The War for Independence had substantial impact on the lives of all Americans, establishing a nation and confirming American identity. This book focuses on a conflict which was both civil war and revolution, and assesses how Americans coped with the shock waves and met the challenge of adapting to the ideals of Independence and Republicanism. While the war effected political reconstruction and brought economic self-sufficiency and expansion, it also had a negative side in the oppression of dissenting and ethnic minorities. The text seeks to highlight the effect of the war on the lives of those who lived through it.