Missing Pages

For the first half of this season I have been skirting around the overall reason the American colonists decided to raise their own banner against England. This episode is meant to rectify that by detailing the traditions fought against and the new philosophy fought for.Before “independence” became a common word spoken in American coffeeshops, there was a hope that Britain was on the precipice of becoming a vast, transatlantic empire, and the American colonists hoped to indulge in the comin riches. They had long respected, and even venerated, their English heritage and hoped that the victory over France would bring these two lands closer together, at least spiritually. However, that was not how things shook out.Rather, the British government hoped to reign in the wily colonists at the same time that the colonists asked for a seat at the table. Over the next decade this political disagreement morphed into a disagreement about philosophy and culture, and the question began to be asked by many of the great colonial thinkers: why should we remain in Britain at all?This episode explores the transition in America from subordinate colonies to angry rebels to fledgling republic. I also describe the traditions they were rebelling against, and which they were merely using for their own purpose. As is often the case, the AP notes contain the broad strokes, but are missing the details. So, let’s fill in those missing pages…Join me on my journey through American History and help fill in those missing pages by subscribing below.MusicIntro: Fractured Timeline - SémøOutro: Its Gonna Be Alright - The HazelnutsSourcesThe Radicalism of the American Revolution - Gordon S. WoodThe Ideological Origins of the American Revolution - Bernard BailynOur First Civil War - H. W. BrandsThe Glorious Cause - Robert Middlekauff Get full access to Missing Pages at missingpages.substack.com/subscribe

While the American Revolution provided a voice to a people who longed to break free from the toke of the British Government. However, while they decried the slavery they faced from the King, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children remained in chains. This contradition was well understood, but the response to this knowledge did not provide a clear path towards its remedy. It would take nearly a century for this moral stain to begin to be addressed.As has been discussed in previous eras, slavery in the American colonies did not have a universal character even if it was universally accepted as an institution. In each region, the relations between owners and slaves, slaves and free blacks, and slaves themselves reflected those differences. This would have a profound impact on how slavery was viewed as an institution as disruptions from the war settled in.In some new states, emancipation came easier the language of the revolution made it clear that slavery had no place. However, even in these northern states, pragmatism often won out, thus postponing the death of slavery into the next century. In the south, principles were used in the opposite direction to ensure the institution thrived. With each of these argumenst, men would twist in knots trying to recocile their own calls for liberty while depriving others of theres.Throughout it all, blacks, free and in bondage, dealt with the constantly changing winds to find any path towards freedom possible. Whether it was through escape, the courtroom, or paying for one’s own freedom, slaves throughout the colonies found freedom. But they were few when compared to those who remained, and those who just arrived. Depsite the blatant contradiction, slavery was no closer to ending than before the war.Just like last episode, my highschool notes cover the broad changes in this era, but is lacking any detail. So, there are many missing pages to fill in…Join me on my journey through American History. Help fill in those missing pages.MusicIntro: Fractured Timeline - SémøOutro: With the Earth - Narrow SkiesSourcesMany Thousands Gone - Ira BerlinDeath or Liberty - Douglas R. EgertonThe Glorious Cause - Robert Middlekauff Get full access to Missing Pages at missingpages.substack.com/subscribe

As the war branched out away from Boston and New York, several fronts—and several major battles—were being fought simultaneously. Meanwhile, there were several cultural dynamics at play away from the battlefield. This is the first episode where I try to address both. I start with major battles to ensure there is continuity throughout the season, then transition to the impacts away from the front.When telling the story of a war, the battles, troop movements, and diplomacy often supersede the impacts at home. For much of history, it was women who faced the full effects of the war away from the front. This episode covers the women who were pivotal in the success of the Revolution from their homes—and on the battlefield.Prior to the Revolution, strict hierarchies on the basis of sex abounded in the colonies. Women were subordinate to their husbands and bound to the confines of the home. There were exceptions to this, but they only proved the rule. Furthermore, any women who tried to act outside their station were often shunned and looked down upon.As pressure from the colonies on the empire ramped up in the 1760s, women began to join in on the fight, though still in a limited fashion. But once war broke out, the chaos throughout the colonies brought the war to the women’s doorsteps and forced them to adapt, flee, or join a cause. This disruption gave women a larger role and often a voice, though it was not a simple advancement.My AP notes cover this era, though only in the broadest sense, so there are many missing pages that need to be filled…Join me on my journey through American history. Help fill in those missing pages.MusicIntro: Fractured Timeline - SémøOutro: Moon Mother - Richard FarrellSourcesLiberty’s Daughters — Mary Beth NortonRevolutionary Mothers — Carol BerkinThe Glorious Cause — Robert Middlekauff Get full access to Missing Pages at missingpages.substack.com/subscribe

