American Revolution for dummies

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Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Conventions Used in This Book What Not to Read Foolish Assumptions Beyond the Book Icons Used in This Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 The Roots of Revolution Chapter 1 A Revolutionary Story Setting the Stage Progressing with Pilgrims — and for profit Fighting the natives and the home folks Growing up fast Divorcing the Mother Country Warming up for war Declaring independence Winning a war, the hard way Making it a global affair Fighting among ourselves War’s Over — Now Comes the Hard Part Sorting out the Founding Fathers Drafting new rules — and selling them Getting Government Off the Ground Picking fights over presidents and parties Sorting out the Revolution’s results For further reading. . . . The Good Stuff at the Back of the Book Chapter 2 Here Comes Europe Shaking Up the Old World Trading economies Rocking religion Consolidating secular power Scoping Out the New World Following Columbus Dividing things up Freezing and furring with the French Staying home with the English Settling In Enslave and extract Finding few Frenchmen in New France Getting rich — and rid of the riff-raff Chapter 3 “In God We Trust” Colonizing for God and Profit — But Not in That Order Stumbling into Jamestown The name’s Smith. John Smith. The Starving Time Smoking up an economy Setting up slavery Welcoming brides-to-be Assembling in an Assembly Purifying and Separating Plowing into Plymouth “A Civil Body Politick” Leaving their mark “Like a City Upon a Hill”: The Puritans Setting up shop around Boston Harbor Growing pains Slipping away from the church Dissidents, Catholics, and Quakers Running to Rhode Island Leasing Maryland Quaking in Pennsylvania Chapter 4 Together and Apart A Clash of Cultures The Virginia Wars Fighting Opechancanough Stealing hogs leads to battling Bacon Dividing and Conquering Wiping out the Pequots Defriending the Wampanoag Fighting Philip’s War Getting Together Confederating in New England Bickering into oblivion Getting news and getting around Meanwhile, in the Mother Country . . . Restoring and Rebelling in New England Cracking down on Massachusetts The reign of Randolph The taxing Governor Andros Revolting with Bacon Sizing up the Impacts Chapter 5 The Fight for a Continent Growing toward Revolution Pouring in from all over Coming in chains Doing Business with Mom Enforcing trade laws — or not Doing okay in America Flexing Political Muscles Relaxing Religiously Dangling Bugs and Road-Show Religion Connecting the Snake Waging World Wars King William’s War Queen Anne’s War King George’s War “I Heard the Bullets Whistle . . .” Setting up a showdown Getting off to a bad start Fumbling start, good finish Assessing the aftermath Part 2 The Fight for Independence Chapter 6 Causes and Effects Warring over the West Waging biological warfare Proclaiming the West off-limits Warm-Up Quarrels Wrangling over writs Protesting parsons’ pay Pouring more fuel on the flames “The Minds and Hearts of the People” Cents and Sensitivity Paying for victory On the other hand . . . Sugar, Stamps, and Tea Make Trouble The Sugar Act The Stamp Act The Townshend Acts Responding to words with troops Chapter 7 From Rabble to Rebels Taking It to the Streets “I was soon on the ground among them” Tussling over Tea The bail-out backfires Dunking the cargo “Coercive” to You; “Intolerable” to Us Congressing Getting to know each other Getting down to business “Let It Begin Here” Squirreling away supplies Riding with Revere “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” Chapter 8 “We Hold These Truths” “The Whites of Their Eyes” Spreading the News — and the Fighting Taking Ticonderoga and losing Canada Meanwhile, in the other direction . . . . . . And back in Boston Choosing to Fight, Choosing a Fighter Extending an olive branch Picking a general A Royal Paine The Hated Hiring of Hessians Cutting the Cord Drafting a declaration Winning approval Trying to Confederate Chapter 9 Lose Until You Win Getting into Shape The raw ingredients Enter the general Holding on to the troops Picking a strategy “The Fate of Unborn Millions” Running from their shadows Bantering over bread Crossing the Delaware — Twice Uncapping the pen Unsheathing the sword Fighting for Time “Not only starved, but naked.” Turning the corner The War Moves On Waging an ugly war in the west Privateering for patriotism and profit Fighting, southern style “O God! It Is All Over!” Chapter 10 The War Abroad From a Brit’s Eye View The real reason for rebelling “Rebellious war?” What rebellious war? “Farmer George” or “Royal Brute” Becoming British king by way of Germany Assembling a war team Tallying British troubles Making Friends in France Funneling French