A New Perspective on the American Revolution

American patriot lore tells us that the story of the American Revolution is simple. Oppressive British overlords wanted to profit from settlers in the new world. But patriots, led by the likes of Paul Revere and George Washington fought for the independence of the colonies. We fought the red coats. We won. And we’ve all lived happily ever after. Maya Jasanoff has a slightly different story to tell. In her new book, “Liberty’s Exiles,” the Harvard professor sheds light on those who did not choose to side with the patriots. At the beginning of the war, roughly a third of the people in the colonies fell into this camp, fighting with the British. When the Brits left New York in 1783, they took about 75 thousand civilians with them.