Peter Francisco was a Continental Soldier who was significantly bigger and stronger than his Revolutionary contemporaries.
All in Stories
Lady Pirate at the Gallows - The Execution of Rachel Wall
Rachel Wall was a pirate and the last women hung in Massachusetts.
Riots Over Coffee - From Loyal Nine to Sons of Liberty
A decade before the American Revolution began, the Loyal Nine were cause havoc in the streets of Boston in response to Parliament’s oppressive Stamp Tax.
King Henry of the United States?
Prince Henry of Prussia was proposed as a candidate for King of the United States when the Articles of Confederation were clearly falling apart.
The Sedition of Benjamin Franklin Bache
Benjamin Franklin Bache is looked back on today as one of the first important proponents of Freedom of Speech in the young republic.
The Failure of the Spinning Jenny
Gilles de Lavallee’s attempt to bring textile manufacturing to the United States in 1786 was a failure for several reasons.
Snake Oil and the Placebo Effect - Elisha Perkins' Metallic Tractor
Elisha Perkins sold ‘Metallic Tractors’ which had no medical benefits but did lead to the discovery of the placebo effect.
Dixwell the Regicide's Grave - A Visit With Roger Sherman
In August of 1774, two future signers of the Declaration of Independence visited the grave of a man who killed a King a century earlier.
Martha Bratton - Explosions, Death Threats and Huck's Defeat
Martha Bratton allegedly stood tall in her patriotic resolve to halt the efforts of British Officers during the Revolutionary War.
The Fratricide of Wyoming - John and Henry Pencel
The ‘Fratricide of Wyoming’ is an important, if mostly forgotten, tale which illustrates how the American Revolution could tare families apart.
John Dickinson Absents Himself From Independence
John Dickinson was decidedly against independence, yet remains one of the most important American Founders.
John Jay's Controversial Gubernatorial Campaign
John Jay was Chief Justice of the United States when he ran for Governor of New York, and things only grew crazier from there…