1. At no time did more than 45 percent of colonists support the war, and at least a third of colonists fought for the British. Unlike the Civil War, which pitted regions against each other, the war of independence pitted neighbor against neighbor. Americans were not only rebelling against the mother country, they were fighting each other.
2. A higher percentage of the population died in the American Revolution than in any other war fought by Americans. As a result, more people who lived through the American Revolution knew someone who died or lost someone in the war, than in any war we have fought since.
3. Many Americans switched allegiance and changed signs during the revolution depending on which side was winning. For example, at one inn along a well-traveled road in New Jersey—what is today Route 1—the innkeeper would send a servant out to look down the road every morning and throughout the day. If an army was spotted, the servant was charged with identifying the colors and raising the corresponding flag to keep soldiers from burning down the inn.

Other facts about the American Revolutionary War

When did the American Revolution start?

The American Revolution started on April 19, 1775, with the exchange of gunfire at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts.

When did the American Revolution end?

The American Revolution officially ended on September 3, 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

How long was the Revolutionary War?

The American Revolutionary war lasted just over seven years, with the end of conflict coming after British forces were removed from Charleston and Savannah in late 1782.

Who won the Revolutionary War?

The Americans, with help from Spain, the Netherlands and France, defeated the British during the American Revolutionary War.

Ģ����ý’s incoming freshmen class will discover what Rochester has to offer and explore the many ways to get involved in their surrounding neighborhood during the 26th annual Wilson Day on Thursday, Aug. 28 from 2:30 to 7 p.m.

The main community-building activity during freshmen orientation, Wilson Day provides an opportunity for freshmen to bond with fellow classmates. Over 1,350 students will venture into Rochester to garden and paint, socialize with senior citizens, and navigate through the city. Wilson Day, named for the Joseph C. Wilson family, is organized by the Rochester Center for Community Leadership (RCCL).

“Whether our new students are from Rochester or from overseas, Wilson Day provides an opportunity for them to define their relationship with the community of Rochester, and to realize that our campus does not end at the Genesee River or Mt. Hope Cemetery,” says Glenn Cerosaletti, director of RCCL. “As students here, they are members of the greater Rochester community, which presents them with great resources, opportunities, and responsibilities.”

The day begins with an opening ceremony at 1:30 p.m. followed by an afternoon of exploration and service. To close the event, Dining Services will host a dinner featuring local food and recipes as a way to spotlight Rochester and celebrate the University’s relationship with the wider community. Students will be live-tweeting throughout the event .

Wilson Day selected locations for media:

(1133 Mt. Hope Ave.)
Volunteers will tend the landscape by raking, cleaning, weeding, and painting.

(505 Mount Hope Ave.)
Volunteers will work on garden projects, paint indoors and outdoors, and get to know community members as they socialize and play BINGO with senior residents.

(Corner of Ravenwood Ave. and Thurston Rd.)
Volunteers will garden, weed, clean, and cut back plants in the 19th Ward community garden on the corner of Ravenwood Ave and Thurston Rd.

(597 Thurston Rd.)
Volunteers will participate in an extensive painting project at the Southwest Family YMCA facility. Media is invited to cover the event at 4 p.m.

(48 Cameron St.)
Volunteers will spend the afternoon preparing donated backpacks and school supplies for students of Cameron Community Ministries attending School #54.

Founded in 2008, the academy identifies high school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and sets them on the path to become African leaders and entrepreneurs through a rigorous two-year pre-university program. Many of the graduates attend college in the United States, and about 10 percent of all the U.S. bound graduates have enrolled at Rochester—more than at any other university in the world.

“We have become the number one destination for African Leadership Academy graduates because we’ve not only been committed to having so many of their students, but those students also have done very well,” says Jonathan Burdick, dean of admissions and financial aid at the University.

The first cohort of six students graduated this past spring, four of them with engineering degrees. One student will continue on to complete a master’s degree at the University and five have returned to their home countries. Two of those students started businesses while studying at the University, including a sustainable agriculture project in Northern Uganda and a micro-lending business in Tanzania. Another student has employment in public health, and two graduates have earned positions with multinational firms.

Burdick notes that having African youth graduate with a solid education and return to their home countries makes a significant impact on African society.

“It makes a bigger difference for somebody to get an engineering degree from a place like Rochester and go back to Sierra Leone, than it does to go back to the San Francisco Bay Area,” says Burdick. “It’s the same education, but the impact is significantly greater.”

In total, the University has enrolled students from 32 different African countries, including those students who have entered the University through other scholarship programs.

“It’s all an indication of how big we’ve become as a trusted partner among African educators,” says Burdick. “Hosting the conference is part of a larger effort to make sure we are well connected up and down the continent.”

