History Matters

Last week, we left Paul Revere and William Dawes standing in Lexington, Massachusetts, watching the British Redcoats march toward the town. Dr. Samuel Prescott had continued the ride to Concord to warn the patriots of the British approach to capture the American military supplies. More than 700 British redcoats had […]

Listen, my children, and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive who remembers that famous day and year. “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – December 1860 Who was Paul Revere? Was he […]

On Being Brought from Africa to America ‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Savior too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, “Their colour is a diabolic […]

A little after midnight on February 27, 1776, about 800 Loyalist men wearing their Scottish Tartans came through the swampy woods clutching their weapons. The Bagpipes were playing highlander music to encourage the men as they moved forward toward the patriot forces. They carried their ancient weapons, large heavy broadswords […]

General Washington won his first victory, and it felt like a miracle. After he built fortifications and placed cannon on Dorchester Heights, overlooking the city, the British sailed away and abandoned Boston. They have taken their army and all the civilian Loyalists who wanted to leave and sailed to Nova […]

Welcome back to “Our History Matters”. Today, I would like to discuss the Fincastle Resolutions. What were they, and why are they important? In 1775, our part of Virginia was in the County of Fincastle. It stretched from the New River west to the Mississippi River. It included Southwest Virginia, […]