Divided Loyalties

"This magnificent new book" delves into the often overlooked divisions within colonial leadership as the American Revolution took shape ( Publishers Weekly ). When the American Revolution came to New York City, it tore apart a community that was already riven by deep-seated family, political, religious, and economic antagonisms. Focusing on a number of individuals, Divided Loyalties describes their response to increasingly drastic actions taken in London by a succession of the king's ministers, which finally forced people to decide whether they would continue their loyalty to the king, or cast their lot with the American insurgents. Using fascinating detail to draw us into history's narrative, Richard M. Ketchum explains why New Yorkers with similar life experiences—even members of the same family—chose different sides when the war erupted.