Jazmin Li
During a Fourth of July Salute to America speech, former US President Donald Trump made a historical blunder when he said that the Continental Army took over the airports from the British during the American Revolutionary War. This statement sparked a series of comical parodies on the internet, with Twitter users writing satirical letters from Revolutionary War soldiers about their airport troubles. However, it is important to note that airports did not exist during the Revolutionary War, and planes were not used in warfare until the 20th century. The development of aviation and the establishment of commercial airline industries and airports occurred in the decades following World War I and World War II.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Were there airports during the Revolutionary War? | No |
| Were there airplanes during the Revolutionary War? | No |
| Did the Continental Army take over airports? | No |
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What You'll Learn
President Trump's claim that there were airports during the Revolutionary War
In a July 2019 Independence Day speech, former US President Donald Trump claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the American Revolutionary War. His full statement, as per the official White House transcript, was:
> In June of 1775, the Continental Congress created a unified Army out of the Revolutionary Forces encamped around Boston and New York, and named after the great George Washington, Commander-in-Chief. The Continental Army suffered the bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware, and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown. Our Army manned the air (inaudible), it rammed the ramparts. It took over the airports. It did everything it had to do. And at Fort McHenry, under the rockets’ red glare, it had nothing but victory. And when dawn came, their Star-Spangled Banner waved defiant.
Trump's claim that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War is false. There were no airports during the American Revolutionary War, which took place during the 18th century—long before the age of manned flight.
Trump later blamed a faulty teleprompter for the gaffe, telling reporters at the White House, "The teleprompter did go out and it was actually hard to look at anyway because there was rain all over it but despite the rain, it was just a fantastic evening." However, he also added, "I knew the speech very well, so I was able to do it without the teleprompter."
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The Continental Army's role in the Revolutionary War
The Continental Army was the first formal military in the history of the United States. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Congress, shortly after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The Continental Army was composed of soldiers from all 13 colonies and later, from all 13 states. General George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and served throughout the war without compensation, except for reimbursement of expenses.
The Continental Army was created to coordinate the military efforts of the colonies in the war against the British, who sought to maintain control over the American colonies. The army reflected the diversity of the colonies, with soldiers of various nationalities and backgrounds, including free and enslaved African-Americans, and women who disguised themselves as men. Over 230,000 soldiers served in the Continental Army, although no more than 48,000 served at any one time. The army accepted volunteers as young as 16, and even younger with parental permission.
The Continental Army was initially ill-trained and ill-equipped, but it evolved throughout the war, reorganizing its units and seeking support from France. By 1780, it had transformed into a European-style military force capable of defeating the British. The Continental Army fought numerous skirmishes and minor engagements, as well as over a dozen major battles against British and Hessian forces, winning slightly more than half. Important victories include Saratoga, Trenton, Cowpens, and Yorktown.
The Continental Army played a crucial role in the Revolutionary War, bearing much of the burden of fighting against the British. It was a long and difficult road from the Continental Congress's edict designating the militia to the creation of a standing army capable of standing up to the British. The Continental Army's role in the war ultimately led to the independence of the United States from Great Britain.
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The Battle of Baltimore and its connection to the Star-Spangled Banner
The Battle of Baltimore was fought between British and American forces from September 12 to September 14, 1814, during the War of 1812. The British, led by Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane, Rear Admiral George Cockburn, and Major General Robert Ross, sought to capture the port of Baltimore, which was an important centre of shipbuilding and a base for privateering vessels that attacked British ships. However, the city's defences, particularly Fort McHenry, proved too strong for the British, and they were unable to penetrate the harbour.
The Battle of Baltimore is closely connected to the Star-Spangled Banner, which became the national anthem of the United States in 1931. During the battle, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and poet, was detained on a British ship in Baltimore Harbour. From there, he witnessed the 25-hour bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British. Key was certain that the Americans would be defeated and the British flag would be flying over the fort by morning. However, when he saw the American flag, now known as the Star-Spangled Banner, still flying at dawn on September 14, he was inspired to write a poem, originally titled "Defence of Fort McHenry." The poem was set to the tune of "To Anacreon in Heaven," a popular British song at the time, and it quickly spread across the country, becoming a symbol of unity and patriotism.
The Star-Spangled Banner flag itself has an interesting history. In 1813, Major George Armistead, the commander of Fort McHenry, commissioned Mary Young Pickersgill, a prominent Baltimore flagmaker, to sew two flags: a smaller storm flag and a larger garrison flag, now known as the Star-Spangled Banner. Pickersgill was assisted by her daughter, two nieces, and an African American indentured servant, Grace Wisher. The flag measured 30 by 42 feet and featured 15 stars and 15 stripes, representing the 15 states that comprised the United States at the time. It was made from English wool bunting and white cotton, with the stars measuring two feet in diameter.
