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A
Hey, smarty pants, quick question. Would it be cool to slice flying fruit out of the air like a ninja? I'm hearing a lot of yeses. Well, last weekend I was actually doing it in my living room. Just me chopping watermelons and pineapples out of mid air while my dinner was bubbling on the stove. How NEX Playground. NEX Playground is a kid focused game system where your body is the controller. No joystick, no buttons. The playground sees your moves and you're in the game. I've been CR Fruit ninja and there's also bluey and ninja turtles games and an avatar Earth rumble tournament where I got to bend rocks. Dance games, sports games, over 50 games. Once you add play, pass smarty parents, here's the part for you. Playground is built kid safe. No ads, no in app purchases, no mature content, no online chat with strangers. Just your smarty pants moving their body, having a blast, playing games that you can actually feel good about. It's the screen time solution that's also extra exercise, which means everyone wins. Check out next playground@nexplayground.com that's nexplayground.com Trust me, your living room is about to get a lot more interesting. And now it's time for who smarted? Hey there, smarty pants. Today I am in Trenton, New Jersey. Why New Jersey, you ask? Because I'm on my way to the old barracks museum. What are barracks, you ask? Barracks are buildings used to house soldiers. And why am I going to a museum about them? Because I am on a colonial tour of the United States. As you may or may not know, Trenton was the site of a very famous victory by General George Washington's army early on in the Revolutionary War. After a series of defeats on Christmas night in 1776, Washington and his troops braved the icy waters of the Delaware river to wage a surprise attack against soldiers loyal to Britain stationed in Trenton. By 8am the next morning, Washington had surrounded the city and captured a thousand soldiers, reviving hopes for the flagging revolution. Can you imagine all those soldiers marching through the snow, striking their military drums while firing muskets and cannons? Fortunately, all that fighting is in the past. Oh, what was that?
B
Forward march.
A
What the hey. Where did all these revolutionary soldiers come from? Did I butt dial my time travel app and accidentally go back in time?
B
Halt. Aim. Fire.
A
Ah, they must think I'm the enemy. One if by land, two if by sea. The narrator is going. The narrator is going.
B
Hey, relax there buddy. It's not real.
A
Oh, it's.
B
It's not no, we're doing a Revolutionary War reenactment.
C
Oh,
A
I knew that. I think. Anyway, who are you supposed to be?
B
I'm General George Washington. George Washington Number Three. Number three? Yeah, there's two other Washingtons floating around here somewhere. Anyway, you can call me GW3. Or Tim.
A
Oh, hey, I'm Trusty.
B
Good to know. I mean, good to know. Trustworthiness is a great quality for a soldier. You'll make a fine infantryman.
A
No, no, no. Trusty is my name. Trusty. Narrator number one, to be precise.
B
I see. Well, good to have you on board TN1. Now, put on a uniform and grab a musket. Uh, you have just enlisted in the Continental Army.
A
Okay, I did not see that coming, smarty pants. But hey, what better way to learn about the American Revolution than by pretending to take part in it? For example, have you ever wondered how the American Revolution started? Or how it ended? And what were the origins of the Declaration of Independence? Get ready for a patriotic whiff of science, history and musket powder on the smart eg.
B
Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smart?
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And hang on, smartypants. We'll be right back after a few short ads and a word from our sponsors.
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C
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B
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C
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B
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C
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A
Hey, smarty pants. Quick question. Would it be cool to slice flying fruit out of the air like a ninja? I'm hearing a lot of yeses. Well, last weekend I was actually doing it in my living room. Just me chopping watermelons and pineapples out of mid air while my dinner was bubbling on the stove. How neck. Next Playground is a kid focused game system where your body is the controller. No joystick, no buttons. The playground sees your moves and you're in the game. I've been crushing fruit ninja. And there's also Bluey and Ninja Turtles games. And an Avatar Earth Rumble tournament where I got to bend rocks. Dance games, sports games, over 50 games. Once you add PlayPass smarty parents, here's the part for you. Playground is built in kids safe. No ads, no in app purchases, no mature content, no online chat with strangers. Just your smarty pants moving their body, having a blast playing games that you can actually feel good about. It's the screen time solution that's also exercise, which means everyone wins. Check out next playground@nexplayground.com that's next playground.com Trust me, your living room is about to get a lot more interesting. Hey who Smarted? Families trusty here. You know me, always here with the facts, the stories, the wild science. And today I have an extra special book series to introduce you to. Meet the Investigators Mango and Brash are two alligator secret agents who travel through the city sewers to fight crime and solve the most wonderfully weird mysteries. If you love the puns and silly humor we throw at you on every episode of who Smarted, you're going to feel right at home. It's basically who Smarted Energy in graphic novel form. Over 4 million copies have been sold worldwide. 4 million. Now there's nine books in the series, a special edition and a spin off. So if you plow through books, this is basically a gift. And the newest case just dropped. Investigators Whether or not by John Patrick Greene where the city's water supply has been replaced with milk, the rain is turning green and monkey scientists are causing chaos. So grab your copy of Investigators Whether or Not at your local bookstore, library or online today. Now back to who Smarted before the United States became the United States, it was a group of British colonies or land inhabited by British settlers and controlled by the British government. Smartypants, how many colonies were there at the start of the American revolution? Were there A 11 colonies, B 12 colonies, or C 13 colonies? If you said 11 colonies, that's incorrect. But if you said 12 colonies, that's also incorrect. There were 13 British colonies at the start of the American Revolution.
