Robert Gross: The Minutemen And Their World: Book Review

Robert A. Gross: The Minutemen and Their World: Book Review The minutemen and their world: As the title says "their world" this is exactly the basis that Gross take when he wrote the book. Rather than focusing on the war during that time like normal American Revolution stories, Gross focuses on the people as a community and life before, during, and after the war in the community. Gross presents himself as one who lived in the community because he seems to know a lot about the community as he was present in it. Gross does a great job presenting the story though its argument is shaky. Gross argues that the Revolution marked a significant change in Concordia’s ' awareness; they became more individualistic, unbiased, and resistant

Warmer weather. Minutemen drilling more than the usual. Town politics focused on intercolonial affairs than local ones. Local government had a lot of power. People were loyal to the King.

Concord started to resent British when they imposed the stamp act, stationing troops in Boston, tea act, and the powder alarm/false British invasion alarm (which was why the minutemen were established) the people were changing prior to the war.

Gross takes a different perspective on the American Revolution explaining it’s effect on the everyday life of those in Concord, MA. Gross focuses on the social history of a community as it relates directly to the study American civilization. These things all contributed to the build up of the American revolution. The declining economy and intolerable tax brought about hatred for the British. The Continental Congress raised up an army in case just for self-defense. There then was a period of dead suspense upon the Concordia’s they knew British were up to invasion just not when.

Made his story relatable to today’s

For example, Gross 's argues that the American Revolution either accelerated or transformed Concord 's economic outlook, agricultural methods, and outbound trade. His evidence rather suggests that unchecked demographic growth (i.e. too many sons) made land scarce and taxed the town 's already limited food and energy. Gross contradicts himself because Concordians were searching for economic alternatives before the first shots were fired which was the start of the war. Did the American Revolution suddenly make Concord more cosmopolitan in its outlook? Gross may have some valid points here. For example, the faculty and students at Harvard relocated to Concord for its 1775-1776 academic year, exposing many of Concord 's social elites to new ideas and social relations. Certainly, Concord 's sons who volunteered or were conscripted into the militias and Continental Army traveled to new places and discovered new ideas. Nevertheless, Gross also demonstrates that the economic problems (land scarcity) had already accelerated emigration from Concord—the younger generations were rejecting their patrimony and staking a claim westward or in other, less settled New England communities. Many of these wayward and prodigal sons returned to Concord and subsequently became