Cradle of Violence How Boston's Waterfront Mobs Ignited the American Revolution (Hardcover)

When historians call Boston the "Cradle of Liberty," they usually credit Bostonians such as John Adams. But, as Russell Bourne argues in this fascinating book, it was not John Adams (who actually defended British soldiers in the aftermath of the 1770 Boston Massacre), but his cousin Sam Adams and the members of Boston’s waterfront gangs who were at the vanguard of anti-British resistance. Bringing to life incidents such as the Stamp Act riots of 1765 and the Boston Tea Party of 1773, as well as many earlier actions that gave rise to the port’s tradition of rebellion, Bourne shows how the language and actions of Boston’s mobs became the template for America’s revolution.||

Russell Bourne (Ithaca, NY, and Castine, ME) is the author of eight previous histories, including Gods of War, Gods of Peace: How the Meeting of Native and Colonial Religions Shaped Early America (0-15-100501-X).

When historians call Boston the "Cradle of Liberty," they usually credit Bostonians such as John Adams. But, as Russell Bourne argues in this fascinating book, it was not John Adams (who actually defended British soldiers in the aftermath of the 1770 Boston Massacre), but his cousin Sam Adams and the members of Boston’s waterfront gangs who were at the vanguard of anti-British resistance. Bringing to life incidents such as the Stamp Act riots of 1765 and the Boston Tea Party of 1773, as well as many earlier actions that gave rise to the port’s tradition of rebellion, Bourne shows how the language and actions of Boston’s mobs became the template for America’s revolution.| |

Russell Bourne (Ithaca, NY, and Castine, ME) is the author of eight previous histories, including Gods of War, Gods of Peace: How the Meeting of Native and Colonial Religions Shaped Early America (0-15-100501-X).