B
The first colony was established in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia, the state where I was born.
A
Do you mean the actual George Washington or you?
B
Both.
A
True or false, smartypants? The second of the 13 colonies was founded in modern day Massachusetts. If you said true, that's correct.
B
The first Massachusetts colonists were the Pilgrims who arrived aboard the Mayflower in 1620 and anchored in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After enduring much hardship, disease and death, the Virginia and Massachusetts colonies began to grow and prosper. Soon there were new colonies. The Maryland colony was founded in 1632. Then in 1636 came Rhode island and Connecticut. In 1664, England acquired the Dutch colonies that became New York. That same year, the New Jersey colony was founded. Yada, yada, yada. And with the establishment of the Georgia Colony in 1732, we make it to Lucky 13.
A
Uh, did you just say yada yada, yada?
B
I did, but that's because I didn't want to fill your entire show with me talking. You're recording a show, Right. You're not just talking to imaginary people called smarty pants. Right.
A
You're running around a field dressed as George Washington, pretending to fight the Revolutionary War, and you're worried about me? Yes, I'm doing a show. And I appreciate you not wanting to take up all of it, but we can't just yada yada yada our way through history, Smartypants. We've named eight colonies so far. Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Georgia. Can you name the other five? Go ahead. I'll give you a few seconds. Okay, time's up. If you said Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, you're right.
B
If you said Florida, you're wrong.
A
I'll handle the answers, GW3.
B
Sorry, I got excited.
A
Nope. Florida was not one of the original 13 colonies, but Delaware was, and so were north and South Carolina.
B
And that makes 13.
A
Thank you, GW3. You sure like to be in charge, don't you?
B
Not really, but I'll do it for my country.
A
Right. Speaking of smarty pants, do you remember where and when GW3 said the first colony was founded? In case you forgot, it was in Virginia in 1607.
B
That's right. Ding.
A
And the 13th colony was founded in Georgia in 1732.
B
Right again. Ding.
A
So how long was it between the founding of the first and last colonies? See? 1732 -1607. If only Molly and Max from Mysteries about True Histories were here. You can do this, Trustee. If I round 1607 down to 1600, I get 1732 minus 1600 equals 132 minus the seven I rounded down equals, oh, 125 years.
B
By me, I mean by George, I think you've got it.
A
Thank you.
B
But why did you want to know how many years there were between the founding of the first and Thirteenth colonies?
A
Because that meant there were 125 years of colonial development without any major conflicts. So why did the colonies suddenly revolt? Smartypants, do you know?
B
I've got your answer. Taxation without representation.
A
Right. Um, what's taxation without representation?
B
The short answer is it was a policy courtesy of greedy King George and his even greedier parliament.
A
Gotcha what about the longer answer?
B
The longer answer is taxation without representation was a complaint of the colonists about being taxed by Britain without having any representative votes in British Parliament.
A
In other words, the colonists were forced to to pay into a system without having any power over what laws were being made and how their money was being spent.
B
Of course, this was all by design, as the majority of colonies were founded for commercial purposes and only existed to make money for Britain.
A
Hmm. But why did the British government feel the need to tax the colonies?
B
Because they were greedy. But also to pay down their debt from the war.
A
The Revolutionary War? But that hadn't even started yet.
B
No, not the Revolutionary War. The French and Indian War. From 1756 to 1763, the British fought the French and allied Native Americans. They won in the end, resting Canada from France and Florida from Spain, which secured the borders of the thirteen colonies. However, the war nearly doubled the British national debt from 74 million to 133 million pounds.
A
So in order to make up the money they owed, Britain taxed the colonies?
B
They sure did. They started with the stamp act of 1765.
A
Smarty pants. True or false? The Stamp act was a tax on stamps. And if you said false. That's correct.
