Episode 046: John Ferling, Whirlwind: The American Revolution & the War That Won It

by Liz CovartSeptember 8, 2015

Play episode

What caused the American Revolution?

Can we use the term “American Revolution” to describe both the revolution and the War for Independence?

What was the greatest challenge that George Washington and his Continental Army faced during the War for Independence?

In this listener-requested episode, we dive deep into the American Revolution with John Ferling, professor emeritus at the University of West Georgia and author of Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with an historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

In today’s episode we discuss the American Revolution, both as a political movement and as a war for independence with John Ferling, professor emeritus at the University of West Georgia and author of Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It.

During our exploration of the American Revolution, John reveals why he thinks the American Revolution happened; What colonists thought about if they made a decision to remain loyal to Great Britain or become a revolutionary; And, details about the military aspect of the American Revolution, including the casualty numbers for the war.

What You’ll Discover

John Ferling’s favorite Fenway Park moment
Why John titled his book Whirlwind: The American Revolution and the War That Won It
Does the term “American Revolution” describe both the Revolution and the War for Independence
The “revolutionary” nature of the War for Independence
Why John thinks the American Revolution happened
The colonists’ desire for American autonomy
Why economic factors drove Americans to support the American Revolution
Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”
What made a colonist a revolutionary
When colonists became revolutionaries
What historians mean by “loyalist”
Details about the First Continental Congress
Ideas of loyalist Joseph Galloway of Pennsylvania
Military tactics used by the British Army and those used by the Continental Army
Fabian strategy
Trenton and Princeton campaign in 1776/1777
How paintings of the War for Independence remember the war
War for Independence casualty numbers
 How War for Independence casualty numbers compare with those of the American Civil War
Civilian casualties of the War for Independence
How soldiers and civilians transmitted diseases to each other
The greatest challenge for George Washington and his Continental Army
The problem with one-year enlistments for the Continental Army
How Washington viewed the American victory in the War for Independence as a “miracle”
Whether Great Britain fully committed to the military aspect of its war effort in North America

Links to People, Places, and Publications

Time Warp Question

In your opinion, would France, the Netherlands, and Spain have supported the United States in its war for independence if the Continental Congress had not drafted the Articles of Confederation?