Historical Research Library
Discover the people, events, and key documents that shaped the Founding Era.
Explore our Resources
Filter by person, event, document, and theme.
George Washington Sends an Urgent Request for Supplies, 1777
A letter circulated to all the states describing the harsh conditions at Valley Forge and the suffering of the American troops
Supporting Document
Henry Knox on the Battle of Princeton, 1777
A letter recounting how recent battles buoyed American morale
Supporting Document
Lucy Knox to Henry Knox on Life on the Home Front, 1777
A letter expressing concern about the divisive atmosphere and hardships faced on the home front
Supporting Document
Lucy Knox to Henry Knox on Smallpox, 1777
A letter discussing Lucy’s decision to have herself and her infant inoculated against smallpox
Supporting Document
Patrick Henry on Military and Financial Matters, 1777
Letter to a co-signer of the Declaration of Independence on financial, legislative, and military concerns
Supporting Document
Lucy Knox’s Love Letter to Henry Knox, 1777
Lucy Knox spent much of her early married life alone, as her husband Henry rose through the ranks of the Continental Army. In this letter, the twenty-one-year-old Lucy expressed her unwavering love for Henry, but described her loneliness and desire to know what the future would hold.
Supporting Document
George Washington on the Hunger of the Troops, 1778
A report on an army on the brink of starvation at Valley Forge and the lack of support from the states
Supporting Document
John Laurens to His Father on a Regiment of Freed Slaves, 1778
A letter proposing the enlistment and emancipation of enslaved men
Supporting Document
Nathanael Greene Reports on a Joint Franco-American Operation, 1778
Report on a planned attack derailed by a hurricane
Supporting Document
Phillis Wheatley’s “On the Death of General Wooster,” 1778
“On the Death of General Wooster” commemorates a Revolutionary War hero, General David Wooster. She used the poem to point out the hypocrisy of a war for freedom that left so many of those enslaved in chains.
Supporting Document
Philip Schuyler Orders an Attack on the Onondagas, 1779
Orders to attack Indigenous people on the frontier, where many had sided with the British
Supporting Document
Petition against Taxation without Representation for Free Black Men, 1780
A protest by Black businessmen who paid taxes but could not vote
Supporting Document