250 and Counting
@250andcounting.bsky.social
250 and Counting is a two-minute daily podcast about whatever happened 250 years ago today.
On This Day in 1776: George Washington writes two letters expressing his worries about the state of his troops. They have very different tones.
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Washington Has Concerns–January 14, 1776 - 250 and Counting
As George Washington’s aide-de-camp, Joseph Reed was privy to a lot of things on his Commander-in-Chief’s mind. And it shows in the level of prose that Washington uses when writing to Reed, because it...
250andcounting.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:32 PM
On This Day in 1776: George Washington writes two letters expressing his worries about the state of his troops. They have very different tones.
250andcounting.com/2026/01/14/w...
250andcounting.com/2026/01/14/w...
On This Day in 1776: John M. Snowden, future mayor of Pittsburgh, is born in Philadelphia. Also: Henry Knox makes his last diary entry for the Noble Train of Artillery, but the trip isn't over yet.
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John M. Snowden–January 13, 1776 - 250 and Counting
What can I say about John M. Snowden that I didn’t tell you about in the episode itself? The truth is, he’s not a well-documented man, nor is his family, even though (as I noted) his wife was an advis...
250andcounting.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:22 PM
On This Day in 1776: John M. Snowden, future mayor of Pittsburgh, is born in Philadelphia. Also: Henry Knox makes his last diary entry for the Noble Train of Artillery, but the trip isn't over yet.
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250andcounting.com/2026/01/13/j...
On This Day in 1776: British forces move in on Prudence Island in the Narragansett Bay, hoping to pillage some supplies. Ultimately it didn't go well for either side.
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Prudence Island Under Attack–January 12, 1776 - 250 and Counting
Prudence Island, in the Narragansett Bay off Rhode Island, didn’t have a lot of strategic value to anyone. What it DID have was livestock, and the British were hard-pressed to get supplies, especially...
250andcounting.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:04 PM
On This Day in 1776: British forces move in on Prudence Island in the Narragansett Bay, hoping to pillage some supplies. Ultimately it didn't go well for either side.
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250andcounting.com/2026/01/12/p...
On This Day in 1776: Dr. Benjamin Rush marries Julia Stockton, daughter of Richard Stockton. Before long both Rush and Stockton would be elected to the Second Continental Congress.
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Rush To The Altar–January 11, 1776 - 250 and Counting
Although she was quite young when she married Benjamin Rush, Julia Stockton was probably as brilliant and opinionated as her husband was. Not long after they married on this day in 1776, Benjamin was ...
250andcounting.com
January 11, 2026 at 3:31 PM
On This Day in 1776: Dr. Benjamin Rush marries Julia Stockton, daughter of Richard Stockton. Before long both Rush and Stockton would be elected to the Second Continental Congress.
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250andcounting.com/2026/01/11/r...
On This Day in 1776: Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is published. It took some time, but it was probably the intellectual spark that the Colonies needed to finally break away.
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It’s Just…You Know…–January 10, 1776 - 250 and Counting
Okay, so here’s the thing about Common Sense: It’s not as though Thomas Paine came up with prose so extraordinarily clear that everyone suddenly smacked their foreheads and said, “My God! Independence...
250andcounting.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:35 PM
On This Day in 1776: Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is published. It took some time, but it was probably the intellectual spark that the Colonies needed to finally break away.
250andcounting.com/2026/01/10/i...
250andcounting.com/2026/01/10/i...
On This Day in 1776: NC Royal Governor Josiah Martin reveals his plan to Loyalist leaders for taking the colony back. We'll see in a few weeks how well it went.
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A Plan Is Hatched–January 9, 1776 - 250 and Counting
Josiah Martin was the last Royal Governor of North Carolina, and while he spent the first few months of the job in New York, he probably wouldn’t have a reputation as an especially bad governor if he ...
250andcounting.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:35 PM
On This Day in 1776: NC Royal Governor Josiah Martin reveals his plan to Loyalist leaders for taking the colony back. We'll see in a few weeks how well it went.
250andcounting.com/2026/01/09/a...
250andcounting.com/2026/01/09/a...
On This Day in 1776: General John Burgoyne stages a satirical play for his troops in Charles Town. It proves to be a great diversion for the Continental Army to use.
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The Play’s The Thing–January 8, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Mike wasn’t kidding when he said that, had it not been for his part in the Revolution, John Burgoyne would be best known as a playwright. He wrote several plays, most of them quite successful. Interes...
250andcounting.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
On This Day in 1776: General John Burgoyne stages a satirical play for his troops in Charles Town. It proves to be a great diversion for the Continental Army to use.
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250andcounting.com/2026/01/08/t...
On This Day in 1776: British ships, in need of supplies, retreat from Charleston Bay. The American response was probably ill-advised in the long run.
