Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Captives of Liberty

Read an excerpt from T. Cole Jones's book, Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution.

Black Founders

Read an excerpt from the Museum of the American Revolution's exhibit book, Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia.

The Words That Made Us

Read an excerpt from Akhil Reed Amar's book, The Words That Made Us: America's Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840.

Until Justice Be Done

Read an excerpt from Kate Masur's book, Until Justice Be Done: America's First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction.

The Road to Yorktown

Read an excerpt from Norman Desmarais's edited edition of The Road to Yorktown: The French Campaigns in the American Revolution, 1780-1783.

Book cover for Captives of Liberty features a painting that depicts a Hessian soldier and a British redcoat leading a Continental soldier away as a prisoner.

Black Founders Exhibit Catalog Cover featuring a portrait of James Forten.

Book cover for Akhil Reed Amar's The Words That Made Us with black font on parchment colored background.

Until Justice Be Done by Kate Masur teal book cover with white text.

The Road To Yorktown edited by Norman Desmarais book cover

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

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.

Biography & Memoir

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.

Children & Young Adults

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.

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

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.

History

African Founders

Posted: February 08, 2023

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

Biography & Memoir

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.

History

Feeding Washington's Army

Posted: January 11, 2023

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

Children & Young Adults

Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word

Posted: December 28, 2022

Read an excerpt from Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word, written by Sarah Jane Marsh and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.

Biography & Memoir

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.

History

Indigenous Continent

Posted: November 02, 2022

Read an excerpt from Pekka Hämäläinen's book, Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America.

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