Ben Franklin's world is a production of the

O'Mahandro Institute. Hello and welcome to episode 294 of Ben Franklin's world. The podcast dedicated to helping

you learn more about how the people and events of our early American past have shaped the present day world we live in.

And I'm your host, Liz Kovart.

When we think of important years in the history of the American Revolution, there are many years to choose from.

For example, we might think of 1765 in the Stamp Act crisis, or 1773 in the Tea Crisis. We might go with 1775 and the start of what would become the American

War for Independence. Or 1776, the year the United States declared its independence.

Or we might even go with 1783, the year that marked the official end to the war for independence.

Well, award-winning historian Mary Beth Norton has another year in the revolution's history that she'd like for us to start paying attention to you, and that's the year 1774.

Mary Beth Norton is the Mary-Donland-Alder Professor Emerita at Cornell University,

and the author of the book 1774, The Long Year of Revolution.

Now as we converse with Mary Beth, Mary Beth reveals why she believes the 18 months between December

1773 and April 1775 were crucial to the development of the American Revolution.

The ways the political divide between those who would become loyalists and those who would

become revolutionary increased throughout 1774 and how

Conservatives future loyalists and future revolutionaries thought about

different events such as the T crisis the Acts, and the meeting of the First Continental

Congress.

But first, have you joined the Ben Franklin's World listener community on Facebook yet?

The community is a fun place to hang out. It's a place for us to chat,

ask questions, and to attend special programs. It's also the place where Holly White and I post

information about our forthcoming interviews so that you have a chance to submit questions

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