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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 91–100 of 183 items
Most Bless Of The Patriarchs book cover

Most Blessed of the Patriarchs

Posted: January 24, 2018
This excerpt from authors Annette Gordon-Reed and Peter Onuf dissects the life of Thomas Jefferson and explores his attachment to home and to family.
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The Common Cause Book Cover

The Common Cause

Posted: December 27, 2017
This excerpt from Robert Parkinson explores the creation of a common cause to rally colonists from South Carolina to Massachusetts against a common enemy.
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Don Troiani's Soldiers Of The American Revolution book cover

Don Troiani’s Soldiers of the American Revolution

Posted: December 13, 2017
These works by Don Troiani show his original paintings of soldiers alongside the actual objects he studied in his artistic recreations.
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This image depicts the book cover of American Cake by Anne Byrn. The book cover shows a white frosted cake with pink rose petals on top. The cake sits on a white cake stand with more petals surrounding the right side of the stand. Below this image is the title of the book. Below the title of the book are three smaller photographs of cakes dated 1770, 1903, and 1963.

Double Feature: Gingerbread

Posted: November 22, 2017
Read these excerpts featuring Colonial recipes along with tempting and intriguing stories about our early American culinary history.
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This image depicts the book cover of Revolution Against Empire by Justin Du Rivage.

Revolution Against Empire

Posted: November 08, 2017
Read this excerpt from Justin du Rivage that introduces the competing ideological groups who shaped and reshaped the debates during the American Revolution
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The Burning Of His Majesty's Schooner Gaspee Book Cover

The Burning of His Majesty’s Schooner Gaspee

Posted: October 25, 2017
This excerpt from Steven Park tells how a group of colonial protestors captured and burned a British naval schooner a year before the Boston Tea Party.
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Image 101920 330x499 Braddocks Defeat

Braddock's Defeat

Posted: October 11, 2017
Read this excerpt by David Preston that summarizes the challenges of a pivotal battle and its impact on the Revolutionary War two decades later.
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A Revolution In Color Book Cover

A Revolution in Color

Posted: September 27, 2017
This excerpt from Jane Kamensky provides an introduction into the world of artist John Singleton Copley and of the American Revolution as seen by him.
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The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn Book Cover

The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn

Posted: September 13, 2017
This excerpt from Robert Watson weaves together details of the horrifying conditions experienced aboard the HMS Jersey during the American Revolutionary.
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The Queen's American Rangers Book Cover

The Queen's American Rangers

Posted: August 09, 2017
This excerpt from Donald Gara details efforts to remake the Queen's Rangers in 1777 during the early months of the British occupation of Philadelphia.
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