Welcome to the third era of Missing Pages: the Revolution. In this 250th anniversary I will be exploring the events, people, and ideas—both well-known and more hidden—to provide a comprehensive picture of America’s founding. This first episode deals with the frontier wars and the acts that started the slide towards war.
While the war with France in North America was over by 1760, war in the west between the English and the Natives was just beginning. Starting in South Carolina, before moving north to the Ohio Valley, this conflict pulled the attention of the colonial and—once peace was signed—British governments alike. The conflicts marked the beginning of the conflict of visions between the two sides of the Atlantic.
Once the wars subsided, that philosophical conflict stole the focus. Britain was dealing with economic and political crises at home. There was hope that the colonies would help alleviate some of that woe since a war had just been fought on their behalf. For their part, the American colonists were hoping to get a seat at the table of the now-expanded empire. These goals, while seemingly harmonious, caused a rift to form.
It is this rift that would continue to grow from 1765 until the connection between Britain and America was severed entirely. Even after the events of this episode, war was not inevitable, but the mutual digging of trenches in this conflict made the no man’s land more impossible to cross by the day.
Note: This season will include shorter episodes diving into the writings and speeches of both the Rebels and the Redcoats. These are exclusive to subscribers on Substack.
Join me on my journey through American History. Help fill in those missing pages
Music
Intro: Fractured Timeline - Sémø
Outro: Letting Go - Sun Tailor
Sources
Crucible of War - Fred Anderson
The Glorious Cause - Robert Middlekauff
Before the Revolution: America’s Ancient Pasts - Daniel K. Richter
American Colonies - Alan Taylor
