Jeff Shaara’s Rise to Rebellion (2001) is a historical novel about the American colonies’ push to throw off the shackles of British oppression. The novel depicts historical events from the perspective of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, as well as British military leaders Thomas Gage and William Howe. The novel explores themes of oppression and revolution, as well as the hard road of steering a fledgling country toward independence. Shaara is also the author of Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, both of which explore the American Civil War.

This guide refers to the 2001 Ballantine hardcover edition.

Content Warning: The source material depicts violence and death.

Plot Summary

In 1770, in British-occupied Boston, British soldiers fire into an angry mob during a protest, killing five men. Idealistic attorney John Adams agrees to represent the British commander in charge, who is ultimately acquitted of murder charges. Adams’s cousin, Sam, leads the movement calling for independence from England—motivated by tax laws—but John, a staunch believer in the rule of law, disagrees. He sees the colonies as prosperous and, though capable of self-governance, independence can only mean war. Meanwhile, the commander of British forces in North America, Thomas Gage, finds himself unable to act without direct orders from British Parliament. He wants to arrest the protesters but must instead watch Sam Adams inflame anti-British passions. Gage knows that any use of force will worsen the situation.

In London, celebrated philosopher Ben Franklin enjoys his expatriate lifestyle, but as a man born in the colonies, he endures the anti-colonial sentiment growing in England. Although his debates with friends in London remain cordial, letters from America suggest the occupation is growing more oppressive. When Franklin is invited to visit a wealthy landowner in Ireland, he witnesses firsthand the result of colonialism: Irish peasants living in squalor and privation. His fears for the colonies are cemented when his request to act as the colonies’ representative in Parliament is denied.

Tensions grow over a series of incidents: A boycott of British goods spreads; a British frigate, targeting smuggling, runs aground and is torched by colonists; and private correspondence from Massachusetts governor Thomas Hutchinson arguing for the “abridgement” of colonial rights falls into Franklin’s hands. The letters persuade John Adams that the colonies have no choice but to declare independence.

When England tries to control all tea importation and distribution, colonists refuse to allow the tea on American soil. Ships full of tea sit idle in Boston Harbor, not permitted by law to return with full cargo. Sam Adams and the rebel group, the Sons of Liberty, board the ship at night and dump the tea into Boston Harbor. The king and his ministers demand restitution, but the colonists refuse. As retribution, the king attempts to starve Boston by blockading its ports and fortifying its borders, but colonists from the outer towns and rural areas bring in food and supplies.

As anti-colonial anger grows in Parliament, Franklin becomes a target, leading to his return to Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the King dissolves the Massachusetts Assembly and declares martial law. With the streets of Boston filled with British troops (with license to shoot citizens at will), Adams and the Sons of Liberty take definitive action. Adams is selected as a representative to the newly formed Continental Congress, which attempts to unite the colonies and formalize their grievances against the king. While some in the congress still advocate reconciliation, the mood for independence grows, and when the congress’s petition to the King is ignored, the colonies prepare for war, despite lingering disagreements in loyalty.  

The congress appoints George Washington commander of the Continental Army. His task is to transform a diverse and untrained collection of militias into a united fighting force; Washington finds that many farmers and merchants are eager to fight. When British troops march to Lexington and Concord to confiscate rebel munitions, they are met with resistance. The rebels, warned by Paul Revere, move the munitions to a new location. The British mission is a failure.

The army’s first test is the Battle of Breed’s Hill, and although the British eventually capture it, they suffer enormous casualties. In the wake of this military embarrassment, Gage is replaced by William Howe. With the British firmly in control of Boston, their large navy bombards the coastal towns from the sea. These efforts at intimidation are unsuccessful, merely hardening colonial resolve to fight back. When the colonists capture a large supply of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga in New York, they haul the cannon back to Massachusetts to counter the British advantage. Washington decides to shell British troops in Boston and retake the city. The British retreat to a small outpost in the harbor, waiting to strike again.

In Philadelphia, Franklin’s wife dies, and he is estranged from his son, William, the royal governor of New Jersey and a committed loyalist. He devotes his time to the affairs of the congress and entertains a visit from a man who claims to represent the French government. While they debate whether to accept help from a foreign power, Adams, Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson draft an official document of independence, which lays out the grievances of the colonies and the philosophical underpinnings of self-government. When the document is ratified by all the colonies, except for New York, which abstains, it bolsters the confidence of Washington and his troops. As he watches an armada of British warships entering New York Harbor, Washington finds strength in knowing he leads one united colonial army.