Episodes

  • Bonus Episode: Getting in Ship Shape: Forming the Continental Navy

    Bonus Episode: Getting in Ship Shape: Forming the Continental Navy
    Apr 15 2026

    The colonies had maritime experience—they had sailed with the British Navy, they had operated on privateering vessels—but they didn’t have a navy of their own. And that’s the challenge as the Revolution begins. On land, you can turn militias into an army, but there’s no equivalent at sea. If they’re going to stand up to the British, they have to build a naval presence from the ground up.

    In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech and guest Dr. Kylie Hulbert explore the origins and challenges of the Continental Navy during the American Revolution. They discuss how a collection of colonies with maritime experience but no unified naval force attempted to build a navy from scratch, the competition with privateers for sailors, and the critical role that naval power, especially from international allies, played in securing American independence.

    Inside the Episode:

    At the start of the American Revolution, the colonies faced a massive problem at sea. They had the sailors and the experience, but they lacked a unified naval force capable of challenging the British Royal Navy. In this episode, we follow the 1775 push to create the Continental Navy, a movement led in part by John Adams. We’ll look at the immediate hurdles they faced including limited funding, scarce resources, and a desperate competition for talent with privateers. We’ll also explore the people on the decks, from green recruits to the skilled African American pilots whose knowledge of local waterways proved essential.

    TIMESTAMPS:

    • 00:00 Welcome to Revolution Revisited and Forming the Continental Navy
    • 00:47 Guest Introduction: Historian Dr. Kylie Hulbert
    • 01:16 The Colonial Maritime World and British Naval Dominance
    • 03:43 Why the Colonies Had No Navy at the Start of the Revolution
    • 04:30 John Adams Pushes for a Continental Navy
    • 05:40 Debate in Congress: Navy as a Step Toward Independence
    • 07:15 Building a Navy from Scratch: Ships, Money, and Manpower
    • 09:20 Early Steps Toward Formation in Late 1775
    • 10:30 State Navies and the Struggle for Unity
    • 12:30 Pirates vs. Privateers vs. Naval Sailors Explained
    • 15:40 Privateering vs. Navy Service: Risk, Reward, and Recruitment Challenges
    • 18:25 Who Served: Crews, Skills, and Life at Sea
    • 21:00 African American Sailors and Their Contributions
    • 25:34 Stories of Individual Sailors and Service
    • 28:30 John Paul Jones and Criticism of Privateers
    • 30:00 Early Naval Engagements and Missed Opportunities
    • 32:03 The French Navy and the Turning Point at Sea
    • 34:53 The Global Nature of the American Revolution
    • 36:30 Why Britain Ultimately Lost the War
    • 38:24 The End of the Continental Navy
    • 40:08 Closing Thoughts and Episode Wrap-Up


    RELATED CONTENT:

    • Virginia Museum of History & Culture
    • Revolution Revisited Podcast
    • Dr. Kylie Hulbert - Hampden-Sydney College
    • The Untold War at Sea: America’s Revolutionary Privateers
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    41 mins
  • Bonus Episode: Give Me Liberty Panel Discussion

    Bonus Episode: Give Me Liberty Panel Discussion
    Mar 11 2026

    What I think has really changed since the Bicentennial is that issues of race and gender have become much more at the center of the academic story. And one of the paradoxes is that by and large among academics, there's a greater sense of agreement as the landscape has become broader, whereas in the public culture, things are much more polarized.

    In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, listeners will hear a keynote panel discussion from the 2025 Conrad M. Hall Symposium for Virginia History, featuring scholars Dr. Alan Taylor, Dr. Karin Wulf, and Dr. Sarah McCartney. Together they explore how our understanding of the American Revolution has evolved since the 1976 Bicentennial, and what the 250th anniversary means for how we tell the fuller story of who shaped and was shaped by the founding of this nation.

    Inside the Episode:

    As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, historians are grappling with a profound question: how do we tell the full story of a revolution that involved everyone, but whose history has long centered only a few? In this keynote panel discussion from the 2025 Conrad M. Hall Symposium for Virginia History, three leading scholars reflect on how the field has transformed since the 1976 Bicentennial and what that means for this pivotal commemorative moment. From digitized primary sources bringing new voices to light, to the challenge of translating scholarship into public exhibitions, the conversation is as much about how we do history as what history we tell. What emerges is not a single, tidy narrative of liberty, but a richer and more honest one rooted in Virginia, shaped by slavery, and still very much being written.

