It Wasn't Just About Us

Where: American History Museum

When: closing July 9, 2019

I don't know about you, but the history classes I had in elementary school (and high school too, for that matter) tended to portray the American Revolution as a stand-alone event, where the underdog colonists defeated the evil British, to establish liberty and justice for all.  Setting aside the fact that the liberty and justice were for a very select few, the war in North America was part of a much larger conflict, the Americans had lots of help from other nations, and the British basically gave up on keeping the colonies because they had bigger fish to fry elsewhere.  Not the sort of story that would go over big on the Fourth of July, but a more realistic picture nonetheless.

The Revolution had its origins in the Seven Years' War of 1756 - 1763.  In that war, the Americans were British subjects and fought with the British against the French.  France lost its land claims in North America and began plotting revenge against the British.

One of the historical items on display in this show is a pistol owned by General Braddock and given to George Washington.  Braddock was killed at the Battle of Monongahela (one of the major North American conflicts of the Seven Years' War), where Washington earned acclaim.  This is part of the reason I'm such a museum geek - here on display is an item that actually belonged to George Washington.  I hate to say it makes history come alive, because that's such a cliche, but it does make long ago events seem much more immediate.

France bided its time, and when the colonists took up arms against the British, they offered their assistance.  "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" was apparently their philosophy, and it worked out for them.  Britain, facing a large number of adversaries, with no allies to assist them, decided after their defeat at Yorktown to pack up and go.

Verdict: This is one of those exhibits at American History that's a bit tucked away.  Take the time to seek this out, as it provides a lot of context to a story you may think you know well.