This week we are reading 3 perspectives on the American Revolution:  Joseph Plumb Martin, "A Soldier's View of the Revolutionary War"; Boston King, "Choosing Sides"; and Catherine Van Cortlandt, "Secret Correspondence of a Loyalist Wife."  Joseph Plumb Martin was a young, free, white American soldier who fought for independence. Boston King was an African American slave who sided with the British. Catherine Van Cortlandt was the wife of a Loyalist and did not have any political rights.  These 3 people provide 3 different perspectives and interpretations of the exact same historical event.

 

• After reading their first-hand accounts, explain how the gender, race, and social class identities of the writers shaped their experiences during the war. 
• What unique struggles—unique due to the writer's social class status, gender, or race—did each of these people face? 
• How has reading their first-hand accounts changed your previous opinions or assumptions about the American Revolution?  For example, does the independence movement now seem less romantic and idealistic after reading about what Joseph, Boston, and Catherine experienced during the war?

Answer:

These perspectives come from people who were at different ends of the line: a white American, an African American slave, and a Loyalist's wife who had no political rights. These three people provide three different interpretations of the same historical event.

Step-by-step explanation

The American Revolutionary War was a conflict between the British army, the Loyalists, and revolutionaries of the 13 colonies that eventually resulted in the United States of America. This conflict, which occurred from 1775 to 1783, resulted in the establishment of the United States as a sovereign nation. American participation in the revolutionary war was essential to the birth of America's democracy and economy; nevertheless, American participation in the revolution was not equal. Factors such as gender, race, class, and nationality affected who participated in the conflict and how much influence that person had.

Joseph Plumb Martin, an American soldier whose memoir, "A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier", was published in 1830, was raised in a middle-class family with a good education and enough money to be considered wealthy. Despite this upbringing, he was a casualty of the revolutionary war. Martin was born in 1756 and was one of nine children. His childhood was full of luxury and playfulness. He grew up living in freedom with his parents who owned an island in the Hudson River near New York City. Martin's father was a wealthy merchant and his financial success allowed Martin to have a happy childhood. Martin's father taught him to be independent and strong so that he would always be able to take care of himself and his family should anything happen. Martin's mother, who was a devout Quaker, encouraged him to be kind and gentle. Martin learned the ways of the Quaker religion from his mother and he often visited the local church with her while attending school.

Martin was a strong, confident child until the age of thirteen. At that time, a sudden family turn of events left him in complete despair. His father had to flee to England because of his involvement in anti-government activities. Shortly after his father's departure, Martin and his family lost their home due to a fire that destroyed their island. Although Martin was upset about losing his wealth, his family, and his home, he still believed that they would recover one day. Shortly after this incident, Martin was drafted into the Continental army and began to fight British occupation in New York.

Martin's family was not going to be able to help him financially and his country had been trying to avoid paying the British for years. But when he joined the army, Martin found out that he would get a small allowance from his country. He was told that this money would only be given to the soldiers who were successfully fighting for their country. Martin believed that if he joined the army and became a soldier, he would receive ample money to help his family recover from their recent losses. He was wrong. Martin did not receive anything for his service and he was given a very small pension after the war.

Martin received no financial support from his country and he was not able to provide for his family. His country's inability to financially support its soldiers demonstrates the fact that millions of Americans did not receive any money for fighting in the war. Although many Americans fought with noble purposes, they were not compensated for this service.

Joseph Plumb Martin lived from 1740 to 1833, and was a young freeman who fought for independence. He served in the American army as a private and sergeant, but he had joined as an officer. This week we are reading 3 perspectives on the American Revolution: Joseph Plumb Martin, "A Soldier's View of the Revolutionary War"; Boston King, "Choosing Sides"; and Catherine Van Cortlandt, "Secret Correspondence of a Loyalist Wife.

Joseph Plumb Martin was a young, free, white American soldier who fought for independence. Martin's perspective on the Revolutionary War is important because it gives the point of view of a soldier in the war. He talks about how he and his comrades had to make some difficult decisions. He also tells about the food, clothing, and shelter he had in the war.

