Essay Questions

Why is the novel entitled “The Year of the Hangman”?

There are two possible reasons why the novel is entitled as such. One has to do with the year in which the main action of the novel takes place, 1777. The argument is that the three number 7 in the year resemble a hanging post. Another reason has to do with the popular method of execution in the 18th century which was hanging. In the novel, George Washington is himself executed by hanging and as such the title may also be a reference made in this sense.

On which historic event is the book based?

The action in the novel is based on the events which took place in the 1770s, the American Revolution. Up until then, America was a British colony, under British rule. The reason why the Americans wanted their independence was because they did not felt represented in the government back in Britain, causing high taxes to be imposed on the American colonies. Another reason why the American colonies wanted to gain their independence is because they were not free to trade their goods as they saw fit and as such they often operated at a loss. All these events culminated in a series of violent actions which eventually lead to the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Why is Benjamin Franklin an important character in the novel?

Benjamin Franklin is regarded as being one of the Founding Fathers if the United States and he also served as the 6th president of Pennsylvania. He was among the first political figure to stand for the rights of the American colony and was also the author of a number of essays which criticized the British rule and advocated for an independent government. Benjamin Franklin was also one of the five men who drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and he was also the person who negotiated the ending of the Revolutionary War, meaning Benjamin Franklin made sure America was going to be recognized as an independent state by the international community.