Summary Of Ray Raphael The First American Revolution

Charles Oddo
The United States to 1877
HIST 1301-11292
June 19, 2014

Ray Raphael, The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord. New York: The New Press, 2002. Pp. 1-273 $16.95.ISBN: 978-1-56584-81502.

Ray Rafael achieved a Bachelors of Arts degree from Reed College in 1965. After, he attended the University of California at Berkeley to receive his Masters of Arts in 1967. He then accomplished his Masters of Arts in teaching from Reed College in 1968. In addition to The First American Revolution, Rafael has published 17 writings. His books have been published in the United Kingdom and translated into Portuguese, Korean and German. For fifteen years Raphael has taught all subjects except foreign language in high school around his community. As well as instructing at Humboldt State University and College of the Redwoods. Based on this information, The First American Revolution healthy sense and study appears in Raphael’s balanced behavior towards issues that the Massachusetts historians have disputed. The First American Revolution is focusing on powerful descriptions of the unsettled days in Massachusetts and the time the province received word of the Massachusetts Government Act on August 6, 1774.
The main idea that Raphael is trying to communicate to the readers is that the United States’ war for independence did not begin in April 1775 with the “shot heard round the world.”(Paragraph 1 introduction) Rather, it began the previous summer in rural towns like Worcester, as nationalist forced noble representatives to openly resign their offices. Raphael makes a compelling case that these early events were critical to the success of the war and should no longer escape our notice.
Throughout The First American Revolution, Raphael makes extensive use of both primary sources and secondary works. Among the primary sources that Raphael uses extensively were libraries such as, Holy Cross library, Clark library, Worchester State College library, National Heritage Museum library, and Lexington library. His use of primary sources excerpts from town records, newspapers, and letters. Secondary works that Raphael uses extensively include Dirk Hoerder, Crowd Action in Revolutionary Massachusetts, Richard D. Brown, Revolutionary Politics in Massachusetts, Ellery B. Crane, Services of Colonel Timothy Bigelow in the War of the American Revolution, and Justin Florence, Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society. He could have no accomplished his studies without these people. The secondary sources will be helpful in his future studies. Through a close look at several primary sources, Raphael asserts that the true American Revolution was prompted not by civil settlers responding to the stoppage of the port of Boston, but by smart farmers in the countryside replying to the Massachusetts Government Act. This restructured local government in the colony. Raphael does bring an absorbing idea to the table, yet the depth to which he takes his outlook especially given his definite focus, boost questions of validity. Raphael 's book clearly shows the importance of Massachusetts farmers who put their powers on self-government.
The First American Revolution is a clash between two governments, one traditionally established but with limited local power, the other basic but representing the population.
Raphael 's study of the actions of Western Massachusetts farmers in the second half of 1774 is convincing in its portrayal of a truly revolutionary movement that succeeded in ending both British colonial rule and the politics of deference accorded to the wealthy American-born minions and agents of British imperial rule in 95% of Massachusetts. The author made this book easy to read. He broke down all the chaos in a manner that anyone can enjoy and understand. It shows that the Revolution was started and won by all the people of America, not just Washington, Jefferson, and
Adams.
In the first review of The First American Revolution, by Colin Nicolson, he describes Raphael’s writings to be an” engaging narrative of Western Massachusetts during the revolution”. He also compliments this book by stating, “It would be disingenuous to claim that this is a neglected area of scholarship, but Raphael’s fine book will correct the fallacy that western Massachusetts was barely disturbed by the imperial crisis of the 1760s and early 1770s”. The second review on Raphael’s Narrative is Stacy Wallach, a professor at Pace Law School, he mentions Raphael did very well writing a study of a totally forgotten topic. He said it was a, “amply documented stage of what we call the American Revolution but was mostly a war of independence and not revolutionary at all.” The most compelling review is by Jim Sumser of Malone College, and The University of Akron. He states, “This is a powerful, disturbing, and beautiful book.” “After reading a few paragraphs and even sometimes a single sentence, you find yourself with your eyes off the page, wondering at what you have just read, trying to picture it, trying to understand how such remarkable people could have given birth to such a disappointing nation.”

Work Cited
Nicolson, Colin. “A Review of The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord, by Ray Raphael.” The Journal of American History, Vol. 89. No. 4 (March.2003): page 1509-1510
“Amazon.” Stacy Wallach. September 29, 2013
“Amazon.” Jim Sumser. August 13, 2003