King George (18 page)
Authors: Steve Sheinkin
Deborah Sampson
married a man named Benjamin Gannett and had three children. In addition to teaching school, she developed a traveling show in which she appeared on stage dressed as a Continental army soldier and talked about her war experiences. When she died at the age of sixty-seven, Congress awarded her family a special pension “for the relief of the heirs of Deborah Gannett, a soldier of the Revolution.”
married a man named Benjamin Gannett and had three children. In addition to teaching school, she developed a traveling show in which she appeared on stage dressed as a Continental army soldier and talked about her war experiences. When she died at the age of sixty-seven, Congress awarded her family a special pension “for the relief of the heirs of Deborah Gannett, a soldier of the Revolution.”
George Washington
's hopes for a quiet retirement at Mount Vernon were short-lived. First he was sent to represent Virginia at the Constitutional Convention, then he was chosen to be the first president of the United States. “I greatly fear that my countrymen will expect too much from me,” he confided in a friend. He served two terms as presidentâthen he was asked to serve a third. He absolutely refused.
's hopes for a quiet retirement at Mount Vernon were short-lived. First he was sent to represent Virginia at the Constitutional Convention, then he was chosen to be the first president of the United States. “I greatly fear that my countrymen will expect too much from me,” he confided in a friend. He served two terms as presidentâthen he was asked to serve a third. He absolutely refused.
George and Martha Washington finally moved back home in 1797, where, two and a half years later, Washington developed a dangerous throat infection. With no idea how to cure this kind of illness, doctors bled him four times and smeared a “medicine” of dried beetles on his neck. Washington could tell it wasn't working. “I feel myself going,” he told the doctors. “I thank you for your attentions, but I pray you to take no more trouble about me.” Sitting with him as he died, Martha called out, “I shall soon follow him!” Martha died three years later and was buried beside George at Mount Vernon.
I
f you promise not to get too mad, I'll tell you a secret. I used to write textbooks.
f you promise not to get too mad, I'll tell you a secret. I used to write textbooks.
Yes, it's true. I helped write those big books that break your back when you carry them and put you to sleep when you read them. But let me say one thing in my own defense: I never meant for them to be boring!
I used to spend long days in the library, searching for stories to make my history textbooks fun to read. And I filled up notebooks with good onesâfunny, amazing, inspiring, surprising, and disgusting stories. But as you've probably noticed, textbooks are filled with charts, tables, lists, names, dates, review questions ⦠there isn't any room left for the good stuff. In fact, every time I tried to sneak in a cool story, my bosses used to drag me to this dark room in the basement of our building and take turns dropping filing cabinets on my head.
Okay, that's a lie. But they could have fired me, right? And I've got a wife and baby to think about.
So here's what I did: Over the years, I secretly stashed away all the stuff I wasn't allowed to use in textbooks. I kept telling myself, “One of these days I'm going to write my own history books! And I'll pack them with all the true stories and real quotes that textbooks never tell you!”
Well, now those books finally exist. If you can find it in your heart to forgive my previous crimes, I hope you'll give this book a chance. Thanks for hearing me out.
When I tell people about what I do for a living, some say it sounds like dream, and some say it sounds like a nightmare. I spend long days in libraries, reading tall stacks of books and taking tons of notes. When I find a story or character I like, I follow leads from one book to another, in search of more details. I sometimes think of myself as a kind of detectiveâa story detective.
The point is, I ended up reading hundreds of books while writing
King George: What Was His Problem?
Below is a list of the books I found most helpful. If you want to learn more about the people and events of the American Revolution, this list would be a good place to start. I hope it's helpful.
King George: What Was His Problem?
Below is a list of the books I found most helpful. If you want to learn more about the people and events of the American Revolution, this list would be a good place to start. I hope it's helpful.
Books About the American Revolution
I started my research by reading a bunch of books about the American Revolutionâbooks that cover the entire war. When you read books like this you don't get too much detail about any one person or event, but you get a great overall picture of what happened and why.
Alden, John R.
A History of the American Revolution.
