Episode 25 - The Revolutionary War pt. 5: A Navy is Built on Lake Champlain, and the Emergence of Mount Independence

Episode 25 - The Revolutionary War pt. 5: A Navy is Built on Lake Champlain, and the Emergence of Mount Independence

On the heels of the disastrous retreat from Canada, the sick and demoralized army licked its wounds at Crown Point.  There, they decided to concentrate forces to Fort Ticonderoga and build a new work on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain called Mount Independence.  The mount received its name after a copy of the Declaration of Independence was read aloud.  Meanwhile at Skenesborough (know known as Whitehall, NY) Benedict Arnold oversaw the construction of a naval fleet that would counter the invading British forces from Canada.  Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crossroadsofacontinent]

Episode 24 - Revolutionary Road Trip: Central and Southeast Vermont

This is the last episode in the Revolutionary Road Trip series.  The road trip begins at the Bayley Hazen Military Road in Greensboro, Vermont.  Next up is the Vermont State Historical Society in Montpelier, followed by the site of the Royalton Raid.  On the I-91 corridor, the Old Constitution House in Windsor is an incredible site where Vermont's constitution was written, the first constitution in North America to ban slavery.  A quick trip over the state line to New Hampshire brings us to Fort at Number Four, a great example of the stockade forts common for the timeframe.  The last stop on the road trip is at Westminster, Vermont, the site of the famous "massacre" that some believe were the first shots of the Revolutionary War. Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crossroadsofacontinent]

Episode 23 - Revolutionary Road Trip: Northern Hudson Valley

This Revolutionary Road Trip covers southern Vermont and the northern Hudson Valley.  The road trip begins at the Bennington Battle Monument in Bennington, Vermont, followed by a trip to the Bennington Battle site in Hoosick Falls, NY.  Traveling west, the next stop is the Saratoga National Historical Site, where the world changed forever.  The American victory at the Battles of Saratoga secured the alliance with France, which was critical to American victory.  After driving through the site, two victory monuments and the Schuyler house are nearby.  Finishing the trip is a site not actually related to the Revolutionary War, but is an incredible spot of American history.  The Grant Cottage in Wilton is an amazing location that is a must see during any trip to Saratoga.  Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crossroadsofacontinent]

Episode 22 - Revolutionary Road Trip: Southern Champlain Valley

This Revolutionary Road Trip starts at Mount Independence in Orwell, Vermont.  The site of the least disturbed Revolutionary War site in existence.  Following the retreating American forces, the road trip then stops at the Hubbardton Battlefield, site of the "rear guard action that saved America".  We also visit Whitehall, New York, the self-proclaimed "Birthplace of the U.S. Navy" owing to Benedict Arnold's construction of the Battle of Valcour Island fleet that was built here (despite being an Army action).  From there, we go to the little known Battle of Fort Anne before going to Jane McCrea's gravesite.  The roadtrip finishes up at the head of Lake George. Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crossroadsofacontinent]

Episode 21 - Revolutionary Road Trip: Ticonderoga

This episode is all about Ticonderoga, NY.  Starting at the "Crown Jewel" of historic sites in the Champlain Valley, Fort Ticonderoga.  Spend plenty of time here exploring the incredible history at the fort, including the "French Lines", where the Battle of Carillon took place in 1758.  This road trip also explores the La Chute River Falls, Mount Hope, and Mount Defiance.  We'll also explore the Mossy Point Boat Launch, where Henry Knox and his "Noble Train of Artillery" moved south, and the story of an African American Revolutionary veteran, who owned a farm on Black Point.  He was very successful, and even employed white sharecroppers to the astonishment of the southern slave owners Thomas Jefferson and James Madison when they visited the area after the war. Support the show [https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crossroadsofacontinent]