Synopses & Reviews
In the backcountry, the American Revolution was fought over land rather than democratic ideals. Diverse Indian groups, wealthy land speculators, humbler settlers, fur traders, and the British government all had conflicting designs on the rich lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. In the past, the conflict on the frontier during the Revolution has been described as the heroic settlers defending their farms against attacks by the British army, the Tories, and the Indians. In truth, the situation was far more complex and the primary motive was not defending farms but acquiring vast tracts of land for later resale at enormous profit. The Native Americans were motivated by the desire to retain control of their homeland. Without their hunting grounds and cornfields, they would starve. They had little desire to drive the settlers from their farms, but rather to prevent the colonists from taking the land they needed for their own farms, hunting, and villages. The land speculators from New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia wanted to use the Revolution as an excuse for killing or driving away the Indians from the land adjacent to the frontier. In 1763, the British Proclamation of 1763 prohibited settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains, thwarting the commercial designs of American merchants who wanted to sell goods inland. Given their existing trade with the Indians, the Pennsylvania merchants preferred that the Indians remain neutral and continue to sell their fur to the traders. In addition, many of the Pennsylvania merchants were Quakers and opposed violence and attempted to prevent attacks on the Indians. The Virginians, in contrast, favored attacks on the Indians as a means of opening up their lands for development. George Washington, a member of the Ohio Company, sided with the strategy of attack. The British were divided on the issue of involving the Indians in the war, but the majority in Parliament favored use of the Indians and the British army was instructed to instigate attacks on the frontier as a means of weakening the Continental army. Moreover, the settlers on the frontier were divided. Many of the settlers were former soldiers in the British army or the colonial militias. Many supported Britain and were forced to flee their farms and businesses to Detroit and Fort Niagara. They responded to calls to join militia regiments for short periods of time and took part in attacks on Indian villages in return for generous pay and shares in the looting that followed the conquest of a village. Most of the retaliation of the Indians was inflicted on the settlers who became as brutal as their foes.
Synopsis
Indians and whites navigated a complex terrain of economic and social factors (including land use, access to power, availability of white women, etc.) that profoundly affected their loyalty to the Crown and caused them to wreak incredible violence on their neighbors.
Synopsis
Contrary to common understanding, in the backcountry at least, the American Revolution was fought over land rather than democratic ideals. In this book, historian Walter Dunn reveals the true nature of the conflicting interests on the frontier, demonstrating that the primary issues there, land and the fur trade, were, in fact, the basis of the conflict between the local colonists and Britain. Diverse Indian groups, wealthy land speculators, humbler settlers, fur traders, and the British government all had conflicting designs on the rich lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. The conflict on the frontier during the Revolution has been described as one of heroic settlers defending their farms against attacks by the British army, the Tories, and the Indians. In truth, the situation was far more complex. For many on the frontier, the primary motive for fighting was not defending farms, but acquiring vast tracts of land for later resale at enormous profit. Native Americans, in contrast, were motivated by the desire to retain control of their homeland, for without their hunting grounds and cornfields, they would starve.
Going beyond accepted theory, Dunn explores why those on the frontier reacted to the conflict as they did. He demonstrates how the various economic groups were forced to decide whether they should side with Britain or the colonists or if possible remain neutral, and the forces that governed those choices. Finally, he reveals how the decisions made on the frontier during the Revolution had a lasting impact on the post-war situation in the West, delaying western expansion by nearly two decades.
About the Author
WALTER S. DUNN JR. is an independent researcher and retired museum curator. He has published a dozen books on World War II and on colonial and local history.