Description
Book SynopsisA guide to the themes, events, and concepts of a major turning point in early American history. It discusses the status and experiences of women, Native Americans, and African Americans, and aspects of social and daily life during this period. It describes the effects of the revolution abroad.
Trade Review"Professors Greene and Pole have succeeded in gathering a star-studded cast of scholars to interpret and analyze the American Revolution. General readers as well as teachers will find this volume of inestimable value."
Joyce Appleby, University of California at Los Angeles
"This immensely helpful guide will be useful for seasoned students of the revolution as well as beginners. Brief bibliographies give quick access to the best current work; the essays provide relevant factual material; and the reader gets the informed judgment of an expert." Richard Lyman Bushman, Columbia University
"The cumulative effect of the contributions is to leave the reader with no doubt of the importance of the American Revolution, not just to the history of the United States and North America, but to the whole Atlantic world and beyond." History
Table of ContentsList of maps and map acknowledgements x
List of contributors xi
Introduction xiii
PART I: CONTEXT 1
01 The structure of British politics in the mid-eighteenth century 3
W. A. Speck
02 Metropolitan administration of the colonies, 1696–1775 8
Ian K. Steele
03 Intra-imperial communications, 1689–1775 14
Richard R. Johnson
04 The changing socio-economic and strategic importance of the colonies to the empire 19
Alison G. Olson
05 The political development of the colonies after the Glorious Revolution 29
Alan Tully
06 Population and family in early America 39
Robert V. Wells
07 Socio-economic development of the colonies 51
Edwin J. Perkins
08 Religion before the Revolution 60
Edwin S. Gaustad
09 The cultural development of the colonies 65
Michal J. Rozbicki
10 The emergence of civic culture in the colonies to about 1770 82
David Shields
11 Ideological background 88
Isaac Kramnick
12 The Amerindian population in 1763 94
Eric Hinderaker
PART II: THEMES AND EVENTS, TO 1776 99
13 The origins of the new colonial policy, 1748–1763 101
Jack P. Greene
14 The Seven Years’ War and its political legacy 112
Thomas L. Purvis
15 The Grenville program, 1763–1765 118
Peter D. G. Thomas
16 The Stamp Act crisis and its repercussions, including the Quartering Act controversy 123
Peter D. G. Thomas
17 The Townshend Acts crisis, 1767–1770 134
Robert J. Chaffin
18 The British Army in America, before 1775 151
Douglas Edward Leach
19 The West and the Amerindians, 1756–1776 157
Peter Marshall
20 Trade legislation and its enforcement, 1748–1776 165
R. C. Simmons
21 Ongoing disputes over the prerogative, 1763–1776 173
Jack P. Greene
22 Bishops and other ecclesiastical issues, to 1776 179
Frederick V. Mills, Sr.
23 Social protest and the revolutionary movement, 1765–1776 184
Edward Countryman
24 The tea crisis and its consequences, through 1775 195
David L. Ammerman
25 The crisis of Independence 206
David L. Ammerman
26 Development of a revolutionary organization, 1765–1775 216
David W. Conroy
27 Political mobilization, 1765–1776 222
Rebecca Starr
28 Identity and Independence 230
Jack P. Greene
29 Loyalism and neutrality 235
Robert M. Calhoon
30 Opposition in Britain 248
Colin Bonwick
31 Common Sense 254
Jack Fruchtman, Jr.
32 The Declaration of Independence 258
Ronald Hamowy
PART III: THEMES AND EVENTS, FROM 1776 263
33 Bills of rights and the first ten amendments to the Constitution 265
Robert A. Rutland
34 State constitution-making, through 1781 269
Donald S. Lutz
35 The Articles of Confederation, 1775–1783 281
Jack N. Rakove
36 The War for Independence, to Saratoga 287
Don Higginbotham
37 The War for Independence, after Saratoga 298
Don Higginbotham
38 The Continental Army 308
Holly A. Mayer
39 Militia, guerrilla warfare, tactics, and weaponry 314
Mark V. Kwasny
40 Naval operations during the War for Independence 320
Clark G. Reynolds
41 The First United States Navy 326
James C. Bradford
42 The home front during the War for Independence: the effect of labor shortages on commercial production in the Mid-Atlantic 332
Michael V. Kennedy
43 Resistance to the American Revolution 342
Michael A. McDonnell
44 Diplomacy of the Revolution, to 1783 352
Jonathan R. Dull
45 Confederation: state governments and their problems 362
Edward Countryman
46 The West: territory, states, and confederation 374
Peter S. Onuf
47 Demobilization and national defense 383
E. Wayne Carp
48 Currency, taxation, and finance, 1775–1787 388
Robert A. Becker
49 Foreign relations, after 1783 398
Jonathan R. Dull
50 Slavery and anti-slavery 402
Sylvia R. Frey
51 Amerindians and the new republic 413
James H. Merrell
52 The impact of the Revolution on the role, status, and experience of women 419
Betty Wood
53 The impact of the Revolution on education 427
Melvin Yazawa
54 The impact of the Revolution on social problems: poverty, insanity, and crime 435
Melvin Yazawa
55 The impact of the Revolution on church and state 444
Robert M. Calhoon
56 Law: continuity and reform 452
J. R. Pole
57 Confederation: movement for a stronger union 458
Mark D. Kaplanoff
58 The Federal Convention and the Constitution 470
Mark D. Kaplanoff
59 The debate over ratification of the Constitution 482
Murray Dry
PART IV: EXTERNAL EFFECTS OF THE REVOLUTION 495
60 Great Britain in the aftermath of the American Revolution 497
Ian R. Christie
61 The American Revolution in Canada 503
Elizabeth Mancke
62 The American Revolution and Ireland 511
Maurice J. Bric
63 The American Revolution and the sugar colonies, 1775–1783 515
Selwyn H. H. Carrington
64 The effects of the American Revolution on France and its empire 523
David P. Geggus
65 The impact of the American Revolution on Spain and Portugal and their empires 531
Kenneth Maxwell
66 The influence of the American Revolution in the Netherlands 545
Jan Willem Schulte Nordholt and Wim Klooster
67 The influence of the American Revolution in Germany 550
Horst Dippel
68 The influence of the American Revolution in Russia 554
Hans Rogger
PART V: INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS AFTER THE REVOLUTION 557
69 The economic and demographic consequences of the American Revolution 559
Mary M. Schweitzer
70 The religious consequences of the Revolution 579
Robert M. Calhoon
71 The cultural effects of the Revolution 586
Norman S. Grabo
72 The effects of the Revolution on language 595
John Algeo
73 Medicine before and after the Revolution 600
Mary E. Fissell
74 The construction of gender in a republican world 605
Ruth H. Bloch
75 The construction of race in republican America 610
James Sidbury
76 The construction of social status in revolutionary America 617
Christine Daniels
PART VI: CONCEPTS 625
77 Liberty 627
Elise Marienstras
78 Equality 633
J. R. Pole
79 Property 638
Alan Freeman and Elizabeth Mensch
80 The rule of law 645
John P. Reid
81 Consent 650
Donald S. Lutz
82 Happiness 655
Jan Lewis
83 Suffrage and representation 661
Rosemarie Zagarri
84 Republicanism 668
Robert E. Shalhope
85 Sovereignty 674
Peter S. Onuf
86 Nationality and citizenship 680
Elise Marienstras
87 The separation of powers 686
Maurice J. C. Vile
88 Rights 691
Michael Zuckert
89 Virtue 696
James T. Kloppenberg
90 Interests 701
Cathy Matson
Chronology 707
compiled by Steven J. Sarson
Index 745
