If you’ve read my blog or articles, you’ll have discovered my passion for American history – particularly the post-Civil War era on the frontier. In fact, my sister and I have built a Frontier Traveler blog about places we’ve been – and I’m sorry to admit that we struggle to find time to keep it up-to-date. Between us we have
thousands of images that we want to use in blog posts – and we’ve promised each other that this Fall we’re going to set aside one night a week to keep the blog updated with fresh content. (In the meantime, check out our FrontierTraveler Photostream at Flickr)
I spent last weekend with two of my nieces in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, and was struck with how close America came to losing the War for Independence. With the might of the British Army and Navy thrown against Washington’s farmers and villagers, who would have bet on the boys in blue?
I’ll post more about this on the Traveler site, but for now just wanted to share my morning at Fort Mifflin on the Delaware.
If you’ve flown into Philadelphia and are sitting on the left side of the plan, you can see the fort just as you’re touching down. Mifflin is called “the fort that saved America” because in the winter of 1777, when the British occupied Philadelphia and Washington’s men were up against the wall, the men at Mifflin stopped British General Howe’s ships from sailing up the Delaware and delivering supplies to the occupying forces. For six weeks 240 British guns blasted away at the fort in what is called the greatest bombardment in North America.
Although the Fort was taken by the British, it held off long enough for Washington to get his army to Valley Forge and safety. For the colonists, that reprieve meant everything.
Doesn’t it amaze you how one little action (a small garrison holding off a fleet) can change the course of history? Kaizen theory in action.
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