New York: Da Capo Press, 1969.
A History of the American Revolution.
New York: Da Capo Press, 1969.
Bobrick, Benson.
Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Cook, Don.
The Long Fuse: How England Lost the American Colonies.
New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1995.
The Long Fuse: How England Lost the American Colonies.
New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1995.
Evans, Elizabeth.
Weathering the Storm: Women of the American Revolution.
New York: Scribner, 1975.
Weathering the Storm: Women of the American Revolution.
New York: Scribner, 1975.
Harvey, Robert.
A Few Bloody Noses: The American War of Independence.
London: John Murray, 2001.
A Few Bloody Noses: The American War of Independence.
London: John Murray, 2001.
Hibbert, Christopher.
Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution Through British Eyes.
London: Grafton, 1990.
Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution Through British Eyes.
London: Grafton, 1990.
Ketchum, Richard, M., ed.
The American Heritage Book of the Revolution.
New York: American Heritage Publishing, 1958.
The American Heritage Book of the Revolution.
New York: American Heritage Publishing, 1958.
Leckie, Robert.
George Washington's War: The Saga of the American Revolution.
New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
George Washington's War: The Saga of the American Revolution.
New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
Lossing, Benson John.
Pictorial Field Book of the American Revolution.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1859.
Pictorial Field Book of the American Revolution.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1859.
Russell, David Lee.
The American Revolution in the Southern Colonies.
Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2000.
The American Revolution in the Southern Colonies.
Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2000.
Symonds, Craig L.
Battlefield Atlas of the Revolution
. Cartography by William J. Clipson. Annapolis, Md.: Nautical & Aviation Pub. Co., 1986.
Battlefield Atlas of the Revolution
. Cartography by William J. Clipson. Annapolis, Md.: Nautical & Aviation Pub. Co., 1986.
Ward, Christopher.
The War of the Revolution.
New York: Macmillan Company, 1952.
The War of the Revolution.
New York: Macmillan Company, 1952.
Books about the events leading to the American Revolution
After working through the books above, I started looking for sources that describe the causes of the Revolution. I also read a couple of great books about those exciting first few moments of the fight for independenceâmy favorite was
Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution
.
Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution
.
Galvin, John R.
The Minute Men: The First Fight: Myths and Realities of the American Revolution.
Washington, D.C.: Pergamon-Brassey's International Defense Publisher, 1989.
The Minute Men: The First Fight: Myths and Realities of the American Revolution.
Washington, D.C.: Pergamon-Brassey's International Defense Publisher, 1989.
Langguth, A.J.
Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution.
New York: Touchstone, 1988.
Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution.
New York: Touchstone, 1988.
Maier, Pauline.
From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765-1776.
New York: Knopf, 1972.
From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain, 1765-1776.
New York: Knopf, 1972.
Shy, John.
Toward Lexington: The Role of the British Army in the Coming of the American Revolution.
Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1965.
Toward Lexington: The Role of the British Army in the Coming of the American Revolution.
Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1965.
Tourtellot, Arthur B.
Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution.
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1963.
Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution.
New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1963.
Books about specific Revolution battles or subjects
As I worked on each chapter, I was always on the lookout for cool stories and quotes from specific eventsâlike Washington's surprise attack at Trenton, or the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Here are some books I read to learn about these events. Since these books focus on just one subject, they give you lots more detail than the more general books listed above.
Bakeless, John Edwin.
Turncoats, Traitors, and Heroes.
Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1959.
Turncoats, Traitors, and Heroes.
Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1959.
Chidsey, Donald Barr.
Victory at Yorktown.
New York: Crown Publishers, 1962. Dwyer, William M.
The Day Is Ours!: November 1776âJanuary 1777: An Inside View of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton.
New York: Viking Press, 1983.
Victory at Yorktown.
New York: Crown Publishers, 1962. Dwyer, William M.
The Day Is Ours!: November 1776âJanuary 1777: An Inside View of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton.
New York: Viking Press, 1983.
Evans, Elizabeth.
Weathering the Storm: Women of the American Revolution.
