Our American Revolution Round Table discusses Molly Pitcher, and other various topics with Dr. Linda Grant DePauw, History Professor Emeritus of George Washington University.
DePauw decided to write "In Search of Molly Pitcher" because people continually asked her about the legendary figure, even after she had dedicated sections in her non-fiction works to the topic. Realizing that traditional scholarly articles or books weren't reaching the public effectively due to a deep resonance people have with Molly Pitcher, DePauw chose to write a storybook.
The book is a fictional account, mostly dialogue, about a stubborn grade school girl named Peggy McAllister who researches Molly Pitcher for a school contest with the help of her retired private investigator great-grandpa. A significant purpose of the book is to explain good and bad methods of historical research, helping readers understand how to find better sources and navigate the frustrations of historical inquiry.
The Myth and Reality of Molly Pitcher
The book aims to explain the confusion surrounding Molly Pitcher's identity and origins, highlighting that there wasn't a lot of easy fact-checking in early history, leading to various stories being copied from potentially unreliable sources.
The story of Molly Pitcher is depicted as having various and contradictory sources from its early beginnings. She has been "located" at different battles, including Brandywine and Fort Washington, though the well-known story is associated with the Battle of Monmouth.
The name "Molly Pitcher" itself doesn't appear in sources until an 1848 drawing by Currier & Ives, by which time anyone who might have known her personally would likely have been deceased.
The discussion suggests that Molly Pitcher may not be one specific person but rather a composite figure, with elements from various real women like Mary Ludwig Hayes and Margaret Corbin, whose stories became conflated into the myth.
Modern educational materials for children are sometimes criticized for oversimplifying or even making up dramatically inaccurate facts about Molly Pitcher, such as her fighting and dying heroically at the Battle of Saratoga.
DePauw and the host discuss the evolution of research methods, contrasting the "old fashion technology" of interlibrary loans (which involved significant time and potential for drama) with modern internet and computer research.
Despite technological advancements, the challenges of finding accurate direct sources, dealing with mixed-up facts, and identifying copied misinformation persist in the internet age.
The importance of visiting historical sites like battlefields is emphasized, as it provides a deeper understanding of the environment and potentially unearths local sources or perspectives not available online.
The conversation touches on the difficulty of proving historical facts, especially for less well-known figures, and how different perspectives can lead to genuinely varied accounts of the same event.
Historical fiction and mediums like the musical Hamilton are seen as valuable tools for making history "come alive" and sparking interest in the past, even if they take liberties for entertainment.
DePauw's specialty in early American history shifted to military women after a museum exhibit catalog featured a woman with a musket, prompting questions about women carrying weapons. This led her to establish the Minerva Center to encourage the study of women in war.
Her book, "Founding Mothers," was specifically aimed at a middle school audience, distinguishing it from other historians' works written for academic peers.
DePauw is in the early planning stages of an audio version of "In Search of Molly Pitcher," envisioning a fully historically accurate production with a voice cast, including her dream of having Margaret O'Brien play the lead role of Peggy McAllister.
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Get a copy of In Search of Molly Pitcher.
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