On Presidents’ Day, there’s no mail delivery and banks, government offices, schools, and some businesses are closed. And, it’s a good time to go shopping for winter clothing, bedding, furniture, mattresses, and and small and major kitchen appliances.
In addition, some people have a day off, but for many people, it’s just another work day.
I recommend that people watch the PBS series “The American Revolution” on Presidents’ Day, or at least part of it. It’s a six-part, 12-hour series that tells the story of the birth of our nation from the point of view of everyday people as well as that of the generals and government officials.
In the colonies, those who supported the British king were called Loyalists, and those against the Britain called themselves Patriots. The series tells the stories of both sides. I didn’t know Native Americans mostly chose to fight with the Revolutionary forces, for fear of losing their land if the British won, though some decided to side with the British to settle old scores with hated colonists or get British goods in payment of their service.
Free, but not enslaved, African American men could join the colonists’ fight, while the British recruited enslaved men by offering them their freedom.
I also didn’t know that, at the start of the war in 1775, Americans wanted to take control of British-occupied Canadian territories. However, battles for Montreal and Quebec City were unsuccessful.
I learned a lot more from the series about the individual battles of the American Resolution than I did in the American history classes I took in high school.
It was a tough, eight-year war. General George Washington often didn’t have enough money to pay salaries for his troops or even buy them food and supplies.
We think of the American Revolution as this shining moment in the history of our country. However, the war was very hard fought.
About 25,000 American military personnel died during the American Revolutionary War, with about 6,800 killed in action and many others dying from disease. The British also suffered significant casualties, totaling around 24,000.
As we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation this year, it’s important to look at the American Revolution as the beginning of our democracy, so important to the lives we live today.
With our democracy under threat, we need to continue to work hard to keep it.
