This is another offering in the comprehensive Landmark series I'm steadily working my way through. As I wrote elsewhere, these brief but usually capable introductions were formerly a staple of junior high and high schools throughout the US, but, owing to a number of factors, they have fallen out of favor over the last couple of decades. They now find the most popularity with homeschoolers, as they are quite accessible for intermediate readers. They are legitimately somewhat dated, however, as almost all were written in the 1950s and 60s (this one in 1958), so updated additional material and more recent scholarship should also be included, as they do tend to be one-sided and omit important, albeit historically marginalized voices. Their great strength, despite the fact that they sacrifice depth for breadth, is that they are a capable introduction to the subjects they address, and this one is no exception.
It definitely says something about our nation that most of the prominent figures featured herein were once "household names," such as Benedict Arnold (for the wrong reason, in his case), Sam Adams ("isn't he the beer guy?"), John Hancock, Paul Revere, and several of the major figures of the Revolutionary War, including the British high commander Cornwallis, and US and ally generals Gates, Rochambeau, Lafayette and the unsung hero of the war, Nathanael Greene. It's also dismaying how few people have even basic familiarity with the most significant of the events of the war, which shaped the course of human history.
I don't know too many who today know the significance of even The Boston Massacre or The Boston Tea Party, let alone Lexington and Concord, or what "the shot heard 'round the world" means, or any of the major players or events - in some cases, turning-point battles - such as Bunker (Breed's) Hill, the Trenton Campaign, or why Washington crossed the Delaware (I usually get, "wait, that's a river? I thought it was a state!"), Saratoga, Valley Forge, or Yorktown. Admittedly, most people haven't heard any of this material since their elementary or perhaps junior high school days, but many young people today don't hear much about it at all. School children everywhere could once at least give a brief description of most of these, but not anymore, to judge from those I know.
This admittedly cursory introduction to the American Revolution, starts with events leading up to the conflict. It does an admirable job of demonstrating how protracted an episode this actually was: as John Adams, the second US President noted, "The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people, and this was effected from 1760 to 1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed." In short, as Victor Hugo noted, "No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come." The war lasted six years, formally ending on September 3, 1783, with the surrender of the British. It was also a "world war," in some ways, as many of the great European powers who had been fighting since time immemorial (even the Spanish got involved: they had been engaged in hostilities with the British since the sixteenth century; recall the Armada from the first book, under Elizabeth I) played their hand to advance their own interests, most prominently, the French, who for years had been granting aid to the colonies in their fight for independence. Indeed, the colonists would likely have not been successful without the financial assistance of the French.
Many don't realize that the British themselves had been pushing toward self-governance for many years, as well, and that unhinged George III was only one factor among many. As the book notes, for more than a century, since Charles I was beheaded in 1649 and his son James II was deposed in 1688 for attempting to rule without Parliament, the common people had steadily been gaining power at the expense of the monarchy. George III, not wanting to follow in the overt footsteps of his predecessors, attempted instead to control by corruption - bribes and nepotism, to supporters in Parliament by granting select men favors who voted his way, which involved the ouster of Prime Minister Wiliam Pitt.
And, of course, much of the initial conflict was over money, as the book wisely addresses at some length. Causes of the outbreak of armed conflict are many, but this was a principal one. Essentially, British elites were using the colonies, the American ones among them, as cash cows to fund wars against other European powers. Upon encountering resistance, the British enacted increasingly harsh and then punitive measures against the American colonies, which quickly became intolerable. This included measures to limit manufacturing to force the colonists to purchase expensive finished goods from overseas instead of making their own, restricting where American ships could sail to sell their cargo, and taxing everything and everything: from molasses, which affected the production of rum (that may have been the final straw, rather than the later Boston Tea Party), to officials documents (the hated Stamp Act), to import duties on critical common goods and foodstuffs such as tea, paper, paint, and glass.
Hence, the cry of "no taxation without representation" was heard everywhere, as the financial strangulation became ever more burdensome, and infuriating. This lead to widespread boycotts of British products, and an ever-increasing degree of hostility against the Crown and Parliament. "The King and his ministers were blind in not understanding that the colonies, every time they kicked up a fuss over British taxes, were as interested in liberty as in money - perhaps more so." There were also irreconcilable ideological differences: for example, Prime Minister Lord North reportedly stated once that "I can never acquiesce in the absurd opinion that all men are created equal." The narcissism of George III didn't help: he reportedly once blustered, "I wish nothing but good; therefore, everyone who does not agree with me is a traitor and a scoundrel." Treason was punishable by death.
When the British began engaging in direct intervention, such as seizing ships, arresting protestors and, on the night of March 5, 1770, firing into a crowd of citizens angry about an assault on a boy who had been taunting a group of British sentries (the infamous Boston Massacre), things reached a boiling point. Every subsequent action taken by the British enraged the colonists even more. And the colonies banded together: punishments against one were seen as a slight and retaliation against all. The First Continental Congress, held in September, 1774, was the first to attempt a peaceful solution, to petition their government for a redress of grievance, but that concept hadn't been realized yet.
