American Rebels: How the Hancock, Adams, and Quincy Families Fanned the Flames of Revolution

This book offers a bright side to the American Revolution, with some clear warnings about the dark side. It features three wealthy and prominent families, not the wealthiest among the united colonies, who committed themselves to independence. The elder generation of at least two families had owned slaves — the generation that organized resistance to British rule refused. Josiah Quincy, on a trip to develop close ties with southern colonies, noted presciently that “Slavery may truly be said to be the peculiar curse of this land,” one which would prove divisive in the future. But mostly the book documents the manner in which various grievances were woven into a commitment to break all ties with Great Britain.