10—No, Wait 11—Things Writers Should Know if They’re Writing About the American Revolution

When it comes to the American Revolution, especially during an anniversary year such as 2026, writing and researching the era can truly be a minefield. Or, rather, a field full howitzers. There is a lot more information floating around, not all of it accurate.

(Things Writers Should Know.)

Generalizations abound, and there’s a plethora of oft-repeated stories to latch onto and use as jumping off points. But there’s a reason people say, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” It’s worth digging a little deeper, to arrive at the strange, wonderful truth, no matter what you’re writing. Here are some revolutionary tips.

Declaration of Independence, that is.

The big, beautiful piece of (now-faded) parchment with all the fancy swoops and swirls and signatures…there’s only one of those. It resides permanently at the National Archives in Washington, DC. However: In early July 1776, when Congress adopted the document that would formally announce the colonies’ decision to declare independence from England, they had to get the word out fast.

They employed printer John Dunlap to quickly print the now famous words and run off about 200 copies to be sent throughout the colonies. The document included the names of Congress’s president, John Hancock, and secretary, Charles Thomson and was set in type. No one’s “John Hancock” was on that first circulated version, now known as the Dunlap Broadside.

John Trumbull’s famous painting  titled The Declaration of Independence, which now hangs in the rotunda of the capitol building, depicts the Committee of Five—John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin—presenting a draft of the Declaration of Independence to Congress. (No, Jefferson did not do it all by himself, though he was quite good with a turn of phrase.) That painting—along with the date printed on the top of the document itself—often leads people to believe that there was a single signing event on July 4, 1776, at which members of Congress affixed their signatures to the Declaration.

In truth, Congress ordered an “engrossed” (read: fancy, hand-written) copy of the Declaration from Timothy Matlack. The majority of Congress signed that fancified copy on August 2, 1776, though due to scheduling conflicts, some members signed much later on. So why is “July 4” on the document we know and love? That was the date that Congress agreed upon the language that would be in the Declaration, and that was the date that John Dunlap printed it. 

This is of course true no matter what you happen to be writing.  Whether you are penning a straight nonfiction account, or crafting a historical romance, the particulars matter. Details take your reader on a journey, immerse them in a new world and carry them through your story while getting them invested in your characters.

World-building is a must for any piece of narrative work. Old recipe or “receipt” books provide not just meal planning, but cures for common ailments. Illustrations of the day offer a sense of everything from fashions to satire—or, depending on the illustrator, both.

Some of the most amazing resources regarding this period of history remain in analog form, which means you have to travel to access them in person. Of course, that’s half the nerdy fun. The archival collections at the Clements Library at the University of Michigan boast a vast collection of 18th- and 19th-century manuscripts, maps, diaries, orderly books, and more. The Charleston Library Society—founded in 1748—contains one of the largest collections of colonial newspapers in the nation. Happily, many libraries and archives—including these two—are constantly scanning their collections.

For online reference, one of the first places I check when researching is HathiTrust.org. HathiTrust works with member libraries to provide an unfathomable array of digitized publications to anyone who visits the site.

When doing research, historical societies are also your friends. Your very good friends. They get into the minutiae that larger institutions tend not to bother with. If your story is set in a specific place, it’s worth searching for a historical society in that region that might lend the kind of detail to your story that’ll make it sing.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of maps when setting a historical scene. Fiction or non, your ability to credibly recreate a street scene is one of the keys to impactful worldbuilding. Maps of the period might show businesses, parks, and shorelines and street names that no longer exist. Give your characters—real or fictitious—somewhere believable to stroll.

Beyond archival documents and books, newspapers provide incredible insight into the day-to-day priorities and concerns of a particular region or community. Some were patriot leaning, others sympathetic to the loyalists. And while the front pages offer the news that was front of mind at the time, classifieds and advertisements provide insights into what was being bought and sold and for how much, who was coming to town on what ship, and more.

…unless, of course, you are setting out to make some of your own. There was no one named “Molly Pitcher.” Betsy Ross did not design the first flag. These are just two of the more persistent myths related to this period of American history. If you have ever heard a popular story related to the founding of America and wondered, “Hmmm…I wonder how we know that…?” You’re onto something. Keep wondering. History is constantly changing. Come at a topic from a different angle or perspective. Keep digging.

Armies on both sides of the American Revolution featured Black and Indigenous soldiers, enslaved and free. These soldiers fought and died alongside one another throughout the war. Some fought for the Crown because they were promised freedom if they abandoned their enslavers to come to the British side. Some fought for the Americans because they felt compelled to.

Regarding slavery: It was not solely an issue in the south. That abhorrent practice existed up and down the coast and in all the major cities. As for religion, the colonies were populated by Baptists, Jews, Muslims, Lutherans, Deists, Quakers, and more—though not all received the same treatment.

While people of wealth and those in positions of political power were busy debating and designing what they hoped would be a new nation, life marched on. Militias were mustering, putting weapons in the hands of those who had only ever wielded a spade. In the absence of those who were occupied fighting, countless others worked around the clock to keep the colonies running, many of whom were women.

Innkeepers, newspaper editors, farmers, business owners…Women filled these roles and more, helping to ensure some semblance of continuity of daily life while the colonies were at war. Additionally, there were women who traveled with the military—camp followers—seeking safety and also supporting soldiers throughout the war.

Be careful not to fall into the hero/villain trap. (Unless, of course, you are writing a historical fiction that literally features very specific heroes and a villains.) Not all patriots were good guys and not all British were baddies. There were atrocities committed and acts of valor on both sides. Remember you’re writing about humans living through an extremely difficult time and as such they often had to make difficult decisions. It was really a civil war.

If you’re writing historical fiction, it is worth reading nonfiction books on the period in addition to doing some archival research to get a feeling for how writers before you shaped their stories grounded in primary sources. The converse is also true. If you’re writing nonfiction, it’s worth writing quality historical fiction set in that era to see how modern authors set the stage. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, check your facts. And whether a story intends to adhere to those facts or not, it must always feel true.

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