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Retreat From Charleston–January 6, 1776 - 250 and Counting
From a strategic standpoint, Charleston Bay was probably much more attractive to the British than Boston Harbor was. The northern harbor was more open to the sea, there were a bunch of small islands t...
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January 6, 2026 at 3:22 PM
On This Day in 1776: British ships, in need of supplies, retreat from Charleston Bay. The American response was probably ill-advised in the long run.
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250andcounting.com/2026/01/06/r...
On This Day in 1776: New Hampshire becomes the first American commonwealth to draft its own constitution. Also: Martha Washington throws a party.
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The First State Constitution–January 5, 1776 - 250 and Counting
It’s fun to say that the New Hampshire Constitution was the first time that an American commonwealth constitution, and that several of the others quickly followed, as though a dam had broken. But the ...
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January 5, 2026 at 2:26 PM
On This Day in 1776: New Hampshire becomes the first American commonwealth to draft its own constitution. Also: Martha Washington throws a party.
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On This Day in 1776: Connecticut Governor Trumbull dispatches a man to evaluate an iron furnace for suitability for making cannons.
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A Furnace for Arms–January 2, 1776 - 250 and Counting
The Mount Riga Iron Furnace isn’t an especially unique artifact on the east coast of the US. In fact, as someone who lives in Baltimore, I get to see one of them regularly when I visit my mother-in-la...
250andcounting.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:23 PM
On This Day in 1776: Connecticut Governor Trumbull dispatches a man to evaluate an iron furnace for suitability for making cannons.
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On This Day in 1775: George Washington decides that it's OK to be in the Continental Army if you're black. But it's a pragmatic decision, not a moral one.
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Washington Has A Change Of Heart–December 30, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Back on October 8, the Continental Army determined that Blacks were no longer to be permitted to enlist, and that existing soldiers would not be allowed to re-enlist. But on this date, George Washingt...
250andcounting.com
December 30, 2025 at 5:22 PM
On This Day in 1775: George Washington decides that it's OK to be in the Continental Army if you're black. But it's a pragmatic decision, not a moral one.
250andcounting.com/2025/12/30/w...
250andcounting.com/2025/12/30/w...
On This Day in 1775: the Battle of Great Cane Brake (SC) took place. It was a victory for the Patriots, but eventually there was a cost.
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The Battle of Great Cane Brake–December 22, 1775 - 250 and Counting
The Battle of Great Cane Brake took place near modern-day Simpsonville, South Carolina. That’s a few miles southeast of Greenville. A “Brake of Canes” is pretty much what it sounds like. The cane stal...
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December 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
On This Day in 1775: the Battle of Great Cane Brake (SC) took place. It was a victory for the Patriots, but eventually there was a cost.
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General Richard Richardson is forced by weather to stop routing out Loyalists in South Carolina. Meanwhile, the British locate the straw that breaks the camel's back. 250andcounting.com/2025/12/21/o...
One Thing Ends, Another One Begins–December 21, 1775 - 250 and Counting
General Richard Richardson was a delegate to the Provincial Congresses in South Carolina in 1775 and 1776, and he served in both the South Carolina Militia and the Continental Army during the Revoluti...
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December 21, 2025 at 6:18 PM
General Richard Richardson is forced by weather to stop routing out Loyalists in South Carolina. Meanwhile, the British locate the straw that breaks the camel's back. 250andcounting.com/2025/12/21/o...
On This Day in 1775: The Gadsden Flag makes its official debut.
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The Gadsden Flag Debuts–December 20, 1775 - 250 and Counting
It’s arguably the most recognizable and popular symbol of the Revolutionary Era, and its debut turns 250 years old today. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s the Gadsden Flag. The concept of the snake image re...
250andcounting.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:25 PM
On This Day in 1775: The Gadsden Flag makes its official debut.
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On This Day in 1775: Virginia begins procuring ships to supplement the Continental Navy, in order to patrol the Great Chesapeake Bay.
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Protecting the Chesapeake–December 19, 1775 - 250 and Counting
The Great Chesapeake Bay, which is protected by the Delmarva Peninsula (DELaware, MARyland, VirginiA, get it?) is a watershed area that is hugely important for these three states, plus New York, Penns...
250andcounting.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:44 PM
On This Day in 1775: Virginia begins procuring ships to supplement the Continental Navy, in order to patrol the Great Chesapeake Bay.
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On This Day in 1775: Colonel Knox writes a letter to George Washington letting him know that the Noble Train of Artillery is about to leave. There's an interesting lie in his letter, though...
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The Noble Train Of Artillery–December 17, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Colonel Henry Knox was just about ready to begin moving the Noble Train of Artillery (a phrase he coined, incidentally). He’d have everything he needed to move by the 20th or 21st of December, and the...
250andcounting.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:43 PM
On This Day in 1775: Colonel Knox writes a letter to George Washington letting him know that the Noble Train of Artillery is about to leave. There's an interesting lie in his letter, though...
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250andcounting.com/2025/12/17/t...
