I haven't written a history article in a while, and I have a little spare time right now. I swear Mr. Green gets his bonus stories from Don't Know Much About History! It's had the ones about William Franklin (as a Tory), John Paul (Jones) (killing a member of his crew), and Washington (almost joining the royal navy). It didn't have the one about Patrick Henry's insane wife (medically), and for some reason I think I'm missing one.
Oh, and I forgot to mention I could've killed Clink during the Johnny Tremain unit! She said Dr. Church didn't exist! I was screaming inside me head. He was the American caught spying for the British, and she told our class that he was made up by the author to give the book a suspicious character. Grr... =(
Anyway!
Samuel Adams is an interesting guy. He squandered his inheritance, ruined the family brewery business, and failed miserably as a tax collector. But he was a genius at influencing and really good at getting people ticked off. He was a patriotic extremist and mastermind behind the Boston Tea Party. He had no knowledge or capabilities for peace though, and all but disappeared from history after the end of the war. One of his final, immortalized moments was quite ironically drawing up the Riot Act as part of the Massachusetts legislature. It stated that any one taking part in a revolution against the government could be jailed without trial (this was around the time of Shay's Rebellion). He felt that rebelling against a monarchy was one thing, while rebelling against a republic was punishable by death. Sure doesn't seem like the Sam Adams people normally think of.
Dr. Benjamin Church was anything but a hero, but he's interesting anyway so I included him anyway. He was (as stated above) the first American caught spying for the British, but quite ironically was also the first to reach the victims (?) (it's not an exaggeration to say they asked for it) of the Boston Massacre and treat the wounded. I won't talk about the other Benjamin we all know, because I've already exposed his big secrets on site.
John Hancock, a man with no military experience whatsoever, was very bitter when George Washington got the post of commander of the Continental Army instead of him. He got most of his money (he was the richest man in New England before the war) from his uncle, who was a very prominent smuggler. It's not unlikely that he also inherited a few dubious notions as well.
While in France, Thomas Jefferson may have taken a slave named Sally Hemings as a mistress. It was part of the campaign mudslinging during his presidential campaign, but the DNA evidence (don't know how they got that) shows that either he one of the younger Jefferson males got her pregnant. Most likely, it was him. But you know how it was when a scandal is published in People magazine. It doesn't matter whether or not it's true (at least for the public's opinion), the damage is already done. Many know he was also a hypocrite who was disdainful of slavery in the House of Burgesses, but kept many slaves himself.
James Otis was a dear friend, the first ally, and mentally similar to Sam Adams. He was stopped from getting a seat next to the other great writers and speaker in Revolutionary history due to his medical insanity. He was in and out of asylums and eventually carted off to the family's country farm where he could do no harm. (Hey, that rhymed!)
Paul Revere had a small command in the Continental Army after his famous "midnight ride" for which is often remembered. When he was ordered to march against the British at Penobscot, he instead took them to Boston. He was stripped of his command and accused of cowardice. He maintained a smudged reputation ever after, even though he eventually received a court acquittal. He also (to use one of my favorite phrases) "borrowed without permission" that propaganda print from another artist. He didn't make the original image of the Boston Massacre. So not only did he use propaganda, he took his from someone else.
Alexander Hamilton was born illegitimately to a shopkeeper. His father deserted them. He was brought to America by sheer coincidence when he caught the eyes of a few wealthy benefactors who paid for him to be sent to King's College. It's commonly known that he also got into a fatal duel with Aaron Burr, his political rival, but for those who didn't know, he did. He, like Jefferson, also ended up scandalizing his career with some amorous intrigues.
Something about Francis Marion that isn't so much odd, but just interesting, is that one British officer complained he "would not fight like a Christian". The British were always into the whole concept of drawing out precise battle plans and then never expecting what they considered informal and unofficial battle strategies, like guerilla tactics. They didn't get smarter either, because they had made the same mistake (multiple times) during the French and Indian War years earlier. Out of fairness, America who has had all this time to review the past made the same mistake in Vietnam.
One of the decisive reason that Daniel Morgan chose to join the patriot cause dated back to his experience under Braddock in the French and Indian War. He was once punished with 500 lashes for getting into a fight with a British officer. Many years later, he held the same grudge against England and ended up being a key player in the South for the American cause.
They don't teach you all the stories about Mary McCauley Hays (Molly Pitcher), the well known woman who took her husband's place in the battlefield manning artillery after he was wounded. Of course the textbooks only tell you that and also about her fetching water for the men to combat the heat. Well, there is also a story they don't tell you in school. It is said that a cannonball passed between her legs and tore away her petticoats. She responded to the incident by telling that it was a good thing it didn't hit any higher or it might've taken away something else.
They concludes all the weird stuff I could think of for now! =)
A random picture of me hugging a giant scarab in the British Museum in London -
