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About

Curated by Museum staff since 2013, Read the Revolution features excerpts from thought-provoking books about the American Revolution. Read the Revolution was created with thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Subscribe to get the biweekly Read the Revolution featured excerpts emailed right to your inbox for free.

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Speaker Series

Inspired by the Read the Revolution featured excerpts, the Read the Revolution Speaker Series brings celebrated authors and historians to the Museum for lively, facilitated discussions of their work. Each Read the Revolution Speaker Series program, hosted by Museum President & CEO Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, includes a special talk and audience Q&A.

About the Series

All Books

Showing 1–10 of 259 items
Cover for David Waldstreicher's book The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley with the book title and author name in bold black font against an orange background with a colorized version of Phillis Wheatley's portrait in the center.

The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley

Posted: March 13, 2024
Read an excerpt from David Waldstreicher's book, The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence.
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Book cover for Brothers in Liberty features the book title in yellow on a red background in the middle of the cover with the subtitle right below in white.

Brothers in Liberty

Posted: February 28, 2024
Read an excerpt from Phillip Thomas Tucker's book, Brothers in Liberty: The Forgotten Story of the Free Black Haitians Who Fought for American Independence.
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The book cover of Death or Liberty by Douglas Egerton featuring John Singleton Copley's painting depicting Black Loyalist Boston King.

Death or Liberty

Posted: February 14, 2024
Read an excerpt from Douglas Egerton's book, Death or Liberty: African Americans in the Revolutionary War.
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Cover of The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams by Stacy Schiff featuring a zoomed in image of Samuel Adams's face.

The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams

Posted: January 24, 2024
Read an excerpt from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff's book, The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams.
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Book cover for True For The Cause Of Liberty Gilbert with two men riding horses from left to right and dark green and brown coloring.

True for the Cause of Liberty

Posted: January 10, 2024
Read an excerpt from Oscar E. Gilbert and Catherine R. Gilbert's book, True for the Cause of Liberty: The Second Spartan Regiment in the American Revolution.
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Book cover for David Hackett Fischer's award-winning book Washington's Crossing.

Washington's Crossing

Posted: December 27, 2023
Read an excerpt from David Hackett Fischer's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Washington's Crossing.
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Book cover for Founding Martyr by Christian Di Spigna featuring a portrait of Dr. Joseph Warren.

Founding Martyr

Posted: December 13, 2023
Read an excerpt from Christian Di Spigna's book, Founding Martyr: The Life and Death of Dr. Joseph Warren, the American Revolution’s Lost Hero.
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Book cover for Freedom's Prophet by Richard Newman featuring a large scale portrait of Bishop Richard Allen.

Freedom's Prophet

Posted: November 22, 2023
Read an excerpt from Richard S. Newman's book, Freedom’s Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the Black Founding Fathers.
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Book cover for Tim McGrath's book Give Me a Fast Ship featuring the title in black text over a goldish brown background with stars and a painting of naval ships.

Give Me a Fast Ship

Posted: November 08, 2023
Read an excerpt from Tim McGrath's book, Give Me a Fast Ship: The Continental Navy and America's Revolution at Sea.
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Cover for Norman Donoghue's book Prisoner's of Congress which features a blue illustration of the top of Independence Hall atop the book title in blue over a beige background.

Prisoners of Congress

Posted: October 25, 2023
Read an excerpt from Norman E. Donoghue II's book, Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia’s Quakers in Exile, 1777-1778.
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