    TIMESTAMPS:

    • 00:00 Welcome to Revolution Revisited and Bonus Episode
    • 01:25 Introducing the Keynote Panel and Scholars
    • 05:37 How Our Understanding of the Revolution Has Changed Since 1976
    • 09:11 Academic History Then and Now: Race, Gender, and Expanding the Story
    • 13:17 Primary Sources, Digitization, and the Give Me Liberty Essays
    • 16:05 Family, Religion, and the Overlooked Threads of Revolutionary Life
    • 20:09 Scholars and Public History: Are We Doing Enough?
    • 27:12 What We Hope the 250th Anniversary Leaves Behind
    • 33:11 The Promise and Limits of Digital Research
    • 38:39 Q&A: AI, Archives, and the Future of Historical Research
    • 42:20 Broadening the Story Without Losing the Underlying One
    • 47:34 Fascinating Characters from the Revolutionary Era
    • 52:52 What It's Like to Advise an Exhibition
    • 56:38 A Teacher's Question: Are We Losing a Shared Story?
    • 1:03:29 Looking Ahead to 2026 and the Official Narrative
    • 1:09:22 Commemoration vs. Celebration and Final Reflections


    RELATED CONTENT:

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    Virginia's official 250th Commemorative Exhibition
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • BONUS: Christmas 1776: Crossing the Delaware

    BONUS: Christmas 1776: Crossing the Delaware
    Dec 24 2025

    In this bonus episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie and guest Michael Plumb explore the perilous decision that George Washington made in December 1776 to cross the Delaware River in order to hold off the British Army – and more importantly, secure an important morale victory for his troops.

    Inside the Episode:

    By December 1776, the American Revolution was hanging by a thread. The Continental Army was underpaid, underfed, and freezing, retreating in the face of repeated defeats while Congress fled Philadelphia and enlistments ticked toward expiration. In this episode, we follow Washington and his army through that darkest hour — from anxious letters and crumbling morale to the risky, ice-choked crossing of the Delaware and the surprise victory at Trenton. Along the way, we unpack the realities behind the legend: the Hessian soldiers, the logistics, the overlooked figures who made the crossing possible, and the morale boost that gave the revolution new life. What emerges is not a tidy myth, but a story of fragile hope, collective effort, and a revolution that very nearly failed — until it didn’t.

    Recommended Resources

    • Washington Crossing the Delaware
    • Map: Battle of Trenton
    • Washington Crossing the Delaware

    Related Content

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    19 mins
  • Declaring Independence: All Men Created Equal?

    Declaring Independence: All Men Created Equal?
    Nov 26 2025
    Critical ideas about enlightenment that I think people can miss. It's all about learning, doing better progress. And progress requires virtue. It requires a commitment to civic society. It's communitarian. So when they're talking about liberty, it's liberty to participate because they're dealing with a monarchy where you don't have rights where the king and the nobility based on birth get all of the rights. Liberty is for them about your right to participate, your rights to be part of government, your right to get ahead, your ability to get ahead.Episode Description:In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie peels back the polished veneer of the Declaration of Independence to reveal the messy, combustible world that birthed it. Instead of marble statues and tidy mythmaking, she takes listeners into the cramped committee rooms, the clashing egos, and the political brinksmanship that shaped July 1776. From Jefferson’s blistering draft—complete with the grievances Congress refused to stomach—to the quieter voices pushing at the edges of independence, Maggie shows that declaring a nation was far from inevitable. What emerges is a portrait of revolution built not on unanimous idealism, but on compromise, conflict, and the stubborn insistence that a new world could be imagined, even when the old one refused to die quietly.Inside the Episode:Maggie traces the Declaration's winding journey from contentious committee meetings to the final parchment, showing how debate, disagreement, and sheer determination shaped its most famous lines. She explores Jefferson's original denunciation of the slave trade—not as a lost purity, but as evidence of a nation wrestling openly with its contradictions-and highlights the many hands, voices, and regional perspectives that forced the document to become something larger than any one delegate.With historian John Ragosta, she unpacks how the turmoil of 1775-76 pushed reluctant colonies toward common purpose, and how correspondence, drafts, and early printings reveal a people learning, in real time, what equality could mean. Rather than a relic, this episode treats the Declaration as a living promise-one that has been challenged, expanded, and reimagined ever since. It asks not only how the nation was declared, but how we continue declaring it every day.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Setting the scene in 1776 as Enlightenment ideas reshape colonial thinking01:04 Fighting across the colonies heightens urgency for independence04:18 Virginia debates whether to formally call for independence05:44 Richard Henry Lee introduces the resolution for independence06:05 Jefferson arrives in Philadelphia as Lee departs due to illness08:14 George Mason drafts the Virginia Declaration of Rights10:15 Colonies dispute who sparked independence first12:23 The Committee of Five is appointed to draft the Declaration15:32 Congress works simultaneously on independence, government, and alliances16:52 State constitutions establish long-lasting republican models19:54 Jefferson structures the Declaration around principles and grievances20:16 “All men are created equal” redefines national identity21:32 Trade, taxation, and military occupation drive public outrage24:56 Colonies experience grievances differently by region25:51 Britain pushes back on the grievances while avoiding the ideals28:48 Congress removes Jefferson’s slavery paragraph to preserve unity30:45 Edits soften criticism of the British people31:38 Lincoln argues ideals must be pursued despite hypocrisy33:22 Equality is defined as equality before the law34:55 Washington orders the Declaration read to the troops35:44 Troops tear down the statue of King George III in New York37:59 Delegates sign the Declaration on August 240:49 The Declaration fuels early steps toward emancipation42:58 Closing reflections on the Declaration’s legacyRELATED CONTENT:Virginia Museum of History & CultureRevolution Revisited PodcastThe Constitution of Virginia: Defining the Political CommunityGunston HallWriting the Declaration of Independence, 1776Jefferson’s DeskThomas Jefferson to Richard Henry Lee, July 29, 1776Analyzing the Grievances in the Declaration of Independence
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    43 mins
  • Choices: Loyalists, Pacifists, Neutralists, Oh My