WHAT: The Ģ����ý’s incoming freshmen class arrives, with about 1,300 students moving into on the River Campus and the downtown at the Eastman School of Music.

Move-in day marks the beginning of , a week for students to learn the campus, explore extracurricular activities, and meet the Rochester community before the academic year commences. Throughout the week, students attend information sessions, tours, meet-and-greets, and the annual of service. New this year is One Community, a session for current University students to share their stories with incoming freshmen on the role of identity and diversity in their college experiences.

A two-day parent orientation also starts Aug. 26 on River Campus. The orientation includes workshops and seminars for parents to gain a better understanding of dining, public safety, undergraduate research opportunities and other aspects of the University.

RIVER CAMPUS MOVE-IN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 26, at Park Lot, Susan B. Anthony Residence Hall (off of Library Road) and the Quad residence hall buildings (Lovejoy, Tiernan, Hoeing, and Gilbert Halls on Faculty Road, Fraternity Road and Wilson Boulevard). President Joel Seligman, along with deans from the College, will welcome the Class of 2018 to the River Campus during the College Convocation, held at 5 p.m. on the Eastman quadrangle.

EASTMAN MOVE-IN: 8 a.m. to noon, Monday, Aug. 25, Eastman Commons Student Living Center (100 Gibbs Street). The day includes a welcome picnic from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for new students and their parents, an information fair at 1 p.m., and a parent orientation at 2:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2018: The College of Arts, Sciences & Engineering includes over 1,300 freshmen from across 75 countries. More than 340 freshmen are international students, the largest number of any incoming class. The transfer class includes 110 students. At Eastman, there are approximately 147 incoming freshmen and transfer students combined.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For parking information and assistance with interviews and photos/video of the students on the River Campus, call Rachel Goldstein at 585.276.3693 (office), or at Eastman call Helene Snihur at 585.274.1057 (office)/ 585.278.4743 (cell).

Throughout the summer, students not only worked at their host agencies within Rochester, but they also attended weekly seminars about the history, politics, and sociology of urban communities, and participated in cultural events and activities around the city.

“The program gave me a deeper knowledge of the challenges Rochester is facing,” said Micah Villanueva, a student at the URochester. Villanueva developed a marketing strategy for Sector IV Community Development Corporation (CDC), a non-profit focused on economic revitalization through community building. He also organized “Open for Business,” a free event to connect entrepreneurs with community agencies and recruit new businesses for vacant neighborhood spaces. The event attracted 25 entrepreneurs and 14 representatives from nine agencies in Rochester. It was such a success that the CDC will run “Open for Business” again in six months.

“You have to go into the program with an open mind and have a desire to learn about the city that you go to school in,” said Villanueva, who wants to continue working in an urban setting after college. “Once you get out of the bubble of the University, you find there’s so much more, but you have to want that exposure.”

The Urban Fellows Program, now in its 13th year, is coordinated by the Rochester Center for Community Leadership (RCCL) at the University. The 2014 program benefits from sponsorship by the Rochester Community Foundation, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, and the U.S. Corporation for National and Community Service.

“The Urban Fellows make significant contributions during the relatively short span of the program,” said Glenn Cerosaletti, assistant dean of students and director of RCCL. “Due to its longstanding record of accomplishment, the program is widely recognized and embraced by the Rochester community. We view our community partners, which host the Urban Fellows and supervise their projects, as our partners in achieving the educational aims of the program, as well as the vehicle through which community needs are articulated and addressed.”

Urban Fellows must attend a Rochester-area college or be a Rochester resident attending college elsewhere. This year’s fellows come from eight schools, including the URochester, Vassar College, Swarthmore College, Roberts Wesleyan, Skidmore College, St. John Fisher, SUNY Geneseo, and Morgan State University.

“It’s nice to share a community with others who not only have a tie to Rochester, but are working together to make it better,” said Wesline Manuelpillai, a rising junior at the URochester. Manuelpillai worked with the Southeast Neighborhood Service Center to foster community among area residents. She coordinated the kickoff event for Voice of the Citizen (VOC), a city outreach program that helps neighborhood associations develop block clubs, enhance safety, and implement beautification projects.

“This is one of the unique opportunities that university students have to work first-hand with people in the Rochester community,” said Manuelpillai. “It has been a great way, especially as a political science major, to apply my knowledge to the Rochester community.”

The Fellows will present on their service learning experiences on Monday, July 28 on the Ģ����ý River Campus. A closing ceremony combined with Rochester Youth Year Fellows is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, in City Hall at 5:20 p.m. following poster presentations on their service projects.

