Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

African Founders

Read an excerpt from Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Hackett Fischer's book, African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals.

The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten

Read an excerpt from The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten, edited by Ray Allen Billington.

The Grimkes

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

Double Feature: First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause

Read excerpts from Mitch Kachun's First Martyr of Liberty: Crispus Attucks in American Memory and Jean O'Connor's The Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the Revolution.

Flora MacDonald: "Pretty Young Rebel"

Read an excerpt from Flora Fraser's new book, Flora MacDonald: “Pretty Young Rebel”: Her Life and Story.

African Founders book cover by David Hackett Fischer

Cover of The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten featuring a photograph of an older Charlotte.

The Grimkes by Kerri Greenidge Book book cover.

Book covers for First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause.

Flora Macdonald Pretty Young Rebel book cover by Flora Fraser

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.

Subscribe Now

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

Filter By:

Showing 1–10 of 17 items

Sort by:

Children & Young Adults

The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten

Posted: March 08, 2023

Read an excerpt from The Journal of Charlotte L. Forten, edited by Ray Allen Billington.

Children & Young Adults

Double Feature: First Martyr of Liberty and The Remarkable Cause

Posted: February 22, 2023

Read excerpts from Mitch Kachun's First Martyr of Liberty: Crispus Attucks in American Memory and Jean O'Connor's The Remarkable Cause: A Novel of James Lovell and the Crucible of the Revolution.

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.

Children & Young Adults

Summer Reading List: 2022 Young Readers Edition

Posted: July 13, 2022

Check out the Museum education team's 2022 summer reading list selections for young readers ages 6-12.

Double Feature Ten Crucial Days Read the Revolution book Covers

History

Double Feature: Countdown to the 10 Crucial Days

Posted: December 15, 2021

Read excerpts from William Kidder's Ten Crucial Days: Washington’s Vision for Victory Unfolds and Lynne Cheney's When Washington Crossed the Delaware: A Wintertime Story for Young Patriots.

The Museum’s 2021 Children’s Youth Reading List includes Why Longfellow Lied: The Truth About Paul Revere’s Ride, The Age of Phillis by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers, and A Parade for George Washington by David A. Adler and illustrated by John O’Brien.

Children & Young Adults

Summer Reading List: 2021 Young Readers Edition

Posted: August 25, 2021

View our list of new books about the American Revolutionary War to share stories of history with children of all ages for 2021 summer reading.

Children & Young Adults

Double Feature: Henry Knox's Winter Adventure

Posted: December 09, 2020

Read excerpts from Don Brown's Henry and the Cannons: An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution as well as Phillip Hamilton's The Revolutionary War Lives and Letters of Lucy and Henry Knox.