Tracts of the American Revolution, 1763-1776

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

A reprint of the 1967 Bobbs-Merrill edition. This volume brings together seventeen of the most important pamphlets produced by the American colonies as they opposed British measures and policies after 1763, and as they disputed the issue of independence with one another between 1774 and 1776. The most famous pamphleteers -- James Otis, John Dickinson, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine -- are here; so too are lesser-known ones. Students of American history and political thought will find in these tracts rich evidence of the colonists' grievances against Britain, their methods of persuasion, and the development of political thought that led to the Declaration of Independence. A student-oriented introduction presents a capsule history of the events of the period and an analysis of the context of each tract.

Reviews

Jensen's selection stands the test of time quite well. Tracts of the American Revolution presents the complete texts of seventeen pamphlets concerning various aspects of British-American relations between 1764 and 1776. Unsurprisingly, most of the pamphlets concern the legal and constitutional questions arising from British taxation policies, although 'A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre in Boston' by James Bowdoin, Joseph Warren, and Samuel Pemberton (which, along with Paul Revere's famous engraving, gave birth to the notion of a 'Boston Massacre') provides a perspective from the street protests of the period. In making his selection from among hundreds of pamphlets, Jensen carefully balanced whig and tory views. Daniel Leonard's 'Massachusettensis' appears alongside John Adams' 'Novanglus', and Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' is answered by James Chalmers' 'Plain Truth.' Similarly, Jensen presents both well-known names such as Adams, Paine, Jefferson, and Otis, and less well-known writers such as Martin Howard, Jr. and William Hicks. While both sides of the political equation are represented, the authors of the pamphlets are exclusively white middle- and upper-class men. This is of course was the demographic group most active in American politics prior to Independence. Overall this collection provides a representative view of the pamphlet literature of the pre-revolutionary era. Hackett Publishing has reprinted the complete text of the original 1966 edition of Tracts of the American Revolution. As such it contains Merill Jensen's original Introduction, which provides a useful summary of events from 1763 to 1776 as well as biographical information about the authors in the collection. . . . This is a welcome (and inexpensive) introduction to the literature of the American Revolution. --Frank Cogliano, Journal of American Studies

Author Bio

Merrill Jensen was Vilas Research Professor of History, University of Wisconsin.