“If You Desert Us, You Most Certainly Will Suffer”: The Original Use of ‘American’ to Terrorize

Two Patriot newspaper editorials from 1775 show how quickly “American” became a violent identity—one defined by threats, hierarchy, and racial control.

The word “American” has always meant freedom—for some. And a warning for everyone else.

We like to pretend otherwise. We quote Jefferson and we drape it in red, white, and blue. But in November 1775, as the Revolution stumbled into armed conflict, patriot leaders in Virginia showed us exactly how they intended to define the word—and who it was meant to keep out.