B
The Stamp act was not a tax on stamps. It was a tax on commercial and legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, cards, almanacs and dice.
A
But wait, there's more.
B
Next came the Townshend Acts, which taxed various British goods imported to the colonies.
A
But wait, there's more. And here's a hint. Do you think you know what it is? I heard some of you say it.
B
Yep. Next came the big one. The Tea Act. The Tea act granted a British company a monopoly to sell tea in the colonies. Oh, the nerve.
A
But hold on. The colonies were founded and controlled by the British government. So didn't the British government have the power to tax the colonists?
B
Sure, but we colonists also had the power to protest. Over those 125 years you mentioned, we became accustomed to governing ourselves through local representative assemblies. Nobody taxed us but ourselves.
A
Gotcha. So there were protests?
B
There sure were. We refused to pay all those new taxes. And in 1770, tensions finally boiled over in Boston, resulting in the Boston Massacre.
A
The Boston Massacre. That sounds scary.
B
It was. British soldiers fired into a mob of angry colonists, killing five, including a sailor of African descent named Crispus Atticus, who is widely considered the the first casualty of the Revolution. Then three years later, we really showed them. We had a little tea party in Boston.
A
Smartypants. Do you know what tea party in Boston he's alluding to. Here's a hint. It's also known as the Boston Tea Party. Was it A, a massive tea party with dolls and stuffed animals in Boston Town Square? B, a political protest where colonists wearing disguises boarded British ships and dumped crates of tea into Boston Harbor, Or C, a party where everyone had to wear a shirt with the letter T for taxes on it? If you said a political protest where colonists dumped British tea into Boston harbor, great job.
B
Yep. Fed up. Colonists dumped 342 crates containing over £90,000, or 41,000 kilograms of tea and into the water.
A
Wait, they killed five people? And you got back at them by throwing tea in the sea?
B
Yeah. Well, this little stunt cost the British what would be nearly $1 million today. They were not happy. In response, the British Parliament passed the Coercive acts, which were truly intolerable.
A
Yikes. What were the coercive Acts of 1774? And how did Paul Revere's famous midnight ride lead to the shot heard round the world that started the Revolutionary War? We'll find out all that and more after this short ad break and a word from our sponsors. Hey, smarty Parents. I have to tell you about something that's genuinely changed my life. I've been using the Skylight calendar for about three months now, and I am not exaggerating when I say it has completely transformed how we organize our household. Now, you've probably seen this thing all over social media, and for good reason. Setting it up was so easy. Within minutes, it was pulling in everybody's schedules into one place. We're talking calendars to do, lists, tracking systems, plus we can add recipes, notes. It's awesome. Everything's in one screen. Done. I love this thing so much that I'm already planning to give it as gifts to friends. That's how good it is. And for families with kids like you, the tasks feature turns chores and routines into something that's actually fun and rewarding for the kids. No more. I didn't know I had to do that. It syncs with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook and more. And if you're not 100% thrilled, you have four full months to return it for a full refund, no questions asked. Families are better when they're working together. Right now, Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch calendars by going to myskylight.com smarted go to myskylight.com smartED for $30 off your 15 inch calendar. That is my S K Y L I G-H-T dot com. Smarted. I finally meet the height requirement of the roller coaster.
B
Milk can help you grow.
A
Here we go. Next stop, outer space. Wait, what?
B
Milk can't control where the ride goes.
A
And now back to who smarted? After the famous Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed the coercive Acts of 1774. But what were they? See if you can guess, smarty pants. True or false? The coercive Acts of 1774 were meant to punish Boston and separate it from the rest of the colonies. If you said true, you got it.
B
The British hoped that by punishing Boston, the other colonies would quickly and quietly go home and play nice. Nope. Instead, the other colonies rose to Boston's defense. And a year later, in 1775, Paul Revere went on his famous midnight ride.
A
Smarty pants. True or false? Paul Revere fired the shot heard round the world. If you said false, you're right. So who was Paul Revere, and what was the shot heard round the world?
B
On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston, Massachusetts to Concord, Massachusetts, to seize weapons stashed by the colonists. Paul Revere and several other riders sounded the alarm. Colonial militias intercepted the British soldiers at Lexington and Concord, and battles ensued. It is unknown who fired the first shot, also known as the shot heard round the world, but whoever did it started the Revolutionary War.
A
Fun fact, smarty pants. The phrase the shot heard round the world was not used at the time. It became popular decades later when famous poet Ralph Waldo Emerson used it in his 1837 work the Concord Hymn. And it refers to the exact moment that ordinary, untrained colonists actively fought against the oppressive rule of the British Empire, transforming a political dispute into a quest for independence. But that's not all. The eventual success of the American Revolution would inspire other democratic uprisings and struggles against colonial rule across the globe.
