July Independence Days

July is the month when America and France celebrate their national independence days. For the Americans their celebrations focus on the signing of the Declaration of Independence on 4^th July 1776. The French commemorate the storming, on the 14^th July,1789 of Prise de la Bastille.

Photo credit: blog.fluentcity.com

The eastern seaboard of the country that is now known as the United States of America was Britain’s largest and most successful colony until the East India Company secured most of the Indian sub-continent for the company and the crown at the battle of Plessey (see previous post).

Along with the French, Spanish and the Dutch the British fought to keep and expand its territory on the American continent since its first colonies were established in the 16^th century but were eventually driven out in 1783.

The British adventure in America began with the establishment of the James Town colony in 1607 and since then the colony had grown. By the mid 18^th century the colony had achieved some measure of self government but was still subject to the British parliament.

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) has its origins in the resistance of many Americans to taxes imposed by the British parliament. On December 16, 1773, unhappy with the high price of tea, which had to be purchased from British East India Company, a shipment was dumped in Boston harbour as a protest, the event that is now known as the Boston Tea Party.

The British government retaliated by closing the port of Boston and taking away the self-government the colony had achieved. The Bostonians responded by rejecting British rule and setting up a shadow government. Twelve other colonies supported them and formed a Continental Congress to coordinate their resistance. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress formally voted for independence, and issued its Declaration two days later on July 4.

Thomas Jefferson, draftsman of the U.S. Declaration of Independence
and the nation's third president

In my novel Sinclair (available autumn 2016) which takes place between 1786 and 1788 Captain Francis Greenwood is bound for Madras on the East Indiaman, Sherwell. He is one of the hundreds of officers let go by the British at the end of the American war. Like ex-service men today Frank Greenwood, the fourth son of the MP for Staffordshire who would inherit nothing from his father, had to find another job when the British Army no longer needed him so he joined the East India Company like so many other hopefuls at that time and headed for Bengal.

“At supper Sinclair fell into conversation with Captain Greenwood a young man like himself intent on forging a successful career in the East. He was a retired British Army officer who like so many others had been let go after the defeat in America. Greenwood, much to Sinclair's chagrin, was admired by both the men and the women on board. His good looks and easy temperament seemed to smooth all his social interactions. He was gracious, charming and good company. He spoke eloquently of his experience in the American War telling Sinclair that he had had a mainly diplomatic role and had not seen much in the way of fighting. Over their meal he told Sinclair how he had sailed from Nova Scotia up the Hudson River with his commanding officer, Sir Guy Carleton to a conference with General Washington at Orangetown. There they agreed how what was left of the British Army and the thousands of ordinary people who had remained loyal to the Crown were to be removed from the new and independent country.”

Sir Guy Carleton: the last British Commander in North America

 Travelling in France at the end of 1788 Dr Sinclair and John Leadam discuss the state of the country: 

“In every town and village we pass through there are vagrants on the road and groups of young men looking for work. In the woods and along the roadside we see women and children foraging for food. It looks like they are eating weeds, snails, and mushrooms in fact whatever they can find. From what I have seen so far I am not impressed.”

“I agree John, things look pretty bad.”

 When they stopped for lunch John decided to their driver Joseph the cause of the malaise.

“It’s because of you British,” he said with a sour face. “The men who weave are without work.  This new Commercial Treaty will be the death of us. We cannot compete with your English factories. And now there is no food. In the summer it did not rain and to compound our problems when the rains came the Lord sent us hail the size of men’s fists that destroyed the crops in the fields. This harvest is the worst in living memory. The bread you are eating is most probably made of English corn and the oats we feed the horses are English too. There is nothing here but the landlord must still have his rent. The King has been merciful and has suspended the collection of normal taxes but the country is bankrupt someone has to pay for fighting you British in America and Canada. The trouble is that the nobles don’t want it to be them; they think us little people should foot the bill. France is in crisis Monsieur, people disappear into prison never to see the light of day again and to make matters worse the weather was already unusually cold for the time of year; it will be very bad for many Frenchmen this year messieurs.”

The Bastille in 1715

The Storming of the Bastille on the afternoon of 14 July 1789 came as food prices soared in Paris. The castle was taken by the residents of the Faubourg Saint-Antoine who were some of the poorest people in city. The medieval fortress represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. The prison contained just seven inmates at the time but its storming became a symbol of the people’s triumph over the abuse of the absolutist monarchy governing France at the time.

The Bastille was demolished by order of the Committee of the Hôtel de Ville during the revolution and souvenirs of the fortress were transported around France and displayed as icons of the overthrow of despotism. Over the next century, the site featured prominently in political protests and revolutions. Today the there is little of the site to be seen except for some stone foundations that were relocated to the side of the Boulevard Henri IV.

Both the American Revolutionary War and the build-up to the French Revolution provide a back drop to my new novel. Times of war and conflict are times of misery and heroism: Find out what happens to Dr Sinclair and Frank Greenwood in my novel, Sinclair, which will be available to read in the autumn of 2016.