Empire or Independence, 1760-1776: A British-American Dialogue

"Empire or Independence" is a detailed history of the crisis between Great Britain and its American colonies that led to the American Revolution. The storyline is well-known to anyone who took high school history. Britain acquired a vastly expanded empire and a massive national debt during the Seven Years War. Needing to mobilize additional imperial resources, it levied taxes on the American colonies and tightened the regulation of American trade. The colonies resisted, London cracked down, animosity and violence ensured. Before long, colonial agitators were organizing trade boycotts and denying parliament's right to levy taxes on or legislate for the colonies. Meanwhile, the cabinet in London feared that an imperial rupture would undermine British power to the benefit of its arch-enemy, France. The British convinced themselves that the colonists could be brought to heel by a decisive show of force. The result was Lexington and Concord, and the outbreak of civil war within the empire. As I said, this is a VERY familiar story, but Christie and Labaree retell it well. Their book is packed with quotes from primary documents, showing how the colonists grew steadily more assertive of their rights, while imperial officials grew steadily more out of touch with ground realities in America. The strongest part of the book is its painstaking reconstruction of British policymaking during the long confrontation. The weakest part (and hence the four stars) is its assumption that readers will understand the fairly esoteric references to British personalities and parliamentary factions of the late 18th century. But that's a quibble. "Empire of Independence" is an excellent book, in spite of its age. I've had it unread on my shelf for decades and regret that I didn't get to it sooner. Anyone interested in the American revolution should pick up a cheap used copy before the book disappears for good.