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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.

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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.

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Memory Wars

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

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The Bill of Obligations

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

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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.

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    This image shows the book cover for The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered with a large side profile portrait of Lafayette looking to the left with a blue to red gradient tint.
    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

    Showing 1–10 of 205 items
    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.
    History

    Memory Wars

    Posted: September 25, 2024
    Read an excerpt from A. Lynn Smith's book, Memory Wars: Settlers and Natives Remember Washington’s Sullivan Expedition of 1779.
    Read More
    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.
    History

    The Contagion of Liberty

    Posted: August 28, 2024
    Read an excerpt from Andrew M. Wehrman's book, The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution.
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    The book cover for Tom Hand's An American Triumph features an image of the iconic painting of Georg Washington crossing the Delaware River.
    History

    An American Triumph

    Posted: July 10, 2024
    Read an excerpt from Tom Hand's book, An American Triumph: America’s Founding Era Through the Lives of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and John Adams.
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    This image shows the book cover for George Washington's Hair featuring a black background with white text and an outline of Washington's hair.
    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.
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    Book cover for Vicious and Immoral featuring the title in a script font at the top, a depiction of Robert Newburgh wearing a purple waistcoat, purple pants, and a tri-corner hat, then the author's name at the bottom.
    History

    Vicious and Immoral

    Posted: May 22, 2024
    Read an excerpt from John Gilbert McCurdy's book, Vicious and Immoral: Homosexuality, the American Revolution, and the Trials of Robert Newburgh.
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    Book cover for The American Manufactory with a painting of a more than a dozen people operating a water wheel.
    History

    The American Manufactory

    Posted: May 08, 2024
    Read an excerpt from Laura Rigal's book, The American Manufactory: Art, Labor, and the World of Things in the Early Republic.
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    Book cover for Brothers in Liberty features the book title in yellow on a red background in the middle of the cover with the subtitle right below in white.
    History

    Brothers in Liberty

    Posted: February 28, 2024
    Read an excerpt from Phillip Thomas Tucker's book, Brothers in Liberty: The Forgotten Story of the Free Black Haitians Who Fought for American Independence.
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    The book cover of Death or Liberty by Douglas Egerton featuring John Singleton Copley's painting depicting Black Loyalist Boston King.
    History

    Death or Liberty

    Posted: February 14, 2024
    Read an excerpt from Douglas Egerton's book, Death or Liberty: African Americans in the Revolutionary War.
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    Book cover for True For The Cause Of Liberty Gilbert with two men riding horses from left to right and dark green and brown coloring.
    History

    True for the Cause of Liberty

    Posted: January 10, 2024
    Read an excerpt from Oscar E. Gilbert and Catherine R. Gilbert's book, True for the Cause of Liberty: The Second Spartan Regiment in the American Revolution.
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    Book cover for David Hackett Fischer's award-winning book Washington's Crossing.
    History

    Washington's Crossing

    Posted: December 27, 2023
    Read an excerpt from David Hackett Fischer's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Washington's Crossing.
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