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Debunking Three Myths About the American Revolution
Some things we get wrong about America’s favorite war
Given that the American Revolution is basically the beginning of our story as a nation, it’s not surprising that myths and misconceptions have grown up over the centuries. We’ve had a fair share of screw ups along with our successes, but the Revolution was awesome and American and all that other jingoistic hoopla we love to print on T-shirts for our Fourth of July barbecues.
Or was it? Let’s look at just three areas where we might not be remembering the Revolution as it was but rather as we want it to have been, starting with a country we had to save from the Germans…twice. Yes, the first myth we need to bust is the role of the French.
Ask any kid who stayed awake through this part of high school American History and they will tell you the French helped out in two ways: sending us Lafayette and then a few ships right at the end of the war. In essence, they only jumped in after they knew we were going to win, mainly to poke the Brits in the eye. It’s a cool story, and there’s never a bad time to make fun of the French; it’s also completely false.
The reality is that as part of their ongoing (seemingly endless) global conflict with the British, France began sending the American rebels arms and…
