American Crisis
George Washington and the Dangerous Two Years After Yorktown, 1781-1783
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- $20.99
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
The story of the dramatic two years (October 1781-November 1783) after General Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown, when the nascent United States was on the brink of immediate collapse.
Most people believe the American Revolution ended in October, 1781, after the battle of Yorktown; in fact the war continued for two more traumatic years. During that time, the Revolution came closer to being lost than at any time in the previous half dozen. The British still held New York, Savannah, Wilmington, and Charleston; the Royal Navy controlled the seas; the states--despite having signed the Articles of Confederation earlier that year--retained their individual sovereignty and, largely bankrupt themselves, refused to send any money in the new nation's interest; members of Congress were in constant disagreement; and the Continental army was on the verge of mutiny.
William Fowler's An American Crisis chronicles these tumultuous and dramatic two years, from Yorktown until the British left New York in November 1783. At their heart was the remarkable speech Gen. George Washington gave to his troops evcamped north of New York in Newburgh, quelling a brewing rebellion that could have overturned the nascent government.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Vivid descriptions of personalities from all camps and a spellbinding narrative prove that in the hands of accomplished author and academic Fowler (Empires at War: The French and Indian War and the Struggle for North America), history need not be dull. He thrusts readers into the center of political and military machinations after Cornwallis's 1781 defeat at Yorktown. The British still held some major cities; George III asserted he would abdicate rather than grant American independence; peace and a stable American government were not assured outcomes. But Congress had no funds to pay the army; members favoring a stronger national government encouraged the officer corps, "the only viable national institution," to agitate for their pay. Highlighting George Washington's pivotal role, Fowler relates events leading to Washington's unannounced and unprecedented appearance at a general meeting of officers in 1783, which aborted moves toward mutiny. Those present reaffirmed their allegiance to Congress and country, preserving the army's respect for civilian authority. Even readers familiar with details like the establishment of a republic in Vermont and its flirtations with Canada will find fresh insights in this superb chronicle. 8 pages of b&w photos; 2 maps.
