The Mentor 1913.12.08, No. 43,
The Revolution
THE STORY OF AMERICA IN PICTURES
THE REVOLUTION
By ALBERT BUSHNELL HART
Professor of Government, Harvard University
GEORGE THE THIRD
GEORGE WASHINGTON
THE MENTOR
DECEMBER 8, 1913
SERIAL No. 43
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
MENTOR GRAVURES
BATTLE OF LEXINGTON · BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL · WASHINGTON CROSSINGTHE DELAWARE · SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE · “IHAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT”—JOHN PAUL JONES · THE BIRTH OF THE FLAG
Words wear out after using them a thousand or a million times.“Liberty,” “The Constitution,” “The People’s Government,”—peopletake those terms into their minds nowadays as theytake a chocolate cream, without stopping to think of its contents. Sowith “Revolution.” When we hear the word we feel a pleasedsensation of a good, great, glorious time, intended by Providenceto prepare the way for our various patriotic organizations. The Revolution?Why, yes, that was when our forefathers tied the first hardknot in the British lion’s tail! All the people were patriots, and allthe patriots were as wise as college professors, and as brave asAlbanians, and as great as a president. All the statesmen wore silkstockings and red velvet suits and powdered wigs. All the ladies werelovely, and spurned the offers of marriage made by British generals.
THE MILITARY REVOLUTION
GENERAL NATHANAELGREENE
His courageous work in theSouth greatly helped theAmerican cause. (Frompainting in possession of theHistorical Society of Pennsylvania.)
What is a revolution but an overturning, a spinning of the wheel, leftto right, and bottom come uppermost? Likewise, since the right believesitself right, and the top is sure that the world exists in order that it maybe the top, most revolutions mean force, arms, big guns booming, troopsmarching, bullets flying, heads cut off with axes or caught in a hangman’snoose; also arms and legs cut off, and the ground soaked with acrimson fluid. “You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs,”and in a revolution there is bound to be breakageof heads and hearts, and banks and constitutions.
We know that the American Revolution wasa military contest, because the pictures in our firsttextbook of American history show General GeorgeWashington, in buff and blue, leading his Continentalsup to within sixteen feet and eight inches ofGeneral Howe, in a magnificent red coat laced withgold, in vain trying to rally battalions of craven Hessianswearing highly inconvenient bearskin caps.