America's First War

The Military History of the Declaration of Independence

Christopher P. Magra

• Publisher: Newfound Press
• Year: 2026
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9798895271209
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Early American History
• Index: History

The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence represents an opportunity to reconsider the United States of America's founding document. In America's First War: The Military History of the Declaration of Independence, a gathering of expert scholars boldly reinterprets the declaration, encouraging readers to remember that this foundational document was written during a war. Far from an abstract philosophical treatise on liberty, this groundbreaking collection argues that the Declaration of Independence was crafted to achieve practical military objectives, a calculated move to legitimize armed rebellion and attract foreign military support, particularly from France and Spain.

Drawing on diplomatic correspondence, military records, and contemporary political writings, the book reveals how the declaration functioned as a rallying cry to galvanize domestic support for the Revolutionary War. It also uncovers the deliberate rhetorical choices made by Thomas Jefferson and the Continental Congress to frame the colonies as a sovereign nation worthy of international recognition and military alliances.

By reframing the declaration as a wartime instrument rather than a purely ideological manifesto, this work challenges traditional narratives and opens new avenues for understanding the American Revolution. America's First War is essential reading for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the complex interplay between warfare and politics.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter One: Scouting the Field: Reconnoitering the Military History of the Declaration of Independence
• Chapter Two: “Undistinguished Destruction”: Innocents and Indian Warfare in the Revolution’s Rhetoric
• Chapter Three: “All But the Skin and Bones”: Merciless Warfare in Cherokee Country, 1776–1777
• Chapter Four: “To Supply the Defect of Principle”: Oaths in the Declaration and War of Independence
• Chapter Five: The Quest for a Northern Ally: The Quebec Act, the Canadian Campaign, and the Declaration of Independence
• Chapter Six: The Declaration of Independence, Islanders’ Sympathies, and the Emergence of the Revolutionary Atlantic Border-sea
• Chapter Seven: All Men Are Created Equal: How the Declaration of Independence Became a Tool for Black Freedom
• Chapter Eight: Hidden in the Shadow of Victory: Violence and Public Memory of the Battle of Fort Moultrie in the Summer of Independence
• Chapter Nine: Kościuszko: The Declaration and the People in Arms
• Conclusion
• Index