Readers of this newsletter know that author Jack Crowder is a dedicated student of the American Revolution. In the last six months, we have published two of Jack’s books on the subject. In Women Patriots of the American Revolution, Jack Crowder highlights roughly 90 women who went beyond the norm in supporting America’s struggle for Independence. In a series of vignettes, some of them illustrated and all of them documented, the author recounts the heroism of the women who rendered service in the various theatres of the conflict, most of whom were heretofore unknown to us.
With The First 24 Hours of the American Revolution, Mr. Crowder conveys an hour by hour account of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the British Retreat on Battle Road. Most of this story is told from the vantage point and in the words of the common men and women of Massachusetts. Most of the militiamen, for example, were farmers and shop keepers possessing virtually no military experience. Most were under thirty-five, and some were teenagers. Some, like Benjamin Balch and Samuel Payson, were clergymen. A few combatants were women, including Prudence Wright of Pepperell, Massachusetts. The author gives each of them their due.
Jack Crowder’s third new book on the American Revolution is now available. Strange, Amazing, and Funny Events That Happened during the Revolutionary War may be Crowder’s most interesting one yet. It’s full of unusual or little known aspects of the conflict, such as the reason that future General Nathaniel Greene was compelled to enlist as a private, an early instance of “trash talking,” and who and why someone tore off most of the roof of Harvard Hall.
Another reason you’ll like Stange, Amazing, and Funny Events concerns the famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River, which was painted 75 years after the crossing. If you study the picture carefully, you should find ten things that are absolutely wrong with the painting or highly unlikely. Mr. Crowder itemizes them in his book. If you are one of the first five people to name all ten problems with the painting, we will send you a free copy of the book. Please post your answers in the form below (the picture below), and we’ll get in touch with you about your free copy of Strange, Amazing, and Funny Events That Happened during the Revolutionary War.
UPDATE 3/27/19: The contest has now concluded and we have our winners! We had a few ties which resulted in 9 total winners. Here they are (and their copy of Strange, Amazing, and Funny Events That Happened during the Revolutionary War is in the mail!)
Darillyn Doss
Diana Berry
Sharon Reif
Janice Sellers
Catherine Mulder
Marie Nelson
Bonita Voigt
Pepper Williams
Diana McLaughlin
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
