Breck Baumann's Reviews > Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women and the Radical Men They Married

Historian Nancy Rubin Stuart returns to the Revolutionary War era with a dual biography of two leading ladies, with her sights set on the lives and relationships of both Lucy Flucker Knox and Margaret “Peggy” Shippen. Having previously written a phenomenal chronicle of Mercy Otis Warren’s life and times, Stuart sets out in her introduction with a determination to answer critical questions revolving around the two wives’ relationships, decisions, and actions that would later impact both their future livelihoods and overall social standing. She also makes it clear that while both indeed came from similar class backgrounds, they should not be judged solely on the basis of their choice in husbands—nor for one being branded a “Loyalist” over the more welcoming “Patriot” label.

With the opening chapter discussing Peggy’s teenage introduction to Philadelphia society via a British masquerade ball, Stuart easily weaves in a gripping narrative strung with an assortment of facts such as her father, Edward Shippen, being acquainted with fellow Junto Club member Benjamin Franklin. Italian in name and celebrated with Turkish costumes, this “Mischianza” gala was presented to the Howe brothers for their recent victories by the budding officer, John André, whom Stuart insists was amicably attached to the flirtatious and beautiful Shippen from that night on—not romantically as the long-held rumor has suggested. Easily keeping the reader’s attention and sticking with a well-structured pace, the following chapter appropriately switches to Lucy Knox’s upbringing and early life, proving to choose love over her family’s deep Loyalist ties by swiftly marrying the radically-minded Henry Knox in 1775.

Indeed, her parents would go on to shun and snub the couple for years to come, intentionally skipping their wedding and leaving Lucy heartbroken as they sailed for Nova Scotia and England one year later. Well-researched and rich with primary sources, letter after letter between both women’s attachments and liaisons are dutifully picked apart—praising the birth of a child, the direction of a battle, promotions, death, worry, and of course love and passion. A unique and interesting part of this dual biography involves Stuart weaving together the instances in which these historical figures happen to coincidentally meet and become acquainted with one another—with Benedict Arnold and Lucy Knox traveling together by coach to Valley Forge, and Henry Knox befriending British officer John André on two separate occasions, among other happenstances:

That month, as two other blizzards swept over the region, burying Philadelphia and New York in five feet of snow, both Peggy and Lucy remained in suspense: Peggy, in luxurious surroundings at the Masters-Penn mansion, and Lucy, at Knox’s simpler quarters in Morristown. Had the two women met, they would have discovered much in common that chilly January. Born to privilege and linked to the Revolution through their husbands, both women were pregnant and both hoped for Arnold’s acquittal.

The infamous betrayal and treason at West Point is discussed in great detail, with explanations of the meetings and incognito letters between Major André and both Peggy and Benedict Arnold, while also including his subsequent capture and Arnold’s eventual retreat to the British. Here, Peggy plays a marvelous role as a raving mad damsel in distress—with Stuart characteristically capturing all aspects of her frantics from that eventful day, until her eventual agreed upon release to the British months later. Although split into three separate parts, it becomes clear about halfway through the book that Stuart has a tendency to focus more so on the Arnold’s relationship, which leaves the depth and excitement of the Knox’s overall love and escapades paling by comparison.

Fortunately, there are not a few clever moments where Stuart grafts together pivotal moments in the Revolutionary War with that of the Knox’s writing to one another—with Henry’s artillery blasting the enemy away with cannonball at Yorktown, and all the while sending updates and everlasting love notes to his Lucy. Stuart not only brings in the occasional new fact and other less-known tidbits from her research of the Revolutionary and Founding eras, but also explains how each couple jointly suffered through the pain and misfortune of losing a child, oftentimes months after a pregnancy. Similarly, both the Knox family and the Arnold’s would live highly beyond their means, displaying their wealth (indeed, increasingly lack thereof) with fine dress and gourmet dining, as well as stately mansions and apartments. One of which, Montpelier—the Knox’s grand estate in Maine—Stuart describes in exceptional detail by noting the architecture, landscape, guests, and activities of the day.

Never ceasing to disappoint, Defiant Brides stays faithful to both of the wives' final days spent as widows, where Lucy would live distraught and mourning her late husband with the last of only three of their thirteen surviving children—along with a happy and growing brood of grandchildren. Conversely, Peggy would rally in spirit and in society by paying off Arnold’s debts and providing education and expenses for not only their own children, but honorably those of his prior marriage and to his sister, Hannah. Stuart’s biography stands as a tribute to these two women: capturing their affections, flaws, and historical significance as the devoted wives of two generals of the American Revolution. Concluding with the Knox and Arnold family legacies over subsequent generations, a useful index and the few known silhouettes and portraits to survive are also provided.