    Choices: Loyalists, Pacifists, Neutralists, Oh My
    Nov 19 2025
    When you were in elementary school and you were learning about George Washington and the American Revolution, it all seemed like it was all gonna go really well. They were gonna win, obviously, and it was in no way obvious and it was super messy. There was a political mess. There was family mess, there was economic mess. It just gets to be so complicated so quickly.In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie explores the perilous landscape of loyalty in revolutionary Virginia, a world where the choice between Crown and Colony could cost you everything. Through the voices of enslaved people seeking freedom behind British lines, Quakers standing firm in pacifism, and women navigating survival in the political crossfire, Maggie reveals that allegiance was rarely absolute. What emerges is a portrait of ordinary Virginians forced to choose between principle and preservation, and the quiet courage it took to survive a revolution that demanded sides.Inside the Episode:Inside this episode of Revolution Revisited, Maggie explores the gray zones of allegiance to show how “Patriot” and “Loyalist” identities were far more fluid than most history books suggest. She follows stories like Mary Willing Bird, accused of treason after British forces arrived at her doorstep and seized her property; Harry Washington, an enslaved man who sought freedom through the British lines; and Robert Pleasence, a Quaker whose pacifist convictions put him at odds with both sides. Alongside curators Andy Talkov and Christina Vita, Maggie unpacks how class, geography, race, and religion intertwined to shape what loyalty meant in a fractured world. Drawing from letters, court cases, and firsthand accounts, this episode asks what it truly means to stand by your beliefs when every choice carries consequences and whether neutrality was ever really possible during a revolution.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction to shifting allegiances00:35 Why choosing a side was risky and uncertain02:22 Introducing historians Andy Talkov and Christina Vita03:03 The dangers of being a loyalist in Virginia05:16 Patriot leadership and rising pressure in the mid-1770s06:03 Dunmore’s Proclamation and the promise of freedom06:37 Rethinking “Black Loyalists” and motivations for escape07:24 Harry Washington and the search for liberty10:58 The Book of Negroes and journeys to Nova Scotia12:27 Merchants, economics, and the cost of allegiance14:15 Hardin Burnley Jr.’s loyalism and confiscated property15:05 John Wickham’s capture, house arrest, and shifting loyalties16:41 Wickham’s escape, British enlistment, and postwar career19:12 Punishments, retribution, and the limits of community trust21:15 Shadrach Furman and violent reprisals22:48 Mary Willing Byrd accused of trading with the enemy24:59 Gender, suspicion, and navigating neutrality25:59 Quaker pacifism and refusal to take sides27:25 Robert Pleasance, abolition, and protecting his sons28:40 Quaker exile, imprisonment, and moral conviction30:02 Pleasance’s contradictions and the fight for manumission31:28 Black Loyalists in Canada and fragile new beginnings32:54 Virginia’s 1782 manumission law and its impact34:20 Allegiance shaped by survival, circumstance, and identity35:30 Understanding complexity beyond patriots vs. loyalists37:00 Exhibition preview and continuing the storyRELATED CONTENT:Virginia Museum of History & CultureRevolution Revisited PodcastFinding FreedomNorfolk to Nova Scotia Judith Jackson's Crooked Road to FreedomVirginia Society for Promoting the Abolition of SlaveryThe Tory's Wife: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary AmericaBenedict Arnold"Liberty to Slaves" FrockMary Willing Byrd
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    38 mins
  • Choices: Patriot Perspectives

