Endgame for Empire

Too easily we forget that the process of European colonization was not simply a matter of armed invaders elbowing themselves into position to take charge. As John Juricek reminds us, the road to revolution was paved in part by complicated negotiations with Indians, as well as unique legal challenges.

By 1763, Britain had defeated Spain and France for dominance over much of the continent and renewed efforts to repair relations with Indians, especially in the southern colonies. Over the ensuing decade the reconstitution of British-Creek relations stalled and then collapsed, ultimately leading the colonists directly into the arms of the patriot cause.

Juricek’s expertise uniquely situates him to examine and explain how British failures, including the growing gap between promises and actions, led not only to a loss of potential allies among the Creeks but also to the rapid conversion of dutiful British subjects into outraged revolutionaries.