This is a special bonus episode in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing (at least by some) of the Declaration of Independence.Every American knows these words and the unalienable rights written out in the Declaration of Independence. We are taught from our earliest school years about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.Looking back into history, the Declaration marks the beginning. Its signing marked for all time the creation of a nation with a certain set of beliefs as its backbone.It was also a beginning for the men who signed it, but this document was also an end. It was the final statement of colonists who had grown disillusioned with their mother country. For the men at the Second Continental Congress, this was also an opportunity to convince the rest of the colonial world that independence was necessary.So we ought to, as good Americans, understand its arguments and purpose, not only for us today, but for the original readers in 1776.Afterward, I also reflect on America today and why I find it difficult to write about what it was, is, and ought to be, but still think it is a wonderful place worth celebrating.Missing Pages is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber at missingpage.substack.com. Get full access to Missing Pages at missingpages.substack.com/subscribe

I try my best to resist Romanticism and hagiography when discussing American history. It is vital to discuss history honestly, with warts and all. But, this season is really putting me to the test, especially this episode. The idea of these amateur militias standing up to the greatest army in the world, surviving trials and setbacks along the way, added together with the brutal stoicism of Washington and the conflicted genius of Jefferson, it can be difficult to look at this without a glint of the Romantic. Still, despite my clear bias and occasional dip into admiration this episode, I promise there are many warts to discuss throughout the rest of this era.After the British were driven back to the safety of Boston, the rebels needed to find a way to press their advantage before major reinforcements came from across the sea. The only problem was, this rebel “army” was really just a conglomeration of militias. They held their own against the British at Bunker Hill, but it was clear this wouldn’t last. Each militia represented their colony alone, not any greater American project, so leadership was weak and battles chaotic. The Second Continental Congress understood this when they met in May 1775, and they believed they knew someone steady enough to unite these men: George Washington.Washington had his work cut out for him. His army was a mess—untrained, undisciplined, and unsanitary—and he had to transform these militias before the war began in earnest. After imposing reforms, Washington tested the army by laying siege to Boston before moving to New York City to await the larger British invasion. It was here that the newly formed Continental Army could truly prove its worth. It did not go well. After a devastating defeat on Long Island, Washington retreated throughout New York and New Jersey before finally settling on the banks of the Delaware River. It was here, his army in shambles, that he would need to take his final stand if the revolution was going to last.Meanwhile, after months of debates and many attempts to find a way to reconcile with the British government, the Second Continental Congress finally agreed to declare independence. Thomas Paine’s words were floating throughout the colonies, and it had become necessary to follow through with his conclusions. A committed was formed, and the young statesmen Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the declaration. After weeks of drafting, revising, and editing, the document was approved. Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, and if the war went south, their death warrants. The final separation revived the revolutionary spirit, but how long could it last?While the notes cover portions of this story, there are many key events and details absent. So grab your flag of thirteen stripes and join me as I fill in those missing pages...Join me on my journey through American History. Help fill in those missing pages.MusicIntro: Fractured Timeline - SémøOutro: American Dream - The Talbott BrothersSources1776 - David McCulloughRedcoats and Rebels - Christopher HibbertA Revolutionary Friendship - Francis B. CoglianoThe Glorious Cause - Robert Middlekauff Get full access to Missing Pages at missingpages.substack.com/subscribe