    Choices: Patriot Perspectives
    Nov 12 2025

    It's probably a relatively new phenomena that people are actually thinking about patriots and loyalists, because for a long time it was usually Patriots and red coats, right? So you were either a soldier that fought in the British Army or you were a patriot, and a huge portion of the population got ignored for a long time, because they didn't really fit the patriotic narrative established for so long.

    In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech unpacks the tangled question of loyalty in revolutionary Virginia, where choosing a side was rarely simple and often dangerous. Through stories of enslaved men who seized freedom, Indigenous nations navigating impossible choices, and women whose quiet resistance shaped the cause, she reveals how patriotism was anything but uniform. What emerges is a portrait of a revolution fought as much in hearts and households as on battlefields.

    Inside the Episode:

    As the Revolutionary War deepened, Virginians faced choices that were anything but simple. Loyalty wasn’t always a question of right or wrong. It could come down to putting food on the table, keeping family safe, or simply where you happened to live. In this episode, Maggie Creech looks at how ordinary people tried to find their footing in a world split between rebellion and allegiance, uncovering the complicated, deeply human side of America’s revolution.

    Joined by Andy Talkov of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Christina Vida of The Valentine, and Dr. Ashley Spivey of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, the conversation moves beyond battlefields to focus on everyday decisions that shaped the new nation. From the loyalty oaths and lead mines of the backcountry to the experiences of enslaved and free Black Virginians, Indigenous allies, and women who kept the armies alive, each story complicates the myth of clear heroes and villains. Together, these voices illuminate how community, circumstance, and courage defined the revolution for those who lived it.

    TIMESTAMPS:

    • 00:00 Introduction to Revolution Revisited
    • 01:16 Defining Loyalty in Revolutionary Virginia
    • 02:14 Everyday Choices and Divided Communities
    • 03:12 Rethinking Patriots and Loyalists
    • 03:52 Loyalty Oaths and the Backcountry Divide
    • 05:27 Enforcing Allegiance and the Lead Mines Plot
    • 07:50 Patriots, Prisoners, and Survival Strategies
    • 09:35 The Story of James Armistead Lafayette
    • 10:58 Lafayette’s Spy and the Turning of Yorktown
    • 12:31 Freedom, Faith, and the Fight for Equality
    • 15:42 The Complex Realities of Black Patriotism
    • 16:17 Indigenous Perspectives on the Revolution
    • 18:24 The Pamunkey and Virginia’s Tribal Histories
    • 20:50 Treaties, Neutrality, and Choosing Sides
    • 22:48 The Meaning of Neutrality and Self-Determination
    • 25:01 The Brafferton School and Patriot Influence
    • 27:22 Indigenous Veterans of the Revolution
    • 29:40 Reassessing Virginia’s Tribal Alliances
    • 31:59 Women’s Invisible Labor and Camp Life
    • 33:30 The Randolph Brothers: A Family Divided
    • 34:34 Reflections on Loyalty and Rebellion
    • 35:00 Exhibitions, Research, and Continuing the Story


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    36 mins
  • Dunmore’s Proclamation Freedom, Fear, and Fallout

    Dunmore’s Proclamation Freedom, Fear, and Fallout
    Nov 5 2025

    The real heroes in this story are the enslaved people. These people who left their homes based on very little information in order to seek freedom, I think, underscore the terrors of slavery and the fact that people were willing to take enormous risks to find a better life, even if it was a very, very big gamble.

    In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie discovers how words on a page began a path to freedom for thousands of enslaved people and reshaped a nation. Join Revolution Revisited with guest Andrew Lawler as we uncover the untold story of Lord Dunmore's proclamation and its impact on the Revolutionary War. Did it ignite a spark for freedom or deepen the conflict?

