Tech and the Revolutionary War — Happy Independence Day!

As we celebrate the Fourth of July, we might spare a thought for our brave forefathers and foremothers who lived in a less technologically advanced world. They managed to win their freedom against a well-trained, well-equipped, and navy-supported force, all while living in “primitive” times. Without their strength and courage, we might not live in a country where we can look up from scrolling on our phones at the truck delivering a package of something we ordered online and sidestep a smart vacuum that comes out to clean and goes away to recharge.

The USA’s love of innovations and interest in technology was instrumental in there being, well, a United States of America at all. While technology may have come a long way since the 1770s, some of the most modern technology of the day was instrumental in helping the States win the Revolutionary War.

The Written Word

Perhaps one of the most disruptive inventions in history, the printing press was also highly instrumental in leading to the States winning the Revolutionary War. Before the invention of the press, books had to be copied by hand–a long, tedious, and expensive process. The printing press allowed a far easier and wider distribution of ideas.

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense came off the printing press in 1776 and was soon distributed widely. It is still the proportionally all-time best-selling American title. Only 47 pages long, the pamphlet spread the idea of American independence quickly and broadly.

By no means the only pamphlet on offer, other pamphlets and newspapers also helped spread the idea of independence to the American people.

Although pamphlets and newspapers still exist, they are not as pivotal as during the Revolutionary War. Instead, people who want to spread ideas and advocate for change might write on social media, a blog, or to a newsletter list–although he or she could also start a YouTube channel or podcast.

Tactics

Keeping information safe and getting it where it needed to go is hardly a new problem. For spies in the Revolutionary War, finding out information and safely passing it to allies was a problem that needed to be solved.

The Culper Spy Ring operated in and around New York City for five years. Created of civilians, the spies worked with codes and pseudonyms to successfully convey information. None of these spies were ever unmasked.

Another tactic that the Americans employed was that of guerilla warfare. Trained British soldiers preferred to fight in the “gentlemanly” way of standing in rigid formation, facing the enemy, and taking turns firing their guns. Trained soldiers fighting for the Americans did the same, but many American militias opted out of this accepted method of fighting and took advantage of available cover.

Today, we often use encryption to safely pass information, and cybersecurity is a multibillion dollar industry. Modern startups, with small groups of people disrupting established ways of doing things, are much like those guerilla militias who changed warfare by opting out of the established method of just standing and taking turns shooting at each other.

Other Technology

Rifles with better accuracy, a faster and more secure postal system, accurate and detailed mapping are only a few of the other technologies that Americans made use of to win our independence. And once we had our independence, we threw ourselves into transforming the world with inventions of our own — from the light bulb and the pacemaker to the airplane and the internet — to name a few.

Tricorns off to the brave men and women who fought for our freedom.

Happy Fourth of July! Wishing you a safe and wonderful day.

And if after the holiday you’re looking for the right technology partner to help revolutionize your business, contact Swan Software Solutions for a free assessment.