THE REVOLUTIONARY FRONTIER

by Jack M. Sosin ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

The Revolutionary Frontier volume in the series edited by Ray Allen Billington on America's gradual move westward. The period 1763-1783 covered by author Jack M. Sosin is an extremely important one from the viewpoint of national history and is handled with expertness. Roughly half of this book is devoted to a chronological survey of frontier settlement from Vermont to West Florida and as far west as Kentucky, who it proceeded, what factors prompted it, and who participated in it. The remainder of the book contains a detailed analysis of the political, economic and religious institutions or lack of them in the scattered settlements. The author makes some important points when he writes that democracy was not established on the frontier during this period, that different immigrant groups did not begin to melt together at this time, and that the settlers were no more enthusiastic patriots than they were enthusiastic Tories during the Revolution. Professor Sosin has compiled a wealth of notes and a very comprehensive bibliographical essay to bolster his interpretation. The text is amply filled with useful maps and somewhat superfluous illustrations. The Revolutionary Frontier provides much more in the way of information and analysis than do the popular, narrative works by frontier historians John Anthony Caruso and Dale Van Every, and should prove scholastically useful.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Holt, Rinehart & Winston

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION