence, the Second Continental Congress convened inPhiladelphia. Their task was urgent and unprecedented: how could thirteen disparate colonies, each with its own interests and militia...
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Continental Congress's 1775 Address to Canada
In the spring of 1775, as tensions escalated into open conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen North American colonies, the nascent Continental Congress sought allies and support wherever it might be found. Recognizing thestrategic significance of the territory to the north, the Congress...
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The Battle of Chelsea Creek May 28 1775
The early days of the American Revolutionary War saw a rapid escalation of tensions and military actions following the clashes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. As colonial militias converged on Boston, they effectively placed theBritish forces stationed there under siege. This strategic...
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Capture of Fort Ticonderoga May 10, 1775
The early days of the American Revolutionary War saw a rapid escalation of conflict following the engagements at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. As tensions flared, colonial forces recognized the critical need for military supplies, particularly artillery. One location held significant…
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The Colonial Militia
The colonial militia system in the America coloniescomprised civilian men legally obligated to arm themselves and participate in military training to defend their communities. It was a decentralized system, with each colony establishing its enrollment, equipment, and serviceregulations. Unlike...
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Paul Revere in the War
Revere's impact on American independence extends far beyond his famous ride. His activism, communication skills, and organizational abilities were crucial to the success of the revolutionary movement. He was key in mobilizing public opinion, coordinating resistance efforts, and…
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Battles of Lexington and Concord
Open hostilities have begun. A single shot on Lexington Green what from an unknown source spark open conflict. With blood drawn on both sides the start of a war commences.
About this show
The Revolutionary War podcast examines the American Revolution through the compelling stories of the people who lived it. From militiamen to celebrated founding fathers, from Indigenous allies, we explore the messy, complicated reality of America's founding conflict. Each episode brings listeners into the dramatic events that shaped a nation. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply curious about how thirteen divided colonies overthrew the world'
Hosted by
Matt Schmidt
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