Summary of Gregory D. Massey's John Laurens and the American Revolution

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1The Laurens family, who were Huguenots, migrated to the New World in the 17th century. André Laurens, his son Jean, and grandson Henry adhered to the Huguenot tradition of industriousness and enterprise. #2 John Laurens, Henry’s father, had sent him to London to work in the counting house of the respected merchant James Crokatt. In 1747, Henry finished his apprenticeship and returned to South Carolina. He decided to settle in Charleston and form a partnership with George Austin. #3 Laurens’s marriage was a happy one, and he and Eleanor had 12 children together. His wife’s abilities in the domestic sphere were matched by his abilities in the business world. #4 The American colonies lacked a genuine nobility, but they did have a natural aristocracy made up of men of ability who possessed property and the leisure to live as gentlemen. The colony’s prosperity made harmony between the white elite necessary.