You probably learned in school that America began when the “Pilgrim Fathers” landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and really took off when the Puritans founded Boston. Never mind that these events happened some decades after the founding of Virginia.

You probably also learned that the American Revolution story centers around Paul Revere and the battle of Bunker Hill, although New England generously allowed the Virginian Washington to lead its troops. During the 19th century, while Southerners were making American history, New Englanders were writing it, deliberately claiming for themselves all the credit for American independence. They lied. Self-promotion is in their DNA.

The fact is, that the War of Independence was fought and won in the South by Southerners. No important battle was fought in the North after the first two years. Bitter war raged in the South while the British comfortably occupied New York and Philadelphia. No Northern military unit ever served south of Maryland. (I take that back. Several Northern American Tory regiments did fight in the South.)

Some record-straightening is accomplished by a new book by Alan Pell Crawford, This Fierce People: The Untold Story of the American Revolution in the South (Knopf, 2024). The “this fierce people” comes from Edmund Burke, trying to tell Parliament that war against the Americans was both wrong and a failure. The context indicates he mostly had in mind the Southern colonists.

Crawford’s book is strictly a military history of the major campaigns,  and he describes the war vividly with something of an ironic distance.  He is no particular defender of Dixie, but he tells it like it is.  One wishes he had provided more about lesser matters like the battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in North Carolina and the partisan war in Georgia.

The forces in the South were difficult to keep organized and supported by weak new State governments, a problem that the author makes very clear. However, despite all the difficulties, a great deal was accomplished by governors like Patrick Henry, John Rutledge, and Richard Caswell. A great deal of fighting by Southerners was entirely voluntary and they did not line up for pensions like New Englanders with little service. One wishes the author had delved into such things a little more deeply.

This is a good read, both original, informative, and useful. If you want to follow this subject further, check out From Savannah to Yorktown: The American Revolution in the South by my late University of South Carolina colleague Henry Lumpkin. And William Gilmore Simms’s The Life of Francis Marion, in a recent edition brought out by Abbeville scholar Sean Busick.


Clyde Wilson

Clyde Wilson is a distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at the University of South Carolina where he was the editor of the multivolume The Papers of John C. Calhoun. He is the M.E. Bradford Distinguished Chair at the Abbeville Institute. He is the author or editor of over thirty books and published over 600 articles, essays and reviews and is co-publisher of www.shotwellpublishing.com, a source  for unreconstructed Southern books.

25 Comments

  • William Quinton Platt III says:

    Scots ended the Roman Empire at Hadrian’s Wall. We bedeviled the English for centuries…finally, they emptied their prisons of us, separated us from our wives and children and flung us into their malarial death camps, sentenced to transportation.
    There, we festered…and finally killed enough of them at Kings Mountain, Cowpens and Yorktown to free the yankees, who without us, would have become part of Canada. When we grew tired of paying for their federal government, we departed and unfortunately were not able to kill enough of them to make them rejoin Canada as they had previously desired.

    For those of you who ponder “what would have happened if the South had won the War”, I have just told you…the yankees would be part of the British Empire and we’d enjoy race relations that hadn’t been poisoned by radical republicans turning our slaves against us with the passage of the 14th Amendment which stripped White Southern Males of our voting rights.

    European and African kings were the beneficiaries of slavery. All of the money ended up in Africa after merchants and King’s fees were paid. Ghana has apologized for its role in the slave trade saying the slave trade would not have existed but for the participation of African royalty.

    For the most part, White Southern Males freed the world…in a world hell-bent on returning to slavery, we are all that stands in its way.

    • Billy P says:

      From one Southerner with Scottish blood to another….well said, sir!

    • THT says:

      And that, y’all, is called puttin’ the bacon to the pan!!!!

    • Matt C. says:

      Since the talk is about the South and the War for American Independence, did the South then claim to be a majority Christian people? If the answer is, “Yes,” and if there are Southerner’s here who are professing Christian’s, I’d suggest they read “God Against Revolution, The Loyalists Case Against The American Revolution,” by Gregg L. Frazer. In my view, the Loyalists made a very strong Biblical case for not making war against King George III. Perhaps this will spur a professing believer to study a bit more on the matter of “the powers that be.”

      But, the war for Independence was fought, and America won, then what? The War of Northern Aggression. I think, “The South Was Right,” thank you Kennedy twins. And, right now, I’m not sure Frazer’s book, and the related Bible principles, would correctly apply to that mid 19th century conflict, as far as the Christian was concerned (should the Southern Christian have taken up arms against the Yankees).

      However, how much of this conversation is going to be moot, one day? What about eternity future? Is anyone going into it blind and uncertain?

