Join us for Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month with activities, programs, and resources this May. Plan Your Visit

Dismiss notification
Open Today 10 am – 5 pm Directions & Parking
Buy Tickets
Search
Suggestions:

Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Female Genius

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

Read More

King Hancock

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

Read More

The American Manufactory

Read an excerpt from Laura Rigal's book, The American Manufactory: Art, Labor, and the World of Things in the Early Republic.

Read More

Witness to Revolution Exhibit Reading List

See five books recommended by the Museum that explore key people connected to George Washington’s tent and were critical to researching and constructing the exhibition.

Read More

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.

Read More
    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.
    Book cover for The American Manufactory with a painting of a more than a dozen people operating a water wheel.
    Introductory wall panel in the Witness to Revolution special exhibit with white text on a red background.
    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.

    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

    Showing 251–260 of 263 items
    Journal of the American Revolution Book Cover
    History

    Turning Point

    Posted: December 17, 2013
    This excerpt from Todd Andrlik features an article by Thomas Fleming revealing a turning point for General George Washington during the American Revolution
    Read More
    This image shows the book cover of The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation by Maureen Taylor. The background is a deep, brown and the title of the book is written in white at the top. On the bottom is Maureen’s name, also written in white. In the center are four framed photographs of older people from the Revolutionary generation.
    History

    The Last Muster

    Posted: December 02, 2013
    Read this excerpt from Maureen Taylor’s The Last Muster to learn more about three veterans of the American Revolution—Nathaniel Ames, Agrippa Hull, and Ezra Green.
    Read More
    Image 10152020 Readrevolutionbookcover Economy Building
    History

    Financial Founding Fathers

    Posted: November 19, 2013
    This excerpt by authors Robert Wright and David Cowen reveals how Robert Morris brought order to the early American economy and created the first national bank.
    Read More
    Image 10152020 Readtherevolutionbookcover Revolutionarycharacters 0
    History

    Revolutionary Characters

    Posted: November 05, 2013
    Read an excerpt from Gordon Wood where he explains the origins of Thomas Paine's radical thinking through Paine's pamphlet Common Sense.
    Read More
    The Midwife's Revolt book cover
    Fiction

    The Midwife's Revolt

    Posted: October 22, 2013
    Read an excerpt from Jodi Daynard's historical fiction novel about a woman confronting life and widowhood during the American Revolution.
    Read More
    The American Revolution Writings From The War book cover
    History

    The American Revolution

    Posted: October 08, 2013
    Read this excerpt of a letter by Benedict Arnold 'to the Inhabitants of America' that reveals the ideological shift he experienced over the course of war.
    Read More
    Image 10152020 Readtherevolutionbookcover The Other Side
    History

    The Men Who Lost America

    Posted: September 24, 2013
    Read an excerpt from Andrew O'Shaughnessy about the failings of ten British leaders whose actions shaped the outcome of the American Revolution.
    Read More
    Image 091520 847x1241 Rtrchains
    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.
    Read More
    Image 10152020 Readtherevolutionbookcover American Scripture
    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.
    Read More
    Women's Work Book Cover
    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.
    Read More
    26 of 27 pages
    Previous page Next page