Over the years, the Star-Spangled Banner flag passed through several hands, including those of Armistead's widow, Louisa Hughes Armistead, and their daughter, Georgiana Armistead Appleton. It was occasionally displayed at various events and celebrations before being loaned to the Smithsonian Institution in 1907 and then permanently gifted to the museum in 1912. Today, the flag is on exhibit at the National Museum of American History, where conservators have implemented measures to preserve it and prevent further deterioration.
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Early aviation history and challenges
The history of aviation goes back over two millennia, with the earliest examples of man-made flight dating back several hundred years BC in China, in the form of kite flying. In the 15th century, Leonardo da Vinci designed flying machines, but these were unworkable due to the limitations of contemporary knowledge. It wasn't until the late 18th century that the first manned flights took place, with the invention of the hot-air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers. At the same time, the discovery of hydrogen gas led to the invention of the hydrogen balloon.
In the early 19th century, the development of mechanics and aerodynamics by physicists and engineers like Horatio Phillips, as well as the work of pioneers like Guillaume Joseph Gabriel de La Landelle, laid the foundation for modern aviation. Between 1883 and 1886, John Joseph Montgomery developed a series of manned gliders, while Otto Lilienthal became known as the "Glider King" or "Flying Man" of Germany for his work in duplicating and expanding on earlier glider designs.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several pioneers made significant contributions to early aviation history. Gustave Weißkopf, who emigrated to the US and changed his name to Whitehead, designed and built early flying machines and engines. On 14 August 1901, he claimed to have made a controlled, powered flight in his Number 21 monoplane, but this has been disputed by some aviation historians. Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian aviation pioneer, made the first significant flights of a powered airplane in Europe in 1906 with his No. 14-bis, winning the Archdeacon prize for the first flight to achieve a sustained flight of over 25 meters. Traian Vuia, a Romanian inventor, developed an early interest in heavier-than-air machines and, in 1906, flew his winged automobile over a distance of 12 meters.
In the first two decades of the 20th century, aviation progressed rapidly. In 1903, the Wright Brothers made their famous flight, which inspired a generation of flying-machine experimenters. In 1908, French aviation pioneer Robert Esnault-Pelterie designed, built, and flew the R.E.P. No. 2, and by 1909, radical new monoplane designs were taking to the air. On 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot ended the early experimental era of aviation by flying his Type XI monoplane across the English Channel. The five years between Blériot’s Channel flight and the beginning of World War I saw spectacular growth and development in aviation, with European leaders investing heavily in the new technology.
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The advent of commercial jets in the postwar era
It is important to note that there were no airports during the Revolutionary War, as the airplane had not yet been invented. However, in the postwar era, commercial jets began to emerge and significantly shape the aviation industry.
The postwar era witnessed significant advancements in aviation, building upon developments during World War II. The jet age, marked by the advent of jet turbine engines, brought about a new era of commercial jet travel. The first jet airliner, the British de Havilland Comet, took flight in 1949 and entered regular service in 1952, offering the first transatlantic flights in 1958. This groundbreaking aircraft could fly higher, faster, and farther than its piston-powered predecessors, revolutionizing transcontinental and intercontinental travel.
The introduction of jet airliners had profound social and cultural impacts. With increased speed, capacity, and range, travel times were shortened, and international destinations became accessible within a single day's journey. This accessibility extended beyond elite socioeconomic groups, as declining airfares made international travel more affordable to a broader range of people. The era of mass air travel had truly arrived, with more people in the United States traveling by air than by train in 1955, and airliners surpassing ocean liners as the preferred mode of crossing the Atlantic by 1957.
The postwar era also saw the end of Pan American Airways' monopoly on international service, with Presidents Roosevelt and Truman encouraging competition by allowing other domestic airlines to open international routes. This led to the emergence of competitors such as Trans World Airlines. Additionally, advancements in piston-engine aircraft, navigation, and air traffic control further contributed to the growth of commercial aviation during this period.
The early postwar years, however, saw a slow but steady improvement in jet performance. It wasn't until the mid-1950s that the impact of jet aircraft became more pronounced, with the introduction of "fast jets" capable of supersonic flight. The British Fairey Delta 2 became the first aircraft to exceed 1,000 miles per hour in 1956, ushering in an era of even faster jets.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there were no airports during the Revolutionary War. The first commercial jet service was introduced in 1952.
During a Salute to America speech on the Fourth of July, President Trump said that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the Revolutionary War. This statement was incorrect, as there were no airports during the war.
People on Twitter reacted to President Trump's statement by creating hashtags like #RevolutionaryWarAirports and #RevolutionaryWarAirportStories, and writing comical parodies of Revolutionary War soldiers' airport stories.
Yes, President Trump acknowledged that he experienced technical difficulties with the teleprompter during his speech, which may have contributed to the error.
No, airports did not exist in the 18th century. The earliest mentions of airports in the sources provided date to the mid-20th century.
