Published: July 03, 2009 09:32 pm      

Local educator brings nation’s struggle for independence to life

BLUEFIELD — Most Americans know about George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Valley Forge, Bunker Hill and other people and places of the Revolutionary War, but there are still misconceptions that linger today, one local instructor of history said on the eve of the Fourth of July.

Jim Worsham, who has been teaching history at Bluefield State College since 1984, learned a lot about America’s fight for independence when in 1977 he took up the role of Revolutionary War soldier for “living history” examples at historic sites.

“The Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War have a special meaning for me not only because I taught college history for 25 years, but because I actually worked at the site of two Revolutionary War events — Kings Mountain and Valley Forge,” Worsham said. “When I worked there, not only did I wear the correct clothing and the uniform of the period, I demonstrated firing the guns of the period so people could see what it was like.”

Worsham was also able to handle original documents such as a letter General George Washington wrote at Valley Forge and sent to the Continental Congress. In it, the general described the terrible winter conditions and lack of food and other supplies.

“He said unless something was done, he would have no choice but to disband the army,” Worsham said.

After seeing the facts about the American Revolution firsthand, Worsham became concerned about the misconceptions Americans have about their nation’s struggle for independence.

“Many people are confusing entertainment for information,” he said. “The real facts are an awful lot more fascinating.”

For instance, Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, was a fine writer, but he was a poor public speaker.

“Some say he had something of a lisp,” Worsham said. “But he could write. That’s why he was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence.”

Another misconception concerns how the revolution was fought.

“Some people say we won because we had rifles and stood behind trees and shot the British,” Worsham said. “Actually, we fought the same way.”

Eighteenth Century armies tended to line up before each other and fire volleys. One Revolutionary War movie, “The Patriot,” actually has a fairly accurate portrayal of such a battle, Worsham said.

The muskets both sides used, the “Brown Bess,” was about as powerful as a modern shotgun firing a “pumpkin ball” round. It was not as accurate as the rifles American frontiersmen used, but it did not take quite as long to reload.

The Americans had the advantage when it came to long range sniping, but the British had professional soldiers who knew how to use bayonets. Riflemen could fire a volley and kill every man they targeted, but still get wiped out when the British counterattacked with bayonets ready.

“People don’t appreciate that we were amateurs. Really, we did not have a professional army. They were learning from the few veterans they did have, and having a lot of drill, drill, drill,” Worsham said. Fortunately, General Washington had some professionals–one of them a German officer who could not speak English–to help train the fledgling army.

Today’s Americans often do not understand the role France played in the American Revolution. Besides sending advisors, the French also sent supplies such as muskets and shoes, he said. Shoes may not sound like an important piece of military equipment, but Washington told the Continental Congress of soldiers who were leaving bloody footprints in the snow because their shoes had fallen apart.

Modern Americans also don’t realize the role women played in the revolution. At Valley Forge, approximately 1,000 women accompanied their husbands. They helped to provide medical treatment that was an improvement over the crude army hospital–a virtual death sentence to the men sent there.

Another fact overlooked was that unlike other revolutions throughout history, America’s revolution actually accomplished its goals. The French Revolution ended when Napoleon took over and proclaimed himself emperor, and the Russian Revolution quickly became a communist dictatorship.

“Of all the revolutions in the last 300 years, all of them except for one did not succeed,” Worsham said. “In the American Revolution where we started out for our ideals, we won, and the same leaders who led us through the revolution, George Washington in particular, led us first in peace, and that’s a heritage we need to remember.”

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com