Higgenbotham Book Review :: American History, American Identity

Don Higginbotham expertly combines both primary and secondary sources providing the endorser a composite historical autobiography of the American Revolution as seen through Americanideas. Higginbotham was Dowd Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hilluntil his death in June 2008. Higginbotham contri anded several articles on comparativerevolution and many other books and articles about the American Revolution.The books subtitle is Military Attitudes, Policies, and Practice 1763 1789. However,Higginbotham devotes substantial attention to other themes providing the reader with asynthesized version of the political and military aspects of the war. He also addresses the culturaland social aspects of the war. In doing so, he illustrates how the war affected the development ofan American individualism and how whig philosophy translated into everyday reality for the commonman. Finally, he uses the book to compare the Vietnam conflict to the American Revolution.The auth or never directly discusses the development of an American identity, but one cansee that thread as he discusses the militia system and its reinforcement of the provincialism andlocalism during the period (7). Higginbotham continues this theme, contending that a group ofAmerican political leaders emerged within the Continental Congress who were nationalists anddesired to go beyond the simple provincial assemblies (81). Higginbotham maintains this design, proposing that Manifest Destiny may have been an upshot as early as 1776 in the colonialdiscussions concerning the invasion of Canada (108). The concept of an American identity cameto fruition in 1776 when opinion concerning independence grew increasingly roaring (117).One could argue, however, that most Americans possessed little concept of an identity even afterthe Declaration was signed. Nevertheless, in 1781 the Pennsylvania line must had some conceptof an American identity. After revolting due to lack of pay and other necessar y items, onesoldier remarked that, Clinton might bribe such a think toadeater as Arnold, but it is not inhis power to bribe an American soldier (404). Without an innate knowledge of what anAmerican soldier was, it seems unlikely that such a remark would have been made.Higginbotham clearly demonstrates how colonial Americans internalized whig beliefsand turned them into action not only resisting British authority, but also resisting its ownContinental Army. This created somewhat of a quandary for colonial authorities throughout thewar, for in resisting the militarism of George III (118), they needed to establish a military thatbecame what they were fighting against. Higginbotham describes Congress first attempt at thisin a restrained military code that would reflect the society from which it originated.