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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 41–50 of 240 items
Charity and Sylvia Book Cover

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.
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Citizen Sailors Book Cover

Citizen Sailors

Posted: January 25, 2017
This excerpt from Nathan Perl-Rosenthal that examines evolving concepts of identity, nationality, and citizenship in the decades leading to the War of 1812.
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The image depicts Colonists Citizens Constitutions book cover by James Hrdlicka. It is a blue cover with a photo of the first few lines of the constitution. “We, the people of the United States,” is a visible.

Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions

Posted: June 09, 2021
Read an excerpt from James Hrdlicka's exhibition book Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic.
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Image Rtr Common Sense

Common Sense

Posted: January 06, 2015
This excerpt comes from the section "Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs" from Common Sense, the influential pamphlet by Thomas Paine.
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This image depicts the book cover of Congress's Own: A Canadian Regiment, the Continental Army, and American Union by Holly A. Mayer. The top of the image is a map of Canada. The title of the book is written in red in a box, mostly covering the map. The bottom half is a white background with a painting of a soldier marching and playing a drum.

Congress's Own

Posted: September 22, 2021
Read an excerpt from Holly Mayer's new book, Congress's Own: A Canadian Regiment, the Continental Army, and American Union.
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Image 110920 Rtr182 Contest Liberty Sculley Cover

Contest for Liberty

Posted: November 11, 2020
Read an excerpt from Seanegan P. Sculley's book, Contest for Liberty: Military Leadership in the Continental Army, 1775-1783.
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Image 090220 Sqcrop Cost Of Revolution Catalog Book Cover

Cost of Revolution

Posted: February 26, 2020
Read an excerpt from the Museum of the American Revolution's Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier exhibition catalog.
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Image 10012020 Alexanderhamiltonbook

Curators' Book List on Alexander Hamilton

Posted: January 09, 2019
Read an excerpt from Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton that inspired the Broadway hit musical Hamilton: An American Musical.
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Declaration book cover

Declaration

Posted: June 12, 2019
This excerpt by William Hogeland explores the people, backroom politicking, and passions that ignited our pursuit of liberty during the American Revolution.
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Desperate Sons book cover

Desperate Sons

Posted: May 26, 2015
This excerpt from Les Standiford describes America's growing number of grievances with its mother country and Britain's indifference to colonists' complaints
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