Thirteen Colonies | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/thirteen-colonies/RSS feed for Thirteen ColoniesenThu, 02 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000To Recreate One of the American Revolution's Most Famous Paintings, This Artist Painstakingly Crafted Miniature Wax Figures of the Nation's Foundershttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/to-recreate-one-of-the-american-revolutions-most-famous-paintings-this-artist-painstakingly-crafted-miniature-wax-figures-of-the-nations-founders-180989026/Bartlett M. Frost’s diorama is modeled after John Trumbull's depiction of the presentation of the Declaration of Independence. Newly conserved, the work is now on view at the National Portrait GalleryThu, 02 Jul 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/to-recreate-one-of-the-american-revolutions-most-famous-paintings-this-artist-painstakingly-crafted-miniature-wax-figures-of-the-nations-founders-180989026/How Tens of Thousands of Irish Immigrants Led the Patriots to Victory During the American Revolutionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-tens-of-thousands-of-irish-immigrants-led-the-patriots-to-victory-during-the-american-revolution-180989052/Soldiers of Irish heritage accounted for up to 50 percent of the Continental Army's ranks. Driven from their homeland by British oppression, Irish-born rebels also served as spies, politicians and moreWed, 01 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-tens-of-thousands-of-irish-immigrants-led-the-patriots-to-victory-during-the-american-revolution-180989052/How Angry, Out-of-Work Fishermen Saved the Patriots During the American Revolutionhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-angry-out-of-work-fishermen-saved-the-patriots-during-the-american-revolution-180988968/The British punished rebellious New Englanders by depriving them of their livelihood. This led unemployed mariners to enlist in the patriot causeMon, 22 Jun 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-angry-out-of-work-fishermen-saved-the-patriots-during-the-american-revolution-180988968/There Was No American Regional Cuisine Until One 'Virginia Housewife' Thought to Compile a Diverse Collection of Recipeshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/no-american-regional-cuisine-until-one-virginia-housewife-thought-compile-diverse-collection-recipes-180988811/Mary Randolph, an in-law of the Jefferson family who was influenced by enslaved cooks and traditions of European immigrants, didn’t change Southern cooking with her 1824 cookbook … she originated itFri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/no-american-regional-cuisine-until-one-virginia-housewife-thought-compile-diverse-collection-recipes-180988811/When Patent Protections Couldn’t Keep Pace With Ingenuity in the Colonies, One Inventive Woman Took Her Case to Britainhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/patent-protections-couldnt-keep-pace-with-ingenuity-colonies-one-inventive-woman-took-case-britain-180988827/Sybilla Righton Masters devised a novel way to work with grains available to her in Philadelphia. A long journey led to the first patent issued to an American (though it went to her husband)Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/patent-protections-couldnt-keep-pace-with-ingenuity-colonies-one-inventive-woman-took-case-britain-180988827/Among All the Great Things Benjamin Franklin Invented or Discovered, His Alter Egos Gave Him the Most Freedomhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/among-all-great-things-benjamin-franklin-invented-discovered-alter-egos-gave-him-most-freedom-180988824/Silence Dogood. Richard Saunders. Benevolus. Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim. All were pen names that allowed Franklin to say things he couldn’t have otherwise saidMon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/among-all-great-things-benjamin-franklin-invented-discovered-alter-egos-gave-him-most-freedom-180988824/