cover image A Crisis of Peace: George Washington, the Newburgh Conspiracy, and the Fate of the American Revolution

A Crisis of Peace: George Washington, the Newburgh Conspiracy, and the Fate of the American Revolution

David Head. Pegasus, $28.95 (320p) ISBN 978-1-64313-081-1

Revolutionary War buffs will be intrigued by this meticulous, narrowly focused account of the two years following British Army general Charles Cornwallis’s surrender to Continental Army commander-in-chief George Washington in October 1781. University of Central Florida professor Head (Privateers of the Americas) explains that, with peace under negotiation in Paris, British forces still occupied New York City, and 10,000 Continental troops “stood duty” in the vicinity of Newburgh, York. During the winter of 1782–1783, army officers grew anxious about their pensions, which had been promised by Congress but were now in doubt because the country was “deeply in debt” and taxes were “deeply unpopular.” An officer, later revealed to be Maj. John Armstrong Jr., distributed an anonymous letter calling for the army to defy orders to either disband (if peace came) or fight (if war resumed). Head convincingly debunks theories that the letter was part of a conspiracy hatched by “nationalist-minded” politicians, including Alexander Hamilton, who wanted greater powers for the federal government, and finds no evidence that officers sought to overthrow Washington. He praises the commander’s ability to restore order, and thoroughly details how the army came to terms with Congress. This accessible history illuminates an obscure but significant chapter in American history. (Dec.)