It should not be lost on the present day that the outbreak of the war formally began with an attempted gun grab: British troops under General Gates, loyal to the crown at that point, was ordered to seize gunpowder and arms being stored at Concord, and to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock, but Paul Revere got there first: alerting the colonists to the plan, both men escaped, and battle lines were drawn. Famous Captain Jonah Parker, with a force of 130 militia men, against about 600 British troops, formed a line and reportedly stated, "don't fire unless fired upon. But if they want to have a war, let it begin here!" and, indeed it did; the fight was on. No one knows which side fired first, "the shot heard 'round the world," but there was no turning back.
I'll leave readers to peruse the rest of the book, which discusses at least the major engagements of the war and the actions of prominent individuals. The one thing I wish the book included more of was the effects the war had on the people who survived it. What does "all gave some; some gave all" mean in this context? Many survived, but did give next to all, which affected generations. Signing the Declaration of Independence was open treason, potentially punishable by death. It was a mutual pledge by the signers to sacrifice their lives and fortunes for the cause of liberty. Of the 56 who signed the declaration, all but a dozen or so faced severe consequences, either having fought as members of militias, facing capture and imprisonment; many more lost property, and, indeed, entire fortunes. as a result of their taking a stand against the crown.
Signer Thomas Nelson, Jr. of Virginia became a brigadier general and commander of the Virginia militia, but spent nearly his entire family fortune to support the war effort. He cosigned a $2 million loan to support a French fleet coming to assist the colonists. He reportedly also ordered troops to fire upon his own home, which was being occupied by General Cornwallis. Robert Morris did similarly, spending an estimated $1 million (at the time!) of his own money to supply the colonial militia, as did Carter Braxton, of the Virginia delegation, who incurred significant personal debt, which resulted in bankruptcy by the end of the war. Another signer, Richard Stockton, from New Jersey, had his entire estate seized by the British, who burned all his personal effects, including his private papers, upon their departure.
Others faced mortal dangers in addition. George Walton and even his wife were imprisoned, the latter on an island in the West Indes. Francis Lewis had a more difficult time of it: the wife of this New York delegate was reportedly arrested, imprisoned, and even tortured for two years, until she was returned in a prisoner exchange. Lewis's Long Island estate was destroyed as well. Other men, such as Joseph Hewes, was even forced to renounce his Quaker religion due to his support of war efforts. The point here: these men were all in, committed to personal ruination in order to advance the cause of liberty, and many were called upon to make immense personal sacrifices.
Despite the shortcomings, this and the other books in this series are a great introduction to a variety of topics, with highly accessible terminology and prose, encouraging additional reading and inquiry and introducing new generations to the major figures and events which led to the founding of our country.
âLoyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.â
-Mark Twain
It definitely says something about our nation that most of the prominent figures featured herein were once "household names," such as Benedict Arnold (for the wrong reason, in his case), Sam Adams ("isn't he the beer guy?"), John Hancock, Paul Revere, and several of the major figures of the Revolutionary War, including the British high commander Cornwallis, and US and ally generals Gates, Rochambeau, Lafayette and the unsung hero of the war, Nathanael Greene. It's also dismaying how few people have even basic familiarity with the most significant of the events of the war, which shaped the course of human history.
I don't know too many who today know the significance of even The Boston Massacre or The Boston Tea Party, let alone Lexington and Concord, or what "the shot heard 'round the world" means, or any of the major players or events - in some cases, turning-point battles - such as Bunker (Breed's) Hill, the Trenton Campaign, or why Washington crossed the Delaware (I usually get, "wait, that's a river? I thought it was a state!"), Saratoga, Valley Forge, or Yorktown. Admittedly, most people haven't heard any of this material since their elementary or perhaps junior high school days, but many young people today don't hear much about it at all. School children everywhere could once at least give a brief description of most of these, but not anymore, to judge from those I know.
This admittedly cursory introduction to the American Revolution, starts with events leading up to the conflict. It does an admirable job of demonstrating how protracted an episode this actually was: as John Adams, the second US President noted, "The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people, and this was effected from 1760 to 1775, in the course of fifteen years, before a drop of blood was shed." In short, as Victor Hugo noted, "No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come." The war lasted six years, formally ending on September 3, 1783, with the surrender of the British. It was also a "world war," in some ways, as many of the great European powers who had been fighting since time immemorial (even the Spanish got involved: they had been engaged in hostilities with the British since the sixteenth century; recall the Armada from the first book, under Elizabeth I) played their hand to advance their own interests, most prominently, the French, who for years had been granting aid to the colonies in their fight for independence. Indeed, the colonists would likely have not been successful without the financial assistance of the French.
