A People in Revolution: The American Revolution and Political Society in New York, 1760-1790

by Edward Countryman

“In the richness of his evidence, in the sophistication of his measurements, and in his appreciation for complexity, [Countryman] has written one of the most comprehensive and detailed studies we have yet had of any state during the revolution.” ―Gordon Wood, New York Review of Books As British rule crumbled in colonial America, profound changes occurred in the relationships between those in power and the people they ruled. This study examines the impact political changes in New York State had on the structure of government throughout the emerging nation.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American Revolution, American History

412 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1989

About the author

Edward Countryman was an American historian known for his study of the American Revolution.

Reviews

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is firmly in that school of historiography most associated with Gordon Wood that argues the American Revolution was indeed revolutionary. As New York rebelled against Great Britain throughout the 1760s, 17701, and 1780s, the tumult and clashing interests led to intense domestic political and social strains as well. Countryman sees the creation of the US Constitution not as an effort of conservatives to reclaim the government as much as an attempt to create a new paradigm.

[Jim Drewery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Countryman makes the most in depth examination of the forces of political, economic, and social upheaval during the revolutionary generation's time within New York since Becker's work of the early 20th century.