Overview

Although American independence was no miracle, the timing of the country’s independence and its huge scope, both political and territorial, do seem miraculous. In The Miracle of American Independence Jonathan R. Dull reconstructs significant events before, during, and after the Revolutionary War that had dramatic consequences for the future as the colonies sought independence from Great Britain. Without these surprising and unexpected results, Dull maintains, the country would have turned out quite differently. The Miracle of American Independence reimagines how the British might have averted or overcome American independence, and how the fledgling country itself could have lost its independence. Drawing on his nearly fifty years of research and a lively imagination, Dull puts readers in a position to consider the American Revolution from the perspective of the European states and their monarchs. This alternative history provides a stimulating reintroduction to one of the most exciting periods in American and European history, proving that sometimes reality is even stranger and more miraculous than fiction.

Full Product Details

Author:   Jonathan R. Dull
Publisher:   Potomac Books Inc
Imprint:   Potomac Books Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 14.00cm , Height: 1.10cm , Length: 21.60cm
Weight:   0.259kg
ISBN:  

9781612347677

ISBN 10:   1612347673
Pages:   198
Publication Date:   01 November 2015
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

PrefacePart 1. Seven Ways the British Might Have Averted American Independence1. Britain Could Have Continued to Accept America’s Partial Autonomy2. There Might Have Been a Peaceful Resolution of the Colonial Rivalry of 1748–17553. The War of 1755 Could Have Ended in a Quick British Victory4. The French Could Have Won the War5. The British Army Could Have Withdrawn from the American Frontier6. The British Government Might Have Learned a Lesson from the Stamp Act Fiasco7. The British Might Have Avoided War with the American ColoniesPart 2. Twelve Ways the British Could Have Overcome American Independence8. American Resistance Might Have Been Fatally Weakened during 17759. The Seven Years’ War Could Have Permanently Weakened the French Navy10. The British Might Have Accepted France’s Pleas for Better Relations11. King Louis XVI Could Have Refused to Arm the Americans12. The British Might Have Crushed the Continental Army13. Louis XVI Could Have Pulled Back from War14. Spain Might Not Have Joined the War15. Spain Might Have Made Peace with Britain16. The British Might Have Captured West Point17. A Financial Collapse Could Have Doomed the Revolution18. The Allies Might Not Have Achieved the Cooperation Needed for Victory19. The Peace Treaty Could Have Left the United States Too Weak to SurvivePart 3. The Way the United States Could Have Lost Its Independence20. The American Union Might Not Have LastedNotesIndex

Reviews

-A fascinating examination of possibilities in the American Revolution that might have served to deny independence. Jonathan Dull knows the scholarly studies of the American Revolution, and he has mastered many of the sources that bear on the period. His book takes up hypothetical questions framed on 'what if' circumstances. It is careful and balanced despite its unorthodox method. Any reader interested in the Revolution will find it engaging and valuable.---Robert Middlekauff, Preston Hotchkis Professor of American History, Emeritus, at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Washington's Revolution--Robert Middlekauff (03/16/2015)

A fascinating examination of possibilities in the American Revolution that might have served to deny independence. Jonathan Dull knows the scholarly studies of the American Revolution, and he has mastered many of the sources that bear on the period. His book takes up hypothetical questions framed on 'what if' circumstances. It is careful and balanced despite its unorthodox method. Any reader interested in the Revolution will find it engaging and valuable. --Robert Middlekauff, Preston Hotchkis Professor of American History, Emeritus, at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Washington's Revolution

Author Information

Jonathan R. Dull served as the senior associate editor of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin series until 2008 and is the author of numerous books, including Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution (Nebraska, 2010), The French Navy and the Seven Years’ War (Nebraska, 2005), and The Age of the Ship of the Line (Nebraska, 2009).

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