6. The Liberty Boys of ’76 Magazine
In January, 1901, New York publisher Frank Tousey began publishing a weekly magazine for boys featuring stories of the American Revolution. According to Tousey’s own description of the series, “These stories are based on actual facts and give a faithful account of the exciting adventures of a brave band of American youths who were already ready and willing to imperil their lives”. The Magazine was priced at nickel, and ran until May, 1925, though Tousey was eventually replaced by another publisher, Harry Wolff. The stories were about the adventures of boys only slightly older than the target demographic for the magazine.
Despite the claims of the publisher, there was very little factual history regarding the American Revolution. The revolution was used as a backdrop instead for the predicaments in which the boys found themselves. Many of the legends and myths of the Revolutionary War, including the story of Molly Pitcher, were emphasized in the magazine. It was popular with American boys for two decades, with its contents perpetuating the adventures of the boys to the detriment of the true historical record. Copies of the magazine became collector’s items, a status they retain in the 21st century.