Boston 1775

In April, I went to Philadelphia to help lead the Pursuit of History Weekend on “The Road to Independence,” nearly three full days of explo...

Delving into the newly published John Dickinson letters also led me back into the notes of the Continental Congress during 1775. The off...

In 1775, John Adams and John Dickinson held the same basic position about the best course for the British Empire and its large North Amer...

The discovery of John Dickinson ’s 28 Oct 1775 letter to David Barclay , quoted yesterday , lets us assess his thoughts on John Adams ’s pri...

On 28 Oct 1775, John Dickinson finished writing a long letter to a Quaker banker in Britain, David Barclay —one of the documents just pub...

The part of the newly released documents from John Dickinson getting the most attention, including a news story in the New York Times , is...

The William & Mary Quarterly had a big Sestercentennial scoop in its July 2026 issue—so big that it made those newly discovered documen...

At the end of August 1771, Richard Steele finished a very busy year. Since the start of September 1770, the young man had been: convicte...

The 7 May 1771 Connecticut Courant newspaper of Hartford repeated Sheriff Ezekiel Williams ’s wanted notice for Richard Steele that I quot...

Yesterday we left young Richard Steele back in the custody of Hartford County law enforcement in February 1771. According to the 27 Augu...

Yesterday’s posting left Richard Steele in New Haven, Connecticut , in December 1770, being branded and cropped on his ear the second time...

On 17 Sept 1770, the Connecticut Courant of Hartford reported on recent cases from “the Superior Court of Assize and General Goal Delivery...

In January I broke off a series of postings about the first years of Connecticut ’s New-Gate Prison because of the press of other matters. ...

Speaking of comics, this Sestercentennial summer has also brought us The British Are Coming: The Graphic Edition, Volume 1 , adapted from t...