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Book

Apostles of revolution : Jefferson, Paine, Monroe and the struggle against the old order in America and Europe

Call Number

  • 973.3 F357.4 (CEN)

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Publication Information

New York : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.

Physical Description

xvi, 478 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 25 cm

Summary

Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and James Monroe were in the vanguard of revolutionary ideas in the 18th century. As founding fathers, they risked their lives for American independence, but they also wanted more. Each wished for profound changes in the political and social fabric of pre-1776 America and hoped that the American Revolution would spark republican and egalitarian revolutions throughout Europe, sweeping away the old monarchical order. Ultimately, each rejoiced at the opportunity to be a part of the French Revolution, a cause that became untenable as idealism gave way to the bloody Reign of Terror. Apostles of Revolution spans a crucial period in Western Civilization ranging from the American insurgency against Great Britain to the Declaration of Independence, from desperate engagements on American battlefields to the threat posed to the ideals of the Revolution by the Federalist Party. With the French Revolution devolving into carnage and unrelenting warfare in the background, the era culminates with the "Revolution of 1800"--Jefferson's election as president. ritten s a sweeping narrative of a pivotal epoch, Apostles of Revolution captures the turbulent spirit of the times and the personal dangers experienced by Jefferson, Paine, and Monroe.

Contents

  • "The destinies of life" : on the road to bigger things
  • "The birthday of a new world is at hand" : revolutionaries
  • "These are the times that try men's souls" : Paine and Monroe go to war
  • "Defending our fanes and fire-sides" : winning the Revolutionary War
  • "The times that tried men's souls, are over" : peace and new departures
  • "My country is the world" : Paine and the early years of the French Revolution
  • "Itching for crowns, coronets, and mitres" : the rise of partisan politics
  • "The only man who possessed the confidence of the whole" : partisan America in a predatory world
  • "I relinquish hope" : the French Revolution in France and America
  • "A continued scene of horror" : Paine, Monroe, and the Luxembourg
  • "The Federalist tide is strong" : gloomy years for the apostles of revolution
  • "The reign of witches" : the high Federalists take charge
  • "I know of no republic except America" : endgame
  • "Death has no terrors for me" : closing the age of Paine.

Subjects