Swords in Their Hands: George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy, by Dave Richards
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Swords in Their Hands: George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy, by Dave Richards
Free Ebook PDF Swords in Their Hands: George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy, by Dave Richards
Swords in Their Hands is the first book-length account of the closest thing to a coup that the United States has ever experienced.In the autumn of 1782, many Revolutionary War officers in the Hudson Highlands, angry that they have not been paid in months or even years, begin to fear that they will never get their back pay and promised postwar pensions. The Continental Congress in Philadelphia, meeting under the Articles of Confederation of 1777, has no power to raise funds to pay them. Two political factions are at odds: nationalists who want Congress to have direct taxation authority, and opponents who insist that only individual states should have that power. As the last months of the war approach, several key army officers, supported by some nationalist members of Congress, set in motion a desperate plot: they will terrify state legislators, and their delegates in Congress, into granting Congress the direct taxation authority it needs. One option is to lay down their arms before victory is achieved, and let the British quell the colonists' rebellion; alternatively, after defeating the British, they will refuse to give up their arms unless their demands are met. In March 1783, hundreds of Washington's officers, ready for revolt, gather at the Temple of Virtue in New Windsor, NY to agree on the first steps toward implementing their plan. Then General Washington himself arrives, and in a 15-minute address changes the course of history.
Swords in Their Hands: George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy, by Dave Richards- Amazon Sales Rank: #730304 in eBooks
- Published on: 2015-10-18
- Released on: 2015-10-18
- Format: Kindle eBook
Review "Well-researched, clearly written, and carefully argued ... a gripping story ...." - Dr. David Shi, President Emeritus and Professor of History, Furman University"A superbly detailed and documented history of an obscure chapter of American history ... a simply fascinating study .... A seminal work of impressive scope ...." - Midwest Book Review"The detailed story of the new United States of America on the brink of a military coup during the American Revolution ... a must-read for anyone who wants to know the full story of the crisis." - John Nagy, Author, Rebellion in the Ranks: Mutinies of the American Revolution
From the Author My book has been recognized as an "Award-Winning Finalist in the 'History: General' category of the 2014 USA Best Book Awards."
About the Author Connecticut native Dave Richards served seven years in the U. S. Army, primarily in military intelligence. After two years of Russian language instruction and specialized training, he was assigned to West Berlin, where he transcribed and translated Soviet intelligence activities. While serving in that field he earned a BA in Russian language and literature from George Washington University and an MA in Slavic and East European languages and literatures from Ohio State. Upon completing his studies he joined the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, where he taught Russian to members of the armed forces. When the Cold War came to an end he earned certification to teach English as a Second Language and taught in Korea and Japan for twelve years. An avid student of American history, Dave writes regularly for The Historical News, a series of historical quarterlies published by the Southern Historical News that are distributed throughout the South, and he is a frequent speaker on a range of historical subjects. His interest in history led him into extensive research on the Newburgh Conspiracy and the key figures involved. Dave lives in Hendersonville, NC, where he is active with Toastmasters and a member of the Writers’ Guild of Western North Carolina.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Too long by half, too boring to be worth it By Cecil Bothwell As a reporter and author I have come to love editors. Good editors. Dave Richards needed a ruthlessly good editor for his retelling of the Newburgh Conspiracy, and that editor didn't show up. Richards' research into the events surrounding a potential mutiny of Continental Army officers in 1783 seems thorough. Unfortunately he tells us too much, at too great length, and so we are left with a book that might be of some interest to a historian burrowing into the nitty-gritty of historic fact, but too fine grained to be of compelling interest to a lay reader.In brief: 1) the Continental Congress was dismally underfunded; 2) states were reluctant to grant that Congress the power to tax; 3) the army and military suppliers were unpaid for months or years; 4) a group of very highly places, disgruntled officers colluded on forming a plan to threaten Congress unless they were paid and guaranteed pensions; 5) George Washington got wind of the incipient plan and skillfully undercut it. Eventually that Congress and the succeeding Constitutional government of the United States were able to impose taxes and function.Skip the book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. An Excellent Study of A Critical Event in Early America By James Gallen The triumph of the American Revolution almost ended in a disaster of financial insolvency, military revolt and the death of a new nation just aborning. “Sword in Their Hands” chronicles the roads to that lead to that crisis, the characters who spawned the Newburgh Conspiracy and the Father who saved his country once again.Author Dave Richards has done an excellent job of explaining the background to the