Writing a story in the American Revolutionary Period

If you want detail, then you will have to concentrate on a region, because the inter-regional differences were significant. You might try contacting re-enactors in that region and librarians, etc. There are more resources than you would want, so you will have to cut down your search before you go far.

I would also recommend finding your nearest re-enactment group and going to some of their events, especially living history ones. It will give you the kind of details, and feel, and smells that you wouldn't get from a website.

You could attend as a member of the public. You could also talk to them about your writing and ask if there is a way to take part in the event. Bear in mind you'd be expected to be in costume and very accurate costume - made of linen and wool, all visible stitches done by hand not machine, colours that are believable as natural dies.

I would suggest either way, that you see if you can try wearing the period costumes - how restrictive is a the jacket, or the corset, or the long skirts, or what does it feel like to fire a musket or walk around with a sword suspended from the cross belt.

A good website for that would be Colonial Williamsburg's website.

www.history.org

When it comes to Revolutionary/Colonial life, they're the people to go to.

To expand a little, I was reading "I Wanted To Write" the autobiography of Kenneth Roberts, and he mentioned finding journals, letters, official document, etc. while researching Arundel, Rabble In Arms, The Lively Lady, Captain Caution, and his other historical novels. Even though some of the characters were based on his ancestors, no one in the family knew what had happened not much more than a hundred years before. I don't know what you are thinking of writing about, but you'll have to dig.

You definitely need to be more specific. As Neptune said, what region are you using? What class of individual - wealthy? poor? slave? What race - English? Irish? African? Jewish? What gender? What age?

And what happens to your MC that begins the story? The possibilities are quite endless, and we can't write your story for you.

Libraries are always fun.

caw

There was a book that I purchased that helped me out. Everyday Life in Colonial America (Writer's Guides to Everyday Life) It had every thing you can imagine on living in those days. Here is a link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0898797721/?tag=absowrit-20

Try the online newspapers too. I know that Philadelphia newspapers go way back.