Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Black Jacks

Read an excerpt from W. Jeffrey Bolster's book, Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail.

Liberty's Daughters

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

Summer Reading List: 2023 Young Readers Edition

See our summer reading list of Revolutionary books that will encourage young readers to explore the past and the people who shaped it.

A Gentleman of Color

Read an excerpt from Julie Winch's groundbreaking book, A Gentleman of Color: The Life of James Forten.

The Grimkes

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

Cover of W. Jeffrey Bolster's book Black Jacks.

Image 091520 1776x2652 Libertysdaughters

A collection of books featured in the Museum's 2023 summer reading list for young readers.

The Grimkes by Kerri Greenidge Book 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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History

Rebels at Sea

Posted: June 22, 2022

Read an excerpt from Eric Jay Dolin's book, Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution.

Biography & Memoir

Charity and Sylvia

Posted: June 08, 2022

Read an excerpt from Rachel Hope Cleves' book, Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America.

Biography & Memoir

The Last King of America

Posted: May 25, 2022

Read an excerpt from Andrew Roberts' book, The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of King George III.

History

Hessians

Posted: May 11, 2022

Read an excerpt of Friederike Baer's new book, Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War.

Biography & Memoir

Sentiments of a British-American Woman

Posted: April 27, 2022

Read an excerpt from Owen S. Ireland's book, Sentiments of a British-American Woman: Esther DeBerdt Reed and the American Revolution.

Reading List

Reading List: Authors Featured at 2022 Conference on Collecting the Revolutionary War

Posted: April 06, 2022

Read a selection of excerpts from books written by 2022 Conference on Collecting the American Revolution presenters.

Biography & Memoir

The Widow Washington

Posted: March 23, 2022

Read an excerpt from Martha Saxton's book, The Widow Washington: The Life of Mary Washington.

History

Memory's Daughters

Posted: March 09, 2022

Read an excerpt from Susan Stabile's book, Memory's Daughters: The Material Culture of Remembrance in Eighteenth-Century America.

History

Running from Bondage

Posted: February 23, 2022

Read an excerpt from Karen Cook Bell's book, Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and Their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America.

Book cover for The Blind African Slave, Jeffrey Brace's Memoir, originally published in 1810 and Edited By Kari Winter

Biography & Memoir

The Blind African Slave (originally 1810)

Posted: February 09, 2022

Read an excerpt from Kari Winter's 2004 edited edition of The Blind African Slave: Memoirs of Boyrereau Brinch, Nicknamed Jeffrey Brace by Jeffrey Brace as told to Benjamin F. Prentiss, Esq. (1810).

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