Lesser-known American Revolutionary War facts

The American Revolutionary War that began in 1775 marked the beginning of a wave of revolutions across the world that shook the balance of global power to its core. The American Revolution marked the beginning of a small group of colonies' transformation into arguably the world's largest superpower, a nation with more international influence than any other, for better or worse. It was not only a turning point in North American history, but in the history of the world. That being said, there is still much that we don't know about it. Many of the most interesting aspects of the War of Independence still hide in the shadows of the history books, but their stories are worth telling and bringing into the light.

Read on for surprising and fascinating facts about the American Revolution.

War breaks out

War in the colonies officially broke out on April 19, 1775, with the British invasions of the cities of Lexington and Concord. What followed would be more than seven years of brutal struggle between the poorly trained, poorly armed American armies and the most powerful army in the world: that of Britain.

The hidden history of the Revolutionary War

Of course, we all know how the war turned out. The Americans won against all odds, and sparked a worldwide wave of revolution. However, there was much more to the American War of Independence than just the stories taught in schoolbooks.

The almost-assassination of George Washington

It may come as quite a surprise that there was a plot to assassinate George Washington, the (almost) universally loved commander of the Continental Army and the eventual first president of the United States. To make matters worse, the whole operation was orchestrated by one of his closest allies.

Washington's personal bodyguard, Thomas Hickey, was responsible for the plot. The details of Hickey's motive and preferred method are still foggy, but thankfully someone caught onto him before he could kill Washington.

Occupying and entertaining

Here's another curiosity: during the British occupation of New York City of 1776, the soldiers of the British Army took on some peculiar new hobbies in their free time.

The other 199 Declarations of Independence

Most people are familiar with the one, true, Declaration of Independence, signed by 56 fathers of the revolution. In reality, there were 200 original copies of this revolutionary document, 199 of which were only signed by John Hancock and Charles Thompson. These copies were distributed throughout the infant nation, and only a handful still exist today.

18th-century invisible ink

Secrecy and espionage was essential in the Revolutionary War. No one could ever be too sure who was a true revolutionary and who was an undercover Royalist. One Dr. James Jay invented what might be the world's first invisible ink, made out of ferrous sulfate and water, allowing George Washington and his generals to safely communicate in between the lines of innocent-looking or misleading letters. Pictured is a later example of such a letter.

Deborah Sampson: The American Mulan

In the 18th century, women weren't generally allowed to fight in wars. Every once in a while, however, a brave woman would decide to do whatever it took to fight for what she believed was right.

In the Revolutionary War, that woman was Deborah Sampson. She enlisted as Robert Shurtleff, and fought valiantly for two years before being injured and found out. Instead of punishing Sampson, the Continental Army granted her an honorable discharge and a full military pension for her extraordinary service.

Washington's inoculation program

Acting with the utmost secrecy, so as to not give the British a chance to decimate his army, George Washington began vaccinating his entire army one regiment at a time to curb the massive losses caused by smallpox. It was risky, as it left huge swaths of his forces incapacitated for a short time, but the program paid off in the end.

Lydia Darragh

One woman, Lydia Darragh, quite possibly prevented an entirely different end to the war with her information. After overhearing that the British were planning a well-thought-out ambush attack on Washington and his men in Pennsylvania, she wasted no time alerting the troops, saving them from a massacre.

The ride of Sybil Ludington

While Paul Revere's story is well and good, and his midnight ride marked an important moment in history, due credit must also be given to heroine Sybil Ludington. At 16 years old, Ludington rode approximately 40 miles (about 65 km) from Danbury, Connecticut, which was being sacked by the British, to a militia stationed in New York to notify them of the attack. The next day, thanks to Ludington's bravery and tirelessness, the militia was able to confront the British soldiers and force their retreat.

Patriotic pirates

The infant and impoverished American army had virtually no funds for a real navy, certainly not one that could stand up to the strongest navy in the world. So instead, Washington got into the habit of hiring pirates to ambush British ships. The pirates, of course, were more than happy to oblige!

The indispensable Marquis de Lafayette

Joining Washington's army as a general before the age of 20, Lafayette was not only an accomplished strategist, but he also played an integral role in convincing the French Crown to send 6,000 French troops to aid in the fight for revolution.

Christopher Ludwick, Director of Baking

That is, until a baker named Christopher Ludwick volunteered his services in the name of the revolution. Ludwick began to manage flour shipments and distribution, and produced 135 pounds (about 60 kg) of bread for every 100 pounds (45 kg) that he received for the last five years of the revolution. Ludwick was even given the title of Director of Baking by Congress.

The Culper Spy Ring

Tallmadge and his small team of trusted allies spread themselves throughout New York City, then occupied by the British, and were extremely successful in collecting information concerning the Royalist army's movements, foiling a number of their best-planned ambushes.

Submarine warfare

A descendant of the modern submarine, a contraption known simply as "the turtle" was designed and constructed by the Continental Army. The vastly superior British navy had set up an impenetrable blockade along the coast of the colonies, and the only way to make a dent was to sink past undetected in the turtle, plant explosives on the ship, and quietly slink away once again under the water.