Remarkable Charlestonians in the American Revolution

The American Revolution was a struggle for liberty, but not in the uncomplicated way we learned in school. The traditional story holds that Patriots fought to free themselves from arbitrary taxation by a tyrannical king, George III. What is often left out of the story is that supporters of the British government also fought for liberty. People on both sides viewed their actions as patriotic, even if they were sometimes self-serving. Many white Loyalists throughout the thirteen colonies supported the mother country because they believed that the constitutional monarchy, checked by Parliament, was the best protector of their inherited liberties. Enslaved blacks fought to free themselves from slavery. The War for Independence in the southern colonies was also in part a war to to preserve slavery. Slaveholders feared that an arbitrary British government might grant their slaves freedom after Lord Mansfield declared slavery illegal in English law in 1773. In that sense the Revolution had more in common with the later Civil War than is generally acknowledged.

Charleston, South Carolina is famous as the place where the American Civil War began. Less well known is its significant role in an earlier civil war. For South Carolina, the American War for Independence was more truly a civil war than the conflict of 1861-1865. During the 1860s, South Carolinians were united in defence of their state. During the Revolutionary War, they were bitterly divided. South Carolina witnessed some of the most violent episodes of the conflict.

Remarkable Charlestonians in the American Revolution relates the stories of a spectrum of the city’s residents during this turbulent time. Its subjects were famous, obscure, rich, poor, black, white, men and women. Some supported the “Patriot” cause; others were loyal to the British crown, or tried to remain neutral. A few switched sides, one more than once. Collectively, their experiences highlight the often grim reality of the revolutionary era.

The public memory of the American Revolution is encrusted with layers of convenient forgetfulness, dubious facts, distorted legends, and outright myths. History, as Sir Lewis Namier wrote, is not a visit of condolence. Nor should it be. This book seeks to portray the complexity of a chaotic, turbulent, and fascinating time. Its pages provide, I hope, a nuanced sense of what it was like to live in Charleston during the American War for Independence, 250 years ago. It also, I believe, sheds light on the situation in the USA today.

The premise of Remarkable Charlestonians is that people on both sides of the War for Independence fought for liberty, although with a different sense of what liberty meant. The majority black population wanted to rid themselves of enslavement, and many joined the British, who promised them freedom. Many white Loyalists believed that the British government was the best protector of “the rights of Englishmen” against what they saw as mob rule. White revolutionaries (Patriots) opposed what they perceived as the arbitrary actions of the British government. One of the things they feared and fought to prevent was the possibility that an overpowerful Parliament would declare slavery illegal in the colonies.

If you are convinced that Mel Gibson portrayed the Revolution correctly in “The Patriot” this book may not be your cup of tea. (Pun intended).

For more information, visit Remarkable Charlestonians in the American Revolution – Arcadia Publishing $24.95

Available at all good bookstores -- and even some bad ones.

The Orange Piper of Shamelin An Almost True Fairy Tale

Shamelin was once the richest, most powerful, most envied country on the planet Zed. Yet, somehow many of the Shamelians were discontented. The grossly rich, because they never felt rich enough. The poor, because they were poor. For some odd reason, many of the poor did not blame the grossly rich. They blamed immigrants, foreigners, "libruls," "lefties," "commies," and other rats, as they called them. "We are temporarily embarrassed millionaires, and we are patriots," they said with pride. "We just need to get rid of the infestation of rats in this country, and all will be well."

"We need new leadership," the malcontents said, urged on by FUX News. "Someone who will make Shamelin Great Again. The last Leader wasn't a true Shamelian. He sure didn't look like one of us." The cry went up from the voices of millions of Shamelians "Make US Great Again! MUGA! MUGA! MUGA!" They had hardly ejaculated this chant when a voice boomed out to them from the sky. Or so it seemed. It actually came from their TVs, amplified daily by the MSM, especially FUX.

