Bell, Richard. The American Revolution and the Fate of the World. New York: Riverhead Books, 2025.

Book Review

Traditionally, the American Revolutionary War is depicted as a clash between American Rebels and British Redcoats. In his new book, Professor Richard Bell demonstrates that this notion is overly simplistic and omits essential participants outside the conventional battle narratives. In his fourth book, the revolutionary-era historian “broadens and complicates” the standard story by integrating the actions of countries and individuals across five continents, each with its own objectives and reasons for entering the world war. Innovatively, the Maryland professor deepens our understanding of the global war not by a standard narrative but through fourteen vignettes.  Overall, the sketches emphasize the diversity of contestants and the “knock-on” consequences of the American Rebellion.

After the French, Spanish, and Dutch entered the war in 1778-80, the conflict expanded beyond the thirteen colonies to all European home countries and their vast colonial possessions. The war even came to Britain through sabotage, seaborne raids, and invasion threats. The contest over the rich sugar-producing West Indian islands was especially pivotal as they generated immense wealth critical to their owners’ national security. The use of illustrative stories is a clever way to convey the connections among these theaters of action without getting bogged down in the details of each battle. Bell illustrates seven themes with the case studies.

First, commercial interests were paramount to the participants. Trade was the lifeblood of the European empires and a significant cause of the American Revolution. Bell illustrates this theme by linking the global efforts to oppose the importation of British East India Company tea. For example, the Chinese had their own tea party, destroying the East India Company’s tea modeled after the famous Boston one. Even with its monopoly powers, the East India Company did not endure, leading to freer trade and less corruption. Access to trade was a key motivating factor for the European powers to support the Americans.

Additionally, the war had momentous unintended consequences. Before the revolution, British courts regularly sentenced thousands of criminals each year to serve their sentences in the colonies of Maryland and Virginia. Exiled convicts represented 10-20 % of the number of enslaved Africans coming to the 13 colonies pre-revolution. The convict transportation and sale business was immensely profitable for shippers, more so than trading in enslaved Africans. The author offers intriguing comparisons of Black slavery, indentured servants, and convict sale prices, length of service, treatment, and legacies. The loss of the American colonies as an outlet for their criminals forced Britain to find alternatives. Just four years after the American Revolution, the British sent convicts to the previously uncolonized Australia. The First Fleet included in its crew nine white and Black Americans, along with a military officer who fought at Bunker Hill.

Another theme is that the American cause drew many volunteers from Europe, especially those with much-needed technical military experience. For example, Bell highlights the contributions of Baron von Steuben, the proficient drillmaster at Valley Forge. To clarify the historical record, the author correctly notes that the falsification of the Baron’s resume was motivated by Benjamin Franklin’s desire to flatter the French courts by making the Baron appealing to the Continental Congress. Additionally, Bell’s depiction of Steuben’s personal life is thoughtful and nuanced. Too often, he is reduced to a caricature reflecting modern issues. One unexplored area is why he was less successful as the independent commander of the Continental Army in Virginia, prompting George Washington to send Marquis de Lafayette to take command. 

The lack of naval power was another major strategic challenge for the Americans. The Rebels faced the world’s most powerful navy without any existing warships. The Continental Congress authorized a small fleet of frigates, but none of them lasted long in battle. Still, the Americans came up with a clever solution: privateering, or government-licensed piracy. Shipowners added cannons to merchant vessels to attack British shipping. The author recounts the struggles of William Russell, a Boston educator who, in desperation, joined a privateer crew to support his family. Russell faced many hardships, including harsh imprisonment in Britain. While Russell was unsuccessful, American privateers seized nearly 10 percent of the British merchant fleet. But this came at a terrible price. The British also captured thousands of American privateers, who suffered in prison death traps.

Another key theme is that French and Spanish military aid was vital for securing American independence. The decisive Yorktown campaign is an example. The French Navy blocked the British Navy from rescuing Lord Cornwallis at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, and the French Army provided the heavy cannons, siege expertise, and over half the forces needed to compel the British surrender. Bell correctly points out that without French help, the victory that decided the war would not have been possible. Similarly, under the direction of Bernardo Gálvez, the Spanish supported the Americans by capturing large parts of Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana, and the Bahamas. In recognition of his defeat of the British on the Gulf Coast, there is a statue of Bernardo Gálvez near the State Department in Washington, DC.

The University of Maryland professor highlights that the fight for self-determination was not limited to Americans. The Indian Kingdom of Mysore and its leader, Haider Ali, fought the British for control of the Carnatic Coast in Southeast India. One of America’s first naval ships was named after the Mysorean king in recognition of their shared goal of expelling British imperialists. The British redirected a large fleet and army to counter Ali and his French allies. As a result, the revolution’s final battle was neither at Yorktown nor in America, but against Haider’s son, Tipu, during the siege of Cuddalore. After experiencing Tipu’s devastating rocketry in this clash, the British incorporated the terrifying technology into their military. During the War of 1812, Royal Marines used several hundred adapted rockets to bombard Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key witnessed the “rockets’ red glare,” which helped inspire the creation of the iconic U.S. National Anthem.

Irish rebels were also seeking self-determination. After surrendering at Yorktown, the British government assigned Lord Cornwallis to extinguish the Irish Rebellion. The defeated general was more successful in this effort. His Lordship forced the Irish Parliament into a political union, adding a red St. Patrick’s cross to the British flag.

Another overlooked theme is that the American Revolution displaced thousands of people, creating a worldwide refugee crisis. It was not a rosy future for many Loyalists forced to flee the United States to the Caribbean, Canada, Britain, and Africa. Bell features stories of three loyalists who emigrated to carve out new lives for themselves. Molly Brant, a leader of the Haudenosaunee, moved from her ancestral homeland in New York to Upper Canada to reestablish their confederation in more friendly territory. Harry Washington, a self-emancipated Black man previously owned by George Washington, fought for his freedom under the Union Jack. When the British evacuated New York, he resettled in Nova Scotia and then in Sierra Leone. There, seeking freedom, Harry led a rebellion against British rule. Lastly, Bell recounts the travails of Peggy Shippen, wife of Benedict Arnold, in seeking acceptance into British or Canadian society. Her husband’s infamy never permitted her to achieve the social standing she enjoyed in pre-war Philadelphia. However, Edward Shippen, her father, thrived in America, becoming the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Bell sums up his themes from the case studies with conclusions that prompt readers to rethink their existing views. King George III was not a fool, as portrayed in the play Hamilton. Although the king lost America, he became a national hero for successfully defending the empire against existential threats from the Bourbon kings. Just as King George III deserves more respect for his wartime leadership, people should recognize that Britain, despite suffering an embarrassing American defeat, set the stage for a larger colonial empire and greater prosperity. Bell stresses that the British were not losers in the broader global imperial struggle with the French and Spanish empires. They retained the highly valuable British Caribbean islands, which were coveted by the Bourbon powers. They gained access to the wealthy Indian subcontinent and kept the strategic Gibraltar. Even more impactful, Britain became America’s top trading partner without bearing the costs of colonialism. Maybe they won!