Divided Loyalties: How the American Revolution Came to New York - Hardcover

Ketchum, Richard M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0805061193 ISBN 13: 9780805061192

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co., 2002

Synopsis

Before the Civil War splintered the young country, there was another conflict that divided friends and family-the Revolutionary War

Prior to the French and Indian War, the British government had taken little interest in their expanding American empire. Years of neglect had allowed America's fledgling democracy to gain power, but by 1760 America had become the biggest and fastest-growing part of the British economy, and the mother country required tribute.

When the Revolution came to New York City, it tore apart a community that was already riven by deep-seated family, political, religious, and economic antagonisms. Focusing on a number of individuals, Divided Loyalties describes their response to increasingly drastic actions taken in London by a succession of the king's ministers, which finally forced people to take sides and decide whether they would continue their loyalty to Great Britain and the king, or cast their lot with the American insurgents.

Using fascinating detail to draw us into history's narrative, Richard M. Ketchum explains why New Yorkers with similar life experiences-even members of the same family-chose different sides when the war erupted.

About this title

About the Author

Richard M. Ketchum is the author of the Revolutionary War classics Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill (0-8050-6099-5), Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton (0-8050-6098-7), and Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War (0-8050-6123-1). He and his wife live on a sheep farm in Vermont.

From Library Journal

When we think of America and the Civil War, we usually think of the blue and the gray. But as historian Ketchum (The Winter Soldiers) points out in his newest book, America's first Civil War occurred nearly a century earlier. Ketchum uses New York City as the backdrop to describe the events that ultimately led to war, beginning with British Prime Minister Walpole's policy of "salutary neglect" (i.e., the Colonies were best served by avoiding war, encouraging trade, and keeping taxes low) to George III's efforts to tax the Colonies to pay war debts and his rejection of a final peace proposal in 1775. Ketchum uses two prominent New York families, the DeLanceys and the Livingstons, one with loyalist tendencies and the other patriotic, to illustrate the complex issues that not only divided the country but split families and set neighbor against neighbor. Ketchum's narrative style and frequent use of firsthand accounts makes for easy reading and brings the participants to life. What results is a good companion to Schecter's The Battle for New York, since Schecter essentially picks up where Ketchum leaves off, on the eve of war, and describes the struggles of the British to hold on to New York City. Ketchum's book also includes an appendix of the principal characters. Recommended for medium to large public libraries. (Index not seen.) Schecter, a professional writer and historian, makes the case for New York City's being the strategic axis around which the Revolutionary War revolved. Schecter shows again and again how Great Britain's desire to hold New York City cost it the war effort, beginning with Gen. William Howe's slow invasion, in which he missed several opportunities to trap Washington in favor of securing the city, and ending with Gen. Henry Clinton's failure to reinforce Cornwallis because of his apprehensions about a possible attack on the city. The easy narrative style is enhanced by numerous quotes, allowing the actual players to tell their part of the story. This book is of special interest to those who live in and around New York, as it includes details about the fortifications of the two armies complete with references to current locations in the city and a walking tour. Well researched and written, this book is recommended for libraries in the New York area and those with comprehensive American Revolution collections.
Robert K. Flatley, Frostburg State Univ. Libs., MD
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0805061193
• ISBN 13: 9780805061192
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 464