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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 11–20 of 48 items
A Gentleman of Color book cover

A Gentleman of Color

Posted: April 05, 2023
Read an excerpt from Julie Winch's groundbreaking book, A Gentleman of Color: The Life of James Forten.
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The Grimkes by Kerri Greenidge Book book cover.

The Grimkes

Posted: March 22, 2023
Read an excerpt from Kerri K. Greenidge's book, The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family.
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Cover of The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten featuring a photograph of an older Charlotte.

The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten

Posted: March 08, 2023
Read an excerpt from The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten, edited by Ray Allen Billington.
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Book covers for First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause.

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.
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Flora Macdonald Pretty Young Rebel book cover by Flora Fraser

Flora MacDonald: "Pretty Young Rebel"

Posted: January 25, 2023
Read an excerpt from Flora Fraser's new book, Flora MacDonald: “Pretty Young Rebel”: Her Life and Story.
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A Bard of Wolfe's Army Book Cover

A Bard of Wolfe's Army

Posted: November 23, 2022
Read an excerpt from the book, A Bard of Wolfe’s Army: James Thompson, Gentleman Volunteer, 1733-1830, edited by Earl John Chapman and Ian Macpherson McCulloch.
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First Lady Of Letters Book Cover by Sheila Skemp

First Lady of Letters

Posted: August 24, 2022
Read an excerpt from Sheila L. Skemp's book, First Lady of Letters: Judith Sargent Murray and the Struggle for Female Independence.
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Hero Of Two Worlds by Mike Duncan book featuring a portrait of Marquis de Lafayette.

Hero of Two Worlds

Posted: August 17, 2022
Read an excerpt from Mike Duncan's best-selling book, Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution.
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Charity and Sylvia Book Cover

Charity and Sylvia

Posted: June 08, 2022
Read an excerpt from Rachel Hope Cleves' book, Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America.
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The Last King Of America by Andrew Roberts

The Last King of America

Posted: May 25, 2022
Read an excerpt from Andrew Roberts' book, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of King George III.
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