Boy Soldiers of the American Revolution

“Vividly re-creating both the lived experience and shifting cultural significance of boy soldiers, Caroline Cox offers a rich account of what military service meant to boys and those around them. Persuasive and effective, this book will become the standard work on boy soldiers in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.”—Corinne T. Field, University of Virginia

"Boy Soldiers of the American Revolution explores, both narratively and analytically, questions surrounding the service of boys in the Continental army during the Revolutionary period. The stories are wonderful, and they leap out of the chapters to help make the period come alive. This book is a testament to Cox’s prowess as a scholar.”—Holly Brewer, University of Maryland

“Expertly detail[s] the social fabric of the founding era. . . . Highly recommended for readers interested in the American Revolution and children’s history, as well as those seeking a different perspective on why people fight in wars.”—Library Journal, starred review

“Cox has produced a thoroughly researched and well-written account not only of the wartime experiences of the boys who served in the Revolutionary War but also how those experiences further our understanding of soldier motivations, generational relationships, family life, the work lives of young people, and the maturation process from boyhood to manhood.”—The Historian

“An impeccable work of scholarship that fills an important gap in the historiography of many fields, including military history and the history of childhood and colonial America.”—North Carolina Historical Review

“This compact book is full of valuable findings and striking insights. . . . Cox’s work opens windows into the diversity of experiences in the Revolutionary War and the relationship between soldiering and work. Ultimately, her analysis of boy soldiers highlights changing expectations about children and childhood as one century flowed into the next.”—Journal of the Early Republic

“This exemplary volume is required reading for anyone interested in the history of childhood and the American Revolutionary War. Essential.”—CHOICE

“Cox’s purpose is primarily to elucidate the experiences of these boys in the military and their roles in their families and society. She utilizes narratives that reveal a collective portrait of this particular group.”—American Historical Review

“This book has a place on myriad bookshelves, especially of any American sociologist or historian.”—On Point