Title: The soldiers' revolution : Pennsylvanians in arms and the forging of early American identity /
Authors: Knouff, Gregory T., 1966-
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press,
Year: 2004
Subjects: Soldiers Pennsylvania History; Pennsylvania History Influence.; United States History Influence.; Pennsylvania History
Abstract: "What did the American Revolution mean to the ordinary soldiers who fought in it? Were they inspired by high-minded ideals of liberty and democracy, or were they seeking the material and practical rewards - bounties, land, and political advancement - that victory might bring them? We know much about the philosophical positions expressed by America's Founding Fathers, but the common people did not necessarily share the Founders' ideas. The Soldiers' Revolution looks to those who took up arms in Pennsylvania to reveal the rich tapestry of local interests that led a nation to war."
Contents: Conflict and community on the eve of revolution -- Why they fought -- Identity and the military community -- The meaning of the war against the British -- Race and violence on the frontier -- Civil War and the contest for community -- The memory of the American Revolution.