B
Whoa. Shortly afterward, in May 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia.
A
The second? What happened to the first? That's okay. First things first. What is the Continental Congress anyway?
B
The Continental Congress was a meeting of representatives from each colony who acted collectively on behalf of the people in the colonies. The First Continental Congress met in 1774. In response to the Coercive Acts, they adopted a Declaration of Personal Rights, which included life, liberty and property. Hold on.
A
That sounds familiar. Smartypants, help me out here. What other famous declaration does the Declaration of Rights sound like? If you said the Declaration of Independence, you're right.
B
You could say the Declaration of Rights was kinda sorta a first draft of the Declaration of independence. Except for one big difference.
A
Oh yeah? What's that?
B
The Declaration of Rights didn't declare independence when the first Continental Congress met. The colonies were fighting for rights under the British crown. But when the Second Continental Congress met in 1775, after the war had broken out, the independence movement had grown. The representatives would soon vote on adopting the Declaration of Independence.
A
Smarty pants. The second Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of independence on July 4th. Which is why we celebrate our independence on the 4th of July. But in which year did the Continental Congress adopt the declaration? 1776, 1777 or 1778? Why of course, it's 1776.
B
By this time, the Revolutionary war was in full swing, and the colonists, led by me, General George Washington, were losing badly.
A
But what about Washington's famed crossing of the Delaware river to strike right here in Trenton, New Jersey?
B
Ah, yes, that was a clever attack amid a string of losses, but otherwise it was not looking good for the home team.
A
So what happened?
B
The war really shifted after the battle of Saratoga in the fall of 1777, when Americans soundly defeated a large portion of of the British army near Saratoga, New York.
A
Smarty pants, which country began openly aiding the Americans after their big victory at Saratoga? Was it A, Mexico, B, Spain, or C, France? If you said France, France. Hold on, Rewind just a sec. Didn't we say before the Revolutionary War that the British defeated France in the French and Indian war?
B
Correct.
A
And then to pay for that war, the British taxed the colonists, which led to protests and colonial revolt. Yeah, and then the French came back and helped the Americans beat the British.
B
What can I say? Revenge is a dish best served cold, smartypants.
A
It's important to note the French and newly established Americans were aligned in other ways besides just disliking the British. There was a French political movement that also believed in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
B
That's a great point, trustee. In fact, members of the Continental Congress were very inspired by French political ideas. And France would go through its own revolution just over 10 years after America's.
A
So how does this all end?
B
With a decisive American victory at the battle of Yorktown, Virginia in 1781, followed by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, in which Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States.
A
And the rest, as they say, is history.
B
Speaking of, let's go soldier, march. This revolution isn't going to win itself. But.
A
But I didn't start the revolution. Now the ride of Paul Revere set the nation a super double shout out to Iro and Anna from the Sweetest Place on Earth, Hershey, Pennsylvania thanks for smarting to who Smarted on your way to school and we love hearing that you often sing the who Smarted theme song in public and occasionally other kids will join in that you don't even know. Wow, what a fun way to make new smarty friends. I love it. This episode the American Revolution was written by Dan Gunpowder Gold and voiced by Adam. Give me liberty or give me death Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh1if by Land Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Minuteman Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian the British are Coming Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam. Tex Davis who's Smarted was created and produced by Adam, Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Audio production. Now it's famous Bunker Hill even though
B
we lost it too Smart and.
Podcast Summary: "Who Smarted? – How did The Revolutionary War start?"
Episode Date: July 3, 2026
Host: Trusty (Main Narrator), guests include reenactors (notably "GW3"/George Washington #3 aka Tim)
This energetic, humor-packed episode of "Who Smarted?" takes listeners—and particularly kids—on an imaginative journey back to the dawn of the American Revolution. Through a blend of storytelling, trivia, re-enactment, and playful banter, the episode explores the events leading up to the Revolutionary War: from colonial beginnings to the "shot heard round the world" and the broader ramifications of American independence. Along the way, listeners are challenged with quiz questions and sprinkled with memorable anecdotes, all designed to spark laughter and curiosity about this pivotal period in history.
The narrator ("Trusty") visits Trenton, New Jersey, site of a famous 1776 victory by Washington’s army. Trusty finds himself enlisted in a Revolutionary War reenactment, setting a playful tone for this historical deep-dive.
