The American Revolution refers to the political movement, rebellion, and war launched in 1765 to end British rule over the original 13 colonies. This conflict ultimately resulted in the creation of the United States of America and its three founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, which established the government’s structure and set forth key principles of equality, liberty, democracy, rights, and opportunity. The American Revolution plays a key role in the text because the principles on which the nation was founded stand in direct opposition to the pervasive practice of enslavement, which threatened to divide the decentralized republic. (The Civil War later addressed this contradiction and shifted the United States to a centralized polity.)

The title of commander in chief refers to the head of state who is holds the highest degree of command of a country’s armed forces. McPherson devotes Chapter 9 to a discussion of Lincoln’s strategies as commander in chief, highlighting the fact that these decisions are central to Lincoln’s place in history. McPherson asserts that Lincoln’s legacy as commander in chief is impressive given that he did not have much military experience and had to learn on the job.