Frontier Rebels: The Fight for Independence in the American West, 1765-1776

by Patrick Spero

The untold story of the “Black Boys,” a rebellion on the American frontier in 1765 that sparked the American Revolution.

In Frontier Rebels, historian Patrick Spero tells the story of the Black Boys, a band of rebels whose protests ignited the American Revolution. In 1765, as the Stamp Act riled eastern seaports, frontiersmen clashed with the British Empire over another issue: Indian relations. When British officials launched a risky diplomatic expedition into the American interior to open trade with the Indian warrior Pontiac, the Black Boys formed to stop it. Distrustful of Native neighbors and suspicious of imperial aims, the Black Boys led an uprising that threatened the future of Britain’s empire. Clashing with unscrupulous traders, daring diplomats, Native warriors, and imperious British officials, the Black Boys evolved into an organized political movement that resisted the Crown years before the Declaration of Independence. A fast-paced read examining an overlooked conflict, Frontier Rebels brings to life a forgotten cast of characters and sheds new light on the origins of American Independence.

Genres: History, American Revolution, American History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, 18th Century, Politics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Nonfiction History. I love history. This covered a lot of pre-American Revolutionary War details. I liked the politics, the leaders, the research and the little details I've never heard of before. But this felt a little like Mr. Grogan's US History class in high school. I felt my eyes glazing over a couple of times. Not fun, but still interesting. So 3 stars.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I was looking for a book that covered similar ground to "Peaceable Kingdom Lost" but that I might actually be able to assign to undergrads, and this absolutely fits the bill. It actually does me one better, too, because Spero specifically makes an argument that this story fits with the rise of the American Revolution. And he does a pretty good job making the case. I also appreciate his little appendix where he writes about how he turned deposition records into dialogue for the book - this, I think, is something history students should be thinking about, and it is hard to find the process and its pluses and minuses laid out as clearly as it is here. And the book is very readable (at least to me).
It would most clearly be useful in an American Revolution-focused class, although it starts early and ends late enough to be good for a US History pre-Civil War class. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm willing to go as far as Spero takes his thesis here, in terms of Revolutionary historiography - but that would be a useful thing to talk to students about as well.

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What happened net set the course for the rest of the Black Boys' Rebellion and helped transform a single action by a vigilante group into a movement that would shake the foundations of the British Empire." (p.62)

Yeah, this book was disappointing. It's main fault: as evidenced by the quote above, it could be overblown. The main issue in that regard was that the book's title and set up made it sound like it would be about the entire colonial frontier - but it isn't. It's just Pennsylvania. Look, there's a valid reason to look at their frontier and it played a role, but the title says the American West, and it's just one colony.

Early on, Spero notes how we often look to the famous protests along the coast to see what caused the Revolution, but he wants to look at the frontier, as he argues that's also a key area to understand the Revolution. Well, it's not irrelevant, but 1) there were a lot more people along the coast than on the frontier, 2) the people on the coast didn't really care that much about frontier issues, 3) the frontiersmen often blamed the coastal elites for their problems more than the British (though, to be fair, those two groups were often interchangable), and 4) as noted already - Spero's only looking at one colony's frontier. So he's overreaching himself in multiple ways. (And by the way, if you really do want to argue for the centrality of the frontier for the road to Revolution, maybe also bring up the Regulators of North Carolina. God, what a mess that was. But there is no evidence in this book that Spero has ever heard of the Regulators).

Short version: frontiersmen wanted land from the Indians. The colonial leaders wanted peace with the Indians after Pontiac's Rebellion. The leaders of Pennsylvania were Quakers who prided themselves on humane treatment of the Native Americans. All this bred considerable distrust on the frontier of their so-called social betters. Things reached a tipping point when some locals in the western land darkened their faces with cork, became known as the Black Boys, and attacked an official wagon train sending supplies to Ft. Pitt (in order to trade supplies with the Indians).

Instead of being a one-off thing, it spread, as the Black Boys had the support of the frontiersmen. The leadership tried to do a delicate balancing act of negotiation between all sides. Eventually, it got subsumed into the road to Revolution, as many involved in the Black Boys supported the patriot cause to help clear the land of Indians.

I was going to give this book two stars, but it did rally later on. Patrick Spero did a nice job showing the future ripples of this movement. The people involved took part in the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion. Some went to Kentucky, and the anti-government Kentucky Resolution fit their mindset. They supported the Jeffersonian distrust of government. They became the backbone of Andrew Jackson's political coalition and cheered him on in the Bank War. The author even notes how when he went there, a local expert gave a detailed talk about what happened, but interpreted it as all about guns: protecting the right to bare arms. Spero disagrees with that narrow view, but also notes that the man's strong distrust of the government is itself the real legacy - you still see it even now in this same region.

Spero's rally at the end causes me to kick this up to three stars, but it's still lackluster. He also makes a few errors along the way. He says the British lost at Bunker Hill. (No, they won the battle, but with such high casualties that it wasn't worth it). He also ties the pro-slavery sentiments of James Buchanan (who was born/raised in this same part of Pennsylvania) to the lingering Black Boys views. From what I know. Buchanan's sympathy for the south on slavery stemmed from his longtime relationship with North Carolina's William Rufus King. The two lived together in DC for over a decade.

[Charles Inglin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author covers a lesser known aspect of the American Revolution, the "Black Boys" rebellion in Western Pennsylvania in the later 1760's. The name came from the rebellious frontiersmens' practice of painting their faces black as a means of concealing their identities.

