Revolution and Counterrevolution in America

by John Peterson

484 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2026

About the author

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Reviews

[W. Blacksmith]

A wonderful, easy-to-read, and timely released book that answered most of the questions I had about the history of the USA, especially the revolutionary parts of the story.

The section explaining the complex political economy of the pre-revolutionary era of the USA was quite interesting and enlightening, and was truly an insane example of the Marxist theory of combined and uneven development.

But more importantly, learning about Bacon’s Rebellion was truly remarkable for me. It really solidified my understanding of the real material sources of racism:

“Bacon drew support from a broad coalition of the disenfranchised and dispossessed. These included yeoman farmers, landless freemen, Black and white indentured servants, and African chattels.”

And:

“The fear of civil war among whites frightened Virginia’s ruling elite, who took steps to consolidate power and improve their image: for example, restoration of property qualifications for voting, reducing taxes, and adoption of a more aggressive American Indian policy.”

"Most importantly, however, it catalyzed the transition to racial slavery, a cancerous blight that has metastasized throughout the centuries ever since. An interracial alliance of the laboring majority was the colonial elites’ worst nightmare—and remains an incubus for the ruling class to this day."