      For the Southern professing Christian, do they know what’s going on in the world, as far as the Creator is concerned? Does he know, or remember, that this Earth is God’s, and that it’s His mind, if no one else’s, to return one day, and by violent force reclaim it? The South as it was, or as it is, may not even exist then, when that happens. And of course, that goes for the North as well, and Canada.The only nation on Earth absolutely guaranteed it’s national identity in that future time when the Lord subdues this planet, is Israel, and a handful of other’s in the vicinity of Israel, such as Egypt. That’s it.

      I understand, though. While still living here, it might be worth it to educate, fight for, and protect history and worthy institutions, especially for posterity, our children. I’m talking about balance. Hopefully, the Southern professing Christian remembers and gives as much attention, and more, to the fact that the future and eternity is God. That goes for posterity too, and the whole universe; it’s all going to come under His direct uncompromising authority. That is an all important fact taught in the Bible, and He’s been longsuffering/waiting by His grace to put all things under His authority since the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapter 7. God has been deliberately delaying His return. This is another important and astonishing Bible truth. Believer’s must recall that the Lord through Paul, called this an “evil world,” and that’s because it is not under His authority, yet.

      A few years ago, I bought and gave my son Shelby Foote’s three volumes, “The Civil War.” Some time after, I told him I hope he can read them, but I said don’t read them if it will be at the expense of continually reading through the Bible. A Bible teacher I highly esteem, said matter of factly that the believer should be able to read through the Bible (KJB) twice a year. I don’t know if I’ll ever do that, but I’m trying to do it at least once a year. The Southern Christian around here might be pleased to know that the Bible teacher who said that is a Southerner, from Alabama. I wouldn’t be able to say enough about him, either.

      • William Quinton Platt III says:

        Even studying the Bible, you can’t know God’s mind. You just try to love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. WWJD is the worst meme I’ve ever seen, because you can’t know the mind of Jesus. You can only try to follow what he said was the greatest commandment. All that Israel stuff is not relevant…there is nothing sacred about those people. Christianity is not a continuation of Judaism…

        • William Quinton Platt III says:

          As far as not being righteous when we departed the King…the King had set up the systems to provide a kind, beneficial construct for his subjects to live and thrive under. It’ wasn’t like my ancestors were being starved and taxed to death and when they refused to die in his prisons were sentenced to transportation to his malarial colonies. If Caesar sows pain, Caesar reaps revolution…that is rendering unto Caesar what is his.

          • Matt C. says:

            I recommend again, Frazer’s book. The Lord Jesus was not trying to overthrow Ceasar or Rome when He was here, as some say. He was here to redeem Israel and prepare the “little flock” to go through “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” If the time of Jacob’s trouble hadn’t been temporarily postponed, then, some 7 years later, all Gentile rulership across the entire world would have been crushed by the returning messiah, and all Gentile nations still around would submit to Israel.

            But, Christ’s mission was to redeem Israel, not overthrow Rome per se.

            Now, and certainly in 1776, the Christian is subject to the authority of the apostle Paul, authority given to him by God. The Christian should perhaps give a careful reading to Romans 13, Titus 3, and read “God Against The Revolution,” by Gregg Frazer.

        • Matt C. says:

          The scriptures say differently, sir, about believer’s knowing God’s mind:

          1 Corinthians 2:16 “…we have the mind of Christ.” The Lord Jesus is God, of course.

          I never liked or supported, “WWJD?” The question would be, “What would Paul do?” Paul is Gods spokesman today.

          As far as Israel not being relevant, perhaps not so much today, however, in the future, which could be very soon, they are going to be more than relevant; they’re going to be everything as far as God is concerned:

          Romans 11:26 “…all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:”

          As far as Israel not being sacred, no, in themselves they’re not, but the Lord is going to make them sacred, because He made them, and for a very particular, extremely important reason. Read Romans 11:26-27 again.

          You are very correct that Christianity is not a continuation of Judaism. However, God by no means is done or through with Israel. One day they’re going to be that bright shining light on the hill.

        • Matt C. says:

          Though realizing the majority of “Christian” teaching is Covenant Theology based (Covenant Theology is quite off the mark), it is nevertheless astonishing for anyone to say that that “Israel stuff is irrelevant.”

          Some 200 times in the O. T. it says God is the “God of Israel.”

          In that section of the Bible called the New Testament in John chapter 4, the Lord said “salvation is of the Jews.”

          In the N. T. in John ch. 1, John the Baptist said that Christ was come to be “manifest to Israel.”

          In the N. T. Matthew ch. 10, the Lord commands His disciples to not go to the Gentiles, but to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

          In Matthew ch. 15 he tells a Gentile He is not sent but unto the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

          In the post resurrection ministry in Acts 2 and 3, it is more than clear the things going on then were directed toward Israel. If that’s not enough, Acts 5:31 states crystal clearly about what’s going on in early Acts. It’s about God giving “repentance to Israel.”

          There’s a book in the N. T. called “Hebrews.”

          In the N. T. the book of James is addressed to “the twelve tribes.”

          In Romans 11, and 9 and 10, it is made clear that God is not done with Israel and He is going to more than bless them one day.

