First published 2012
Kevin Phillips challenges the conventional story of American independence by focusing on 1775 as the crucial year of transformation. He argues that 1776 has been mythologized while the real action happened earlier. Phillips examines how Patriots seized control through economic ultimatums to Parliament, military rage in New England, and the expulsion of royal governors along the coast. He shows how new provincial congresses and local committees rapidly transferred authority from British hands to Patriot control. The book covers battles from Canada to the Carolinas, international gunpowder schemes spanning from the Baltic to the Caribbean, and secret Congressional nation building. Phillips analyzes political realignments, economic structures, military preparations, and the roles of ethnicity, religion, and class across different regions and colonies. He explores overlooked aspects like the global munitions trade and the involvement of Indians, slaves, and mercenaries. The author demonstrates how grassroots agendas shaped the emerging nation and reveals the ideological and religious factors driving revolutionary sentiment.
Genres: history, non-fiction, military-history, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction, revisionist-history
Setting: Canada, Carolinas, New England
Period: 1775
21 pages · Audio CD · Brilliance Audio