Part 4/14:
Burns describes the American revolution as rooted in a complex web involving European empires. The Caribbean, with profit-driven slavery, and the Mediterranean, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia all became battlegrounds and arenas of influence. France, Spain, and the Netherlands played pivotal roles, supporting the American cause with military aid, financing, and supplies. Burns emphasizes that the story of American independence must include these multi-continental dimensions, moving beyond the simplistic narrative of “great men in Philadelphia.”