Alfred Moore Chapter, NSDAR, Southern Pines, NC (2026)

05/15/2026

Revolutionary War Causes
Molasses Act of 1733

he Molasses Act of 1733 was one of a series of acts passed by the British Parliament meant to control colonial trade and keep all trade profits within the British Empire. The trade of molasses was central to the colonial economy and the act heavily taxed the import of French molasses in order to force the colonists to buy British molasses instead.

This created a huge smuggling industry in the colonies, causing the colonists to create ingenious ways of avoiding British tax collectors and agents. The smuggling industry became so large that an entire economy, separate from British law was developing. This caused the colonists to develop a spirit of independence and self-reliance. They began to realize that they were not dependent on England to meet their needs.

The first shots would not be fired for another 40 years, but the attitude that developed as a result of the Molasses Act helped pave the way to the Revolutionary War.

05/12/2026

The Boston Massacre was the result of months of tension between British soldiers and Boston residents after soldiers were stationed there to help enforce the Townshend Acts. Bostonians resented having their town occupied by an army and frequently harassed the soldiers, calling them names such “Lobsterbacks” and “Bloodybacks” for their red uniforms. Soldiers often found themselves being pelted with garbage or rocks, spat upon and verbally abused.

After several days of scuffling between soldiers and citizens, on March 5th, 1770, a teenager got in a verbal argument with a sentry at the Custom House who lost his temper, striking the boy. A crowd gathered to berate the soldier who called for reinforcements. Eight more soldiers came to his defense and fired on the crowd when they were attacked. In the end, eleven townspeople lay dead or wounded in the streets.

Word quickly spread to the other colonies through the works of Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and others. The other colonists were as outraged as the people of Massachusetts who demanded justice from the law against the soldiers who fired on an unarmed crowd. The colony of Massachusetts tried them for murder, but only two were convicted of manslaughter, further hardening the colonists against Great Britain.

05/07/2026

General Nathanael Greene

athanael Greene was born August 7, 1742 in Warwick, Rhode Island. The Greene family was among the earliest settlers in Rhode Island and had helped establish the colony in the 1630s. The Greenes were devout Quakers and his ancestor, John Greene Sr., settled in Rhode Island after conflict with the Puritans drove him from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Greene was an avid reader, eventually acquiring a large library. His father purchased a mill in Coventry for Nathanael to manage. He took an active part in community affairs and helped establish the first public school in Coventry. He also added books on military science to his library which he studied diligently.

This passion eventually drew disapproval from the uncompromisingly pacifistic Quaker church. When Greene attended a military parade and showed support for armed rebellion against England, he was expelled from his church. Greene remained a devout Quaker for the rest of his life, and struggled to reconcile Quaker admonitions against warfare under any circumstances with his support for and participation in the War for American Independence.

n 1770, Nathanael was elected to the General Assembly of Rhode Island. Within a few years, tensions between England and the colonies were already running high, and Greene helped organize a local militia group known as the Kentish Guards. In July, 1774, Greene married Catharine Littlefield (1755-1814), a union that produced six children over the course of a dozen years, until Nathanael's untimely death.

When the news of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached Rhode Island, Greene was one of four men in his community who hurried to Boston to offer his services. Back in Rhode Island, the General Assembly ordered a force of 1,600 men to be called into the service and Nathanael Greene was made commander with the rank of Major-General. In June 1775 he had his troops in position around Boston.

he Continental Congress appointed Washington Commander-in-Chief on June 19, 1775. The new top general met Greene in Boston in July, and the two men began a lifelong frindship.

It would be necessary to realize that the struggle was national in character and scope and not local or provincial. Later Greene and his troops were ordered to Long Island to drive off the British if they attacked that area. Late in the summer of 1776 the British attacked the Americans around New York when the Americans were obliged to retreat. During this period Greene was made a Major-General. At Christmas time, 1776 and early in the New Year at Princeton, under the leadership of Washington two fine victories were won, diminishing British strength in New Jersey. American morale was restored.

