The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America (Pivotal Moments in American History)
(Part of the Pivotal Moments in American History Series and Pivotal Moments in American History Series)
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Book Overview
adapt to new boundaries, new alignments, and new relationships. Britain now possessed a vast American empire stretching from Canada to the Florida Keys, yet the crushing costs of maintaining it would push its colonies toward rebellion. White settlers, free to pour into the West, clashed as never before with Indian tribes struggling to defend their way of life.
In the Northwest, Pontiac's War brought racial conflict to its bitterest level so far. Whole ethnic groups migrated, sometimes across the continent: it was 1763 that saw many exiled settlers from Acadia in French Canada move again to Louisiana, where they would become Cajuns. Calloway unfurls this
panoramic canvas with vibrant narrative skill, peopling his tale with memorable characters such as William Johnson, the Irish baronet who moved between Indian campfires and British barracks; Pontiac, the charismatic Ottawa chieftain; and James Murray, Britains first governor in Quebec, who fought to
protect the religious rights of his French Catholic subjects. Most Americans know the significance of the Declaration of Independence or the Emancipation Proclamation, but not the Treaty of Paris. Yet 1763 was a year that shaped our history just as decisively as 1776 or 1862. This captivating book shows why. Winner of the Society of Colonial Wars Book Award for 2006
Related Subjects
Americas Colonial Period England Europe History Modern (16th-21st Centuries) Native American WorldCustomer Reviews
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Rated 5 starsAmerica's First War Before it Became America as We Know It
You will never know or understand the American Revolution until you visit the period prior, namely, The French and Indian War( 1754-1763 ). The battlegrounds of this war changed the face of North America and tested the mettle of many future Independence heroes. Calloway, in this rather brief narrative, provides an excellent backdrop through his exhaustive research, as evidenced by his numerous notes. The scenes leading up...
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Rated 5 starsDIFFICULT BOOK TO PUT DOWN
This is a story of the classic statement 'win the war but lose the peace'. The Treaty of 1763 got France out of North America as a nation, but it did little for the people of French decent who had lived here for generations, plus most Indian tribes had played the big three-Spain, France, Britain-off for the benefit of presents and gifts it could gain them, with France now gone they were uncertain how to interact. Plus when...
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Rated 5 starsSurvey of the year 1763
Perhaps the long shadow of Francis Parkman has discouraged historians from writing about the French and Indian War (Seven Year's War). Whatever the reason it's good to see from the publication of several books that Americans are taking a renewed interest in the pre-revolutionary period when the British were triumphant and the Indians still counted as a political force. It's past time for a thorough revision of Parkman...
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Rated 5 starsGreat Primer, Great Research
Meticulously documented, supported by great quotes from the players, Calloway's book may be a tad dry, but it is long on data, insight and perspective. Great, short read and I would say a highly recommended read for anyone interested in Colonial America and our history in general. Indian perspective is worth getting the book alone, to my mind. As this was my first book on the subject, I was gratified that it was concise...
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