Scholarly Book Review The American Revolution

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

The book in question is ‘The American Revolution’ written by Colin Bonwick. Bonwick is the professor of American Studies at Keele University, he read history at Oxford and took his doctorate at the University of Maryland. His biography on the university website outlines he has a particular interest in the American Revolution. [1] He has written two books on the subject of the revolution, the latter of which is the book in question. Bonwick is currently writing a political biography about Thomas Jefferson, a leading figure in American politics and the American Revolution in particular.

When it comes to thesis Bonwick is pretty clear-cut on his argument over the character of the Revolution, whereas, for the most part, contemporaries and historians alike have disagreed strongly over the character of the Revolution. Some argue that the war was only the first stage of a much longer internal revolution; alternatively, others see it principally as a nationalist movement and equate it with the war; while still others insist that the 'real' Revolution took place in the hearts and minds of the people long before fighting began, or in other words, it had been the case for a long time before the revolution that the colonists of America wanted independence from the imperial British Empire.

Bonwick suggests that possible alternatives were available at each stage. He explores the evidence that Americans were contented members of the British Empire before the crisis exploded, and argues that independence was neither certain nor sufficient in itself. Instead, Bonwick suggests that internal changes (both successes and failures) were at the core of the Revolution: the creation of a republic, social reform, and the construction of a federal union, which implemented a growing sense of 'nationhood'. Critically he points out that the ‘Revolution’ most certainly was that, whereas others have argued whether calling it such is correct.

Bonwick dismisses common miss-held beliefs, such as all colonists wanting to be independent from Britain and even outlines that figures such as Benjamin Franklin, who was a signature of the declaration of independence, did not at first want to be separate from Britain but did want the thirteen colonies of America to be united. Moreover Bonwick explains that the war did as well at losing favour as generating favour as it dragged on, mainly due to economic reasons ‘The Revolution as a major war had substantial economic impact. For some the effect was devastating. Boston New York City and Philadelphia were all occupied at one time or another and their populations fell considerably.’

The book traces the development of the united States from the mid-eighteenth century (deliberate use of lower case ‘u’) to the consolidation of the federal government during the 1790s. Bonwick in particular makes the point that by the time the American Revolution was complete the United States was radically different from Britain. Of course, prior to the Revolution the colonies boar great resemblance to Britain and her European counterparts. However, after the Revolution, Bonwick insists that the new nation of the United States, in particular the area of government, had changed beyond recognition and showed none of the characteristics of a British system and especially not a continental European system. Bonwick goes on to explain the main reason for this was that under this new ‘American system’ the government derived its authority from the people, through the means of written constitutions and bills, and possessed only limited powers itself. Compare this to a traditional European monarchy or the British parliamentary system in its early days and the differences are striking. On top of this Bonwick observes the centrality of religion in America. He places great importance on the fact that, for the most part, American colonists were deeply religious people, and thus this meant various religious institutions had great influence over the American mind-set. This is perhaps overlooked when historians look at the great scheme of the Revolution.

Bonwick also explores the trigger which caused the Revolution; or rather, he explores the many reasons for it taking place. Where one historian may place particular importance on one trigger leading to the revolution, Bonwick suggests the revolution was a culmination of many different factors, such as the crisis in internal affairs and in relations with Britain, the effect of the infamous ‘Sons of Liberty’, the Stamp Act and other events such as the Boston massacre (which Bonwick saw fit to point out was completely blown out of proportion and resulted in many a fabricated newspaper article. He points out that the neat line of British soldiers firing upon helpless Bostonians, which is typically illustrated, was actually in fact a few British soldiers cornered by hundreds of angry Bostonians hurling objects as well as abuse at them).

Inclusion of detailed tables and maps are a particularly enjoyable feature of this book, the former provides important information in several areas including population figures, private physical wealth, distribution of wealth and the distribution of races, ethnicities and regional distribution of the populace. Whereas other books may include figures and statistics, Bonwick’s application of tables makes it very practical and considerably more bearable to read. The maps show what is essentially a before and after shot of the revolution, with one detailing the format of the colonies in 1775 and the other detailing the ‘United States’ in 1790.

