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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 81–90 of 199 items
The Unruly City Book Cover

The Unruly City

Posted: May 22, 2019
This excerpt from Mike Rapport shows London’s response to the American Revolution - Londoners sought political reforms but not a British revolution.
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The Martyr and the Traitor Book Cover

The Martyr and the Traitor

Posted: May 08, 2019
This excerpt from Virginia DeJohn Anderson adds complexity to our understanding of choosing sides in the Revolutionary era.
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Archaeology at the Site of the Museum of the American Revolution Book Cover

Archaeology at the Site of the Museum of the American Revolution

Posted: April 24, 2019
Read this timeline by historical archaeologist Rebecca Yamin about the artifacts discovered during the excavation of Philadelphia's newest Museum.
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This image shows the book cover of Lexington and Concord: The Beginning of the War of the American Revolution by Arthur Tourtellot. It is a white background with three colored illustrations in the middle showing scenes from the battle. The left and right images are soldiers in the battlefield and the middle image shows Redcoats in front of a building.

Lexington and Concord

Posted: April 10, 2019
This excerpt from Arthur Tourtellot takes us on a journey into the events of Lexington and Concord starting with an overview of the British Army in Boston
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A Perfect Union Book Cover

A Perfect Union

Posted: March 27, 2019
This excerpt from Catherine Allgor shows how Dolly Madison became a well known figure in the United States, even earning the title of “America’s Queen.”
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Revolutionary Mothers by Carol Berkin

Revolutionary Mothers

Posted: March 13, 2019
This excerpt from Carol Berkin shows that while women different experiences of the American Revolution, they each played a unique role in its efforts.
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The Counter-Revolution of 1776 Book Cover

The Counter-Revolution of 1776

Posted: February 27, 2019
This excerpt from Gerald Horne demonstrates how the Revolution reinvigorated the slave trade and subsequently bore a counter-revolution of slavery.
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From Slaves To Soldiers

From Slaves to Soldiers

Posted: February 13, 2019
This excerpt from Robert Geake highlights the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, an integrated unit composed of African American, Native American and white soldiers
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Image 10012020 Alexanderhamiltonbook

Curators' Book List on Alexander Hamilton

Posted: January 09, 2019
Read an excerpt from Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton that inspired the Broadway hit musical Hamilton: An American Musical.
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 Rtr Madison S Hand Revising The Constitutional Convention

Madison's Hand

Posted: December 26, 2018
This excerpt from Mary Bilder discusses James Madison’s personal and political evolution and his enduring ambivalence toward the Constitutional Convention
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