Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

Female Genius

Read an excerpt from Mary Sarah Bilder's book, Female Genius: Eliza Harriot and George Washington at the Dawn of the Constitution.

King Hancock

Read an excerpt from Brooke Barbier's book, King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father.

Witness to Revolution Exhibit Reading List

See five books recommended by the Museum that explore key people connected to George Washington’s tent and were critical to researching and constructing the exhibition.

The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley

Read an excerpt from David Waldstreicher's book, The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence.

Brothers in Liberty

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.

Book cover for Female Genius written in a wavy font across the bottom third features Columbia holding the American flag.

Book cover for King Hancock book featuring a large portrait of John Hancock's face with the title King Hancock in gold and Hancock written in his famous signature.

Introductory wall panel in the Witness to Revolution special exhibit with white text on a red background.

Cover for David Waldstreicher's book The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley with the book title and author name in bold black font against an orange background with a colorized version of Phillis Wheatley's portrait in the center.

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.

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

Running from Bondage

Posted: February 23, 2022

Read an excerpt from Karen Cook Bell's book, Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and Their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America.

Book cover for The Blind African Slave, Jeffrey Brace's Memoir, originally published in 1810 and Edited By Kari Winter

Biography & Memoir

The Blind African Slave (originally 1810)

Posted: February 09, 2022

Read an excerpt from Kari Winter's 2004 edited edition of The Blind African Slave: Memoirs of Boyrereau Brinch, Nicknamed Jeffrey Brace by Jeffrey Brace as told to Benjamin F. Prentiss, Esq. (1810).

History

Our Declaration

Posted: January 26, 2022

Read an excerpt from Danielle Allen's book, Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality.

History

The Howe Dynasty

Posted: January 12, 2022

Read an excerpt from Julie Flavell's book, The Howe Dynasty: The Untold Story of a Military Family and the Women Behind Britain’s Wars for America.

History

The British Are Coming

Posted: December 22, 2021

Read an excerpt from Rick Atkinson's book, The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777.

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.

History

Past and Prologue

Posted: November 24, 2021

Read an excerpt from Michael Hattem's book, Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution.

History

Forgotten Allies

Posted: November 10, 2021

Read an excerpt from Joseph T. Glatthaar and James Kirby Martin's Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution.

History

Power and Liberty

Posted: October 20, 2021

Read an excerpt from Gordon S. Wood's new book, Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution.

History

Liberty

Posted: October 13, 2021

Read an excerpt from Don Troiani and the Museum's book Liberty: Don Troiani's Paintings of the Revolutionary War, which accompanies the exhibit of the same name.

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