Washington was not in a position to attack the British because of a smaller army and a lack of necessary supplies. Late in the summer Washington moved his troops below Wilmington and invited an attack from the combined British forces under Howe. But they did not desire to open a frontal attack upon Washington. Finally Washington met the British and Hessian soldiers in the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, southeastern Pennsylvania, and in the closing hours of the struggle Greene rendered conspicuous service by his indomitable courage. Again on October 3, 1777 with the British in possession of Philadelphia, Washington proposed an audacious attack upon the enemy forces at Germantown, Philadelphia. The British prevailed but realized that Washington was far from being a conquered man.

he continental army went into winter quarters at Valley Forge on December 19, 1777. The need of supplies of all kinds was evident from the beginning of camp. In order to secure food Washington appointed Greene to look after it. Finally, he appointed Greene Quartermaster-General. He was loathe to accept it, because he wanted to be in active service which Washington assured him he could have when the occasion would arise. Washington posted in the order of the day for March 24, 1778, the following statement:

"The Honourable Continental Congress have been pleased to appoint Major-General Greene, Quartermaster-General in the army of the United States — reserving his rank of Major-General in the same."

05/04/2026

The Battle of Germantown

In early October, Washington conceived a bold plan of attack on Howe's 9,000 troop garrison stationed in Germantown. It called for the simultaneous advance of four different units of troops — moving by night. At dawn, the four columns were to converge not far from General Howe's headquarters and catch the British by surprise.

The morning (October 4, 1777) started well for the Americans who had the British retreating. But Washington's plan went astray when one of his four columns lost its bearings in a dense fog and thick smoke. Others columns failed to coordinate effectively.

Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Charles Willson Peale, 1783, Portrait Gallery (Second Bank)

The British defense was particularly strong at a Germantown mansion named Cliveden where dozens of soldiers had taken refuge. Valuable time was lost while the Americans under Henry Knox bombarded the house. Those inside did not surrender because they feared that Anthony Wayne's men, still furious over the Paoli Massacre, would kill them anyway.

In the end, bad luck and poor timing forced Washington to retreat to Whitemarsh with the British in pursuit.

The Battle was an American defeat but it served to boost morale and self-confidence. They believed the defeat was the result of bad luck, not poor tactics.

The Americans suffered 152 losses, 521 wounded, and over 400 captured. The British casualties numbered 537 plus 14 captured.

05/02/2026

Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. Arnold was one of a number of Benedict Arnolds including his father and his great-grandfather, an early governor of Rhode Island. Arnold's mother was Hannah Waterman King, a wealthy widow, before her marriage to the elder Arnold. The family prospered until some poor business deals caused financial problems. Arnold's father turned to the local taverns for solace. Arnold attended school at Canterbury. While there, two sisters and one brother died from Yellow Fever.

Without money, Benedict Arnold was withdrawn from school. With the lack of the structure of formal schooling, and lax parental control, young Benedict was often in trouble. His mother finally found help from family: cousins Daniel and Joshua Lathrop took Arnold in as an apprentice to their large and successful apothecary business. He left his apprenticeship a couple of times to join the army for periods of time during the French and Indian War, but remained in the employ of his cousins for years.

Arnold's mother died in 1759, his father, two years later. After leaving the apprenticeship, Arnold traveled to Europe, buying supplies for his own apothecary which he established in New Haven. The only surviving member of his immediate family was Hannah, his sister, and she became his assistant. His business dealings drifted into smuggling . . . in contempt of the customs laws of the Crown.

