Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

African Founders

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

The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten

Read an excerpt from The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten, edited by Ray Allen Billington.

The Grimkes

Read an excerpt from Kerri K. Greenidge's book, The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family.

Double Feature: First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause

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.

Flora MacDonald: "Pretty Young Rebel"

Read an excerpt from Flora Fraser's new book, Flora MacDonald: “Pretty Young Rebel”: Her Life and Story.

African Founders book cover by David Hackett Fischer

Cover of The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten featuring a photograph of an older Charlotte.

The Grimkes by Kerri Greenidge Book book cover.

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

Flora Macdonald Pretty Young Rebel book cover by Flora Fraser

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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Children & Young Adults

Chains

Posted: September 10, 2013

Read an excerpt from Laurie Halse Anderson's young adult novel that tells the story of a young slave girl during the start of the Revolutionary War.

History

American Scripture

Posted: August 27, 2013

Read an excerpt of Pauline Maier where she provides a glimpse into the creation of a radical rethinking that led to America's experiment in democracy.

History

Liberty's Daughters

Posted: August 13, 2013

Read an excerpt from Mary Beth Norton's book, Liberty's Daughters: The Revolutionary Experience of American Women, 1750-1800.

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.

History

Revolutionary Summer

Posted: July 13, 2013

This excerpt from Joseph Ellis explains how the success of the Battle of Long Island came from the combined result of lucky breaks for the Americans.

Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor Book Cover

History

Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor

Posted: July 02, 2013

Read this excerpt where Richard Beeman reminds us the original Independence Day was not viewed so much as a new beginning but as a prelude to full-scale war.

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