The Year of the Hangman

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Year of the Hangman is an alternate history novel for young adults, published in 2002 and written by Gary Blackwood.

[edit] Characters

• Creighton Brown- an English boy who gets in trouble with the law and hates the American rebels. Hoping to cure hem of his bad behavior, Creighton's mother sends him to the colonies to live with his Uncle. He is very arrogant with a sassy sort of humor.

• Benjamin Franklin- American Patriot who publishes the Liberty Tree, a rebel newspaper. Franklin takes Creighton in because he believes him to be loyal to the Patriots dies from the fire on printshop.

• Benedict Arnold- American General who befriends Creighton. Arnold is a fighting man, who prefers violence rather than settling matters peacefully. He has a very bad temper and likes to duel.

• Peter- a giant who is in the rebel army and is only a year older then Creighton. Because of his size is is sometimes clumsy and can get in the way. Unlike many of the Characters, Peter is based off Peter Francisco; a private in the army who was fifteen and six feet tall.

• Sophie- a French housemaid who works for Franklin. Sophie's family was killed by British soldiers, so she despises most British people. Sophie cares for Creighton when he gets sick or hurt.

• Colonel Gower'- Creighton's Uncle. Gower is a cruel and a unlikeable person, and is made the Lieutenant Governor of West Florida.

• Lieutenant Harvey Hale- British sailer who helps Creighton get to America. The two become friends. Hale is imprisoned with Gower, and eventually becomes his assistant when there is no ship for him to be on.

[edit] Plot Summary

The year is 1777, also known as the year of the hangman, due to the many hangings in England that year. The story starts with Creighton Brown, a child of a gentleman in London. After being in debt after a night of cards and drinking, Creighton comes home, and is kidnapped, by orders of his mother. Creighton is gagged and bound.On the ship, he finds out that he is being sent to live with his sadistic Uncle Gower, in South Carolina. On the Amity, he befriends Lieutenant Hale, who teaches him that honor is defined by actions, not words.

Shortly after arriving in Charles' Town, Gower is informed he had been made Lieutenant Governor of West Florida. While on the Amity, they are attacked by a band of Patriots led by Benedict Arnold. In order to have less of a ransom for Creighton, Gower makes him pretend to be his bound-servant. On the American sloop, Revenge, they are taken to New Orleans, and Lieutenant Hale and Gower are imprisoned in The Cabildo.

Creighton is taken in by Peter, and taken to Ben Franklin's house. There he meets Sophie, who initially is kind to Creighton, but immediately changes when Peter tells her he's British. When Creighton meets Ben Franklin, Franklin challenges Creighton to a card game. If Creighton had, won he'd be able to stay in the house without doing any work. But he lost, meaning he'd work in Franklin's printshop.

Franklin shows Creighton what he'll do; lift the print trays to the printing press, after Sophie finishes setting the types. On his first day on the job, he drops a half-day's work on accident, but instead of apologizing, he leaves and roams New Orleans. After eating, he stumbles on the Cabildo, and find Hale and Gower. Gower tells him to spy on Franklin, and get a pistol for Gower, so they can escape. Creighton finally goes home, after mosquitoes attack him.

[edit] Changes in History

One of the key differences is that George Washington was captured in a never-mentioned battle and put on trial. This change affected the war and different characters greatly. For instance, Benedict Arnold never had a chance to betray the never-formed United States of America, and is one of the major protagonists.