The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777

“The empire was both a political construct and a business enterprise—colonies existed to enhance imperial grandeur by providing raw materials and buying British goods—so the ‘disease of wandering,’ as Dr. Samuel Johnson dubbed this migration, was unnerving.”

In the Prologue, Atkinson presents the powerful British Empire at an inflection point. The political construction of the Empire is hollowing out, as populations from the Empire’s heartland filter out to the periphery. The balance of population and power has begun to shift; this early migration foreshadows the later shift that will be made official by the American Revolution.

“Many had been forced into service by press gangs, while some detested the harsh life at sea; all resented the paltry nineteen shillings a month paid seamen since the reign of Charles II.”

Atkinson draws a distinction between the motivations of the patriots and loyalist troops. The troops in the British Army were demotivated and underpaid, undermining their loyalty. In contrast, the American patriots were motivated by sincere political beliefs and a sense of injustice. In this early part of the Revolution, this disparity in motivation hints at the broader narrative of the war as a struggle between freedom and empire.

“Popular lore later credited him with a stirring battle cry—‘The British are coming!’—but a witness quoted him as warning, more prosaically, ‘The regulars are coming out.’”

Atkinson interrogates the legend of the American Revolution, revealing to his audience that the fabled cry from Paul Revere actually contrasts with witness statements from the time. This process of demystification adds credence to Atkinson’s status as a historian: By separating truth from legend, he assures the audience of the meticulous nature of his research.