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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page book review of historian Woody Holton’s text Forced Founders, Indians, Debtors, Salves and the Making of the American Revolution in Virginia. This text offers a different slant on the forces that propelled the colonies into war with the greatest military power on earth at that time, the British empire. Holton’s guiding premise differs sharply from the traditional idea that the landed gentry of Virginia were motivated by the stirring rhetoric of men such as Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson and their own love for liberty. Rather, Holton describes the Virginians who took action against the British as “desperate men” (Holton xiii). This main premise is that since these men “took Britain’s largest American colony with them” (into war), anyone interested in the origins of the Independence movement needs to understand why they felt so desperate” (Holton xiii). No additional sources cited.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khhforf.rtf
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the colonies into war with the greatest military power on earth at that time, the British empire. Specifically, Holton focuses on Virginia. His guiding premise differs sharply from the traditional
idea that the landed gentry of Virginia were motivated by the stirring rhetoric of men such as Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson and their own love for liberty. Rather, Holton
describes the Virginians who took action against the British as "desperate men" (Holton xiii). This main premise is that since these men "took Britains largest American colony with them" (into
war), anyone interested in the origins of the Independence movement needs to understand why they felt so desperate" (Holton xiii). One of the principal causes of this
"desperation" was the Virginia gentry were more concerned with slave rebellion than securing colonial rights. It was only after the British offered liberty to any slave who would join with
the British forces that Virginians conceded the necessity of war. Holton also cites previous scholarship that has accused Virginian planters of supporting independence in order to avoid their British creditors.
As this suggests, Holton bases his argument not on traditional viewpoints, but rather asserts that economic and social concerns propelled colonials of all classes toward revolution. While Hortons analysis
describes the motivation of the landed-gentry, that is, the wealthiest 10 percent of the population, he also addresses why small farmers, debtors and Native Americans joined in the struggle for
freedom from Great Britain. Holton also shows how economic forces caused unlikely alliances. For example, debt relief laws that were proposed by the Virginia legislature were subsequently vetoes by the
British. This issue temporarily generated a coalition of between the gentry and small farmers. As this suggests, Holton describes how various factors concerning trade, the import of slaves, taxes and
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