Declaring independence

On the 250th anniversary of American independence, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Edward J. Larson offers a compact yet powerful history of 1776—the year that transformed colonial protest into a fight for liberty. In Declaring Independence, Larson traces how Americans shifted from demanding their rights as British subjects to embracing the radical idea of an independent republic. He follows the dramatic course of the year, from Thomas Paine’s electrifying Common Sense in January to the Continental Congress’s declaration of self-evident truths in July, and Paine’s stirring call to arms in December. Alongside these ideas came the sacrifices of war: Washington’s bold strategy at Boston, the crushing defeat at Long Island, and the unlikely triumph at Trenton. Blending intellectual and military history, Larson reveals how 1776 forged both the ideals and the resolve that gave birth to the United States.

Details

• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 288
• Genre: History, American Revolution, Political Science