American Revolutions: A Continental History, 1750-1804

Taylor explores the intertwined narratives of frontier expansion, Indian resistance, and European alliances during the Revolutionary War, emphasizing the complex relationships between American settlers, Indigenous American tribes, and European powers.

The push for independence by American Patriots was closely linked to their desire to expand westward into Indigenous lands, challenging the British-imposed boundaries that aimed to protect Indigenous peoples’ territories. This hunger for land led to conflicts with various Indigenous American tribes, who saw the American rebellion as a direct threat to their own survival and autonomy. Notably, figures like Joseph Brant among the Mohawks recognized the rebellion as a bid by settlers to dominate the continent, pushing Indigenous people into a precarious position of choosing sides in a conflict that ultimately aimed at their displacement.

The Eastern Indigenous tribes, such as those in southern New England, were coerced or opted to fight alongside the Patriots; hoping for protection, they suffered heavy casualties and further land loss. On the Western frontier, conversely, Indigenous tribes strove for neutrality, only to find themselves caught between British and American strategic interests. The British, initially hesitant to fully engage Indigenous allies, eventually sought their support as the war expanded, relying on Indigenous raids to destabilize American frontier settlements.