In the aftermath of the French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion which followed it the British government was trying to find a means to pacify the Indians and prevent more wars. A key element of this policy was providing the Indians with trade goods. Colonial merchants on the seaboard were eager to resume trade with the Indians. But the settlers on the frontier, who's borne the brunt of Indian raids, had developed a deep seated hatred for the Indians and looked at sending them trade material, particularly gunpowder and lead and anything that could be used in war, was equipping the Indians for renewed attacks on the settlers. So the settlers began intercepting traders and inspecting their cargoes, seizing materials they wanted kept from the Indians, starting with a large convoy carrying goods to be used in treaty negotiations. This put them in conflict with the British army and at one point the rebels laid seize to Fort Loudon. Incidently, this episode formed the basis for a 1930's historical novel, which became the basis for the 1939 movie "Alleghany Uprising," one of John Wayne's early leading roles.

For their part, the Indians of the Ohio and Illinois country rejected the French cession of their claims to the region in 1763 on the basis that the French had never owned the country but had merely leased the sites for their forts and trading posts from the Indians. The British of course were assuming they had won sovereignty over the area. To minimize conflicts the British tried to limit movement of settlers into the Ohio valley. This became a major point of contention with the settlers who took it as their right to settle the land.

One notable error I found was the author referring to the British prime minister George Greenville. The name is actually, as far as I can determine, Grenville. An over eager but misinformed proof reader, perhaps?

[Bryn D · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the chain of events that led up to the beginning of the American Revolution and how they united those along the eastern seaboard in places like Boston, Philadelphia and tidewater Virginia is a familiar one, but what about the people on the frontier? This book is about the Black Boys Rebellion in 1765 in Western PA following the French and Indian War and how this small rebellion by outlaws and vigilantes affected the relationship of the local population with the colonial PA government in Philadelphia led by pacifist Quakers and British military authorities in New York. Though seemingly unrelated at the time, as the relationship with London and King George III deteriorated over economic and political grievances on the east coast, the relationship in central PA deteriorated over the real and perceived dangers of local Indians. The colonists feared that the consequences of British attempts to restore peace with tribes formerly allied to the defeated French would backfire and unleash further chaos on a near anarchic frontier. This book chronicles how frontier violence united a disparate and diverse population against British authorities and their colonial allies. Very fascinating story.

[Stevan Ranney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slog, but some interesting history of the Pennsylvania western frontier and the Black Boys rebellion prior to the Revolutionary War. I had to force myself to continue reading as it did succeed in providing the frontier (rural native-facing colonists) view of the empire, native americans and their fellow northeastern urban colonists. In effect, the greed for land and the empire's lack of support for snatching it from the native americans helped spark support for the revolution in the frontier areas and ushered in an era of local (instead of imperial) control of law Why is this not covered in standard American History classes? Perhaps because it is not all that flattering and supportive of the high ideals upon which the history books say this country was founded (ignoring slavery, limited voting rights, etc). This book could have been covered in a more readable manner via a long article in the Atlantic, New Yorker or some similar periodical.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick Spero's well written Frontier Rebels recounts the role of men in present day central and western Pennsylvania during pre-Revolutionary America in their opposition to the British. Much of the focus is on the colonialists fear and relationship with Native Americans. The challenges of the British in creating often fraught relationships with Native Americans and their colonial subjects is at the heart of the book. I found Spero's argument compelling that the opposition of the western frontier was an important component of anti-British sentiment that together with similar sentiments from coastal areas combined to lead to the American Revolution. As a librarian, I also appreciated the citation of sources that reads more like a bibliographic essay as more useful than a conventional bibliography.

[Tony Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating historical tale that relates to a story seldom heard as to the role of the American frontier (Western Pennsylvania) in the 1760s-70s in the early days in the fight for independence. We all know the story of Boston and the brewing revolution there, but the story of the frontiersmen and their frustration not only with the American Indians whom they feared, but also their frustration with the British garrisons on whom they depended upon for protection also set the seeds that eventually led to what became the American Revolution.
If you are a history buff, you’ll enjoy this riveting and well researched book that adds another chapter to great American tale.

[Kaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, lesser known stories about the political ideologies of the American “West” prior to the revolution. I was pleasantly surprised to find out the “West” at that time was the Frontier of Pennsylvania. I have been to many of the places mentioned and never knew their story or significance in the grander scheme of the revolution. Well-researched and thought out - presents an interesting perspective on the actions and attitudes of the British toward the American colonies leading up to the war. The writing style could have flowed better, but I think this was one of the author’s first books. Looking forward to more from Patrick Spero in the future!

[Tammy Mannarino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when you think you know a bit about the American Revolution, there's a historian who can shed some light an aspect that you weren't aware of. This was a fascinating look at what was happening to the West as Colonists were gearing up to fight for our independence. Spero has really changed the way I will think about the word "frontier" from here on out. There are a few books that I need to reread in light of the observations here. The interactions of frontier men and women with Native Americans and also with the British government have much to tell us about our country now and the way we support or rail against our own government.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting history of the importance of the "West" (Western Pennsylvania, Ohio/Illinois region) immediately before the American revolution, which results in a more complex and unsettling account of that revolution than the story we tend to prefer (since essentially the frontiersmen wanted the freedom to fight and kill Native Americans and take their land, rather than trade with them as Eastern Quaker elites, and the British Empire, aimed to do).

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spero provides an interesting narrative weaving between men like George Croghan, James Smith, and Lt. Charles Grant living on the frontier and Thomas Gage, William Johnson and Gov. John Penn. Spero does a good job of providing concrete examples of colonial justices trying to interfere with the ability of British officers to perform their duties.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched and fascinating on many levels.

[Miles Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent history of the North American frontier during the 1760s and 1770s. Writing felt a bit stale but some interesting anecdotes.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learn some American history I was unaware of, the Black Boys(they smear charcoal on their face)
early Proud Boys.