It's Revolutionary!

So, my neighbor Denny comes over Sunday night and says he's too tired to go out (thus angering my partner, who also wants to go out). It's pointless to argue, so we sit and watch TV. Thankfully, something really good was on. The Military Channel (God Bless You, DirecTV!) was showing miniseries, The Revolutionary War.

Despite residing in the Birthplace of the Nation, I usually plead ignorance to many of the specifics of the Revolution. Like many New Yorkers and the Statue of Liberty, I've never seen the Liberty Bell up close, and have never been inside Independence Hall. I keep that war simple: we won. Case closed.

The Revolutionary War was as entertaining as The History Channel's, Russia, Land of the Tsars. Especially if you're a history nut like myself. Here are a few lesser-known points of interest:

• We almost lost. Many times. Between attrition and defections, General Washington had his hands full with an army that wasn't always gung-ho for leaving The Crown.
• When the chips were down, Washington and the Congress called for a National Day of Prayer. Really. Imagine what would happen if Bush tried that. My guess would be rioting in the streets.
• Benedict Arnold? War Hero. At least until he turned traitor, that is. Arnold was a superlative fighter and leader, but had personality clashes with his superiors. Arnold was a full-steam-ahead guy, and when the powers-that-be shouted him down, he sought refuge with the British.
• The French? They haven't changed a bit in 229 years. When England was kicking our assess across the countryside, they wanted nothing to do with our independence. Once the colonies started getting the upper hand, they jumped into the fray as our "allies."