‘”[A] sweet life after a most fatiguing campaign”’: The Evolution and Archaeology of Military Encampments of the Revolutionary War

Summary

Despite the breadth of information that has been recorded regarding the American Revolution, little is known about the day-to-day life of the American soldier. Much has been ingrained in the American psyche concerning the mythic lore regarding the Continental Army during Revolutionary War. The archaeology of the Revolutionary War encampment provides researchers with an uncanny glimpse into the daily lives of the Revolutionary War soldier, as well as the broader patterns that shaped the conflict. These utilized landscapes offer an opportunity to understand the Continental Army in a broader sense, as the progression of the war shaped the foundations of the military. This paper seeks to investigate how 18th-century military training formed a basis of understanding for the execution of military encampments, as well as how they evolved over the course of the Revolutionary War. Through this, this paper intends to examine the material culture of the 18th-century American and British soldiers to better understand the social, political, and environmental factors that helped mold our understanding of America’s fight for independence.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Encountering the Other on the Field of Battle : Global Conflict, Identity, and Archaeology in the Era of the American Revolution   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-48,05