"I am a famous TV star. You know me as The Boss. I'm also the world's greatest real estate developer. I'm so good at what I do I've gone bankrupt many times. How many people can say that? I will save Shamelin from its enemies within and without. I will get rid of the rats plaguing this country. Make it great again. Make me The Leader and there will be bigly changes. The best bigly changes. I will build a wall! A bigly wall. The best wall. To keep out the bad people. Bad people. Rapists, drug dealers, killers. Sad. The best things will happen to the economy. It will be so good you can dress in dollars."

The Shamelians cheered. They felt a sudden surge of pride in his words, despite the weird orange glow of his face. No one had spoken to them with such brilliance in decades, if ever. The Boss is our man, they thought, and we have made him possible. Because we love our country. They cried out as one: "How can we help you, Boss?" "Vote for me in the next election for The Leader. The Dumocrats think they have it locked up. But I have a secret weapon. Friends in very high places. Bigly places. The bigliest places." "Who are those friends in high places?" asked one slightly skeptical Shamelian. “Give us some evidence!” The people around the questioner grabbed and beat him, and told him to shut up. "I can't tell you who,” the Boss said, snarling. “It's a secret. But they love you and want to save you from the evil Dumocrats, and they know I’m a genius who can do anything. Now, if you want me to save you, you must love me. I can't stand to be unloved. Sad! Vote for me and you will never have to vote again!"

Voting day came, and the results were close. The Dumocrat candidate for Leader got more votes than the Boss. But Shamelin had a strange clause in its constitution, which allowed the loser to win. Forgive me for not explaining it. Only three people have ever understood it. One is dead, the second went mad. I'm the third, and I forgot. This is how The Boss became The Leader, along with help from the unknown people in high places. He started off his Leadership by engaging in his favorite task: firing people. Not only people from previous Leaders' administrations. He even fired his own people after a while, people he said were the best people when he hired them. He said they did not love him enough, did not appreciate his genius, or were too lazy. He hired replacements who, he said, were even better. 

He soon made it clear who was Boss and Leader on Zed. He told other countries that Shamelin was number one and should get all the best stuff. A few other countries had some good points, if they were trying to be like Shamelin, but they were sad places compared to number one. A lot of them, he said, were shithole countries. His supporters cheered these statesmanlike words. He insulted Shamelin's allies and refused to cooperate with them to protect Zed’s environment. To show who was Boss, he got rid of environmental protections. "We have lots of bottled water for sale. And a little polluted water won't hurt you," he said. "It strengthens your immune system. And smoke is good for the lungs. Makes you tough, like me." 

He told the leaders of other countries that he would destroy them if they didn't do exactly what he said. When they didn't do as he said, he said he loved them and wanted to be best pals. His supporters loved everything he said, because he said it. He could say one thing one day and the opposite the next. They cheered it all. They would deny he ever lied or contradicted himself. He claimed he was the most honest Leader Shamelin had ever had. And he knew more than anybody, on any subject. He was, as he so often said, a stable genius. His MUGATs drank it all in, like Kool Aid.

He was so brilliant, so perfect in every way, that some of his most enthusiastic supporters claimed he had been sent by God to save Shamelin, God's favorite country. Why it needed saving if it was God’s favorite country was a question they never asked. The Boss agreed with all this and began to do something new: he prayed, or made others pray for him. One day he proclaimed that he had done more for the true faith than God himself. He sold Bibles, printed in Orientia, a rival of Shamelin’s, at a considerable markup. They sold out. Religion is good business, he concluded.

Things went along swimmingly like this for about three years. About that time, Orientia reported the outbreak of a new epidemic disease. It was killing many people, mostly old. The major symptom was laughing, which ranged from a mild Ha! Ha! to a ceaseless, hysterical guffawing. When a patient cried out, "I'm going to die laughing," the doctors knew it was all over. The Leaders' medical advisors warned him about the new disease. "It's so far away. It'll never get here." They told him it was caused by a virus that could spread far and fast. "What's a virus?" he asked. When they told him, he laughed. "Nothing that small could hurt a person, unless they were small, too. Like the Orientians. Nothing to worry about." Unfortunately, the virus did not heed the Leader's words. It spread to many countries on Zed. Within a few weeks, it had arrived in Shamelin. The Leader laughed it off. "It's a hoax. Just a common garden variety bug. We might have a handful of cases, all mild, and then poof, it will be gone. It might kill a few old, useless persons, but nobody will miss them leeches. I know more about this virus than anyone. The doctors are amazed by my knowledge."

