The American, French, and Haitian Revolutions affected the lives of thousands in the Atlantic world who felt the urge—or were forced—to fight and lead battles; travel, flee, or move to—or invade—distant lands; establish new towns; and make decisions that radically influenced their lives and the lives of others around them. In the last 15 years, historians have offered important and exciting studies on the journeys of seemingly unimportant people—of different socioracial composition—who, although neglected in traditional historiographies, played a crucial role in the development of revolutionary politics of the Atlantic world. Vanessa Mongey's fascinating book joins those works that analyze the Age of Revolutions from the margins; she draws a rich and complex picture of neglected men (ship captains, teachers, printers, enslaved soldiers, and military veterans) who, although forgotten by national (often-triumphalist) historical narratives, played a significant part in planting the political seeds of a new era.
In her brief...