          And anyone would say that that Israel stuff is irrelevant?

          Presently, God is not dealing with Israel, because He’s accomplishing a different purpose. But, in the future when the prophetic program resumes, which could be very close, it’s going to be all about Israel, and then some.

          • William Quinton Platt III says:

            Jesus said not one stone would remain atop another…he wasn’t talking about an actual temple.

            You and Tom Cotton can keep your eye on the horizon. Jesus said nothing about believing the Hebrews were chosen would bring you closer to God.

      • Sam McGowan says:

        Romans 13:1 is pretty clear.

  • William Quinton Platt III says:

    There is a petition to restore the Confederate Monument at Arlington. I can’t link it here but it is easy to find.

  • Paul Yarbrough says:

    “…the slave trade would not have existed but for the participation of African royalty.”
    Many of us have been trying to impress this fact on the world and our sleazy, unread, unwashed, ill bred, no-good, Yankee neighbors and their monster media-academia for years (and years). But it’s like trying to teach a cat to swim. All you get is screaming and yowling!
    JMO

  • William Quinton Platt III says:

    How many thousands of blacks fought for the British against the colonists?

    • William Quinton Platt III says:

      I will answer my own question…thousands of blacks fought for the British…ironic, since the British were granting freedom to blacks in order to keep Whites in chains.

  • Matt C. says:

    Mr. Platt, you said: “Jesus said not one stone would remain atop another…he wasn’t talking about an actual temple.”

    So, when General Lee talked about going after “those people,” he wasn’t talking about the actual Union army in front of him, he was really talking about Philadelphians?

    When General Lee and General Longstreet directed General Pickett to head toward the copse of trees, they weren’t talking about a copse of trees, but rather a small garden of tulips?

    I’m not trying to be unkind or disrespectful, but let’s not be ridiculous, either, sir.

    And, you said this:

    “You…can keep your eye on the horizon. Jesus said nothing about believing the Hebrews were chosen would bring you closer to God.”

    Mr. Platt, if you want to address something I said, address something I actually said, and not something I didn’t say.

    Perhaps, though, you’re not a Bible believer.

    Where has the South’s Bible Belt believing gone?

  • Matt C. says:

    And, Mr. Platt, you need not have brought up Tom Cotton. I know he said some uncomplimentary things against Davis and/or the South which I wasn’t pleased with.

    However, if he has believed in and trusted Christ as His Saviour, then he’s a brother in Christ. And, if Cotton is “looking up,” then he’s definitely going the correct thing.

    Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

    • Matt C. says:

      Correction: The “South” should read Confederacy. And “going” should read doing.

      • William Quinton Platt III says:

        Jesus said, “Love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself”. He said nothing about those people you seem to think are special. You’re one of those people who want to center Christianity around the old testament or Paul and not about Christ.

        • Matt C. says:

          Take it up with the Lord. It was He that made Paul His spokesman in this “dispensation of the grace of God,” just as Moses was God’s spokesman under the Law.

          Romans 11:13 “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:”

          1 Corinthians 4:16 “Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” That’s God speaking through the writing instrument of Paul, telling believer’s to follow Paul.

          And one more verse for you to think over:

          Romans 2:16 “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” You see that? The particular gospel men will be judged by, is Paul’s gospel. If you don’t like that, take it up with God.

  • Matt C. says:

    “Paul’s letters aren’t red.”

    Mr. Platt, are you serious? You’ve got to be kidding. You know better.

    And you said you don’t like the meme, “WWJD.” The “WWJD” meme comes precisely from the very mistaken notion that the “words in red” are the most important words in the Bible.

    Here, be reminded about that:

    1 Corinthians 14:37 “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

    Be serious and honest. Don’t be an instigator.

  • Banastre Tarleton was detained at my ancestral home in Virginia, Castle Hill, for well over an hour, allowing Jack Jouett to ride to Charlottesville and warn the legislature and Governor’s council that the British were coming. Jefferson, at whose home many were guests, was not overly impressed. They finished their breakfast and then took off – enough or them, and just in time, to reassemble in the hills, elect Thomas Nelson Junior Governor, drive the British back to Yorktown and win.

    I have a chest of drawers that was in Castle Hill at the time. Its in rough shape. One of Tarleton’s men broke into it – Tarleton then had the solider strapped to a hogs head and whipped eliciting the most pathetic cries. Tarleton was angry with the man, as no one knew if Dr. Walker was Loyal or not – which was by design, so Dr. Walker could cross enemy lines and keep the Iroquois Nations Neutral. The Cherry Chest did its job. It belongs in the White House, the Confederate White House that is.

  • Ken says:

    The future belongs to those who can provide a light.

    The past is past.

    Build a future. If the some in the south start building a good culture it will produce the harvest of the future. Start by making a new flag. Make a new culture. Carve out a unique existence like the people did 400 years ago. They took the bull by the horns. Overcome obstacles.

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