Dangerous Guests

Ken Miller

Description

In Dangerous Guests, Ken Miller reveals how wartime pressures nurtured a budding patriotism in the ethnically diverse revolutionary community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. During the War for Independence, American revolutionaries held more than thirteen thousand prisoners-both British regulars and their so-called Hessian auxiliaries-in makeshift detention camps far from the fighting. As the Americans' principal site for incarcerating enemy prisoners of war, Lancaster stood at the nexus of two vastly different revolutionary worlds: one national, the other intensely local. Captives came under the control of local officials loosely supervised by state and national authorities. Concentrating the prisoners in the heart of their communities brought the revolutionaries' enemies to their doorstep, with residents now facing a daily war at home. Many prisoners openly defied their hosts, fleeing, plotting, and rebelling, often with the clandestine support of local loyalists. By early 1779, General George Washington, furious over the captives' ongoing attempts to subvert the American war effort, branded them "dangerous guests in the bowels of our Country." The challenge of creating an autonomous national identity in the newly emerging United States was nowhere more evident than in Lancaster, where the establishment of a detention camp served as a flashpoint for new conflict in a community already unsettled by stark ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences. Many Lancaster residents soon sympathized with the Hessians detained in their town while the loyalist population considered the British detainees to be the true patriots of the war. Miller demonstrates that in Lancaster, the notably local character of the war reinforced not only preoccupations with internal security but also novel commitments to cause and country.

Sujets

• Histoire
• USA
• Military history
• Local history
• Prisoner of war
• History of the Americas
• American Revolutionary War
• États-Unis

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 19 septembre 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801454943
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

DANGEROUS GUESTS

DANGEROUS GUESTS

E NE MY CAPT I VES AND RE VOLUT I ONARY COMMUNI T I ES DURI NG T HE WAR F OR I NDE PE NDE NCE

K e n M i l l e r

CORNELLUNIVERSITYPRESS IthacaandLondon

Copyright © 2014 by Cornell University

Allrightsreserved.Exceptforbriefquotationsinareview, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

Firstpublished2014byCornellUniversityPress

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Miller, Ken, 1966– author.  Dangerous guests : enemy captives and revolutionary communities during the War for Independence / Ken Miller.  pages cm  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 978-0-8014-5055-6 (cloth : alk. paper)  1. Prisoners of war—Pennsylvania—Lancaster— History—18th century. 2. Nationalism—Pennsylvania— Lancaster—History—18th century. 3. Lancaster (Pa.)—History—Revolution, 1775–1783—Prisoners and prisons. 4. United States—History—Revolution, 1775–1783—Prisoners and prisons. I. Title.  F159.L2M55 2014  973.3—dc23 2014004487

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Cloth printing

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Co nte nts

Acknowledgments vii

Prologue: A Community at War 1. “A Colony of Aliens”: Diversity, Politics, and War in Prerevolutionary Lancaster 2. “Divided We Must Inevitably Fall”: War Comes to Lancaster 3. “A Dangerous Set of People”: British Captives and the Sundering of Empire 4. “’Tis Britain Alone That Is Our Enemy”: German Captives and the Promise of America 5. “Enemies of Our Peace”: Captives, the Disaffected, and the Refinement of American Patriotism 6. “The Country Is Full of Prisoners of War”: Nationalism, Resistance, and Assimilation Epilogue: The Empty Barracks

Notes 195 Index 239

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Acknowledgments

I am deeply indebted to the many institutions, colleagues, friends, and family members whose support and assistance made this book possible. The book began at the University of California at Davis, and I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the following people for their wise counsel, generous support, and continued encouragement. John Smolenski’s masterly grasp of early American historiography and Pennsylvania history proved of incalculable value. One of my favorite people, Karen Halttunen, prodded me to answer the important questions and sharpen my prose and analysis with unfailing warmth and humor. I am especially grateful and particularly indebted to Alan “Bread & Water” Taylor who helped me de- fine the project from its origins. Alan’s high standards, patient counsel, and wry humor helped make my years in Davis among the most rewarding and memorable of my life. His professionalism and tireless commitment remain a continuing source of inspiration. Lisa Materson offered guidance above and beyond the call. Several colleagues provided welcome friendship and as- sistance. Andy Young shared valuable suggestions during the project’s earliest stages. Robert Chester supplied characteristically pointed and good humored feedback on numerous chapters as the manuscript evolved. Mike Meloy provided pleasant company and accommodations during my research at the Library of Congress. One of my greatest personal and professional debts is to Brett Rushforth, a member of my Davis cohort who has since become like family to me. Brett read every chapter more than once, serving as a sounding board for my often ill-defined ideas while generously contributing brilliant insights of his own. Frustratingly, he frequently had a clearer sense of what I was trying to convey than I did. Most important, he never doubted that the manuscript would become a book, and his faith and friendship sustained me during the most challenging phases of the process. For the kindness and consideration of these valued friends, I remain most grateful. Ioweadditionalthankstothemanyscholarswhosecontributionsmade this a better book than it would have been without their generous assis- tance. For their valuable suggestions during various stages of the book’s

