History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution
Encyclopedia
History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution is a book by Mercy Otis Warren
. It was published in three volumes, totalling 1,317 pages. Her magnum opus
, the book covers the whole Revolutionary period, from the Stamp Act
to the events leading to the writing and ratification of the United States Constitution
. The book is written in a personal style, but, as is many of Warren's works, it is written in the third person. The book contained still-controversial views about the Revolution, including her idea that the Battle of Yorktown
, the final battle of the Revolution, really wasn't a battle at all. Roughly one-third of the book concerns events after Yorktown.
Warren wrote drafts of the book during the events as they unfolded, and had it published after four years of additions in 1805. She credited the delay to health problems, temporary bouts of blindness, and grief at the death of three of her five sons.
President Thomas Jefferson
ordered copies of the books for himself and his cabinet
and wrote "her truthful and insightful account of the last thirty years will furnish a more instructive lesson to mankind than any equal period known in history." An 1851 Christmas Eve fire destroyed almost two thirds of the books that Jefferson had sold to the Library of Congress
in 1815. The flames almost claimed the book as noted by the singeing of the title page.
On his part, John Adams considered it to be a radical simplification, and sometimes a falsification, of the true history of the Revolution. After its publication, Adams and Warren exchanged a somewhat hysterical series of letters debating the issue ferociously, especially Adams's part in the Revolution.
.
Mercy Otis Warren
Mercy Otis Warren was a political writer and propagandist of the American Revolution. In the eighteenth century, topics such as politics and war were thought to be the province of men. Few women had the education or training to write about these subjects. Warren was the exception...
. It was published in three volumes, totalling 1,317 pages. Her magnum opus
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
, the book covers the whole Revolutionary period, from the Stamp Act
Stamp Act
A stamp act is any legislation that requires a tax to be paid on the transfer of certain documents. Those that pay the tax receive an official stamp on their documents, making them legal documents. The taxes raised under a stamp act are called stamp duty. This system of taxation was first devised...
to the events leading to the writing and ratification of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. The book is written in a personal style, but, as is many of Warren's works, it is written in the third person. The book contained still-controversial views about the Revolution, including her idea that the Battle of Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
, the final battle of the Revolution, really wasn't a battle at all. Roughly one-third of the book concerns events after Yorktown.
Warren wrote drafts of the book during the events as they unfolded, and had it published after four years of additions in 1805. She credited the delay to health problems, temporary bouts of blindness, and grief at the death of three of her five sons.
President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
ordered copies of the books for himself and his cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
and wrote "her truthful and insightful account of the last thirty years will furnish a more instructive lesson to mankind than any equal period known in history." An 1851 Christmas Eve fire destroyed almost two thirds of the books that Jefferson had sold to the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in 1815. The flames almost claimed the book as noted by the singeing of the title page.
On his part, John Adams considered it to be a radical simplification, and sometimes a falsification, of the true history of the Revolution. After its publication, Adams and Warren exchanged a somewhat hysterical series of letters debating the issue ferociously, especially Adams's part in the Revolution.
Literary Influences
Similarities between ideas and phraseology in Warren's History and the Book of Mormon have led some to conclude that the Book of Mormon's author, Joseph Smith (born in 1805) may have had access to History . See Origin of the Book of MormonOrigin of the Book of Mormon
There are several theories as to the actual origin of the Book of Mormon. Most adherents to the Latter Day Saint movement view the book as a work of inspired scripture...
.