The Pennsylvania Rifle
The Pennsylvania Rifle was a frontier hunting weapon that turned into one of the Continental Army's few military advantages. The Metropolitan Museum of Art called it "the first distinctly American art form created by European settlers."
“The Birth of the Longrifle: Martin Meylin's Gun Shop" (Gabe Neville, RV) - The Pennsylvania rifle first appeared in the 1730s or 1740s. Expert use on the frontier turned it into an important weapon of war. In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, it has long been believed that it all began in Martin Meylin’s gun shop.
“‘It is Incredible How Much They Dread a Rifle’: Col. William Woodford’s 1775 James River Crossing” (Pat Hannum, JAR) - Early in the war, Virginia commanders made up for a shortage of artillery with the range and accuracy of Pennsylvania rifles.
“Kentucky Rifles” (Brian LaMaster and Tim Hodges, Historic Shepherdstown Museum) - An excellent video presentation on the “Kentucky” rifle.
New & Notable
"Everyday Military Life in the American Revolution" (Ben Franklin's World) Eugene Procknow, Gabriel Neville, and Thomas Sobol join host Liz Covart on a top-rated history podcast to discuss the lives of soldiers.
"Captain James Wood, Diplomat" (Eric Sterner, JAR) - In the interregnum between Dunmore's War and the Old Dominion's full commitment to war with Britain, Frederick's County's James Wood spent a month meeting with the northwest tribes, getting intelligence, building bridges, and preparing to formalize the armistice of Camp Charlotte.
"Journey to Independence: How Virginia Led the Way in 1776" - A new video from Colonial Williamsburg explains Virginia's unique role in pushing for Independence, and the debate between Patrick Henry and Robert Carter Nicholas that forced careful consideration.
"The Key to a Continent: Fort Niagara Over 300 years" (Prime & Load!) - Lee Gugino relates the remarkable, unbroken military history of the "French Castle" from 1726 to 1963.
"Escape from Yorktown" (Nicholas R. Marsella, JAR) - Nicholas Marsella takes a close look at operations at Gloucester Point and what Charles Cornwallis could have done to avoid to defeat at Yorktown.
"What the Founders Really Meant to Say" (Robert Parkinson, Breaking History) - Historian Robert Parkinson has a serious conversation with Eli Lake about what the Founders did and did not mean to say in the Declaration of Independence.
"A British Major's Quixotic American Mission and True Loyalties" (Gene Procknow, JAR) - A retired British Army major told Lord George Germain in 1775 what would and would not work in the rebelling colonies. He was spot on, but Germain ignored his advice.
