Blog #4: Revolution Article

Facts Regarding the Revolution From the Provided Article:

1. Many of the military historical figures from the Revolution came to be known for something other than their exploits, however long lasting they may have been, during the war. For instance, Benedeict Arnold is known to be a traitor to this nation, George Washington is known as our first president, and John Paul Jones is known for sparking Theodore Roosevelt's desire to have America become one of the world's most powerful navies.

2. George Washington, being the prudent, wise man that history has portrayed him as, made very few remarks about the rebel soldiers. Even though he clearly respected their efforts by that no other force parallels the actions taken by these men and that they conducted themselves in a peculiar manner, never once did he establish a national day or event in which their efforts could be commemorated.

3. Due to the regions in which the war was fought, many civilians were killed as a result. With the unsanitary environment of the time, illness and disease spread rather quickly, turning numerous private residences into public hospitals for soldiers at war. Too, with guerilla warfare and Native American involvement, many civilians in towns or on the streets were killed simply because they were in the line of fire. Coastal raids by the British and home invasions by the redcoats also contributed to a growing colonial dissatisfaction with their colonizers war efforts, ultimately leading to an increased war effort by the colonists. In Connecticut, five towns felt these realities more so than many other regions, with British soldiers storming shipyards, warehouses, and plantations.

4. Some of the most brutal and retaliatory forms of warfare were between revolutionaries and loyalist Americans right here on the North American continent. Loyalist Cavalrymen, under the rule of Banastre Tarleton in 1780, slaughtered already surrundered rebel troops in South Carolina. Later, rebellio0n officer Colonel Henry Lee retaliated to this by killing ninety loyalist soldiers in March of 1781 in North Carolina.

5. Aprroximately half of the prisoners of war during the Revolutionary period were killed or left to die under the observations of their capturer. Due to this reality, a policy against killing captives was soon instituted upon the rebel forces by their commander. Yet, with supplies running low and resources being scarcely found, prisoners of war were often ravaged for their clothing and other supplies which were in high demand due to the times of warfare. In the harsh winter months, this resulted in many prisoners dying from a lack of food or lack of sufficient clothing. Roughly, the percentage of prisoners who died during the Revolutionary War in America rivaled that of the Japanese interment camps during World War II.