EMPIRE OR INDEPENDENCE: A STUDY IN THE FAILURE OF RECONCILIATION, 1774-1783

by Weldon A. Brown '33,Louisiana State University Press, 1941, pp.x, 338, $3.00.

IT is A strange fact that historians of the American Revolution have hitherto devoted so little attention to that phase of the struggle involving proposals for reconciliation.

This oversight appears to have resulted from the completeness of the American victory, resulting in independence, the long period of hostility and distrust following the war, and preoccupation with more spectacular military events. While a student at Dartmouth, Dr.

Brown became interested in this neglected aspect of the Revolution and later, as a graduate student made it the theme of his doctoral dissertation. This volume embodies the results of his study and is an extremely important contribution to our knowledge of the events and forces which helped to make the United States a nation.

The author considers first the proposals for reconciliation which emanated from the colonies at the beginning of the conflict and then, in considerably greater detail, the various peace overtures from Great Britain, including Lord North's plan of 1775, the Howe Peace Commission of 1776, and the Carlisle Commission of 1778. In treating of the British proposals, he analyzes the political factors involved, the nature of the respective plans, and the reasons why they proved utterly unacceptable to the colonists. One great contribution of the volume consists in the clarity with which it reveals how British peace moves, during the course of hostilities, became a political and diplomatic weapon and even affected the course of military operations. There were times when the colonial leaders stood in greater fear of these overtures than of British armies in the field, their apprehension being heightened by the presence of the Loyalist element in their midst. More than ever the Revolution emerges as a movement, the success of which was made possible by the steadfastness and singleness of purpose of a small group of leaders who sensed the dangers of appeasement, once they had determined upon independence as their goal. Dr. Brown has done a splendid piece of research and interpretation, which future historians must take into account, and it may be added that by reason of attractive printing and binding, the appearance of the volume is worthy of its contents.