the example of England's colonies. Where revolution failed, emigration secured for individuals the wished for political freedom. Towards America set the tide of the lovers of liberty, as soon as the Revolution was ended. Franklin in France, during the war, foretold the migration to America. "Tyranny is so generally established in the rest of the world, that the prospect of an asylum in America for those who love liberty gives general joy. . . . We are fighting for the dignity and happiness of human nature. Glorious it is for the Americans to be called by Providence to this post of honor."

CHAPTER XVIII

CRITICAL ESSAY ON AUTHORITIES

T

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AIDS

HE best bibliographical guide to books on the American Revolution, that appeared before 1889, is Justin Winsor, Narrative and Critical History of America (8 vols., 1888-1889); the critical essays and editorial notes of vol. VI. contain a very full but not very discriminating bibliography. Justin Winsor, Handbook of the American Revolution (1879), is a more useful guide for the general reader but is now somewhat antiquated. Channing and Hart, Guide to the Study of American History (1896), contains in chap. xiv. topical lists for this period, and also lists of secondary books on state and local history (§ 23) and of published colonial records (§ 29). Josephus N. Larned, Literature of American History (1902, and supplement 1903), contains good descriptive and critical notes on the chief authorities of this period (pp. 111-152). Richardson and Morse, Writings on American History (1904, see especially pp. 268-270), gives the gist of the best criticisms on books appearing in 1902. Moses Coit Tyler, Literary History of the American Revolution (2 vols., 1897), contains a list of books (II., 429-483) especially valuable for the study of political literature and controversy. Vol. VII. of the Cambridge Modern History (1903) contains (p. 780) a classified but incomplete list of books in the field of the Revolution. W. S. Baker, Bibliotheca Washingtoniana (1889), is also of value. Much of the material described by George E.

Howard in his Preliminaries of the Revolution (American Nation, VIII.) applies also to the earlier stages of the Revolution.

GENERAL SECONDARY WORKS

Only a few of the numerous writers on the revolutionary period can be mentioned here. George Bancroft, History of the United States (last rev., 6 vols., 1883-1885), was chiefly interested in the revolutionary period. He gives scant justice to the British side of the controversy; but he is accurate in statement of fact, and had access to a vast amount of material. His opinions are much less valuable than his facts. Richard Hildreth, History of the United States (6 vols., 1849-1852), is dry and annalistic, but very accurate as to names and dates. Vol. VI. of Justin Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, contains an accurate, narrative, and topical treatment of the Revolution, but literary merit is sacrificed to critical apparatus. Sir George Otto Trevelyan, The American Revolution, in the three volumes published to 1903, carries the story to 1777. This work, taking the American and English Whig point of view, is the result of wide reading, and is the best piece of literature on the subject. John Fiske, The American Revolution (2 vols., 1891), is a popular, military, and personal history of the war, broad in view, often inaccurate in detail, and neglectful of important phases of the struggle. Its charming style makes it the most generally read of all accounts. William Edward Hartpole Lecky, The American Revolution (Woodburn's ed., 1898), is the most judicious and authoritative account yet written. It is impartial, but, since the volume consists merely of excerpts from Lecky's History of England in the Eighteenth Century, it neglects American political and constitutional questions.

Contemporary accounts to be used with critical care are: David Ramsay, American Revolution (2 vols., 1789); William Gordon, American War (4 vols., 1788), large parts of which are taken from the Annual Register; and Charles Stedman, History of the American War (2 vols., 1794),

VOL. IX.-23

which is the best contemporary British account. The later British accounts of greatest interest are in John Adolphus, History of England (3 vols., 1805), a rabid, unjust, Tory account; and P. H. Stanhope (Lord Mahon), History of England (7 vols., 1854), a well-written, temperate, but very British account. Timothy Pitkin, Political and Civil History of the United States (2 vols., 1828), is a dry but accurate account of the political events of the period.

GENERAL COLLECTIONS OF SOURCES

There are two great storehouses for material on the revolution: B. F. Stevens, Facsimiles of MSS. in European Archives Relating to America, 1773-1783 (25 vols., 18891898), especially valuable for the English and European side of the controversy; Peter Force, American Archives (4th series, 6 vols.; 5th series, 3 vols.), the most complete collection of materials for the years 1774-1776. For the diplomatic history of the period the source material is in Jared Sparks, Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution (12 vols., 1829). This material is better edited in Francis Wharton, The Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence (6 vols., 1889). The Journals of Congress (13 vols., 1774-1783; reprint in 4 vols.; new edition in progress under editorship of Worthington C. Ford) are of great value for financial, political, and military administrative problems. The Secret Journals (4 vols., 1821), are of especial value for diplomatic and financial matters. For the political struggle in England the Annual Register (1758–1783) is useful, as is also J. Almon, Remembrancer (17 vols., 17751784). Action in the English Parliament may be studied in the Calendar of the Journals of the Lords (1810), the Journals of the House of Commons (127 vols., 1547–1872), and the Parliamentary Register (1774-1779). The spirit of the people is best seen in Frank Moore, Diary of the American Revolution (1860), which consists of excerpts from the newspapers of the day arranged chronologically. Albert Bushnell Hart, American History told by Contemporaries,

II. (1901), is in good part devoted to various phases of the Revolution. The military events are best followed in Jared Sparks, Correspondence of the Revolution (4 vols., 1853), and in either Sparks's edition (12 vols., 1837), or Ford's edition (14 vols., 1889) of Writings of Washington; also in the journals, lives, or writings of the other prominent generals, English and American. The Gentleman's Magazine, during the years of the war, printed many official reports of the British officers. Much contemporary matter of value has been published by historical societies and state governments-see Larned, Literature of American History (1902), pp. 1-20. Of especial value in this class are the Trumbull Papers (Massachusetts Historical Society, Collections, 5th series, X.; and 7th series, II., III.).

SPECIAL WORKS ON POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY

Richard Frothingham, Rise of the Republic of the United States (6th ed., 1895), is the best general authority upon the political and constitutional problems. George Ticknor Curtis, Constitutional History of the United States (2 vols., 1889-1896); the first volume of Hermann E. von Holst, Constitutional History of the United States (Lalor's translation, 1880); and Judson S. Landon, The Constitutional History of the United States (1889), are suggestive on the larger problems. The immense pamphlet literature of the period is best studied through Moses Coit Tyler, Literary History of the American Revolution (2 vols., 1897), the monumental work upon the revolutionary political argument and literature. The best sources of study of the political side in general are John Adams, Works (C. F. Adams's ed., 10 vols., 1856); John Dickinson, Writings (P. L. Ford's ed., 3 vols., 1895); Thomas Jefferson, Writings (W. C. Ford's ed., 11 vols. 1892-1900); The Political Writings of Thomas Paine (2 vols., 1870); Benjamin Franklin, Complete Works (Bigelow's ed., 10 vols., 1887-1889); William V. Wells, Life and Public Services of Samuel Adams (3 vols., 1865), is a