Now available in a revised and updated third edition, "A Respectable Army" challenges the iconic mythology of the embattled freehold farmer as the quintessential warrior of the Revolution by presenting the fascinating history of the real Continental army and its role in the formation of the new republic. Through revising this now-classic text, Martin and Lender have compiled the most up-to-date synthesis of historical literature on the period. The third edition also includes maps, illustrations, and a Note on Revolutionary War History and Historiography, a jumping-off point for further research.
"A Respectable Army" will be essential reading for students enrolled in the first half of a survey of U.S. History or specialized courses in the American Revolution or U.S. Colonial or Military History, as well as anyone interested in better understanding the true convictions and motivations of the men and women who composed Washington's Continental Army.
A fully revised and updated third edition of the most established and innovative historical analysis of the Continental Army and its role in the formation of the new republic.
- Written by two experts in the field of early U.S. history
- Includes fully updated coverage of the military, political, social, and cultural history of the Revolution
- Features maps, illustrations, a Note on Revolutionary War History and Historiography, and a fully revamped Bibliographical Essay
- Fully established as an essential resource for courses ranging from A.P. U.S. history to graduate seminars on the American Revolution
| List of Illustrations |
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ix | |
| Preface |
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x | |
| 1 Of Lexington and Concord, and the Myths of the War, 1763-1775 |
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1 | (28) |
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1 | (4) |
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Of Standing Armies (Power) and Militia (Liberty) |
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5 | (4) |
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9 | (5) |
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The Provincial Militia Tradition |
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14 | (5) |
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The Tyranny of Standing Armies |
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19 | (8) |
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27 | (2) |
| 2 The Republican War, 1775-1776 |
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29 | (37) |
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A Republican Order as the Goal |
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29 | (4) |
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Regulars Versus Republicans: The British at Bay |
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33 | (6) |
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The Adoption of a Continental Army |
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39 | (8) |
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The British Military Counterthrust |
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47 | (5) |
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52 | (9) |
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61 | (3) |
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64 | (2) |
| 3 Toward an American Standing Army, 1776-1777 |
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66 | (36) |
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The Nature of the Continental Army |
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66 | (4) |
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70 | (8) |
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William Howe's Campaign of 1777 |
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78 | (5) |
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83 | (4) |
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The American Search for Manpower |
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87 | (10) |
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The Old Myth and the New Soldiery |
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97 | (2) |
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99 | (3) |
| 4 On and Off the Road of Despair, 1777-1779 |
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102 | (37) |
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102 | (4) |
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Mounting Anger in the Officer Corps |
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106 | (7) |
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Tables Turned: New Life for the Cause |
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113 | (7) |
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The British Dispersal of 1778 |
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120 | (7) |
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Growing Internal Division: Army and Society |
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127 | (9) |
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136 | (3) |
| 5 Moral Defeat and Military Turnabout, 1779-1781 |
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139 | (40) |
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139 | (7) |
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146 | (5) |
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Financial Morass on the Home Front |
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151 | (6) |
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The War in the Southern States |
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157 | (7) |
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Treason, Pensions, and Mutinies |
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164 | (7) |
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Sudden Turnabout: The Road to Yorktown |
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171 | (5) |
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176 | (3) |
| 6 Of War, National Legitimacy, and the Republican Order, 1781-1789 |
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179 | (40) |
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179 | (8) |
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Formulating a Peace Settlement |
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187 | (7) |
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194 | (8) |
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Transition to a Postwar World |
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202 | (8) |
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Myth and Tradition: A Political/Military Settlement |
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210 | (7) |
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217 | (2) |
| A Note on Revolutionary War History and Historiography |
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219 | (13) |
| Index |
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232 | |
James Kirby Martin is Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen University Professor of History at the University of Houston. He has written seven books, including Ordinary Courage: The Revolutionary War Adventure of Joseph Plumb Martin (4th edition, 2012) and Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered (2000). In addition to his scholarly work, Martin has advised and appeared on television programs airing on the History Channel and has recently begun a successful foray into feature film scriptwriting.
Mark Edward Lender is Professor Emeritus of History at Kean University. He is the author or editor of several books, including This Honorable Court: The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, 17892000 (2006) and Drinking in America: A History (with James Kirby Martin, 2nd edition, 1987). Lender is the recipient of the McCormick, Cincinnati, Keller, and Booth Prizes, as well as the Richard J. Hughes Award, the highest honor granted by the New Jersey Historical Commission.
