The First American Revolution [antikvár]

Editor's Foreword For the past century and a half various attempts have been made to interpret the American Revolution. Until very recently, most of these have followed the classic explanation of George Bancroft, a mid-nineteenth century historian, who analyzed the American upheaval in idealistic and patriotic terms. Reflecting the influence of his German university studies and of his Jack-sonian political affiliations, Bancroft represented the Revolution as one phase in man's continuous struggle for political freedom and, as such, part of the grand "design of Providence." In 1776, so the theory runs, American patriots were entrusted with the divine mission of maintaining not only their own liberties but also those of the English people. The Lucifer in the case was George III who was resolved to coerce the thirteen colonies "though America were to be drenched in blood and its towns reduced to ashes. Similarly, the Whig school of historians, Green, Trevelyan and others, sought to interpret the first American Revolution in terms of the diabolical character of George III. According to the argument, this tyrannical sovereign was aided in his satanic designs by the Tory statesmen of the day, whose stupidity, blindness and corruption caused the loss of the colonies. All would have been well if good Whigs had been in power; these angels of light would have saved the 9