General James Wilkinson's Betrayal of the Republic and Escape from Justice
American Traitor examines the career of the notorious Gen. James Wilkinson, whose corruption and espionage exposed the United States to grave dangers during the early years of the republic. Wilkinson is largely forgotten today, which is unfortunate because his sordid story is a cautionary tale about unscrupulous actors who would take advantage of ......
Thomas Bradbury Chandler and the Loyalist Mind in a Democratic Age
In this penetrating biography of Thomas Bradbury Chandler, S. Scott Rohrer takes readers deep into the intellectual world of a leading loyalist who defended monarchy, rejected rebellion and democracy, and opposed the American Revolution. Talented, hardworking, and erudite, this Anglican minister from New Jersey possessed one of the Church of ......
Dangerous Metaphors and Founding Myths in Congressional Politics
Why is the metaphor of the "Founding Fathers" so insidious-and how does it impact American politics? American politicians routinely invoke the metaphor of the "Founding Fathers" when referring to the men who supposedly set the United States on a path to greatness. On average, the term "Founding Fathers" is uttered by a congressional member every ......
Born into one of the wealthiest families in Philadelphia and raised and educated in that vital center of eighteenth-century American Quakerism, Anne Emlen Mifflin was a progressive force in early America. This detailed and engaging biography, which features Anne's collected writings and selected correspondence, revives her legacy. Anne grew up ......
How James Monroe's relationships impacted the rise, fall, and rebirth of political parties in the early American republic. From the Revolutionary War to his death in 1831, James Monroe's life was dominated by partisan politics. Monroe-not uniquely among the American founders-hated political parties, even writing that he "always considered their ......
In 1777, Congress labeled Quakers who would not take up arms in support of the War of Independence as "the most Dangerous Enemies America knows" and ordered Pennsylvania and Delaware to apprehend them. In response, Keystone State officials sent twenty men-seventeen of whom were Quakers-into exile, banishing them to Virginia, where they were held ......
France's Royal Swedish Regiment in the French and American Revolutions
In 1740, the French King Louis XV granted his Swedish-led forces the title of Royal Swedish Regiment, for which it received the same privileges as all royal regiments including the protection of the king, new flags, and ordinance. Louis XV acted to fulfill a request of King Fredrik I of Sweden and to demonstrate his satisfaction with the great ......
Political Caricature in the United States, 1789-1828
Explores the creation and circulation of political caricatures in early US history. Includes a catalog of caricature prints published between 1789 and 1828.
Housing Washington's Army during the American Revolution
George Washington and his Continental Army braving the frigid winter at Valley Forge form an iconic image in the popular history of the American Revolution. Such winter camps, Steven Elliott tells us in Surviving the Winters, were also a critical factor in the waging and winning of the War of Independence. Exploring the inner workings of the ......
