An engaging, original, and thought-provoking book on what was happening on the American continent in 1776 outside of our traditional line of sight. The result is a fascinating new look at the most familiar of years.--Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America

A dramatic and compelling new take on the North America of 1776. With careful research and in evocative writing, Saunt brilliantly recovers the cultural diversity and many possibilities of a continent dominated by native peoples and coveted by several empires.--Alan Taylor, author of The Internal Enemy

Perceptive and original.--Gerard Helferich "Wall Street Journal"

[B]old and inclusive...a significant contribution to our understanding of this volatile and formative period in American history.--Doug Kiel "Chicago Tribune"

[A]s compelling and awful as a ghost story...[A] masterful portrait.--Kate Tuttle "Boston Globe"

A history more terrible than wondrous, a necessary counternarrative to our enlightened Revolution...Saunt stretches the scope of his history to provide context and background...He has created a sweeping narrative of noncolonial America in 1776. But he is at his most colorful when he finds individual stories, such as that of the Frenchman floating down the Arkansas River with 'one severed head and the corpses of two of his companions.'--Carolyn Kellogg "Los Angeles Times"

[A] panoramic view of North America...rife with fascinating facts.--Jacob E. Osterhout "Newsweek"

Brilliant.--Michael Upchurch "Seattle Times"

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Pub date: 2015-07-06

Length: 288 pages