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Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

The Overflowing of Friendship

Read an excerpt from Richard Godbeer's book, The Overflowing of Friendship: Love Between Men and the Creation of the American Republic.

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Prisoners of Congress

Read an excerpt from Norman E. Donoghue II's book, Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia’s Quakers in Exile, 1777-1778.

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Freedom's Prophet

Read an excerpt from Richard S. Newman's book, Freedom’s Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the Black Founding Fathers.

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Give Me a Fast Ship

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

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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.

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    Image 100223 Rtr251 Overflowing Of Friendship Godbeer Cover
    Cover for Norman Donoghue's book Prisoner's of Congress which features a blue illustration of the top of Independence Hall atop the book title in blue over a beige background.
    Book cover for Freedom's Prophet by Richard Newman featuring a large scale portrait of Bishop Richard Allen.
    Book cover for Tim McGrath's book Give Me a Fast Ship featuring the title in black text over a goldish brown background with stars and a painting of naval ships.
    Book cover for Wayne Lee's The Cutting-Off Way.

    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

    Showing 231–240 of 252 items
    The Widow Washington: The Life of Martha Washington by Martha Saxton Book Cover
    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.
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    Rtr The Will Of The People
    History

    The Will of the People

    Posted: November 13, 2019
    Read an excerpt from T.H. Breen's book, The Will of the People: The Revolutionary Birth of America.
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    Book cover for Akhil Reed Amar's The Words That Made Us with black font on parchment colored background.
    History

    The Words That Made Us

    Posted: September 13, 2023
    Read an excerpt from Akhil Reed Amar's book, The Words That Made Us: America's Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840.
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    These Truths by Jill Lepore book cover
    History

    These Truths

    Posted: June 28, 2023
    Read an excerpt from Jill Lepore's book, These Truths: A History of the United States.
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    They Were Good Soldiers Book Cover
    History

    They Were Good Soldiers

    Posted: July 22, 2020
    In these excerpts from John Rees, Black veterans share details of their service, emancipation, and freedom in the midst of revolutionary ferment.
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    Cover for Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word by Sarah Jane Marsh.
    Children & Young Adults

    Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word

    Posted: December 28, 2022
    Read an excerpt from Thomas Paine and the Dangerous Word, written by Sarah Jane Marsh and illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham.
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    This image shows the book cover of Treacherous Beauty: Peggy Shippen, The Woman Behind Benedict Arnold’s Plot to Betray America by Mark Jacob and Stephen Case. The top of the cover shows a Revolutionary War battle. Treacherous is written in blue font and Beauty is written in red. There is a black and white circular portrait of Peggy in the middle of the image.
    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.
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    Image 101320 Rtr163 Brumwell Turncoat Cover
    Biography & Memoir

    Turncoat

    Posted: January 22, 2020
    Read an excerpt from Stephen Brumwell's Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the Crisis of American Liberty.
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    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
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    Until Justice Be Done by Kate Masur teal book cover with white text.
    History

    Until Justice Be Done

    Posted: July 26, 2023
    Read an excerpt from Kate Masur's book, Until Justice Be Done: America's First Civil Rights Movement, from the Revolution to Reconstruction.
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