Prelude To Glory - The Impending Storm - Volume 7 in Series by Ron Carter

It is October 1781, and the great guns at Yorktown fall silent, British General Cornwallis suffers the humiliation of surrendering his army to the victorious colonists, and the eight-year-long struggle for American independence is over. For one euphoric moment a shout of jubilation rolls forth across the liberated nation. But then reality sets in. America is not a united nation. It is thirteen separate countries, each with its own money, political organization, culture, and history. Disputes arise between the states - quarrels over borders, the use of the great rivers, and who has the power to levy taxes and collect tariffs. Soldiers discharged from service in the Continental Army are sent home penniless to deal with growing indebtedness, foreclosures on their farms and businesses, and bankruptcy. Compounding the problem, neither the states nor the federal government have the gold and silver to support their paper currencies, and, unable to levy taxes or enforce laws, the United States Congress is virtually powerless.

Matthew and Caleb Dunson, Eli Stroud, and Billy Weems are home from the war, but in the face of civil unrest and widespread financial failure, their futures are in doubt. Matthew becomes increasingly embroiled in political affairs; hardened by the brutal effects of war, Caleb struggles to finance his way; fearing rejection, Billy Weems risks losing the only woman he has ever loved; and Eli Stroud must endure the greatest loss of his life.

In 1786, under the leadership of Daniel Shays, former soldiers revolt, closing down many New England courthouses to stop the bankruptcy courts from seizing their farms, and state militiamen. Americans are killing Americans. The "impending storm," which retired general George Washington had foreseen, has broken over the new nation. Will there emerge ingenious leaders who can devise a system of government that will protect the liberties so dearly purchased and enable a free people to successfully govern themselves? Author Ron Carter continues his riveting depiction of the birth of the nation.