New York: Scribner, 1975.
Weathering the Storm: Women of the American Revolution.
New York: Scribner, 1975.
Ketchum, Richard M.
Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill
. New York: H. Holt, 1999.
Decisive Day: The Battle for Bunker Hill
. New York: H. Holt, 1999.
ââââ.
Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War.
New York: H. Holt, 1997.
Saratoga: Turning Point of America's Revolutionary War.
New York: H. Holt, 1997.
ââââ.
The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton.
New York: Henry Holt, 1999.
The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton.
New York: Henry Holt, 1999.
Maier, Pauline.
American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence.
New York: Random House, 1998.
American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence.
New York: Random House, 1998.
Neimeyer, Charles Patrick.
America Goes to War: A Social History of the Continental Army.
New York: New York University Press, 1996.
America Goes to War: A Social History of the Continental Army.
New York: New York University Press, 1996.
Schecter, Barnet.
The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution.
New York: Walker & Co., 2002.
The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution.
New York: Walker & Co., 2002.
Schoenbrun, David.
Triumph in Paris: The Exploits of Benjamin Franklin.
New York: Harper & Row, 1976.
Triumph in Paris: The Exploits of Benjamin Franklin.
New York: Harper & Row, 1976.
Vanderbilt, Gertrude Lefferts.
The Social History of Flatbush, and Manners and Customs of the Dutch Settlers in Kings County.
New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1881.
The Social History of Flatbush, and Manners and Customs of the Dutch Settlers in Kings County.
New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1881.
Van Doren, Carl.
Secret History of the American Revolution.
New York: Viking Press, 1941.
Secret History of the American Revolution.
New York: Viking Press, 1941.
Wildes, Harry Emerson.
Valley Forge.
New York: Macmillan Company, 1938.
Valley Forge.
New York: Macmillan Company, 1938.
Wills, Garry.
Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1978.
Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1978.
Biographies of major Revolution figures
Every story needs its main characters, right? And one of the best ways to find out about the key players of the American Revolution is to read biographies about them. I often read entire biographies in search of just one or two interesting details to help bring the character to life.
Arnold, Isaac Newton.
The Life of Benedict Arnold: His Patriotism and Treason.
Chicago: Jansen, McClurg & Co., 1880.
The Life of Benedict Arnold: His Patriotism and Treason.
Chicago: Jansen, McClurg & Co., 1880.
Brands, H.W.
The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin.
New York: Doubleday, 2000.
The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin.
New York: Doubleday, 2000.
Brookhiser, Richard.
Alexander Hamilton: American.
New York: Touchstone, 1999. Chernow, Ron.
Alexander Hamilton.
New York: Penguin Press, 2004.
Alexander Hamilton: American.
New York: Touchstone, 1999. Chernow, Ron.
Alexander Hamilton.
New York: Penguin Press, 2004.
Chidsey, Donald Barr.
The World of Samuel Adams.
Nashville: T. Nelson, 1974. Clark, Ronald William.
Benjamin Franklin: A Biography.
New York: Random House, 1983.
The World of Samuel Adams.
Nashville: T. Nelson, 1974. Clark, Ronald William.
Benjamin Franklin: A Biography.
New York: Random House, 1983.
ââââ.
George Washington in. the American Revolution
. Boston: Little, Brown, 1968.
George Washington in. the American Revolution
. Boston: Little, Brown, 1968.
Flexner, James Thomas.
The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold and John Andre.
Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1991.
The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold and John Andre.
Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1991.
Forbes, Esther.
Paul Revere and the World He Lived In
. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1942.
Paul Revere and the World He Lived In
. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1942.
Galvin, John R.
Three Men of Boston.
New York: Crowell, 1976.
Three Men of Boston.
New York: Crowell, 1976.
Holbrook, Stewart.
Ethan Allen
. New York: Macmillan Company, 1940.
Ethan Allen
. New York: Macmillan Company, 1940.
Keane, John.
Tom Paine: A Political Life.
London: Bloomsbury, 1995.
Tom Paine: A Political Life.