In many ways, Joseph Plumb Martin's perspective was similar to that of other soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. He tells us about how he and other soldiers had to make some difficult decisions. For example, he tells us about a time when he and his comrades decided to attack a group of British soldiers. He does not say what the conditions were like for the soldiers, but we can assume that they had to be tough. The soldiers had to trust that they could face these British soldiers and die with courage. We can also assume that the soldiers were sleeping in a wet, muddy condition. They had to take care of their weapons and supplies, and they had to be ready for any attack.

Joseph Plumb Martin also talks about the food his fellow soldiers ate while they were in the army. He tells us that he used to eat every morning some fresh meat, potatoes, and warm bread. He also tells us about his clothing and shelter in the army. Martin tells us that he did not have a three-piece suit of clothes like he wore in his youth. Instead, he had one pair of trousers, one jacket, and a warm pair of moccasins. Martin later tells us that he and his fellow soldiers had to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life. He tells us that the troops were at Valley Forge and that they had become sick because they were not ready for the cold weather. They had to decide if they should stay at Valley Forge or if they should press on to fight for independence.

Catherine Van Cortlandt was the wife of a Loyalist soldier and did not have any political rights. Martin's description of the Revolutionary War provides us with a unique view of the conflict, but it is also similar to other soldiers' points of view. Catherine Van Cortlandt's perspective was a little more unique, though. She was born in 1744 and died in 1801. She tells us that she had to choose sides in the Revolutionary War. She also tells us about her life as a loyalist wife.

Many people have an understanding of what the American Revolution was like. But it's hard to comprehend the details or experience life during this time period without reading first-hand accounts. These 3 perspectives provide 3 different opinions of the same historical event. First up is Joseph Plumb Martin, who was a young, free, white American soldier who fought for independence. Then there is Boston King, an African American slave who sided with the British. Finally there is Catherine Van Cortlandt, the wife of a Loyalist and did not have any political rights. These 3 people provide 3 different perspectives and interpretations of the exact same historical event that happened in America over 200 years ago. 
Historical Context: The years during the American Revolution were difficult on everyone involved. But it was especially hard for those who became part of a minority or different group within their area. Joseph Plumb Martin, an American soldier from Connecticut, has a lot to say about his time and position as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He was only 17 when he enlisted in the Continental Army and was only 18 when he experienced his first battle; Bunker Hill. He served throughout the Revolutionary War until its end in 1781. His account is entitled "A Soldier's View of the Revolution". 
Joseph Plumb Martin said that life during this time period was tremendously hard on almost everyone involved. The British were the ones who were at war with America, but they had no control over what the Americans did in their own country. They tried to defeat the Americans at every turn and they often failed, either because they didn't have the resources to do so or because of mistakes made by their soldiers. It was impossible to win against a force that outnumbered America 3-to-1. He commented on what life for a soldier was like:

"My father's family came from England and my mother's family from New Jersey in America when I was born. So I'm from both sides of the ocean. But I'm only half English and I don't really think of myself as one or the other." 
This quote shows that although he was from two different countries he didn't have much feeling for either one. He felt like he didn't fit in anywhere and that his mother's family was of a different race than his. This is because there were both Loyalists and Patriots at this time period but the views between them were different. That is the reason why Joseph's mother's family sided with the British while his father's side sided with America, because they only wanted to be left alone instead of fighting against each other.

Joseph Plumb Martin's perspective is extremely important to the history of American Revolution because he was a first-hand witness to all of it. He saw the battles through his own eyes, and these details helped him describe what really happened in the war. But this account has one major flaw: it is biased by his not taking sides. That is why Boston King's account is so important to this study. 
Another account that was written by a more personal participant would be Boston King's, which includes his perspective as an African American slave who fought with the British. He describes how he escaped from slavery, how he got into and out of different jobs while moving towards the British army, and how he joined it at last.