Many don't realize that the British themselves had been pushing toward self-governance for many years, as well, and that unhinged George III was only one factor among many. As the book notes, for more than a century, since Charles I was beheaded in 1649 and his son James II was deposed in 1688 for attempting to rule without Parliament, the common people had steadily been gaining power at the expense of the monarchy. George III, not wanting to follow in the overt footsteps of his predecessors, attempted instead to control by corruption - bribes and nepotism, to supporters in Parliament by granting select men favors who voted his way, which involved the ouster of Prime Minister Wiliam Pitt.
And, of course, much of the initial conflict was over money, as the book wisely addresses at some length. Causes of the outbreak of armed conflict are many, but this was a principal one. Essentially, British elites were using the colonies, the American ones among them, as cash cows to fund wars against other European powers. Upon encountering resistance, the British enacted increasingly harsh and then punitive measures against the American colonies, which quickly became intolerable. This included measures to limit manufacturing to force the colonists to purchase expensive finished goods from overseas instead of making their own, restricting where American ships could sail to sell their cargo, and taxing everything and everything: from molasses, which affected the production of rum (that may have been the final straw, rather than the later Boston Tea Party), to officials documents (the hated Stamp Act), to import duties on critical common goods and foodstuffs such as tea, paper, paint, and glass.
Hence, the cry of "no taxation without representation" was heard everywhere, as the financial strangulation became ever more burdensome, and infuriating. This lead to widespread boycotts of British products, and an ever-increasing degree of hostility against the Crown and Parliament. "The King and his ministers were blind in not understanding that the colonies, every time they kicked up a fuss over British taxes, were as interested in liberty as in money - perhaps more so." There were also irreconcilable ideological differences: for example, Prime Minister Lord North reportedly stated once that "I can never acquiesce in the absurd opinion that all men are created equal." The narcissism of George III didn't help: he reportedly once blustered, "I wish nothing but good; therefore, everyone who does not agree with me is a traitor and a scoundrel." Treason was punishable by death.
When the British began engaging in direct intervention, such as seizing ships, arresting protestors and, on the night of March 5, 1770, firing into a crowd of citizens angry about an assault on a boy who had been taunting a group of British sentries (the infamous Boston Massacre), things reached a boiling point. Every subsequent action taken by the British enraged the colonists even more. And the colonies banded together: punishments against one were seen as a slight and retaliation against all. The First Continental Congress, held in September, 1774, was the first to attempt a peaceful solution, to petition their government for a redress of grievance, but that concept hadn't been realized yet.
It should not be lost on the present day that the outbreak of the war formally began with an attempted gun grab: British troops under General Gates, loyal to the crown at that point, was ordered to seize gunpowder and arms being stored at Concord, and to arrest Sam Adams and John Hancock, but Paul Revere got there first: alerting the colonists to the plan, both men escaped, and battle lines were drawn. Famous Captain Jonah Parker, with a force of 130 militia men, against about 600 British troops, formed a line and reportedly stated, "don't fire unless fired upon. But if they want to have a war, let it begin here!" and, indeed it did; the fight was on. No one knows which side fired first, "the shot heard 'round the world," but there was no turning back.
I'll leave readers to peruse the rest of the book, which discusses at least the major engagements of the war and the actions of prominent individuals. The one thing I wish the book included more of was the effects the war had on the people who survived it. What does "all gave some; some gave all" mean in this context? Many survived, but did give next to all, which affected generations. Signing the Declaration of Independence was open treason, potentially punishable by death. It was a mutual pledge by the signers to sacrifice their lives and fortunes for the cause of liberty. Of the 56 who signed the declaration, all but a dozen or so faced severe consequences, either having fought as members of militias, facing capture and imprisonment; many more lost property, and, indeed, entire fortunes. as a result of their taking a stand against the crown.
Signer Thomas Nelson, Jr. of Virginia became a brigadier general and commander of the Virginia militia, but spent nearly his entire family fortune to support the war effort. He cosigned a $2 million loan to support a French fleet coming to assist the colonists. He reportedly also ordered troops to fire upon his own home, which was being occupied by General Cornwallis. Robert Morris did similarly, spending an estimated $1 million (at the time!) of his own money to supply the colonial militia, as did Carter Braxton, of the Virginia delegation, who incurred significant personal debt, which resulted in bankruptcy by the end of the war. Another signer, Richard Stockton, from New Jersey, had his entire estate seized by the British, who burned all his personal effects, including his private papers, upon their departure.
Others faced mortal dangers in addition. George Walton and even his wife were imprisoned, the latter on an island in the West Indes. Francis Lewis had a more difficult time of it: the wife of this New York delegate was reportedly arrested, imprisoned, and even tortured for two years, until she was returned in a prisoner exchange. Lewis's Long Island estate was destroyed as well. Other men, such as Joseph Hewes, was even forced to renounce his Quaker religion due to his support of war efforts. The point here: these men were all in, committed to personal ruination in order to advance the cause of liberty, and many were called upon to make immense personal sacrifices.
Despite the shortcomings, this and the other books in this series are a great introduction to a variety of topics, with highly accessible terminology and prose, encouraging additional reading and inquiry and introducing new generations to the major figures and events which led to the founding of our country.
âLoyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.â
-Mark Twain
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