Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Brothers in Liberty

Read an excerpt from Phillip Thomas Tucker's book, Brothers in Liberty: The Forgotten Story of the Free Black Haitians Who Fought for American Independence.

Female Genius

Read an excerpt from Mary Sarah Bilder's book, Female Genius: Eliza Harriot and George Washington at the Dawn of the Constitution.

King Hancock

Read an excerpt from Brooke Barbier's book, King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father.

The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley

Read an excerpt from David Waldstreicher's book, The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence.

Death or Liberty

Read an excerpt from Douglas Egerton's book, Death or Liberty: African Americans in the Revolutionary War.

Book cover for Brothers in Liberty features the book title in yellow on a red background in the middle of the cover with the subtitle right below in white.

Book cover for Female Genius written in a wavy font across the bottom third features Columbia holding the American flag.

Book cover for King Hancock book featuring a large portrait of John Hancock's face with the title King Hancock in gold and Hancock written in his famous signature.

Cover for David Waldstreicher's book The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley with the book title and author name in bold black font against an orange background with a colorized version of Phillis Wheatley's portrait in the center.

The book cover of Death or Liberty by Douglas Egerton featuring John Singleton Copley's painting depicting Black Loyalist Boston King.

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

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Biography & Memoir

James Monroe

Posted: April 28, 2021

Read an excerpt from Tim McGrath's book, James Monroe: A Life.

Biography & Memoir

John Adams

Posted: November 04, 2014

Read an excerpt from David McCullough about the Founding Fathers negotiating with the British as they begin talks to officially end the war.

Biography & Memoir

John Barry

Posted: May 20, 2014

Read an excerpt from Tim McGrath about Continental Navy Officer John Barry's actions that turned a seeming disaster into a stunning victory.

Biography & Memoir

King Hancock

Posted: April 10, 2024

Read an excerpt from Brooke Barbier's book, King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father.

Biography & Memoir

Masquerade

Posted: April 06, 2021

Read an excerpt from late historian Alfred F. Young's book, Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier.

Biography & Memoir

Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier

Posted: July 16, 2013

Read an excerpt from Joseph Plumb Martins memoir describing leaving the safety of home for his first deployment for the American Revolution in 1776.

Biography & Memoir

Rush

Posted: July 10, 2019

Read an excerpt from Stephen Fried's biography of Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence and surgeon-general in the Continental Army.

Biography & Memoir

Sally Wister's Journal

Posted: September 12, 2018

This excerpt from Sally Wister's journal begins as the British marched towards Philadelphia and she fretted over the uncertainty of her place in the war

Biography & Memoir

Sentiments of a British-American Woman

Posted: April 27, 2022

Read an excerpt from Owen S. Ireland's book, Sentiments of a British-American Woman: Esther DeBerdt Reed and the American Revolution.

Book cover for The Blind African Slave, Jeffrey Brace's Memoir, originally published in 1810 and Edited By Kari Winter

Biography & Memoir

The Blind African Slave (originally 1810)

Posted: February 09, 2022

Read an excerpt from Kari Winter's 2004 edited edition of The Blind African Slave: Memoirs of Boyrereau Brinch, Nicknamed Jeffrey Brace by Jeffrey Brace as told to Benjamin F. Prentiss, Esq. (1810).

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