Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Feeding Washington's Army

Read an excerpt from Ricardo A. Herrera's book, Feeding Washington's Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778.

African Founders

Read an excerpt from Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Hackett Fischer's book, African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals.

The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten

Read an excerpt from The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten, edited by Ray Allen Billington.

Double Feature: First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause

Read excerpts from Mitch Kachun's First Martyr of Liberty: Crispus Attucks in American Memory and Jean O'Connor's The Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the Revolution.

Flora MacDonald: "Pretty Young Rebel"

Read an excerpt from Flora Fraser's new book, Flora MacDonald: “Pretty Young Rebel”: Her Life and Story.

Book cover for Feeding Washington's Army by Ricardo A. Herrera featuring an image of Harrington Fitzgerald's painting Valley Forge Winter.

African Founders book cover by David Hackett Fischer

Cover of The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten featuring a photograph of an older Charlotte.

Book covers for First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause.

Flora Macdonald Pretty Young Rebel book cover by Flora Fraser

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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Children & Young Adults

Double Feature: First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause

Posted: February 22, 2023

Read excerpts from Mitch Kachun's First Martyr of Liberty: Crispus Attucks in American Memory and Jean O'Connor's The Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the Revolution.

Fiction

I, Eliza Hamilton

Posted: November 14, 2018

Read an excerpt from Susan Holloway Scott's work of historical fiction about Eliza Schuyler, wife of Alexander Hamilton, during the Revolutionary War.

Fiction

Revolutionary

Posted: February 28, 2018

Read an excerpt from Alex Myers's historical fiction novel on Deborah Sampson, a woman who joined the Continental Army at the age of 21 disguised as a man.

Fiction

The Midwife's Revolt

Posted: October 22, 2013

Read an excerpt from Jodi Daynard's historical fiction novel about a woman confronting life and widowhood during the American Revolution.