Book One

The Olive Branch

1775 to 1780

The Grand Union flag of thirteen stripes, the Union of 1707 in its corner, flying against an evening sky, with the old Union flag faint behind it. Crown on the Potomac The Olive Branch Book One 1775 to 1780

April 1775. The war begins at Lexington, exactly as it did in our history. Then a petition that George III refused even to receive is received instead, and nothing about the war changes except what it is for.

The Olive Branch follows thirteen people through the four years after that: a King who never changes his mind; the minister who talked him into a courtesy and then had to run the war it did not stop; the moderate who wins the vote history remembers him losing; the general fighting the King's army in the King's name; a Mohawk leader whose people the peace forgets; and a farm boy from Lexington.

Trailer. Lexington, 19 April 1775.

Each chapter opens with a short extract from the Universal Register, the encyclopedia of the world the book is set in. The extracts are quoted from the Register as it stands; the chapters show what happened in the rooms it was not in.

Begin reading: Chapter One, Lexington → Characters

Part One: The Petition (1775)

  1. 1 Lexington Eli Wheeler. 17 min.
  2. 2 Penn's Hill Abigail Adams. 14 min.
  3. 3 The Piddling Genius John Dickinson. 13 min.
  4. 4 No Answer Will Be Given Richard Penn. 18 min.
  5. 5 The Courtesy Lord Dartmouth. 15 min.
  6. 6 Blows Must Decide King George III. 14 min.
  7. 7 Ground of Conciliation Richard Penn. 20 min.
  8. 8 A Considerable Reputation Benedict Arnold. 16 min.

Part Two: The Grievances (1776)

  1. 9 The Common Faith John Adams. 12 min.
  2. 10 The King's Town George Washington. 14 min.
  3. 11 The Small Spots Joseph Brant. 14 min.
  4. 12 A List of Female Grievances Abigail Adams. 15 min.
  5. 13 A Skiff Made of Paper John Dickinson. 14 min.
  6. 14 Rightly Governing King George III. 12 min.
  7. 15 Kip's Bay Eli Wheeler. 15 min.
  8. 16 A Decided Character John Adams. 13 min.
  9. 17 Victory or Death George Washington. 13 min.

Part Three: Saratoga (1777)

  1. 18 The Side of Canada Lord Dartmouth. 13 min.
  2. 19 Friends and Neighbours Joseph Brant. 18 min.
  3. 20 The King's Protection John Dickinson. 14 min.
  4. 21 The Same Leg Benedict Arnold. 13 min.
  5. 22 Not Without Remedy Lord North. 15 min.
  6. 23 Greater News Benjamin Franklin. 18 min.

Part Four: Two Offers (1778)

  1. 24 The Common Step Eli Wheeler. 18 min.
  2. 25 Of Right Ought to Be John Adams. 15 min.
  3. 26 By and By Lord Dartmouth. 16 min.
  4. 27 Never Sink Sir Henry Clinton. 19 min.
  5. Interlude: Monmouth Eli Wheeler. 9 min.
  6. 28 The Ephemera Benjamin Franklin. 15 min.
  7. 29 Blank Paper Abigail Adams. 13 min.
  8. 30 Wild Geese Joseph Brant. 15 min.
  9. 31 The Smaller Wheels George Washington. 14 min.

Part Five: The Peace of Boston (1779)

  1. 32 The Commentaries Benedict Arnold. 16 min.
  2. 33 At This Hour Lord North. 17 min.
  3. 34 The Dominions Appertaining King George III. 13 min.
  4. 35 Fresh Courage Lord Dartmouth. 15 min.
  5. 36 The Answer Richard Penn. 14 min.
  6. 37 The Orchards Joseph Brant. 23 min.
  7. 38 The Stilling of Waves Benjamin Franklin. 18 min.
  8. 39 Held to the Fire Sir Henry Clinton. 20 min.
  9. 40 The Remaining Questions John Dickinson. 21 min.
  10. 41 A Small Table George Washington. 23 min.
  11. 42 Same as Any Day Eli Wheeler. 24 min.
  12. Epilogue Sir Henry Clinton. 24 min.