Read the Revolution

A curated collection of thought-provoking books about the American Revolution.

Featured Books

Brothers in Liberty

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.

Female Genius

Read an excerpt from Mary Sarah Bilder's book, Female Genius: Eliza Harriot and George Washington at the Dawn of the Constitution.

King Hancock

Read an excerpt from Brooke Barbier's book, King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father.

The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley

Read an excerpt from David Waldstreicher's book, The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence.

Death or Liberty

Read an excerpt from Douglas Egerton's book, Death or Liberty: African Americans in the Revolutionary War.

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.

Book cover for Female Genius written in a wavy font across the bottom third features Columbia holding the American flag.

Book cover for King Hancock book featuring a large portrait of John Hancock's face with the title King Hancock in gold and Hancock written in his famous signature.

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 book cover of Death or Liberty by Douglas Egerton featuring John Singleton Copley's painting depicting Black Loyalist Boston King.

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

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Image 090220 Museum Of American Revolution Guidebook Cover

History

Museum of the American Revolution Official Guidebook

Posted: December 18, 2019

Read two excerpts from the Museum of the American Revolution's Official Guidebook published in 2019.

History

Among His Troops

Posted: November 27, 2019

Read an excerpt from the Museum of the American Revolution's Among His Troops Coffee Table Catalog.

History

The Will of the People

Posted: November 13, 2019

Read an excerpt from T.H. Breen's book, The Will of the People: The Revolutionary Birth of America.

History

Battle of Paoli

Posted: October 23, 2019

Read an excerpt from Thomas J. McGuire's book, Battle of Paoli.

History

The Disaffected

Posted: September 25, 2019

Read an excerpt from Aaron Sullivan's book, The Disaffected: Britain’s Occupation of Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

History

With Zeal and With Bayonets Only

Posted: September 11, 2019

Read an excerpt from Matthew H. Spring’s With Zeal and With Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, 1775-1783.

History

Britons

Posted: August 28, 2019

Read an excerpt from Linda Colley's book, Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707-1837.

History

Liberty's Exiles

Posted: August 14, 2019

This excerpt from Maya Jasanoff illustrates exiled loyalists' experience and what it meant as an American colonist returning to Great Britain after defeat.

History

Slave Counterpoint

Posted: July 24, 2019

This excerpt from Phillip Morgan explains the value of studying slave culture in the eighteenth century and “humanizing the institution of slavery.”

History

Declaration

Posted: June 12, 2019

This excerpt by William Hogeland explores the people, backroom politicking, and passions that ignited our pursuit of liberty during the American Revolution.

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