A Revolutionary People At War - The Continental Army and American Character, 1775-1783 (Paperback, New edition)

Virtue and freedom were two of the central concepts in the ideological arsenal of the rebellious American colonies, but as historian Royster shows, these concepts came immediately into conflict with each other when the colonies faced the task of organizing an army to fight the British. At first, the reliance on militia solved the problem, but even Sam Adams came to realize that only a standing army could be effective. Inherently suspicious of standing armies, the Americans cast a narrow eye on them even in wartime. Royster follows the actions of the Continental Army through the war and records the instances where the ideal and the actual came into conflict, as in forced requisitions. Victory did not solve the problem. Only a small minority served in the Army; and with independence, those people who were unable to reconcile the libertarian principles of the Revolution with the rigidity of the military sought to cancel the public debt incurred by the Army and thereby their debt to the soldiers. In this way, the desire to attain fame in posterity that was part of the creed of rebellious Americans was stripped from the few who served in the Army and returned to the whole. The original claim of being a virtuous people was realized at the expense of those who served; but at the same time, the threat to freedom posed by a military elite was banished. The early Americans took their commitment to virtue and freedom seriously, which is what makes the political discourse of the period so engrossing. Royster's thoughtful study is another important contribution to the understanding of our roots. (Kirkus Reviews)

In this highly acclaimed book, Charles Royster explores the mental processes and emotional crises that Americans faced in their first national war. He ranges imaginatively outside the traditional techniques of analytical historical exposition to build his portrait of how individuals and a populace at large faced the Revolution and its implications. The book was originally published by UNC Press in 1980.

General

Imprint:	The University of North Carolina Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Virginia
Release date:	September 1996
First published:	September 1996
Authors:	Charles Royster
Dimensions:	235 x 156 x 30mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	463
Edition:	New edition
ISBN-13:	978-0-8078-4606-3
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > History > American history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Military history Books > History > World history > 1750 to 1900 Promotions
LSN:	0-8078-4606-6
Barcode:	9780807846063

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!