The King's Three Faces: The Rise and Fall of Royal America, 1688-1776

Reinterpreting the first century of American history, Brendan McConville argues that colonial society developed a political culture marked by strong attachment to Great Britain's monarchs. This intense allegiance continued almost until the moment of independence, an event defined by an emotional break with the king. By reading American history forward from the seventeenth century rather than backward from the Revolution, McConville shows that political conflicts long assumed to foreshadow the events of 1776 were in fact fought out by factions who invoked competing visions of the king and appropriated royal rites rather than used abstract republican rights or pro-democratic proclamations. The American Revolution, McConville contends, emerged out of the fissure caused by the unstable mix of affective attachments to the king and a weak imperial government. Sure to provoke debate, The King's Three Faces offers a powerful counterthesis to dominant American historiography.

Author: Brendan McConville
Publisher: Omohundro Institute and Unc Press
Published: 08/27/2007
Pages: 344
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.07lbs
Size: 9.29h x 6.14w x 0.78d
ISBN13: 9780807858660
ISBN10: 0807858668
BISAC Categories:
- History | United States | Colonial Period (1600-1775)
- History | United States | Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
- History | Social History