2014 Urban Fellows:

Mikayla Brennan-Burke, Vassar College

Marissa Cooper, Ģ����ý

Madeline Feldman, Swarthmore College

Tina Goldswer, Roberts Wesleyan College

Crystal Hans, Ģ����ý

Ashley Mackey, Ģ����ý

Wesline Manuelpillai, Ģ����ý

Jacob Marling, Ģ����ý

Emma X. Marshall, Skidmore College

Chenisvel Nunez, St. John Fisher College

Shamara Saffore, Ģ����ý

Elise Silverstein, SUNY Geneseo

Kevin Scantlen, Ģ����ý

Jaynell Scott, Morgan State University

Megan Suter, Ģ����ý

Micah Villanueva, Ģ����ý

Christian Wooddell, Ģ����ý

WHAT: A closing ceremony for five Rochester Youth Year Fellows and 17 Rochester Urban Fellows is scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, in City Hall. The Fellows—22 undergraduates and recent college graduates from Rochester-area colleges—have spent from 10 weeks up to a year engaging in service projects and learning about urban issues in and around Rochester. A poster symposium spotlighting their experiences begins at 4:30 p.m. in the City Hall Atrium, followed by a formal ceremony honoring the students at 5:20 p.m. in Council Chambers. During their graduation ceremony, students will hear from Mayor Lovely Warren as well as Ģ����ý Dean of Students Matthew Burns.

Rochester Urban Fellows Program

The provides undergraduate students attending Rochester-area colleges, and natives of the Rochester area who are attending college elsewhere, with the opportunity to serve with community-based organizations for 10 weeks. Fellows engage in a variety of service projects and initiatives at their host sites and attend weekly seminars about urban life, culture, and politics.

��Rochester Youth Year Fellowship

Fellowships are sponsored by AmeriCorps*VISTA and administered by the Rochester Regional Network, a consortium of seven local colleges. The Fellows, all recent college graduates, represent the URochester, St. John Fisher College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Roberts Wesleyen College, and the College at Brockport. Through year-long partnerships with community organizations, Fellows work to alleviate poverty and strengthen the community in Rochester.

This fall, Ģ����ý alumna and Bennington, Vt., native Jordan Shapiro ’14 will continue her study of international relations through the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship. The first Rochester graduate to earn this scholarship, Shapiro will use the grant to pursue a master’s degree at Aberystwyth University in Wales.

For Shapiro, the grant provides the opportunity to return to Wales. In 2011, she became the first Rochester student to be selected as a US-UK Fulbright Summer Institute participant. Through the program, she spent six weeks in Wales, visiting Cardiff University, Bangor University, and Aberystwyth, studying the culture, history, economy, and language of the country. During her trip, she met with faculty members in Aberystwyth’s highly regarded international relations department. It was this first experience learning about Wales on the socio-political stage that sparked Shapiro’s interest in the field of study. “I’m very interested in how the UK nations’ system of government can be a model for other countries,” she explained, noting that her research interests coincided with the Rotary Global Grant’s focus on peace and conflict resolution. “The UK system allows for the representation of everyone’s will, and I plan to study how this system can be applied to countries embroiled in separatist conflict.”

As an international relations and history major, much of Shapiro’s undergraduate career was spent immersed in humanities research. She was hired as a freshman to work in Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation at Rush Rhees Library. There, she actively participated in the digitization of two large collections, the Post Papers and the Seward Family Papers. This work shaped several research papers, including her senior thesis, which explored four decades of Frances Seward’s personal correspondence. She also curated several exhibits that featured the Seward collection.

She will use this experience with primary research as she pursues her master’s thesis, which will analyze aspects of the 1998 Devolution Referendum. Shapiro plans to use primary documents housed in the National Libraries of Wales to aid in her research.

Shapiro also developed an impressive international relations resume through study abroad trips and civic engagement while at Rochester. Through a scholarship from the University’s Department of Modern Languages & Cultures, she studied Russian during the summer of 2013. She also spent the spring 2013 semester pursuing research on the immigration population of Denmark during a study abroad trip.

Civic engagement has also defined Shapiro’s time at Rochester. She participated in the Urban Fellows program in summer 2012, working with a local nonprofit that connects City of Rochester residents to nature. As a fellow, she also coordinated summer camps for children and community garden efforts in local neighborhoods. The experience taught her a great deal about community organization. “I found programs were most successful when organizers worked directly with the neighborhoods,” she said. “I truly believe that when people are given the tools to advocate for themselves, change can happen.”

While in Wales, Shapiro’s passion for civic engagement will translate into a position at Penglais School, teaching a seminar on elections, voting, and political advocacy to high school students during the winter semester. “I’m excited to work with Penglais, as encouraging political advocacy in young people helps them not only feel confident in their ability to make a difference, but creates the active citizenship essential to democracy,” she said.

