Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Memory Wars

Read an excerpt from A. Lynn Smith's book, Memory Wars: Settlers and Natives Remember Washington’s Sullivan Expedition of 1779.

The Bill of Obligations

Read an excerpt from Richard Haass's book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.

One Minute A Free Woman

Read an excerpt from Emilie Piper and David Levinson's book, One Minute A Free Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Struggle for Freedom.

The Contagion of Liberty

Read an excerpt from Andrew M. Wehrman's book, The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution.

Making the Presidency

Read an excerpt from Lindsay M. Chervinsky's book, Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic.

This image shows the book cover for the book Memory Wars with a red background textured with Native American symbols and the book title and author name in white font to the left side.

This image shows the book cover for The Bill of Obligations with black text on a cream background and an American flag sown back together with a needle and thread in the center.

This image shows the book cover for One Minute A Free Woman with the title in large navy blue serif font over script writing on beige paper.

This image shows the book cover for The Contagion of Liberty featuring the book title large in blue and white font over a brown beige background on the top half with an engraving of a crowd of people getting vaccinated against smallpox.

This image shows the book cover for Making the Presidency by Lindsay Chervinsky featuring a portrait of John Adams.

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.

Subscribe Now

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

Filter By:

Showing 121–130 of 273 items

Sort by:

History

With Zeal and With Bayonets Only

Posted: September 11, 2019

Read an excerpt from Matthew H. Spring’s With Zeal and With Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, 1775-1783.

History

Britons

Posted: August 28, 2019

Read an excerpt from Linda Colley's book, Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707-1837.

History

Liberty's Exiles

Posted: August 14, 2019

This excerpt from Maya Jasanoff illustrates exiled loyalists' experience and what it meant as an American colonist returning to Great Britain after defeat.

History

Slave Counterpoint

Posted: July 24, 2019

This excerpt from Phillip Morgan explains the value of studying slave culture in the eighteenth century and “humanizing the institution of slavery.”

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.

Children & Young Adults

Summer 2019 Reading List

Posted: June 26, 2019

View our list of 2019 Summer Reading Books about the American Revolutionary War to share stories of history with children of all ages!

History

Declaration

Posted: June 12, 2019

This excerpt by William Hogeland explores the people, backroom politicking, and passions that ignited our pursuit of liberty during the American Revolution.