The River Rebel: James Armistead (Series 51: The Sons of Liberty)

The River Rebel: James Armistead Lafayette

Virginia, 1781 — The river divides two worlds: bondage and freedom.

Born enslaved, James Armistead serves as a ferryman on the York River, listening to whispers of war until one fateful encounter with General Lafayette changes his life. Posing as a loyal servant inside Lord Cornwallis’s camp, James becomes a double agent—carrying false maps, coded letters, and truths that could alter history.

From the muddy crossings of Virginia to the thunder of Yorktown, he walks the razor edge between survival and discovery, knowing one wrong word could cost him his life. When the guns finally fall silent, James must fight a different battle—the one for his own freedom.

The River Rebel is the extraordinary true story of the young man whose intelligence helped end the Revolutionary War, and whose courage helped define the meaning of liberty itself.

Part of The Voices of Time collection and The Sons of Liberty series, this homeschool-friendly novel includes a historical timeline, glossary, sources and methods, and a discussion guide—inviting readers to explore how one man’s quiet bravery helped build a nation.