In 1767 Arnold married Margaret Mansfield. They had three sons. Prior to the official outbreak of war, Arnold became a Captain in the Governor's Second Company of Guards. When the word spread of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Arnold was eager for action and at Cambridge he requested permission of the Massachusetts Committee of Safety to lead a campaign to capture Ft. Ticonderoga.

than Allen and his Green Mountain Boys were equally eager to capture such a prize and the two groups met up with each other at Bennington. Arnold was surprised and a little angered because Ethan Allen did not care if Arnold had permission from the Committee of Safety and Arnold couldn't talk Allen out of relinquishing command. Arnold had to concede to accompanying Allen and his rowdy, rough and tumble fighters. On May 10, 1775, they surprised the British garrison and the Green Mountain Boys celebrated by invading the rum stores of the British and getting totally sloshed. They virtually ignored Benedict Arnold except when they were teasing and jeering him. Arnold had an argument with Colonel James Easton, who was to deliver the missive announcing the victory of the capture to Massachusetts. In his regimental memorandum book, Arnold wrote:

I took the liberty of breaking his head, and on his refusing to draw like a gentleman, he having a hanger [short sword] by his side and a case of loaded pistols in his pocket. I kicked him very heartily and ordered him from the Point immediately.

Arnold and Allen really didn't agree on much . . . except for the essential need of an invasion of Canada. Easton returned from his mission to Massachusetts while Arnold and Allen were planning the Canadian Invasion. Easton had done his best to diminish Arnold's participation in the capture of Ticonderoga and the two were arguing once more. The hot-tempered Arnold soon had some more people to fight with: Connecticut governor Johnathan Trumbull appointed Colonel Benjamin Hinman to command the Fort. Ethan Allen relinquished his command. Arnold did not, instead threatening to sail two ships under his command directly to a nearby British outpost and surrender them. Hinman then enlisted the treasonous Arnold's soldiers, took command of his ships, and dissolved his command. Completely affronted, Arnold went to Albany and there sent off a statement of the situation at Ticonderoga to the Continental Congress.

Arnold had been caught in the middle of the political machinations of Connecticut and Massachusetts, both vying for the glory that would accompany the capture of the British stores at Fort Ticonderoga. When Massachusetts acquiesced to Connecticut's preeminence in the territory, Arnold most certainly felt abandoned.

Arnold's wife died in June of 1775. After succumbing to a bout of gout himself, Arnold traveled to Cambridge to settle up his accounts with the Massachusetts Committee of Safety. He was given only a small portion of his expenses, nowhere near his total bill. Piqued, he turned the accounting over to Silas Deane, who in turn presented them to the Continental Congress, and he was finally repaid the balance of the account.

04/28/2026

The Virginia Declaration of Rights

The Virginia Declaration of Rights
June 12, 1776

A declaration of rights made by the representatives of the good people of Virginia, assembled in full and free convention; which rights do pertain to them and their posterity, as the basis and foundation of government.

I
That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

II
That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people; that magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at all times amenable to them.

III
That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation or community; of all the various modes and forms of government that is best, which is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness and safety and is most effectually secured against the danger of maladministration; and that, whenever any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal.

IV
That no man, or set of men, are entitled to exclusive or separate emoluments or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services; which, not being descendible, neither ought the offices of magistrate, legislator, or judge be hereditary.

V
That the legislative and executive powers of the state should be separate and distinct from the judicative; and, that the members of the two first may be restrained from oppression by feeling and participating the burthens of the people, they should, at fixed periods, be reduced to a private station, return into that body from which they were originally taken, and the vacancies be supplied by frequent, certain, and regular elections in which all, or any part of the former members, to be again eligible, or ineligible, as the laws shall direct.

That elections of members to serve as representatives of the people in assembly ought to be free; and that all men, having sufficient evidence of permanent common interest with, and attachment to, the community have the right of suffrage and cannot be taxed or deprived of their property for public uses without their own consent or that of their representatives so elected, nor bound by any law to which they have not, in like manner, assented, for the public good.

VII
That all power of suspending laws, or the ex*****on of laws, by any authority without consent of the representatives of the people is injurious to their rights and ought not to be exercised.

VIII
That in all capital or criminal prosecutions a man hath a right to demand the cause and nature of his accusation to be confronted with the accusers and witnesses, to call for evidence in his favor, and to a speedy trial by an impartial jury of his vicinage, without whose unanimous consent he cannot be found guilty, nor can he be compelled to give evidence against himself; that no man be deprived of his liberty except by the law of the land or the judgement of his peers.