Once again, the brainless virus outwitted the great genius. The number of cases mounted, slowly at first, then more rapidly. They included people of all ages, not only the old. The Leader blamed his political opponents. He blamed other countries, especially the Orientians. He blamed the media. "Bad reporters," he said. He blamed his medical advisors. "They're Chicken Littles. Always crying about the sky falling." When things got worse, he complained that "No one warned me about this," he said. "It caught me by surprise." He said the whole virus thing was an underground plot to make him look bad. "They want to spoil my chances to get re-elected and become Leader for Life." As the virus spread, The Leader’s utter lack of preparation quickly became obvious. Those fighting the epidemic lacked the protective equipment, the testing kits, and the technology to do their job. The Leader insisted that these things could be had in plenty if health care workers weren't stealing them. When the governors of Shamelin's hardest hit states asked The Leader for help, he told them they didn't love him enough to deserve it. He told them to help themselves. "I have absolute authority, of course. But the responsibility for this is yours."  

One day, The Leader told an astounded country, "This virus is really dangerous. It could kill a lot of people. If we can keep the number of dead under 200 million that would be a victory. And that victory will be my doing!" Hearing this, the Shamelians -- well, about half of them -- cheered wildly. The rest put their hands to their faces in disbelief, even though they knew that could spread the virus, which was killing people all around them. Things, as you can imagine, got worse, much worse. Shamelin had more deaths than any other country on Zed. But the Leader smiled and told Shamelians that the best was yet to come.

TBC

   

1984, US Style: One Nation Under Trump

Dear Mr. Orwell, I hate to bother you, but 1984 is here. Big Brother is watching us closely. Last week two UK Police officers paid me an unexpected and unannounced visit. They informed me that US authorities (unnamed) had reported to the UK government that I was posting extremist (i.e., anti-fascist) stuff on social media. The officers assured me that they didn't care what I posted; that I had a right to express my views as a British citizen. They just wanted to alert me that I am on Trumpist radar, and it might cause me problems if I went to the US. They were probably aware that I am a dual citizen of the US and the UK, with family and friends in both countries. It was clear that the officers were appalled by it all. We had a nice chat and said our good-byes. 

My first reaction after the officers left was, what if they had been ICE bandits at my door, as might well have been the case in the current US? But they were UK police, polite and friendly. Still … I got kicked off Facebook in January 2025 for implying that Trump and his supporters were Nazis. That was right about the time Zuckerberg donated a million bucks to Trump’s inauguration, which he attended, along with other billionaire Trump supporters. I have been an active critic of Trump’s actions and words for more than ten years on other social media accounts. But I am not a major “influencer,” probably not even a minor influencer. Most of my posts have generated little interest or comment from anybody, but some have obviously attracted the attention of Trump’s Gestapo. Maybe I should consider it a badge of honor.

I am not writing to complain about my situation. Many people, especially in the US, are in a far more precarious position than I am. I am lucky to be where I am, but the arrival of the officers at my door show that the tentacles of the Trump fascist regime can reach well beyond the US borders. There is a domestic danger here as well. It’s called Reform. Its leader Nigel Farage follows the Trump playbook, which derives from Hitler and other fascists. Reform was leading all the other parties in the polls until quite recently and there was talk in the media, even the BBC, of a Reform government in 2028 as if it was a normal political party. The appointment of Andy Burnham as the new prime minister has put Labour back at the top of the polls for the moment, but Reform is only a few points behind. There is no reason for complacency.

Thanks for listening, George

Written from somewhere in the world.