"[Washington] and his troops braved the icy waters of the Delaware River to wage a surprise attack... By 8 am, Washington had surrounded the city and captured a thousand soldiers, reviving hopes for the flagging revolution." – Trusty (02:00)
Fun trivia reveals details about the establishment and geographical makeup of the original 13 colonies ("There were NOT 11 or 12, but 13 British colonies at the start").
Notable banter: a running joke as GW3 (Washington reenactor) tries to help, sometimes inaccurately guessing answers or leaping ahead in the script.
"Nope, Florida was NOT one of the original 13 colonies, but Delaware was, and so were North and South Carolina." – Trusty (10:41)
Core complaint by colonists: being taxed by Britain without a say in Parliament.
Major British tax acts:
"Taxation without representation was a complaint of the colonists about being taxed by Britain without having any representative votes in British Parliament." – GW3 (12:26)
Boston Massacre (1770): Tensions flare, British soldiers kill five colonists—including Crispus Attucks, considered the first casualty of the Revolution. (15:00)
Boston Tea Party (1773): Colonists, in disguise, dump 342 crates of tea into Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act, costing Britain nearly $1 million in today's dollars. (16:15)
"Fed up, colonists dumped 342 crates containing over £90,000, or 41,000 kilograms of tea, into the water." – GW3 (16:15)
Parliament responds with punitive "Coercive Acts" (1774) intended to punish Boston and separate it from other colonies. Instead, it inspires colonial unity.
The First Continental Congress convenes in 1774, adopting a "Declaration of Personal Rights." (21:22)
"The British hoped that by punishing Boston, the other colonies would quickly and quietly go home and play nice. Nope. Instead, the other colonies rose to Boston's defense..." – GW3 (19:23)
April 18, 1775: Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride warns of British troops advancing to seize colonial weapons.
Battle of Lexington and Concord follows. The war is sparked by "the shot heard round the world"—though the identity of the shooter remains unknown. (19:56–20:30)
The phrase "shot heard round the world" is popularized later by Ralph Waldo Emerson, highlighting the global ripple effect of the revolution. (20:30)
"It is unknown who fired the first shot, also known as the shot heard round the world, but whoever did it started the Revolutionary War." – GW3 (19:56)
The transition from seeking rights within the British Empire to open calls for independence.
Declaration of Independence adopted on July 4, 1776. (22:31)
"You could say the Declaration of Rights was kind of a first draft of the Declaration of Independence. Except for one big difference... It didn't declare independence." – GW3 (21:57)
Americans suffer early defeats but score important victories, notably at Saratoga (1777), which prompts France (a former enemy of Britain) to ally with the colonists. (23:29–24:23)
France not only supported rebel ideas but saw an opportunity for "revenge" after losing the French and Indian War.
War ends decisively at the battle of Yorktown (1781), with Britain recognizing U.S. independence in the Treaty of Paris (1783).
"The war really shifted after the Battle of Saratoga... After their big victory at Saratoga, which country began openly aiding the Americans? ... If you said France—hold on, Rewind just a sec. Didn’t we say before the Revolutionary War that the British defeated France in the French and Indian War? ... Yeah, and then the French came back and helped the Americans beat the British." – Trusty (23:42–24:18)
On Taxes:
"The short answer is it was a policy courtesy of greedy King George and his even greedier Parliament." – GW3 (12:16)
On the Boston Massacre:
"British soldiers fired into a mob of angry colonists, killing five, including a sailor of African descent named Crispus Attucks, who is widely considered the first casualty of the Revolution." – GW3 (15:15)
On the Boston Tea Party:
"Was it...a party where everyone had to wear a shirt with the letter T for taxes on it?" – Trusty (15:42, playful multiple-choice moment)
On Colonial Unity:
"Nope. Instead, the other colonies rose to Boston’s defense." – GW3 (19:23)
On French Alliance and Ironic Twists:
"What can I say? Revenge is a dish best served cold, smarty pants." – GW3 (24:18)
On the Echoes of Revolution:
"The eventual success of the American Revolution would inspire other democratic uprisings and struggles against colonial rule across the globe." – Trusty (20:30)
Playful, fast-paced, and interactive with lighthearted banter and sound effects. The hosts frequently quiz the audience, reinforce key facts with repeated jokes, and break complex history into digestible, kid-friendly explanations—making even "yada yada, yada" a teaching moment. The re-enactor dynamic brings voice and personality to historical figures, notably with GW3’s exaggerated sense of duty and Trusty’s affable curiosity.
This "Who Smarted?" episode transforms the question of how the Revolutionary War started into an adventure brimming with humor, interactivity, and historical insight. It not only covers the essential names, dates, and events but also infuses them with personality and accessible explanations, ensuring both facts and fun linger long after the episode ends.