According to the Rotary Foundation, Global Grants “support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes … grant sponsors form international partnerships that respond to real community needs.” The Rotary Foundation has a long history of awarding scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. Since 1947, more than $532 million has been awarded to 41,000 men and women.

WHAT: As part of the Teen Health and Success Partnership (THSP) at the University, over 80 students will attend a two-day conference focused on skills and planning to reach personal and professional goals. The conference, “Your Vision, Your Future,” has three focal points: cultivating relationships, building self-esteem, and developing strategies for successful employment. Students will hear from Paul Burgett, vice president of the University and senior advisor to the president, on July 21 at 11:30 a.m. Reporters are invited to talk with students throughout the conference, and in particular, as students craft a statement about career aspirations and future goals on July 22, 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

ABOUT THSP: The Ģ����ý Medical Center’s Teen Health and Success Partnership (THSP) was launched in 2009 to provide urban youth at risk of high school dropout with employment opportunities at the University. Studies show that high school graduates live healthier lives and have lower health risks overall. As a way to increase graduation rates within the Rochester City School District, THSP partners with Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) to provide academic resources, life skills development, and job training to students. Additionally, the program includes free tutoring, career shadowing, monthly enrichment learning sessions, college preparation, wellness programs and career coaching.

There are at least 120 students enrolled in the THSP program, placed at 47 different work sites across the University. The program has an 82 percent employment retention rate and a 100 percent graduation rate among the students hired through the program.

WHAT: 150 high school students from across the country are gathered in Rochester this week for the National Hispanic Institute’s Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session (LDZ) hosted by the URochester. After a week of legislative, executive, and judicial training and work sessions, the program culminates in a final “Supreme Court” mock trial and closing ceremony on Friday. Students will debate policies related to education, social inequality, and economics, among other topics.

ABOUT THE LDZ: The National Hispanic Institute’s LDZ program was established to help high school students realize their potential and become leaders in the Latino community. Throughout the week-long program, students engage in work sessions, creating their own government, electing leaders, passing legislation, and conducting mock trials. They learn to collaborate and negotiate to promote their values and envision themselves as future leaders.

The University began its partnership with NHI in 2006, bringing high school students to the Northeast for the first time to participate in the LDZ program. That same year, the University launched the LDZ scholarship, which provides financial assistance to students who have participated in the summer session and are accepted into Rochester’s undergraduate program. In November 2011, NHI presented the University with its College of the Year Award during the organization’s annual Celebración in San Antonio, Texas.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Media interested in covering the mock trial can call Rachel Goldstein at 585.276.3693.

In this expansion of her current role, Olivares will work closely on faculty recruitment, continue to participate on the Faculty Diversity Committee, and develop new programs and initiatives addressing faculty and student retention issues. Additionally, she will create programs within the College that provide support to undergraduates in all areas of the curriculum.

“Beth is a passionate advocate for students and faculty, and she is incredibly effective in developing programs. She is demanding and supportive in a combination that is just right to help students realize their potential and achieve all that they are capable of,” said Richard Feldman, dean of the College. “This promotion recognizes what Beth has accomplished, taking on an increasing variety of programs and managing them effectively, while demonstrating the College’s continued commitment to diversity.”

Olivares, who joined the University in 1994, has expanded the , developing educational pipeline programs that work with students from middle school through the doctoral degree. In the past decade, the Center has garnered over $10 million in external support for its various programs. Currently, over a thousand high school, undergraduate and graduate students are served by the Center’s programs, which include Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, two College Prep Centers located in the Rochester City School District, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. The center also houses the Xerox Scholars program for engineering students. In addition to the academic services it provides, the Center coordinates graduate student recruitment and retention efforts.

While at Rochester, Olivares has been an active member of several professional organizations. Olivares was elected in 2009 to serve as president of the , Inc., an organization of higher education professionals who work in educational opportunity programs in New York and New Jersey.

Olivares also has served on the board of directors of the Council for Opportunity in Education, a national advocacy council that works to increase educational opportunities for low-income students. Through this organization, Olivares spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Congressional TRIO Caucus in 2010, advocating for the McNair Program. On several occasions, she has met with White House education advisors about the need for increased educational opportunities for low-income individuals.

Olivares was recently re-appointed to the Minority Graduate Education Committee of the GRE Board. The committee considers new program services and long-range planning strategies for minority students, monitors ongoing minority-related programs, including the Fee Reduction Program and GRE Search Service, and evaluates research proposals and projects.

Olivares was appointed assistant dean of diversity initiatives in 2007. She holds a doctorate in English from Fordham University.