IX
That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed; nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

X
That general warrants, whereby any officer or messenger may be commanded to search suspected places without evidence of a fact committed, or to seize any person or persons not named, or whose offense is not particularly described and supported by evidence, are grievous and oppressive and ought not to be granted.

XI
That in controversies respecting property and in suits between man and man, the ancient trial by jury is preferable to any other and ought to be held sacred.

XII
That the freedom of the press is one of the greatest bulwarks of liberty and can never be restrained but by despotic governments.

XIII
That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that, in all cases, the military should be under strict subordination to, and be governed by, the civil power.

XIV
That the people have a right to uniform government; and therefore, that no government separate from, or independent of, the government of Virginia, ought to be erected or established within the limits thereof.

XV
That no free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality, and virtue and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.

XVI
That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.

04/24/2026

The Battle of the Clouds: — Part 1 of 5
The March to the Battle

There was no rest for the weary.

George Washington's troops had spent the prior day battling the British at Brandywine for nearly a dozen hours — much of the fighting transpiring in oppressive 90-degree heat. Many of the Americans had been up well before dawn on the morning of the battle, had spent the day on the battlefield in intense fighting, and, as night fell, marched miles in dark retreat to the Continental camp at Chester.

Now, in the chill 4 A.M. dawn of the 12th, the Americans were on the march again.

Washington did not want to take the chance that General Howe and the British would try to follow up their incomplete victory and finish off the Americans in the morning. So, the American general roused his exhausted men, and marched them from Chester northeast in the direction of Philadelphia.

Howe allowed his men a day of rest and burying the dead. (On the 13th he sent Cornwallis to Chester to find Washington.)

By midday the Americans reached the Schuylkill River and crossed the bridge over the Middle Ferry. This left them on the east side of the river, a couple of miles from Philadelphia. And though the steeple of Christ Church and other familiar landmarks could be seen, the comforts and pleasures of the city would have to wait; the army turned away from the Philadelphia, and marched along the east bank of the river, arriving at the Falls of Schuylkill around nine that night.

They had to be drop-dead exhausted. Not only had the Americans just participated in one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Revolutionary War, but the day's march covered several miles and took 17 hours.

Yet, for the most part, the army arrived in remarkably good spirits. Though some were wounded and others barefoot, at least for once they had their baggage with them. More importantly, they knew they had gone toe-to-toe with the mighty British army — and had not backed down.

04/21/2026

Revolutionary War Facts
The Revolutionary War Facts page is the place to begin to find out all kinds of interesting facts about the people of the American Revolution. There are literally a million interesting things about the Founders of America that you never knew! For example, did you know that Betsy Ross sat next to George Washington in church or that Paul Revere was the largest manufacturer of church bells in America? Did you know James Madison stood only 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed only 100 pounds or that George Washington proposed to his wife Martha after knowing her for only three weeks!

Did you know that John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin were both in London in 1761 and witnessed the coronation of King George III, the same king they would later rebel against, or that Thomas Jefferson narrowly escaped capture by the infamous General Banastre Tarleton, the villain that fought against Mel Gibson in the movie, The Patriot?

This page has a sampling of Revolutionary War Facts, such as George Washington facts, James Madison facts, Samuel Adams facts, Thomas Jefferson facts, Paul Revere facts, Benjamin Franklin facts and facts about other important Founding Fathers. If you would like to learn more about each person, just click on the links by their pictures and you will be taken to a complete list of Revolutionary War Facts about that person. Other pages are in the works as well, so check back if you don’t see the Revolutionary War Facts that you want today. They may be added soon!

04/17/2026

Revolutionary War Causes

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There are many Revolutionary War Causes, including a series of British acts of Parliament such as the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act and the Townsend Acts. The American colonists had become increasingly angered at their homeland over a period of many decades. The colonists became especially alarmed at British taxation programs, not only because they greatly hampered colonial economies, but also because they believed the acts of Parliament were consistently violating their rights as British citizens.

he Molasses Act of 1733 was one of a series of acts passed by the British Parliament meant to control colonial trade and keep all trade profits within the British Empire. The trade of molasses was central to the colonial economy and the act heavily taxed the import of French molasses in order to force the colonists to buy British molasses instead.

