Posted on 07/04/2014 5:16:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
As we celebrate the 4th of July let's take a moment to reflect on the enormous cost, in lives and treasure, that it took us to earn our independence.
•8.37 years was how long the war lasted
•80,000 militia and Continental Army soldiers served at the height of the war
•56,000 British soldiers fought at the height of the war
•30,000 German mercenaries known as Hessians fought for Britain during the war
•55,000 Americans served as privateers during the war
•25,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died during the war
•8,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died from wounds inflicted during battle
•17,000 Revolutionary Soldiers died from disease during the war
•25,000 Revolutionary Soldiers were estimated to have been wounded or maimed
•1 in 20 able bodied white free males living in America died during the war
•24,000 British Soldiers were killed during the war
•100,000 Loyalist fled to Canada, the Bahamas and England during the war
•45% of colonists fully supported the war
•20% of colonists were outright loyal to Britain
•3 million is the estimated population of America in 1776
•1 million is the estimated population of London alone during the same period
•$8 is the monthly salary of a teenage drummer in the Continental Army
•5 feet is the length of a standard Continental Army Flintlock Musket
•10lbs is the weight of a standard Continental Army Flintlock Musket
•1oz is the the weight of a standard musket ball
•1,547 known military engagements occured during the Revolutionary War
•10 was the age of the youngest member of the Continental Army
•57 was the age of the oldest member of the Continental Army
•6.5% is the population participation rate during the war, higher than any American war since WWII
•$151 million was the total American cost of the war
•$600 was roughly how much the war cost each American in 1990 dollars
•$0 was the amount George Washington was paid for his military service
•26 original copies of the Declaration of Independence are known to exist
Image credit via AP, for additional metrics please click here, here, here and here.
Tyler Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer that maintains the website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via the email address Tyler@Jalopnik.com
Thank you for the Post. I’m forwarding it to our (grown) kids.
Bump for later reading....after we celebrate our nation
Happy July 4th to all Freepers.
We just celebrated our way through hamburgers, hot dogs, cole slaw, potato salad and a good old American apple pie.
26 copies of the DOI survive ...
is that 2 for each of the original colonies?
He left out the VOLUNTEERS!!
How many thousands of VOLUNTEERS not in militias nor in the Continental Army were there?
1775 Concord: “The whole country was by this time alarmed The minute men, volunteers and militia assembled from all quarters and posted themselves
The History of the Origin, Progress, and Termination of the .American War,” Stedman, C. 1794, Volume 1,pp.117-118
“At this time there was a company of VOLUNTEERS [my caps] from Charleston [NH] with Stark under the command of Captain Abel Walker, which was embraced in Colonel Hobart`s reginment, which, we have reason to believe, did good service in the Battle of Bennington, which followed a few days after.” – Saunderson, p.109
VOLUNTEERS of NH fight at Battle of Saratoga - Saunderson, p.119
NH Volunteers before Battle of Bennington, Saunderson, p.439
-“History of Charlestown, New Hampshire: The Old No. 4, Embracing the Part ...”
By Henry Hamilton Saunderson
THE BATTLE OF KING`S MOUNTAIN PROVES THAT THE “HARDY REPUBLICANS’ VOLUNTEERS
– “The History of the American Revolution”, Volume 2
By David Ramsay 1793, pp175-6.
“A squad, or small company of volunteers, was also formed in East Concord, in consequence of a rumor that the British intended to destroy the United States seventy-four gun ship Washington, then on the stocks at Kittery, Maine.” -
Bouton, “History of Concord”p349
Happy birthday to the nation. Prayers to heaven offered up that the powers of heaven protect the USA.
And now we live under a government infinitely more tyrannical than George III. He was a wild-eyed libertarian compared to what we live under today. Taxes? No comparison. Taxation with representation is not what it’s cracked up to be.
The Founding Fathers would be so ashamed.
And now we live under a government infinitely more tyrannical than George III. He was a wild-eyed libertarian compared to what we live under today. Taxes? No comparison. Taxation with representation is not what it’s cracked up to be.
The Founding Fathers would be so ashamed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
