Read the Revolution

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

Featured Books

The Compleat Victory

Read an excerpt from Kevin J. Weddle's The Compleat Victory: Saratoga and the American Revolution.

Founding Finance

Read an excerpt from William Hogeland's book, Founding Finance: How Debt, Speculation, Foreclosures, Protests, and Crackdowns Made Us a Nation.

A Bard of Wolfe's Army

Read an excerpt from the book, A Bard of Wolfe’s Army: James Thompson, Gentleman Volunteer, 1733-1830, edited by Earl John Chapman and Ian Macpherson McCulloch.

Indigenous Continent

Read an excerpt from Pekka Hämäläinen's book, Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America.

Unveiling Memories

Read an excerpt from Iberdrola's book Unveiling Memories: Spain and the Hispanic Contribution to American Independence edited by José Manuel Guerrero Acosta.

The Compleat Victory Saratoga and the American Revolution by Kevin Weddle book cover.

Founding Finance book cover by William Hogeland.

Unveiling Memories book Cover by Iberdrola

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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Biography & Memoir

British Soldiers, American War

Posted: December 11, 2019

Read an excerpt from Don Hagist's book, British Soldiers, American War: Voices of the American Revolution.

History

Among His Troops

Posted: November 27, 2019

Read an excerpt from the Museum of the American Revolution's Among His Troops Coffee Table Catalog.

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.

History

Battle of Paoli

Posted: October 23, 2019

Read an excerpt from Thomas J. McGuire's book, Battle of Paoli.

Biography & Memoir

A Fool's Errand

Posted: October 09, 2019

This excerpt of Lonnie Bunch intertwines his personal experiences with the long road that led to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

History

The Disaffected

Posted: September 25, 2019

Read an excerpt from Aaron Sullivan's book, The Disaffected: Britain’s Occupation of Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

History

With Zeal and With Bayonets Only

Posted: September 11, 2019

Read an excerpt from Matthew H. Spring’s With Zeal and With Bayonets Only: The British Army on Campaign in North America, 1775-1783.

History

Britons

Posted: August 28, 2019

Read an excerpt from Linda Colley's book, Britons: Forging the Nation, 1707-1837.

History

Liberty's Exiles

Posted: August 14, 2019

This excerpt from Maya Jasanoff illustrates exiled loyalists' experience and what it meant as an American colonist returning to Great Britain after defeat.

History

Slave Counterpoint

Posted: July 24, 2019

This excerpt from Phillip Morgan explains the value of studying slave culture in the eighteenth century and “humanizing the institution of slavery.”

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