Long before the American colonies declared independence, their fate was tied to a man raised at Wroxton Abbey. Lord North’s life connects this quiet English estate to one of the most consequential conflicts in modern history.

My first sight of the library was from outside looking in. It was a gloriously sunny day, and I was visiting Wroxton with my parents. None of us knew the Abbey was here or that it was the home of Wroxton College. We’d more or less stumbled across the College on a walk through the village. With my face pressed up against the window, I could see the tables, the desks, and the endless rows of books.