Becoming American : Young People in the American Revolution

On the eve of the Revolution of 1775, half the population of America was under the age of sixteen.

What did these teenagers think about, as their land was becoming a nation?

What were their lives really like? In this book, twenty-three young voices speak out, and they comment on everything from the agony of battle and the fear of death to hairdos, courtship and marriage, the weather, religion, their lessons, riots, conflicting loyalties, and some - abroad after the war for peace negotiations - on the boorish ways of Europeans.

The short excerpts here are from diaries, journals, letters, court records, and other primary sources written by or recorded from young people when they were young.

They give an undisputed sense of what real life was like, at least for those who could write about it: the great amount of travel; the strictures (and surprisingly great freedoms) of society; the closeness of family ties and friendships; the expectations of girls; apprenticeship and slavery; and even the diseases, petty crimes, and punishments of the day.

A running commentary on the larger historical context, and observations about the circumstances of each young person, illuminate these writings even for those readers unfamiliar with the American Revolutionary period.

The result is a refreshing new view - one oriented to everyday concerns - of those who were, with their country, truly becoming American.