This created a huge smuggling industry in the colonies, causing the colonists to create ingenious ways of avoiding British tax collectors and agents. The smuggling industry became so large that an entire economy, separate from British law was developing. This caused the colonists to develop a spirit of independence and self-reliance. They began to realize that they were not dependent on England to meet their needs.

The first shots would not be fired for another 40 years, but the attitude that developed as a result of the Molasses Act helped pave the way to the Revolutionary War.

04/14/2026

Battle of White Marsh begins

On this day in history, December 5, 1777, the Battle of White Marsh begins. Also known as the Battle of Edge Hill, this was the last battle of 1777 between George Washington’s forces and the British army occupying Philadelphia. The battle ensured the British would remain in Philadelphia throughout the winter of 1777-1778, while Washington’s army moved to Valley Forge, where it took up winter quarters.

The British began what is known as the Philadelphia Campaign by landing 15,000 troops at the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay near Elkton, Maryland, about 55 miles from Philadelphia. British General Sir William Howe chose this location because the approach to Philadelphia from the Delaware River, which went straight into the town, was nearly impregnable, being guarded by Forts Mifflin and Mercer and a series of spikes in the river that could impale ships just south of the city.

Washington’s forces were badly defeated at the Battle of Brandywine, the first major engagement of the campaign. After this, Howe was able to march straight into Philadelphia, causing Congress to flee inland to York. Part of Howe’s forces occupied Philadelphia, while the main body camped at Germantown, 5 miles north of the city. Washington attacked the British at Germantown in a battle that highly impressed the courts of Europe, even though he lost this engagement as well. General Howe then moved all his forces to Philadelphia to concentrate on the city’s defense in October, while Washington set up a formidable system of defensive works just south of the town of White Marsh, 13 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

he deep of winter was fast approaching and both sides wanted to make a last effort to attack the other side decisively before they had to take up winter quarters. Very late on December 4, Howe marched 10,000 men north out of Philadelphia. A series of skirmishes took place beginning on December 5 that lasted for the next four days. Howe’s different battalions tried to find a way to flank or pe*****te Washington’s defenses, but were unable. Skirmishes took place around the southern edge of White Marsh on Edge Hill, Chestnut Hill, around Wissahickon Creek and near places with names such as Tyson’s Tavern, Sandy Run and Three Mile Run.

After 4 days of unsuccessfully trying to find a way to pe*****te Washington’s line, Howe decided to turn back. His troops were running low on supplies and it was extremely cold at night. His men had not brought overnight gear such as tents, so they were sleeping in the open air. With that, Howe withdrew to Philadelphia where his men made winter quarters.

The British had lost 120 men killed, wounded or missing and suffered over 200 deserters at the Battle of White Marsh. The Americans lost 200 men. George Washington was disappointed that he had not been able to draw Howe into a larger battle at White Marsh, but he also conceded that it was time to winter. On December 1

04/10/2026

Fire destroys Revolutionary War records
in War Department

Secretary of War William Belknap
On this day in history, November 8, 1800, a fire destroys the Revolutionary War records in the War Department building in Washington DC. Most other records of the war were lost during the British invasion of Washington DC during the War of 1812.

Because of the fire, few records from the Revolution were in federal custody until 1873 when Secretary of War William Belknap purchased records from several private collections, including those of Timothy Pickering, who had been a member of the Board of War between 1777 and 1785 and Adjutant General and Quartermaster General of the Continental Army, and those of Samuel Hodgdon, who served as Commissary General of Military Stores during some of the war years. In addition, Secretary Belknap purchased several minor collections and individual items from various people.

Over the next several decades, records of the American Revolution held by other departments were consolidated and all were transferred to the Department of State. In 1914 and 1915, the War Department made photocopies of Revolutionary War records held in various institutions in North Carolina, Virginia and Massachusetts. The whole collection was transferred to the National Archives in 1938

Alfred Moore Chapter, NSDAR

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