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 Cutting-Off Way

Read an excerpt from Wayne E. Lee's new book, The Cutting-Off Way: Indigenous Warfare in Eastern North America, 1500–1800.

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.

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 Wayne Lee's The Cutting-Off Way.

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.

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 201–210 of 248 items

Sort by:

Biography & Memoir

The Revolution's Last Men

Posted: April 21, 2015

Read an excerpt from Don Hagist in which he updated biographies on the last living American Revolution veterans for a more accurate take.

History

Paul Revere's Ride

Posted: April 07, 2015

This excerpt from David Hackett Fischer delves into Paul Revere's history as well as the tumultuous world he lived in, and highlights that fateful day.

Biography & Memoir

Treacherous Beauty

Posted: March 24, 2015

Read an excerpt from a biography by Mark Jacob and Stephen H. Case highlighting the life of Peggy Shippen, the wife of the treasonous Benedict Arnold.

History

The American Plate

Posted: March 10, 2015

Read this excerpt from Libby O'Connell's The American Plate about the role patriotism played in leading us towards our now ubiquitous coffee culture.

History

Rebels Rising

Posted: February 24, 2015

This excerpt from Benjamin Carp explains the role of colonial meeting spaces as opinions of everyday people gained increasing political influence.

History

Age of Homespun

Posted: February 10, 2015

Read an excerpt from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s telling of the importance of women's patriotism during the boycotting of British goods.

History

Battle of Cowpens

Posted: January 20, 2015

This excerpt from Lawrence Babits transports us to 1781, when Americans finally achieved victory at the Battle of Cowpens after a series of southern losses.