Freedom: The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution

Historian Warren (The Presidency of George Washington) seeks in this substantial volume to explain why the American Revolution still matters and why its heroes and heroines can be 21st-century role models. Warren provides concise explanations of many events, including how the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which designated all territory west of the Appalachians as an Indian Reserve, turned colonists against the British government, and the fierce fighting in the Carolina backcountry during the war. Throughout the narrative, which spans from the first arrival of Europeans to the early years of the American republic, Warren highlights the legacy and meaning of the Revolution as a successful rebellion against the world’s great military superpower and as a rekindling of the principles of democracy that has since inspired revolutions around the world. Warren draws on diverse voices in his presentation of the material and highlights the impact of the war on a wide range of people, such as Black abolitionists inspired by the claims of universal rights in the Declaration of Independence. Revolutionary War buffs will find much to savor in this comprehensive and lavishly illustrated account. (Oct.)