American Insurgents American Patriots

T.H. Breen

Any American schoolchild who has studied the Revolutionary War knows the names of George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, as well as many others who were involved in the Continental Congresses. These men were part of America's elite - scholarly, wealthier, and visible. But how many of us know names like Matthew Patten, Israel Shreve, Rev. Samuel Williams, Isaiah Thomas, or William Goddard? These are a few of the many, many farmers, shop keepers, sales clerks, and other every day working men who drew together to form the groundswell of anti-British rule sentiment. These people were often ahead of the Continental Congresses.

T.H. Breen, an American history scholar, shows how these patriots in 1774 and 1775 also fit the definition of insurgents against the established government. Today the word insurgent presents a picture of a zealot who commits violence and murder to make a statement. That is usually the case throughout history. American insurgents were no less passionate. Fortunately they took a somewhat different path. Yes, there were acts of violence (Breen highlights making a man ride a wooden horse in his introduction) but much of the resistance came in forms of raising of a militia, or blackballing a merchant, or shunning a member of the community. They spread their message through the news outlets of the time.

It was interesting to me to note that the civil uprising didn't occur until after the Boston Tea Party in late 1773. Before that Americans had been content with the British rule. After that, they started to feel like they were second class British citizens. At first their unrest was quiet, hidden, or even ignored. In 1774 independence wasn't yet the goal of the insurgency. These people wanted full recognition and equality with the British.

General Gage is a man often reviled in American history books. He was a man sent over from England and caught in a bad situation. The English Parliament refused to acknowledge the extent or depth of the American problem. Gage didn't have a full grasp of how deep the problem was. He didn't have the backing he needed from his government or military. His decisions were based on what had always been, not on how the upstart Americans were changing the rules of war.

American Insurgents American Patriots presents many stories from 1774 and 1775 as the general populace banded together to resist the current government. Breen examines different aspects of the forces that drove the people.

One chapter is devoted to early September when the First Continental Congress was meeting. A rumor started that General Gage had attacked and taken over Boston. At least six innocent men were supposedly killed. That rumor sparked an uprising that was unexpected. Men started gathering their local militias to march on Boston. There was no single man or entity calling them together. The action spread up into New Hampshire and Vermont and down to Virginia and North Carolina before the rumor was discounted. These militia units gathered before any action was made by the Continental Congress. That session passed some resolutions that they may not have if the people hadn't moved to action on their own first.

Boston Harbor was blockaded by the British. Many men suddenly found themselves out of work. People throughout the colonies starting collecting and sending care packages to them. Instead of subduing the insurgents as the British hoped, this action helped bring them together in other ways.

Breen has written a book that shows what was happening beyond the stories told in our history books. He presents the situation from both points of view, although it heavily favors the Americans - of course. He states when he doesn't have documentation to prove his explanations and when he does. The book has an extensive bibliography listing all his sources. There also is an index to help the reader find a particular person or incident.

At times American Insurgents American Patriots gets a bit cumbersome (don't try reading this in a comfortable recliner with warm sun falling on you - I fell asleep). Yet the information is intriguing. I was glad to see this different viewpoint showing why the Continental Congress had a strong following. Instead, the men with names we've known since childhood were following the men whose names we may never learn. It is also a good research book for future scholars of American History.

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