Summary of Maya Jasanoff's Liberty's Exiles

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The American Revolution changed Thomas Brown’s life. He had arrived in the colonies in 1775 to start a plantation, and within nine months, he had built a fine house and acquired land. But when the revolution began, he chose to side with the British.

#2 After the attack, Brown was taken to Augusta, where the patriots forced him to sign the association. He then rallied hundreds of backcountry residents to form a loyalist militia, the King’s Rangers, and fight back.

#3 The American Revolution was a war of ideals for many, but for others it was a test of their loyalty to their country and the British Empire. Many loyalists wanted to preserve the status quo, while others wanted to reform the imperial relationship.

#4 The American colonies were initially opposed to the British Parliament’s actions, which they saw as an abuse of imperial power. But the protests quickly turned violent, and many future loyalists were suspected of wanting to enhance royal and aristocratic power.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669384809

IRB Media

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Insights on Maya Jasanoff's Liberty's Exiles

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The American Revolution changed Thomas Brown’s life. He had arrived in the colonies in 1775 to start a plantation, and within nine months, he had built a fine house and acquired land. But when the revolution began, he chose to side with the British.

#2

After the attack, Brown was taken to Augusta, where the patriots forced him to sign the association. He then rallied hundreds of backcountry residents to form a loyalist militia, the King’s Rangers, and fight back.

#3

The American Revolution was a war of ideals for many, but for others it was a test of their loyalty to their country and the British Empire. Many loyalists wanted to preserve the status quo, while others wanted to reform the imperial relationship.

#4

The American colonies were initially opposed to the British Parliament’s actions, which they saw as an abuse of imperial power. But the protests quickly turned violent, and many future loyalists were suspected of wanting to enhance royal and aristocratic power.

#5

The speaker of the Pennsylvania assembly, Joseph Galloway, proposed that America have a parliament of its own: a Grand Council, headed by a president general. The colonies would thus have domestic self-government while retaining the benefits of imperial trade and protection.

#6

The vote on Galloway’s plan demonstrated the close relationship between Congress and the colonies’ wealthy elite. The plan was tabled, and instead, Congress issued a set of resolutions asserting Americans’ entitlement to all the rights, liberties, and immunities of British subjects.

#7

The American Revolution was a civil war between American colonists and British subjects. The beginning of conflict was enough to push even some former congressmen to the other side, including prominent New York merchant Isaac Low.

#8

The American Revolution was a difficult time for both the British and the American loyalists. The British decided to evacuate Boston in March 1776, setting a precedent for many more evacuations to come.

#9

In New York, the assistant rector of Trinity Church, Charles Inglis, wrote a rebuttal to Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense, which argued against independence and republicanism. He was forced to flee the city.

#10

The Declaration of Independence, which was adopted on July 4, 1776, changed everything. It made it clear that the colonies were now independent and united states. It also made clear that anyone who supported the British was against America, and would be treated as a traitor.

#11

The American loyalists, who were mainly from New York, wanted to be treated differently from the British army. They did not want to dissolve their political bands with Britain, but instead wanted a speedy restoration of that union.

#12

The declaration of dependence illustrates who these loyalists were. It showed that they were not just the wealthy citizens of New York, but also the small-time farmers and artisans who made the city run.

#13

There was a delicate balance between being loyal to the king and staying safe in colonial New York. Many people were torn between supporting the Crown and staying safe.

#14

In 1777, Robinson was summoned before a Committee to Detect Conspiracies and interrogated