events and the people involved. The main problem stemmed from the weakness of a Continental Congress that assumed the obligation to prosecute a war without the ability to impose taxes and states unwilling to pay their assessment to the national government. Army officers fought for years without pay or supplies while Congress and the states looked to each other to provide the means to continue. With victory won they faced abonnement: uncompensated, impoverished, victims of the country whose independence they had just won. With the Army headquartered at Newburgh, New York leaders called a meeting to prepare an ultimatum to Congress calling for payment of a pension or a lump sum to save its officer corps from poverty and disgrace. Just in its moment of victory the Army threatened to march on Congress, stage a military coup and scuttle the American experiment with democracy. As he had in the past and would in the future, George Washington rose to the occasion. A surprising and unwelcome visitor, he implored his men to do nothing that would tarnish their place in the hearts of their countrymen. Seeing they remained unconvinced, he produced a letter. Unlike his earlier notes, this one was in small print. He reached into his pocket and removed the glasses that they had never seen. His acknowledgement of infirmity: “Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray, but almost blind in the service of my county” reconnected them with the chief they had followed, reminded them of all they had fought for and saved civilian control of the military. Thereafter Washington would be an advocate for those who had heeded his call one last time.I have seen reviews that claim that this book is too long. Perhaps so for those seeking History Lite, but not for me. This book is an extremely well research study of a little known but crucial moment in the early life of our country. The text is only 293 pages but a lot is packed into them. By the time I finished it I felt I had a much greater familiarity with military leaders who had previously been little more than names, a better perspective on the course of the war and an enhanced understanding of political environment in which nation and states were feeling their way into the future. I had recently read “Moses Robinson and the Founding of Vermont” by Robert A. Mello (see my Amazon review). The times of the two works overlap, a time when Vermont asserted its independence while fending off claims from neighboring states and indecision from Congress. As I read about Vermont’s tale I wondered about the relative status of state and the national government. “Swords in Their Hands” touched on the same topics and struggles. At the end of this book I felt that I had a much better appreciation for the process that accompanied our nation’s early, uncertain growth. For that “Swords in Their Hands” is worth every page and every word.I did receive a free copy of this book for reading and review.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Terrific for fans of early Ameriana By Jonathan Weller Swords in Their Hands: George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy is an informative and riveting account of an often overlooked, but nonetheless seminal event in early American history. The book is very meticulous and quite detailed overall, but sometimes the level of detail could bog down the average reader and cause them to become disinterested and lost. This is by no accounts an indictment of Mr. Richards’ efforts; his intimate knowledge of the subject is second-to-none, and his detailed telling of the incident elicits thoughts of what this country may have been without The Greatest American: George Washington.Swords in Their Hands gives the reader an in depth look at the Revolutionary War years of 1775 to 1783, and the subsequent nation forming years up to 1787. The Newburgh Conspiracy happened when, in 1783, a contingent of Continental Army officers hatched a plot to forcibly make the Continental Congress deliver the benefits from serving in the war that they rightfully deserved. Washington, however, discovered the plot and had it quelled quickly and efficiently to avoid allowing the nation to dissolve into another war. The book tirelessly goes through the events and trials these men faced during the period, and does a masterful job of showing the importance of the conspiracy being dealt with effectively. This leadership by Washington allowed the nation to continue with the incredibly delicate balance of peace that had just been achieved, while showing the beginnings of a federal authority that Washington would go on to favor during his presidency.Quite possibly my favorite part of the book was when Mr. Richards shows us the parallel of politicians during the Revolutionary period and today and how they continue to make the same mistakes. The book astutely explains how early American politicians deliberately issued money that was worth less than the paper it was printed on, and how they pushed it off as actual currency. The results are always the same: a rising inflation of our money supply, currency devaluation, and other generally nasty economic outcomes. Unfortunately for us as Americans today, our federal government still insists on doing this, intentionally ballooning our national debt to astronomical proportions that may never be paid off. These points are what make Swords in Their Hands: George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy the entertaining read that it was, to me. Great points, and leave it to a history buff to point out politicians failures!This book is truly worth the read for Revolutionary America fans and early Americana as well. I found the book easy to read and gripping, but if this period is not of your interest than you may not find it as compelling a read as I did.
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