Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Misinformation Nation

Read an excerpt from Jordan E. Taylor's book, Misinformation Nation: Foreign News and the Politics of Truth in Revolutionary America.

The Pattern

Read an excerpt from Robbie MacNiven's book, The Pattern: The 33rd Regiment and the British Infantry Experience During the American Revolution, 1770-1783.

The Public Universal Friend

Read an excerpt from Paul Moyer's book, The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America.

Reading List: Native Americans in the American Revolution

View a list of six recommended Read the Revolution book selections to read for Native American Heritage Month this November.

Making the Presidency

Read an excerpt from Lindsay M. Chervinsky's book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic.

This image shows the book cover for Misinformation Nation with the title of the book in large text in a gray box centered on the page with an engraving of a city port scene in the background.

This book cover features a figure study of a British Army soldier wearing a red coat with white lining holding a long firearm and wearing a black tri-corner hat.

This image shows the cover of the book The Public Universal Friend with the title in white font overlaid atop dark orange, black, and gold religious paintings.

This image shows a vertical graphic with four book covers in a grid including Liberty's Exiles in the top left, Memory Wars top right, The Cutting-Off Way bottom right, and The Forgotten Allies bottom left.

This image shows the book cover for Making the Presidency by Lindsay Chervinsky featuring a portrait of John Adams.

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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History

Standing in Their Own Light

Posted: June 23, 2021

Read an excerpt from Judith L. Van Buskirk's book, Standing in Their Own Light: African American Patriots in the American Revolution.

History

Success to America

Posted: August 08, 2018

Read an excerpt from the book, Success to America: Creamware for the American Market, featuring the S. Robert Teitelman Collection at Winterthur.

History

Tacky's Revolt

Posted: February 12, 2020

Read an excerpt from Vincent Brown's book, Tacky's Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War

History

The American Crisis

Posted: December 23, 2015

Read an excerpt from Thomas Paine's collected writings, including the first in his pamphlet series published on December 19, 1776.

History

The American Manufactory

Posted: May 08, 2024

Read an excerpt from Laura Rigal's book, The American Manufactory: Art, Labor, and the World of Things in the Early Republic.

History

The American Plate

Posted: March 10, 2015

Read this excerpt from Libby O'Connell's The American Plate about the role patriotism played in leading us towards our now ubiquitous coffee culture.

History

The American Revolution

Posted: August 26, 2014

This excerpt from Gordon Wood shows how the ideals of 'republicanism' influenced the governments being formed at the start of the Revolutionary War.

History

The American Revolution

Posted: October 08, 2013

Read this excerpt of a letter by Benedict Arnold 'to the Inhabitants of America' that reveals the ideological shift he experienced over the course of war.

History

The American Revolution: A Historical Guidebook

Posted: October 21, 2014

This excerpt from Frances H. Kennedy describes more than 100 landmarks from the American Revolution in the chronology of their importance to the war.

History

The Battle for the Fourteenth Colony

Posted: January 14, 2014

This excerpt from Mark Anderson reveals the beginnings of the Quebec Campaign when colonists were trying to bring Canada into the Continental confederation

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