Amy Watson – författare

A new history of the Patriot movement before the American Revolution, tracing its origins to reform movements in British politics  The American revolutionaries—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John and Abigail Adams—called themselves Patriots. But what exactly did it mean to be a Patriot? Historian Amy Watson locates the origins of Patriotism in British politics of the early eighteenth century, showing that the label “Patriot” was first adopted by a network of British politicians with radical ideas about the principles and purpose of the British Empire. The early Patriots’ ideological mission was not American independence but, rather, imperial reform: Patriots sought to create a British Empire that was militant, expansionist, confederal, and free.  Over the course of the next half century, these British reformers used print media and grassroots mobilization efforts to build an empire-wide political party with adherents in London, Edinburgh, New York City, and the new colony of Georgia. While building this party, the Patriots’ advocacy drew Britons into a series of violent political conflicts over taxes and civil liberty, as well as three expansive global wars, the War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739–48), the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48), and the Seven Years’ War (1756–63). Patriot ideas and organizations came to divide Britons on increasingly sharp political lines, laying the groundwork for the revolutionary decades to come.

As Emma Rabbit and friends play in a meadow on the edge of Banburry town, they begin to wonder what lies beyond Ellicott Hill. With the help of Addy the butterfly and their imagination, the crescent moon becomes a magical sailing ship known as the Ellicott Moon. Join the crew of the Ellicott Moon as they travel to a far away place where they find adventure and make a new friend.

As Emma Rabbit and friends play in a meadow on the edge of Banburry town, they begin to wonder what lies beyond Ellicott Hill. With the help of Addy the butterfly and their imagination, the crescent moon becomes a magical sailing ship known as the Ellicott Moon. Join the crew of the Ellicott Moon as they travel to a far away place where they find adventure and make a new friend.