The Spirit of '74: How the American Revolution Began

By: Ray Raphael and Marie Raphael

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Synopsis: How ordinary people went from resistance to revolution: &“[A] concise, lively narrative . . . the authors expertly build tension.&” —Publishers Weekly Americans know about the Boston Tea Party and &“the shot heard &’round the world,&” but sixteen months divided these two iconic events, a period that has nearly been lost to history. The Spirit of &’74 fills in this gap in our nation&’s founding narrative, showing how in these mislaid months, step by step, real people made a revolution. After the Tea Party, Parliament not only shut down a port but also revoked the sacred Massachusetts charter. Completely disenfranchised, citizens rose up as a body and cast off British rule everywhere except in Boston, where British forces were stationed. A &“Spirit of &’74&” initiated the American Revolution, much as the better-known &“Spirit of &’76&” sparked independence. Redcoats marched on Lexington and Concord to take back a lost province, but they encountered Massachusetts militiamen who had trained for months to protect the revolution they had already made. The Spirit of &’74 places our founding moment in a rich new historical context, both changing and deepening its meaning for all Americans.