Braxton Bragg. Image Source: Library of Congress. Braxton Bragg was a full general in the Confederate Army who commanded the Army of Mississippi and the Army of Tennessee. He took part in key battles such as Shiloh, Stones River, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga. However, Bragg had an abrasive, combative personality. At one point, some of his … Read more

Nathaniel Bacon and his men burning Jamestown by Alfred R. Waud. Image Source: New York Public Library Digital Collections. On January 22, 1677, Governor William Berkely returned from exile to his home, Green Spring House, outside of Jamestown, Virginia. He issued a proclamation for the members of the House of Burgesses to meet there, instead … Read more

Battle of Golden Hill by Charles MacKubin Lefferts. Image Source: New-York Historical Society Museum & Library. The Battle of Golden Hill was a significant event in the lead-up to the American Revolution. It occurred on January 19, 1770, in New York City and was a clash between British Redcoats, citizens of New York, and the … Read more

Portrait of Daniel Boone by Chester Harding. Image Source: National Portrait Gallery. In 1780, Ned Boone, the brother of famous frontiersman Daniel Boone, was ambushed and killed by a group of Shawnees while he and Daniel were returning to Boone’s Station in present-day Fayette County, Kentucky. The Story of the Death of Edward “Ned” Boone … Read more

Portrait of Daniel Boone by Chester Harding. Image Source: National Portrait Gallery. Daniel Boone was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1734 to a Quaker family. Over the course of his life, Boone was a hunter, explorer, and soldier. He rose to fame for his exploits as a frontiersman and trailblazer who played an important … Read more

Portrait of Horatio Gates by Gilbert Stuart. Image Source: Wikimedia. June 1780. General Benjamin Lincoln has surrendered Charleston to the British commander, General Henry Clinton. For the new nation, the war in the South appears on the brink of being lost. Congress sends General Horatio Gates — the Hero of Saratoga — to replace Lincoln, … Read more

President Abraham Lincoln. Image Source: Wikimedia. In the early days of the Civil War, President Lincoln and United States government officials worked to deprive the Confederate States of America of slave labor, in any way possible. The effort carried on through the entirety of the conflict but transitioned from harming the Confederate war effort to … Read more

Rhode Island Governor, Stephen Hopkins. Image Source: New York Public Library Digital Collections. Rhode Island was an early leader in the resistance to British policies, especially the Sugar Act of 1764. As part of its Mercantile System, Great Britain instituted a system of trade laws known as the Navigation Acts. However, merchants in the colonies … Read more

John T. Wilder. Image Source: Library of Congress. There is some news today — October 19, 2022 — that is relevant to our coverage of the American Civil War here at American History Central. Yesterday, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene visited the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. The Chickamauga Battlefield is where, in September … Read more

The Battle of Yorktown — also known as the Siege of Yorktown — took place from September 28, 1781, to October 19, 1781, in and around Yorktown, Virginia. It was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. The British Southern Campaign In the spring of 1780, the British had control of New York … Read more

Early on Sunday, October 16, 1859, the ardent abolitionist John Brown assembled his small army of 18 recruits for prayers and to deliver marching orders. That evening, Brown launched his grandiose plan to capture the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry and subsequently incite a slave insurrection in Virginia. Brown had a long history of fighting to … Read more

The history of the United States of America is filled with heroes and patriots — men and women — who helped shape the course of the nation. From exploration to Colonial America; from the American Revolution to the Civil War; from Reconstruction to the 21st Century, heroes and patriots have come from all walks of … Read more

Yes, Mercy Otis Warren should be considered a Founding Mother. As Gary M. Calles, says, after all, she has been called “The Conscience of the American Revolution,” both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams called her a genius, and Elizabeth Ellet described her as “the most remarkable woman who lived in the days of the American Revolution.” … Read more

Seth Warner was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He led the legendary Green Mountain Boys in several key battles in the early years of the war, including the Battle of Hubbardton and the Battle of Bennington. Prior to the war, Warner was a leader of the Green Mountain Boys, … Read more

It’s a good question, and one I’m working on an answer to. Not just because it’s Black History Month, but also because I’m trying to present a more detailed view of American history. This isn’t a textbook with a limited number of pages. It’s a website. I can add as many pages as I want, … Read more

American History Central had a busy month in January. A significant amount of new content was added for Colonial America, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. New Content for Colonial America I’ve been working on three main things in regard to Colonial America. Unfortunately, we have gaps that we need to fill in our … Read more

I think we all know that Christmas hasn’t always been the commercialized holiday that it is today. Or even the calm, peaceful scene that you see in the picture above. But I’m not sure many people really know why that is. I came across an article by Will Sellers that talks about how Christmas was … Read more