London: Bloomsbury, 1995.
Martin, James Kirby.
Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered.
New York: New York University Press, 1997.
Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered.
New York: New York University Press, 1997.
Mayer, Henry.
A Son of Thunder: Patrick Henry and the American Republic.
New York: F. Watts, 1986.
A Son of Thunder: Patrick Henry and the American Republic.
New York: F. Watts, 1986.
Randall, Willard Sterne.
Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor.
New York: Morrow, 1990.
Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor.
New York: Morrow, 1990.
ââââ.
George Washington: A Life
. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1997.
George Washington: A Life
. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1997.
ââââ.
Thomas Jefferson: A Life.
New York: H. Holt, 1993.
Thomas Jefferson: A Life.
New York: H. Holt, 1993.
Unger, Harlow G.
John Hancock: Merchant King and American Patriot.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.
John Hancock: Merchant King and American Patriot.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.
Collections of quotes, memoirs, and other primary sources by Revolution participants
When you want to find out what life was like during a certain time in history, the best thing to do is to read stories told by the participants in their own words. Here are some books full of stories told by people who played a part in the Revolutionâboth famous and nonfamous folks. My favorites were probably the letters by Abigail and John Adams (they were both hilarious, and not afraid to speak their minds) and Joseph Plumb Martin's book about what it was like to be an American soldier in this war that went on and on.
Adams, Abigail.
The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letter of the Adams Family,
1762-1784. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1975.
The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letter of the Adams Family,
1762-1784. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1975.
Adams, John.
Diary and Autobiography of John Adams.
Edited by L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press, 1961-1966.
Diary and Autobiography of John Adams.
Edited by L. H. Butterfield. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press, 1961-1966.
Blecki, Catherine La Courreye, and Karin A. Wulf, eds.
Milcah Martha Moore's Book: A Commonplace Book from Revolutionary America.
University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997.
Milcah Martha Moore's Book: A Commonplace Book from Revolutionary America.
University Park, Pa.: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997.
Commanger, Henry Steele, and Richard B. Morris, eds.
The Spirit of Seventy-Six: The Story of the American Revolution as Told by Participants.
New York: Da Capo Press, 1995.
The Spirit of Seventy-Six: The Story of the American Revolution as Told by Participants.
New York: Da Capo Press, 1995.
Martin, Joseph Plumb.
Private Yankee Doodle: Being a Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier.
Edited by George F. Scheer. Boston: Little, Brown, 1962.
Private Yankee Doodle: Being a Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier.
Edited by George F. Scheer. Boston: Little, Brown, 1962.
Paine, Tom.
Common Sense and Other Political Writings.
Edited by Nelson F. Adkins. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1953.
Common Sense and Other Political Writings.
Edited by Nelson F. Adkins. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1953.
Riedesel, Friederike Charlotte Luise.
Letters and Memoirs Relating to the War of American Independence
. Translated from the German by Marvin L. Brown, Jr. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1965.
Letters and Memoirs Relating to the War of American Independence
. Translated from the German by Marvin L. Brown, Jr. Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1965.
Scheer, George F., and Hugh F. Rankin.
Rebels and Redcoats: The American Revolution Through the Eyes of Those Who Fought and Lived It.
New York: Da Capo Press, 1957.
Rebels and Redcoats: The American Revolution Through the Eyes of Those Who Fought and Lived It.
New York: Da Capo Press, 1957.
Thacher, James.
A Military Journal During the American Revolutionary War from
1775 to 1783. Boston: Richardson & Lord, 1823.
A Military Journal During the American Revolutionary War from
1775 to 1783. Boston: Richardson & Lord, 1823.
Washington, George.
Washington: Writings.
New York: Library of America, 1997.
Washington: Writings.
New York: Library of America, 1997.
Wheeler, Richard, ed.
Voices of 1776: The Story of the American Revolution in the Words of Those Who Were There
. New York: Crowell, 1972.
Voices of 1776: The Story of the American Revolution in the Words of Those Who Were There
. New York: Crowell, 1972.
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