Rise To Rebellion

Rise to Rebellion

By: Jeff Shaara

Historical-Fiction

Rise to Rebellion, by Jeff Shaara, is the first volume to Shaara's two-part chronicle of the entire American Revolution; starting with the events of the Boston Massacre in March of 1770 and ending with the signing of The Declaration of Independence in 1776. Shaara attempts to relate to us the events as if each character he focuses on is telling the reader the story directly. In attempting to do this Shaara provides us with personal experiences, thoughtful dialogue, and what the characters are thinking- but these must be thought of as fiction. Shaara included these to give the book more depth, not to be historically accurate to the last words of dialogue. For example, there is no way anyone can know for sure what the sentry was thinking as he stood in front of the Custom House just minutes before the chaotic start of the Boston Massacre. Shaara does not try to convey every event, important incident, and factor that provided America with the idea and courage for a revolution, but rather shows how each of the characters that are focused on responded to his or her time, and how they witnessed and experienced and impacted the enormous changes unfolding around them.

The book begins from the point of view of the sentry who is guarding a building, but soon witnesses the Boston Massacre. Lawyer John Adams runs to the scene of the killing, but is told to go back home. He discusses the events with his wife, and the day after is asked to defend Captain Thomas Preston, who is accused of ordering the troops to fire. Thomas Gage, the commander in chief of British forces, meets with Massachusetts's governor Thomas Hutchinson and discusses removing the troops from Boston. Benjamin Franklin also discusses the events with Dr. Johnson. John Adams and Josiah Quincy successfully defend Captain Preston. Ben Franklin is voted to represent Massachusetts in Great Britain, but Lord Hillsborough refuses him to take the position. Franklin now becomes a symbol for the colonial cause. After the ship The Gaspee is burned, King George III orders that all colonial officials had to be appointed by the king. Massachusetts's citizens are outraged, and Adams calls for the Colonies to unite. Adams discusses with his wife that a revolution in the colonies now seems unavoidable and imminent. John and Sam Adams visit Thomas and Elesha Hutchinson and try to convince them to stop trying to put non-British tea companies out of business, but the attempt is futile. Captain Hall of the ship the Dartmouth witnesses the Boston Tea Party. Upon Hutchinson's removal, Thomas Gage is given his troops along with the governorship of Massachusetts. British troops begin to take control in Boston, and Adams is chosen for the Continental Congress. When the Congress begins its session, Sam Adams fears that conservatives will take control; the Congress also hears reports that the British have destroyed Boston. To Sam's relief, the conservative proposals are defeated and the congress ends, but accomplishes little. Lord Chatham meets with Franklin and discusses with him possible solutions to avoid war; later both Chatham and Montague give speeches. Lord North issues more troops to reinforce Gage's army. Gage receives a letter that he must arrest the principal actors in the promotion of rebellion. Paul Revere meets with Warren who tells him he must reach Concord to bring the news that the British are coming. Pitcairn and his troops encounter resistance, and they are shot down. In a later battle the rebels faced the king's soldiers and drove them away. Pitcairn, Graves, and Gage meet to discuss the most recent events. John Adams speaks to the chamber and proposes to elect George Washington as commander of the Continental Army. Back in Boston, Gage discusses with Clinton the plan to attack the Charlestown peninsula. Warren is shocked to find that the town of Charleston is burning, and the battle of Breed's Hill begins. After the battle, Washington explain to General Ward that even though their men retreated they gave the British much more damage than they took themselves. In a combination of faith and optimism from the conservatives, the Olive Branch Petition was approved and sent to King George. Led by Admiral Graves, the town of Falmouth was burned to the ground by the British. The King rejects the Olive Branch petition. Word begins to spread that Norfolk has just burned by the British and outrage spreads across the colonies. Washington begins to plan for the next attack, when Henry Knox arrives with a new supply of artillery; he then lays out his plan to his army's leaders, including Greene, Ward, and Knox, and the meeting is left with a rare optimism. At the next meeting of the Continental Congress Henry Lee gives his resolution. Adams, Jefferson, and Lee discuss the draft of the Declaration that Lee had written. It was only Maryland and New York that continued to vote against the Declaration. After Maryland finally decided to support the Declaration, twelve of the thirteen were in support. In the official vote New York delegates abstained from voting until instructed otherwise by their assembly, and the vote was unanimous. Celebration was shared among the colonies.

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