Bonwick finishes the book by examining the establishment of a national union, prior to which each colony had been separate to each other and now had become a true United States. He explores the many problems facing the government during the 1770s and the 1780s, in particular how close congress came to disintegration and going into great detail about the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Bonwick concludes by going over the establishment of the new federal government and its first policies, and also the development of new political parties which formed vital structure to the new regime, he especially makes the point that all of which were essential if the Revolution was to be completed and truly successful.

Bonwick has included a vast array of further reading on the subject of the American Revolution and makes a few acknowledgments at the start of the book, as well as various citations in the further reading section of the book. Bonwick describes the list of further reading he has compiled has ‘highly selective’ which I can only assume means they are trustworthy pieces that he regards very highly. An example of this ‘… is excellent. It presents much of the subject matter of this book visually and includes much very useful source material on which the maps are based.’ Bonwick praises many of the materials listed in his further reading section, which only solidifies my assumption that they are trustworthy pieces (whilst obviously assuming Bonwick himself is a reputable historian, which he most definitely is). While Bonwick is quite prepared to praise other pieces of work on the same subject, he does not hold back on criticism either, for example ‘The Glorious Cause (New York: Oxford University Press, 1982) is one of many good narratives of the war though disappointingly orthodox on other aspects of the Revolution. The War of American Independence… is broader and in many respects superior.’ Here we can see Bonwick’s critical mind at work and it helps a reader, should they so desire, make a decision on whether they want to read one of the materials listed.

Where criticism of the book is concerned, one flaw I noticed was the relatively small amount of information on the Seven Years War. In the wider context of the American struggle for independence it is clear that the Seven Years War (the ‘French and Indian wars’ or the ‘Great War for Empire’ as Bonwick calls it) played a major role indeed. Of course, it is as a direct result of the heavy cost of the war that taxes were levied on the American colonists. It was the view in Britain that, because the wars essentially protected the American continent from other European powers and protected the colonists themselves, the colonists should have to pay some of the financial burden that had been thrust upon Britain. If the American Revolution is to be analysed comprehensively I think it is paramount that the Seven Years War has great emphasis placed upon it, or greater emphasis placed on it in Colin Bonwick’s case. As well as this, I believe that a true comprehensive analysis of the American Revolution should stretch beyond the 1790s and actually cover the War of 1812. I believe this should be the case because it was the last the time The Americans and the British ever fought directly against each other and it was a resolution of many issues remaining from the American War of Independence.

Apart from the flaws detailed above, the book is a very solid analysis of the American Revolution. Bonwick has used a number of primary and secondary sources throughout the entirety of the book, all of which are referenced and detailed in the ‘Notes’ section. These include census information, geological surveys, figures derived from US Bureau of the Census and various other materials. His use of sources are employed and exploited convincingly across the board and the inclusion of quotes is something he has utilised excellently when making a point or giving a wider context. In this respect, Bonwick has not put a foot wrong.

When it comes to the bibliography, it is substantial to say the least, including both ‘notes’ and ‘further reading’ it is no less than forty pages long, with each piece listed given an author and in many, if not all cases, given a date published and where it came from. Therefore it is clear that the amount of reading Bonwick has done on the subject is a lifetime’s worth and so this again reinforces the reputability of the book and the man himself. Given the sheer weight of quality material listed in the bibliography it would be fair to say it is no less than excellent.

To conclude, I would certainly recommend this book to other scholars studying the history of the United States, and the Revolution in particular. Although the book does not go into great detail on specific areas such as social impact of the war on American colonists or on certain key figures, it does provide a highly detailed overview of the period between the mid-eighteenth century and the mid-1790s, particularly from an American standpoint. The books shortcomings lie in the fact it doesn’t go into great detail about the Seven Years War and it doesn’t stretch to the War of 1812, which are very much in context with the American Revolution. Moreover, Bonwick could have gone into more detail when it came to British viewpoints of the Revolution, as well as other nations such as France and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. Of course it is often argued, and with good reason, that without the help of these two nations, France in particular, the American Revolution would have more likely been repulsed. So then, apart from a few issues, it is clear that this book is a very reputable piece of work on the American Revolution and is highly recommended to scholars seeking to study the subject.

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