Synopses & Reviews
What did the American Revolution mean to the ordinary soldiers who fought in it? Were they inspired by high-minded ideals of liberty and democracy, or were they seeking the material and practical rewards--bounties, land, and political advancement--that victory might bring them? We know much about the philosophical positions expressed by America's Founding Fathers, but the common people did not necessarily share the Founders' ideas."
Review
“This is quantitative and qualitative history in abundance from the bottom up.”
—James A. Lewis, Journal of the Early Republic
About the Author
Gregory T. Knouff is Assistant Professor of History at Keene State College in New Hampshire. He has contributed chapters to two Penn State Press books: Beyond Philadelphia: The American Revolution in the Pennsylvania Hinterland (1998) and Friends and Enemies in Penn's Woods (forthcoming).
Table of Contents
ContentsAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Conflict and Community on the Eve of Revolution
2. Why They Fought
3. Identity and the Military Community
4. The Meaning of the War Against the British
5. Race and Violence on the Frontier
6. Civil War and the Contest for Community
7. The Memory of the American Revolution
Conclusion
Essay on Sources and Methodology
Index