    Inside the Episode:

    In this episode of Revolution Revisited: Your Crash Course in the American Revolution, host Maggie Creech looks at one of the most complicated and consequential moments in Virginia’s path to independence, Lord Dunmore’s 1775 proclamation. When the royal governor offered freedom to enslaved people who would fight for the British Crown, it sent shockwaves through the colonies. What some saw as strategy, others saw as betrayal, and the promise of liberty set off both panic and possibility across Virginia.

    Andrew Lawler, journalist and author of A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis that Spurred the American Revolution, joins to unpack the human stories behind that proclamation. He explains how Dunmore’s gamble reshaped the fight for freedom and forced Americans to face the uncomfortable truth about who that freedom was really for.

    It’s an episode that reveals the messy, often contradictory heart of the Revolution. A time when the word “liberty” meant very different things depending on who you were, and what you were fighting for.

    TIMESTAMPS:

    • 00:00 Introduction to Revolution Revisited
    • 00:39 The Overlooked Document of Freedom
    • 01:19 Lord Dunmore's Desperate Proclamation
    • 02:21 The Ripple Effect of Dunmore's Actions
    • 03:32 The Theft That Sparked a Revolution
    • 05:05 Dunmore's Strategic Retreat
    • 06:10 The Ethiopian Regiment and Its Significance
    • 19:19 The Battle of Great Bridge
    • 20:18 The Aftermath and Legacy of Dunmore's Proclamation
    • 21:44 The Broader Impact on Enslaved People
    • 29:12 The Book of Negroes and the Black Diaspora
    • 35:35 Conclusion and Reflections


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    37 mins
  • The Summer of 1775: Virginia Gets Teeth

    The Summer of 1775: Virginia Gets Teeth
    Oct 29 2025

    This is a great example of things like this happening all across Virginia at this time when the revolution is getting teeth, they are forcing people to choose sides.

    In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie takes us through the summer of 1775, as Virginia catches fire. What begins with impassioned debate at the March Convention erupts into open revolution as militias form, tempers flare, and the colony prepares for war. Amid the chaos, Virginia’s leaders race to channel the rising tide of rebellion, struggling to command a movement fueled by courage, fear, and a newfound taste for independence.

    Inside the Episode:

    In this episode of Revolution Revisited: Your Crash Course in the American Revolution, host Maggie Creech takes us to Virginia in the summer of 1775, a moment when the colony stood at the edge of open conflict. Royal Governor Lord Dunmore and determined Virginia patriots repeatedly collide, and despite last-ditch efforts to reconcile with Britain, the fragile peace gives way. Out of that breakdown emerges Virginia’s first revolutionary military framework.

    Our guide through this turning point is Sam Florer, Director of Public Programs at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. He unpacks the key debates and fast-rising tensions as the House of Burgesses reconvenes to consider a conciliatory proposal from Britain. Sam lays out the tangled relationships between Virginia’s revolutionary leaders and British authority, and how they sour. As the crisis deepens, Dunmore steps up his actions. He issues threats, takes forceful measures, and allegedly sets a trap gun that injures several Virginians. The incident fuels even more public outrage.

    The episode also explores how Virginia builds a new revolutionary government and a three-tiered military system, along with the practical hurdles of raising, organizing, and supplying troops. Sam brings into focus the social and economic divides shaping the movement, and the struggle leaders face to steer a cause that is rapidly radicalizing.

    It all comes down to a local story about William Clark’s dramatic change of heart under pressure. His story shows the personal and community struggles behind the headlines. The revolution was not just a fight over ideas and institutions. It was also a series of very human choices.

    TIMESTAMPS:

    • 00:00 Introduction and Context Setting
    • 02:14 Tensions Rise in Virginia
    • 03:44 Dunmore & the Conciliatory Resolution
    • 08:57 The Gunpowder Incident and Its Aftermath
    • 09:51 Dunmore’s Departure and the Power Vacuum
    • 16:28 Formation of the Third Virginia Convention
    • 19:14 Virginia’s Revolutionary Military Structure
    • 22:06 Challenges in Mobilizing the Militia
    • 27:25 Comparisons with Other Colonies
    • 30:57 Escalation of the Conflict
    • 32:11 Debate Over Military Leadership
    • 32:11 Patrick Henry’s Bid for Command
    • 32:11 Balancing Radicalism and Moderation
    • 35:21 Formation of the Committee of Safety
    • 38:21 Reorganizing Local Committees
    • 40:07 Colonial Reactions and Independence
    • 41:49 Dunmore’s Actions and Escalation
    • 42:51 King’s Declaration of Rebellion
    • 43:33 Revolution on the Ground
    • 41:48 Conclusion and Reflections


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    51 mins