All About Me
Growing up in Putnam County, named after General Israel Putnam, I walked its roads and explored the hills and valleys American rebels tread. I often thought, what would I have done when the head of the state, King George III of England, ignored the rights of the American colonies and the rule of law? Would I have marched to the tune of the revolution and been in a regiment commanded by General Putnam or sided with the loyalists?
“The World Turn’d Upside,” Volume Two of four of “Creating a Republic,” is my perception of the founding of the American experiment for citizens who care about democracy. I have attempted to give each character their own story from the beginning of the revolt in the summer of 1775. I am a researcher and historian and intend the novel to be of value to all who cherish liberty and the creation of all things beautiful. I have attempted to abstain from indulging in the minutia of the past so anyone with a limited historical background can wade through the story.
In school, a teacher triggered my interest in the founding of America. She asked: "What would you have done when the most powerful nation on earth, headed by King George III and Parliament, attacked your rights, taxed you without representation, and placed you beneath the rule of law?"
This question burned in my soul for years and finally led me to answer it using six founders who risked their lives. The characters in this creative nonfiction novel, rooted in actual persons long deceased, cared about the welfare of the land that bound them.
Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and James Wilkinson are intoxicating, like youth soon lost.
I have spent a decade researching these Patriots, who helped found and were at the country's helm. The novel is grounded in historical facts by mixing myth, reality, and extraordinary personalities.
My HP Books
COMING SOON!
"The World Turned Upside Down" takes readers on an exhilarating journey through one of
history's most transformative periods.
This masterful work of historical fiction follows the audacious British-American colonists, known as the Founders, as they boldly rise against the mightiest empire of their time: England. Their unprecedented struggle challenged the status quo and reshaped the foundation of global politics and human rights, ushering in the era of democracy. As the narrative unfolds with rich, immersive detail and dynamic characters, the story poses a profound question: after securing their hard-won liberty, could they preserve and nurture the fragile promise of a new world? This compelling tale captures the spirit of revolution
and the enduring quest for freedom.
Book Excerpt
Patrick Henry, “the ball of the revolution,” was an unlikely candidate to promote the American colonies to separate from England.
He hated readin’ and writin’ and preferred fishin’ and huntin’. Failing in several business ventures, he honed his oratory and took up law. He became an extraordinary orator. His role in the Parson’s Cause cemented his confidence.
Droughts in the 1750s caused crop failures and increased the price of tobacco. In 1755 and 1758 the Virginia House of Burgesses passed the Two Penny Acts, making it temporarily legal to pay debts formerly collected in tobacco to the Clergy at the rate of two pence a pound.
James Maury, a clergyman, sued to recover taxes from the people of Hanover, Virgini. The court decided in favor of the clergy, but the amount owed was to be determined in a separate trial.
Henry’s speech at this trial foreshadowed the beginning of the break between England and her colonies.
“A King, by disallowing Acts of this salutary nature, from being the father of his people, degenerated into a Tyrant and forfeits all right to his subjects' obedience."
Some spectators in the audience cried out “treason.”
The jury awarded the plaintiff one penny in damages.
Henry was thrust to fame when he responded to the Stamp Ac, a tax on printed materials, in the Virginia House of Burgess.
On May 29, 1765, he said, “Caesar had his Brutus, Charles I his Cromwell, and George III... (he was interrupted by cries from the opposition)… may profit by their example. If this be treason, make the most of it."
There were seven resolutions, four officially adopted. They spread like wildfire across the thirteen colonies
Henry lighted the path to rebellion.
He is remembered in US history for his Give me liberty, or give me death! speech to the Virginia Convention 1775 but that was anti-climatic for the ball of the revolution.