Throughout history, weather and other natural and sometimes supernatural phenomena have affected the course of history. Today we’re going to take a look at how events beyond human control impacted the American Revolution.
Crop Failures
David C. Smith, emeritus professor of American history at the University of Maine in Orono, and William R. Baron, professor of historic climatology at the University of Northern Arizona at Flagstaff, determined that New England suffered early and late killing frosts from 1697 through the time of the Revolution. During the 37 years leading up to the war, the New England states, which already have a short growing season, experienced 15 even shorter ones, with late and early freezes and other weather that led to widespread crop failures.
From 1765 to the end of the Revolution, Britain stationed a standing army in the colonies, and the colonists were required to provide the soldiers food and lodging. For the British to add more mouths to feed to families who already faced a shortage of food didn’t endear them to the colonists. Smith said, “My guess is there would not have been a revolution if the weather had been different. There were other things exercising an influence on colonists and events, but when you look at the weather, it makes a compelling statement.” Other researchers think Smith and Baron overstate their case, but crop failures certainly didn’t help the situation.
Storms
Siege of Boston
By John Christian Schetky |
Battle of Long Island
Battle of Yorktown
FOG
Evacuation of Long Island
Copyright The Granger Collection, New York |
BLIZZARD
Battle of Trenton
With enlistments set to expire at the stroke of midnight December 31, 1776, Washington made another daring gamble, this time to save his shrinking army. On Christmas evening, in the midst of a roaring Nor’easter, the Continentals crossed the Delaware River to attack the isolated Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey. The ice-choked river prevented a second American force from crossing south of the town, but to the north the river was clear enough for Washington’s corps to get across. Emerging like ghosts from the wind, sleet, and driving snow that rendered them effectively invisible to the enemy, they took the Hessian defenders by complete surprise, routing them within an hour and mortally wounded their commander, then withdrew back across the river, taking the remaining garrison with them as prisoners. Washington offered his soldiers a bonus if they would extend their enlistments, and exuberant at their part in the victory, many did, thus saving the rebellion for the time being.
THE BIG CHILL
Battle of Princeton
George Washington Rallying His Troops at Princeton by William Ranney |
The next morning the British raced after them, but when they caught up the battle was fierce and short, lasting less than an hour. Defeated once again, the British pulled back to their garrisons in the New York area, while Washington settled his army in Morristown for the rest of the winter. The news of the triumphs at Trenton and Princeton swept through the new nation, encouraging the populace and ultimately bringing in new recruits for the Continental Army. It also proved to the French that their old enemy England might just be vulnerable after all and along with the victory at Saratoga ultimately resulted in France allying with the United States in the war against Britain.
EARTHQUAKE
An earthquake shook eastern Pennsylvania on November 21, 1777, unsettling both the Americans and the British with concerns about such phenomena heralding impending disaster.
AURORA BOREALIS
The Northern Lights were visible in Boston and other places unusually far south on November 27, 1777. For the superstitious, these lights were a bad sign.
Interestingly, both the earthquake and the display of the aurora occurred within a fortnight of the murder of the great Shawnee chief Cornstalk by militia soldiers at Fort Randolph that turned his tribe and other native nations into the Americans’ implacable enemies and extended the Indian wars into the 1800s.
Many people believe that phenomena that occur in the natural world are under God’s control. Do you think that He sometimes uses things like weather events, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other means to redirect the course of history, to punish those who do evil, or to protect others? In some instances could the psychological effects have as much impact on people’s reactions as the physical effects. Please share why you think so and any examples you may know of.
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J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is also an author, editor, and publisher. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. Book 6, Refiner’s Fire, releases in April 2019. Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series coauthored with Bob Hostetler, won Foreword Magazine’s 2014 Indie Book of the Year Bronze Award for historical fiction. Book 2, The Return, received the 2017 Interviews and Reviews Silver Award for Historical Fiction and was named one of Shelf Unbound’s 2018 Notable Indie Books. One Holy Night, a contemporary retelling of the Christmas story, was the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year and a finalist in the Carol Award.
I believe that since God created our world, He has control over its' elements. Other than that statement, I don't think about it too much. I complain about the weather as much as the next person! I do believe that experiencing a weather event can be devastating to the psyche of a survivor. Thanks for your interesting questions!
ReplyDeleteConnie, I completely agree that God has control over the natural elements of this world. And weather and other events in the natural world certainly have a great impact on us psychologically and emotionally and affect our behavior--which then at times changes the course of history. Historians often overlook these influences, but I just love to dig them out and ponder what effects they had.
ReplyDeleteThese were acts of God! I've read about most of of these, but I sure don't remember reading about an earthquake. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I'm (finally)reading RF! (I've got the first six chapters read! There are questions, but I'll let you know when I'm done.)
ReplyDeleteGod is definitely in control of nature, Bev! I just happened to run across a reference to this earthquake when I was researching Valley of the Shadow--hadn't found it anywhere else. Oh, yay! Can't wait to get your feedback when you finish RF!!
DeleteYes, I believe each act of nature has been directed by God for one reason or another in today's world just as in Biblical times. We were discussing this yesterday in SS that some of the recent natural disasters could be God trying to wake America back up to His truths do not change and He's the answer.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this informative and interesting post, J.M.