No event in American history was more pivotal-or more furiously contested-than Congress's decision to declare independence in July 1776. Even months after American blood had been shed at Lexington and Concord, many colonists remained loyal to Britain. John Adams, a leader of the revolutionary effort, said bringing the fractious colonies together was like getting "thirteen clocks to strike at once."
Other books have been written about the Declaration, but no author has traced the political journey from protest to Revolution with the narrative scope and flair of John Ferling. Independence takes readers from the cobblestones of Philadelphia into the halls of Parliament, where many sympathized with the Americans and furious debate erupted over how to deal with the rebellion. Independence is not only the story of how freedom was won, but how an empire was lost.
At this remarkable moment in history, high-stakes politics was intertwined with a profound debate about democracy, governance, and justice. John Ferling, drawing on a lifetime of scholarship, brings this passionate struggle to life as no other historian could. Independence will be hailed as the finest work yet from the author Michael Beschloss calls "a national resource."
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Subtopic
Early American HistoryIndex
HistoryTable of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- 1. âIn the Very Midst of a Revolutionâ: The Proposal to Declare Independence
- 2. âA Spirit of Riot and Rebellionâ: Lord North, Benjamin Franklin, and the American Crisis
- 3. âDefenders of American Libertyâ: Samuel Adams, Joseph Galloway, and the First Continental Congress
- 4. âIt Is a Bill of War. It Draws the Swordâ: Lord Dartmouth, George Washington, Hostilities
- 5. âA Rescript Written in Bloodâ: John Dickinson and the Appeal of Reconciliation
- 6. âProgress Must Be Slowâ: John Adams and the Politics of a Divided Congress
- 7. âThe King Will Produce the Grandest Revolutionâ: George III and the American Rebellion
- 8. âThe Folly and Madness of the Ministryâ: Charles James Fox, Thomas Paine, and the War
- 9. âWe Might Get Ourselves upon Dangerous Groundâ: James Wilson, Robert Morris, Lord Howe, and the Search for Peace
- 10. âThe Fatal Stabâ: Abigail Adams and the Realities of the Struggle for Independence
- 11. âNot Choice, But Necessity That Calls for Independenceâ: The Dilemma and Strategy of Robert Livingston
- 12. âThe Character of a Fine Writerâ: Thomas Jefferson and the Drafting of the Declaration of Independence
- 13. âMay Heaven Prosper the New Born Republicâ: Setting America Free
- 14. âThis Will Cement the Unionâ: America Is Set Free
- Epilogue
- Abbreviations
- Notes
- Select Bibliography
- Appendix: The Declaration of Independence
- A Note on the Author
- By the Same Author
- Whirlwind advert
- Also available from John Ferling
- eCopyright
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Yes, you can access Independence by John Ferling in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Early American History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.