vii

v i i i  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

development, I am grateful to David Waldstreicher, Aaron Fogleman, Ian Steele, Caroline Cox, Wayne Bodle, Holly Mayer, Karen Guenther, and the late William Pencak. A 2007 colloquium at the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture proved especially fruitful by prompting me to refine or rethink key interpretations, and I offer my deepest thanks to Fredrika Teute, Ron Hoffman, Karin Wulf, Chris Grasso, Paul Mapp, Douglas Winiarski, and Robert Parkinson. As the book neared production, Alice Thiede produced beautiful maps with remarkable speed and efficiency. Generous fellowships from the University of California at Davis, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the German Historical Institute, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the David Library of the American Revolution, and Washington College fa- cilitated the travel, research, and writing required to complete the book. Of critical importance were the vast holdings of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and I extend particular thanks to Max Moeller, the former Di- rector of Research Services. James Green of the Library Company proved a gracious host throughout my stay in Philadelphia. I profited from two espe- cially productive and enjoyable residential fellowships at the David Library of the American Revolution, my home away from home. The David Library’s astounding collections, wonderful staff, comfortable lodgings, and beautiful surroundings provided ideal conditions for scholarly research. I offer my warmest thanks to current and former staff, particularly Richard Ryerson, Will Tatum, Katherine Ludwig, and Meg McSweeney. I am also grateful to the many courteous and committed archivists and librarians at the Library of Congress, American Philosophical Society, Maryland State Archives, Mary- land Historical Society, William L. Clements Library, and Lancaster County Historical Society. Washington College, my academic home, furnished generous and sus- tained financial assistance. I benefited from the hard work of several gifted undergraduate research assistants, including Chris Brown, Katherine Thorn- ton, Charles Weisenberger, Daniel Primiani, Amy Shaw, and especially Ann- Katrin Trebitz. My colleagues Carol Wilson, Clayton Black, and Katherine Maynard found time in their busy schedules to contribute helpful feedback on portions of the manuscript. Donald McColl, another colleague, offered valuable insight into the paintings by the Sussel-Washington artist. I owe a substantial debt to Pam Pears and Carol Wilson for their welcome advice and encouragement during the delicate enterprise of producing a book for tenure at an institution where faculty monographs remain rare. A hearty thanks, too, to Miller Library’s Cynthia Sutton and Carol VanVeen, who worked wonders procuring the countless volumes needed to finish the book.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS  ix

A version of chapter 3appeared previously as “‘A Dangerous Set of People’: British Captives and the Making of Revolutionary Identity in the Mid-Atlantic Interior,”Journal of the Early Republic4 (Winter 2012):32, no. 565–601. For their thoughtful and constructive feedback on that article, I thank Susan Klepp and the three anonymous reviewers. Working with Cornell University Press has proved both a pleasure and a privilege. Amanda Heller sharpened my prose during copyediting, pro- ducing a more readable book. Ange Romeo-Hall, managing editor, steered the book through production with meticulous care and admirable expertise, fielding my many questions with patience and assurance. I will never be able to repay the debt owed to my editor Michael McGandy, who, since his first inquiry about my project several years ago, has proved both a consummate professional and an unflagging supporter. Understanding, encouraging, and remarkably patient, he expertly shepherded the manuscript through the re- view, revision, and production process, pushing at all the right moments and providing thoughtful, incisive feedback all along the way. I am also grateful to my two external reviewers for their faith in the manuscript and their in- sightful suggestions on how to improve it. Above all, I wish to thank the members of my family, who waited a long time for this book. Though my mother, father, and brother are far from experts on the American Revolution, they contributed more to this volume than they’ll ever know. The profession has carried me a long way from home, but my parents, Ken and Linda Miller, have furnished vital support and en- couragement every step of the way. Amid our many anguished discussions of Germany’s prospects of securing a fourth World Cup title, my brother Ric invariably inquired about the book’s progress. With the book finally finished, I look forward to returning home more frequently. Finally, Donna Whicher read the manuscript more times than I care to count. Time and again, with refreshing wit and insight, she clarified my muddled prose and convoluted thinking. More than anyone else, she helped make this book a reality. For that and for so much more, I will remain in her debt.