In this book the whole course of the revolt against oppressive British legislation and taxation is recreated. The author shows us the giants who made the Revolution - men like Adams, Jefferson and Washington - and uses original sources to throw fresh light on famous incidents: the Boston Tea Party, the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Lexington. But he also brings before the reader six very different people living on the edge of empire - from a plantation owner to a slave called Sam, a New England woman and a Boston shoemaker. All had major grievances that provided impetus for the Revolution, and all experienced profound changes in every aspect of their lives - changes that paved the way for America's dynamic development in the 19th century.