Overview

In this provocative reinterpretation of one of the best-known events in American history, Woody Holton shows that when Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other elite Virginians joined their peers from other colonies in declaring independence from Britain, they acted partly in response to grassroots rebellions against their own rule. The Virginia gentry's efforts to shape London's imperial policy were thwarted by British merchants and by a coalition of Indian nations. In 1774, elite Virginians suspended trade with Britain in order to pressure Parliament and, at the same time, to save restive Virginia debtors from a terrible recession. The boycott and the growing imperial conflict led to rebellions by enslaved Virginians, Indians, and tobacco farmers. By the spring of 1776 the gentry believed the only way to regain control of the common people was to take Virginia out of the British Empire. Forced Founders uses the new social history to shed light on a classic political question: why did the owners of vast plantations, viewed by many of their contemporaries as aristocrats, start a revolution? As Holton's fast-paced narrative unfolds, the old story of patriot versus loyalist becomes decidedly more complex.

Full Product Details

9780807825013

Table of Contents

Reviews

This book gives us a brisk and convincing analysis of a region--and revolutionary leaders--we thought we already knew.<p> Journal of American History

May be the most important book on the political culture of Revolutionary Virginia since Rhys Isaac's The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790 . Journal of Southern History This book gives us a brisk and convincing analysis of a region--and revolutionary leaders--we thought we already knew. Journal of American History YHe portrays the coming of the Revolution in Virginia as deeply bound up with competing social groups. American Historical Review May be the most important book on the political culture of Revolutionary Virginia since Rhys Isaac's The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790. Journal of Southern History [He] portrays the coming of the Revolution in Virginia as deeply bound up with competing social groups. American Historical Review Its lively style and wealth of anecdotes will make it an enjoyable read for anyone. Journal of American Studies The main strength of Holton's book is his effort to place the actions of the Virginia gentry within a more detailed local context. Law and History Review

May be the most important book on the political culture of Revolutionary Virginia since Rhys Isaac's The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790 . Journal of Southern History This book gives us a brisk and convincing analysis of a region--and revolutionary leaders--we thought we already knew. Journal of American History YHe portrays the coming of the Revolution in Virginia as deeply bound up with competing social groups. American Historical Review May be the most important book on the political culture of Revolutionary Virginia since Rhys Isaac's The Transformation of Virginia, 1740-1790. Journal of Southern History The main strength of Holton's book is his effort to place the actions of the Virginia gentry within a more detailed local context. Law and History Review [He] portrays the coming of the Revolution in Virginia as deeply bound up with competing social groups. American Historical Review Its lively style and wealth of anecdotes will make it an enjoyable read for anyone. Journal of American Studies

Author Information

Woody Holton is assistant professor of American history at the University of Richmond.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available