Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered

Read an excerpt from Laura Auricchio's book The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered.

One Minute A Free Woman

Read an excerpt from Emilie Piper and David Levinson's book, One Minute A Free Woman: Elizabeth Freeman and the Struggle for Freedom.

Memory Wars

Read an excerpt from A. Lynn Smith's book, Memory Wars: Settlers and Natives Remember Washington’s Sullivan Expedition of 1779.

The Bill of Obligations

Read an excerpt from Richard Haass's book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.

The Contagion of Liberty

Read an excerpt from Andrew M. Wehrman's book, The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution.

This image shows the book cover for One Minute A Free Woman with the title in large navy blue serif font over script writing on beige paper.

This image shows the book cover for the book Memory Wars with a red background textured with Native American symbols and the book title and author name in white font to the left side.

This image shows the book cover for The Bill of Obligations with black text on a cream background and an American flag sown back together with a needle and thread in the center.

This image shows the book cover for The Contagion of Liberty featuring the book title large in blue and white font over a brown beige background on the top half with an engraving of a crowd of people getting vaccinated against smallpox.

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

George Washington’s Hair

Posted: June 26, 2024

Read an excerpt from Keith Beutler's book, George Washington’s Hair: How Early Americans Remembered the Founders.

History

Give Me a Fast Ship

Posted: November 08, 2023

Read an excerpt from Tim McGrath's book, Give Me a Fast Ship: The Continental Navy and America's Revolution at Sea.

History

Grand Forage 1778

Posted: September 28, 2016

This excerpt from Todd Braisted details how the British Army gathered provisions and battled with American soldiers and civilians for supplies and loyalties

Biography & Memoir

Hero of Two Worlds

Posted: August 17, 2022

Read an excerpt from Mike Duncan's best-selling book, Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution.

History

Hessians

Posted: August 25, 2015

This excerpt from Brady Crytzer provides a look at the American Revolutionary War from the perspective of German Hessian soldiers who fought for the British

History

Hessians

Posted: May 11, 2022

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

History

Historians on Hamilton

Posted: October 10, 2018

In her essay, Renee C. Romano looks at how Hamilton: An American Musical sparked surprising conversations and unexpected results

History

Household Gods

Posted: March 24, 2021

Read an excerpt from Sara Georgini's book, Household Gods: The Religious Lives of the Adams Family.

Children & Young Adults

I Survived the American Revolution

Posted: January 10, 2018

Read an excerpt from Lauren Tarshis's children's book of a young boy's courage as he and the Continental Army prepare for the Battle of Brooklyn.

Fiction

I, Eliza Hamilton

Posted: November 14, 2018

Read an excerpt from Susan Holloway Scott's work of historical fiction about Eliza Schuyler, wife of Alexander Hamilton, during the Revolutionary War.

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