The American Revolution on Trial: A New Nation Confronts the Burden of Independence (The Revolutionary Age)

A master historian uncovers a spellbinding story illustrating the stakes for the new nation in the American War for Independence How does a new country demonstrate to the world that it is prepared to uphold the rule of law?During the winter of 1778, in the midst of revolution, a bizarre and dramatic court-martial forced an American community to confront the full implications of its independence from Great Britain-and produced a frank reexamination of a struggling nation's cultural and political values.British General John Burgoyne, a prisoner of war, accused an American colonel of mistreating fellow British prisoners.Angry and embarrassed after surrendering his army at Saratoga, he demanded an unprecedented full trial before an American jury.In a stunning decision, American military officers not only acquiesced to an unprecedented request for a court-martial but also allowed Burgoyne, an enemy commander, to serve as prosecutor. Why were the Americans so accommodating of this audacious