On This Day in 1775: Ben Franklin writes to a Spanish prince hoping to get some assistance. It eventually comes, but not because he asked for it.
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Ben Franklin Wants A Friend–December 12, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Ben Franklin and Gabriel de Borbón had corresponded with one another previously, so while the letter that is the subject of today’s episode has a very ...
250andcounting.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM
On This Day in 1775: Ben Franklin writes to a Spanish prince hoping to get some assistance. It eventually comes, but not because he asked for it.
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250andcounting.com/2025/12/12/b...
On This day in 1775: Norfolk is occupied by Patriot forces, and Martha Washington arrives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Go! Put it in your ears!
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Martha Comes to Cambridge–December 11, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Most of the portraits we see of Martha Washington were made when she was older, so we have (I think) this image of her as a bit of a crabby old frump. And ma...
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December 11, 2025 at 3:24 PM
On This day in 1775: Norfolk is occupied by Patriot forces, and Martha Washington arrives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Go! Put it in your ears!
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The Battle of Great Bridge took place on this day in 1775. It was the first major battle in Virginia and had a huge ripple effect throughout the colonies.
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The Battle of Great Bridge–December 9, 1775 - 250 and Counting
The Battle of Great Bridge is a little bit overlooked these days, and more’s the pity. It was the first battle in Virginia, it was a big victory for Pa...
250andcounting.com
December 9, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The Battle of Great Bridge took place on this day in 1775. It was the first major battle in Virginia and had a huge ripple effect throughout the colonies.
250andcounting.com/2025/12/09/t...
250andcounting.com/2025/12/09/t...
On This Day in 1775: The Continental Congress thinks that King George's declaration of rebellion is a little off-base.
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Congress Responds to King George–December 6, 1775 - 250 and Counting
There are a couple of things that it’s kind of important to remember about American history. First, by this point Independence was still NOT on the tab...
250andcounting.com
December 6, 2025 at 3:46 PM
On This Day in 1775: The Continental Congress thinks that King George's declaration of rebellion is a little off-base.
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On This Day in 1775: Thomas Jefferson sends a letter to someone on the other side of the political fence. He's got bad news and worse news.
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Thomas Jefferson Has Bad News–November 29, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Thomas Jefferson wasn’t as prolific with the letters as John Adams was with his own wife (over ten thousand letters between them during the course of t...
250andcounting.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:51 PM
On This Day in 1775: Thomas Jefferson sends a letter to someone on the other side of the political fence. He's got bad news and worse news.
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Happy Thanksgiving to Ye!
On This Day in 1775: Colonel William Woodford moves men into place for what will soon become a pivotal battle of the American Revolution, even if it doesn't get much attention today.
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On This Day in 1775: Colonel William Woodford moves men into place for what will soon become a pivotal battle of the American Revolution, even if it doesn't get much attention today.
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Prelude To Battle–November 27, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Happy Thanksgiving! Many people celebrate the day by watching the parade, or some football, or some special episodes of television shows, or Thanksgiving-the...
250andcounting.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Happy Thanksgiving to Ye!
On This Day in 1775: Colonel William Woodford moves men into place for what will soon become a pivotal battle of the American Revolution, even if it doesn't get much attention today.
250andcounting.com/2025/11/27/p...
On This Day in 1775: Colonel William Woodford moves men into place for what will soon become a pivotal battle of the American Revolution, even if it doesn't get much attention today.
250andcounting.com/2025/11/27/p...
On This Day in 1775: Congress figures out what to do with the spoils of war; meanwhile General Howe demonstrates how the cruelty is the point.
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The Fate of War and Some Refugees–November 25, 1775 - 250 and Counting
It’s hard to emphasize just how remote Point Shirley is compared to the Boston. Let me try anyway. On most maps of Boston, Point Shirley isn’t ev...
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November 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
On This Day in 1775: Congress figures out what to do with the spoils of war; meanwhile General Howe demonstrates how the cruelty is the point.
250andcounting.com/2025/11/25/t...
250andcounting.com/2025/11/25/t...
On This Day in 1775: The Second Continental Congress suddenly remembers that North Carolina is a thing.
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Considering North Carolina–November 24, 1775 - 250 and Counting
Two days ago, Mike had a case of the Martian Flu or something, so I needed to record in his place. today he sounds as good as ever. Since I could never bounc...
250andcounting.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 PM
On This Day in 1775: The Second Continental Congress suddenly remembers that North Carolina is a thing.
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Cake and Candles to George Kremer, who wrote a scathing letter about Henry Clay during his Congressional career.
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George Kremer–November 21, 1775 - 250 and Counting
While George Kremer is depicted in today’s artwork as a sophisticated “man of the people”, it’s thought that the artwork was meant to...
250andcounting.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Cake and Candles to George Kremer, who wrote a scathing letter about Henry Clay during his Congressional career.
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250andcounting.com/2025/11/21/g...