supplies Finessing France with Franklin Britain Stands Alone Seizing opportunity, Spanish-style Irritating Indians (in India) Angering other Europeans The War Goes Global Wine versus beer Fighting for smaller prizes Waiting on the French Puzzling out Peace Americans in Paris Who won? Chapter 11 The War at Home Neighbor versus Neighbor Deciding who was a Tory Counting Loyalists — and locating them Ratcheting up the persecution of Tories A “Situation Truly Deplorable” Miscounting by the British Losing and leaving “Tampering with the Slaves” Fighting for freedom on the American side Luring slaves to the Loyalist side Fleeing to freedom “Remember the Ladies” Laboring on the home front Helping near the battle front “O, Strange Englishmen Kill Each Other” Getting pressure from both sides Absorbing the aftermath Money and Mutiny “Not worth a continental” The suffering at Morristown Ashamed to be an American The Newburgh Conspiracy Why They Fought Part 3 Now What? Chapter 12 A Most Imperfect Union The General Goes Home Keeping a fighting force ready — sort of Pitching other proposals Saying goodbye Preserving a republic Hard Money and Morris Notes Creating a money czar Stiffing creditors and starting a bank Hitting an impasse at levying an “impost” A Toothless Government Organizing the West Failing with foreigners Vexing Vermont Moving toward a Fix Setting up Act II Shays’ Rebellion Chapter 13 Who Were Those Guys? Defining the Founding Fathers Why they bothered What they accomplished Kicking the Slavery Issue down the Road Recognizing slavery as a problem Taking small anti-slavery steps Sorting out Signers, Framers, and Founders A Brief Look at Ten Top Founders John Adams Samuel Adams Benjamin Franklin Alexander Hamilton John Jay Thomas Jefferson James Madison Thomas Paine Roger Sherman George Washington Chapter 14 “We the People” Straggling into Philadelphia Summing up the delegates Getting down to business Tackling the Big Three Creating a New Kind of Congress Presenting the Virginia Plan Countering with the New Jersey Plan A side order of Hamilton Compromising with Connecticut’s plan Deciding who runs and who votes Sidestepping Slavery Three-fifths of a human Trading taxes for slave importing Picking a President Cleaning up and Signing Off Preambling the Constitution Watching the sun rise Chapter 15 Selling It Convincing Congress Waging a War of Words Convincing the Conventions Pushing it through Pennsylvania Picking up some small states Battling among the Heavyweights “Mounted on alligators” Conquering New York Scooping up the holdouts Setting up House (and Senate) Building a Bill of Rights Heating up the House Ratifying rights turns out to be easy Hail to the Chief Part 4 A Nation’s Baby Steps Chapter 16 Branching Out “I Walk on Untrodden Ground” Taking it slowly Picking a cabinet Ordering the Courts “The weakest branch” Laying down the law Marbury v. Madison Taxes and Logrolling Stirring up the storm The “dinner table bargain” Warring over whiskey Bickering over banks Planting partisan seeds “Daily Pitted . . . Like Two Cocks” Parting into parties Choosing up sides Saying Goodbye — Again Chapter 17 The Toddler’s Transition Electing Adams Lining up the “tickets” Hamilton schemes behind the scenes Trying to Avoid Foreign Entanglements Revolting developments in France Bickering with Britain The “XYZ Affair” Fighting a “quasi-war” Aliens and Seditionists Passing a contentious quartet of laws Wielding “the jawbone of Jefferson” The Revolution of 1800 “Fixing” New York “Jefferson is to be preferred” All Together Now Chapter 18 Aftermath So, How Big Was It? What Kind of Revolution Was It? Why Did It Work? What Can You Learn from It? Chapter 19 Some Books Worth Perusing Books to Explore Part 5 The Part of Tens Chapter 20 (At Least) Ten Things You Didn’t Know about the Founding Fathers Twinkle-Toes George Franklin’s “Deadly” Instrument TJ and the Bears Tom Paine’s Bones Sam Adams Really Made Beer (sort of) The Price on Hancock’s Head I’ll Trade You Six Hancocks for a Button Whining — or Wining — about the Flag A Justice in Jail The Little Guy on the Big Bill Chapter 21 Ten Unsung Heroes of the American Revolution Joseph Plumb Martin “Molly Pitcher” James Forten Daniel Morgan Roger Sherman Nancy Hart Jeremiah O’Brien Daniel Bissell Salem Poor Deborah Sampson Chapter 22 Ten Quotes from or about the American Revolution Or Else Just Give Us the Vote Now. . . And the Choices Are. . . Sorry to Disappoint You, But. . . Uh, Are You Sure, Your Majesty? Take My Advice and Scram “Except Us. . .” A Stimulated Simile Keeping One’s Feet Dry Looks Good So Far, But. . . A Term of Endurance Part 6 Appendixes Appendix A The Declaration of Independence Appendix B The Bill of Rights: Amendments 1–10 of the Constitution Appendix C Key Events of the American Revolution Index EULA