A New Age Now Begins: A People's History American Revolution * Page Smith #1

The Epic, Grassroots Masterpiece of Revolutionary Defiance and Colonial Conflict. Dismantle the dry, detached textbook treatments of America’s founding era and confront the raw human drama of a population drifting from subordination to self-governance. Written with immense literary flair and a deep focus on the common citizen by celebrated historian Dr. Page Smith, this monumental opening volume of his landmark People's History series strips away clinical political theory. The text serves as an extraordinary, high-utility operational roadmap of the American Revolution—treating the separation from Great Britain not as a series of sudden military skirmishes, but as an inevitable psychological awakening that occurred in the hearts and minds of everyday people long before the first shots split the air at Lexington and Concord.

The narrative in Volume 1 is masterfully organized as a chronological and thematic tapestry, guiding readers fluidly through early colonial exploration, the deep systemic friction surrounding the Stamp Act, and the absolute explosion of active resistance. Smith uses a brilliant, uninhibited storytelling style that foregoes traditional, intrusive footnotes to keep the historical pacing swift and cinematic. He pulls heavily from real-world letters, field diaries, and regional archives to highlight the distinct, calculations-shattering perspectives of front-line soldiers, local women, loyalist Tories, enslaved workers, and Indigenous communities. From a visceral, minute-by-minute recreation of the intense firefight at Bunker Hill to an intimate evaluation of King George III's strategic misunderstandings across the Atlantic time lag, this comprehensive account remains an indispensable library centerpiece. It stands as a definitive reference work for history buffs, educators, and researchers looking to explore the mechanics of human liberty with total precision.

Published in January 1976 as a bicentennial flagship release by McGraw-Hill Book Company