The American Revolutionary War (1775-83) still elicits strong feelings. Most people are familiar with the inspirational story of the Patriots from the original Thirteen Colonies who rose up against British oppression to win their freedom. Events like the Boston Tea Party, the creation of the Sons of Liberty, the Stamp Act—along with slogans such as “no taxation without representation”—are as unforgettable now as they were then. The important roles played by George Washington, Paul Revere, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and others remain the stuff of legends.
Stories of major wars and battles often include lesser-known figures and events, too. Some historians may mention them in a few paragraphs or pages. Others won’t pay them a moment’s notice, seeing their involvement as tiny, insignificant historical footnotes. Still others will challenge prevailing theories or narratives and suggest history should be kinder and more aware of the over-looked’s influential role.
Patrick Spero’s Frontier Rebels: The Fight for Independence in the American West, 1765–1776 fits into the latter category. The former history professor at Williams College, who is now the librarian of Philadelphia’s American Philosophical Society, intriguingly suggests a lesser-known battle in his city may have helped trigger the American Revolution. In his view, historians who narrowly focus on the 1765 Stamp Act as a “pivotal moment” have made a “mistake.” “[W]e must pay the same attention,” Spero argues, “to the Black Boys’ Rebellion that we do the Stamp Act protests.”
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