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Event Concludes Season of “Read the Revolution” Speaker Series

Author and historian Virginia DeJohn Anderson will discuss her most recent book, The Martyr and the Traitor: Nathan Hale, Moses Dunbar, and the American Revolution, at the Museum of the American Revolution on Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at 6 p.m. The event will conclude the Museum’s second season of its popular Read the Revolution Speaker Series. 

Called “groundbreaking and relevant…a page-turner” by the Journal of the American RevolutionThe Martyr and the Traitor presents a rare joint biography of two Connecticut men who met their deaths at the end of a hangman's rope, one executed as a spy for the American cause and the other as a traitor to it.

Through the stories of Nathan Hale, a spy for the American cause, and Moses Dunbar, a Loyalist, Anderson illuminates the impact of the Revolution on ordinary lives and how individual stories were remembered and forgotten after independence. A question-and-answer session and book signing will follow. The lecture is presented as part of the Organization of American Historians (OAH) Distinguished Lectureship Program.

“Like the Museum of the American Revolution that recently opened in Philadelphia, and indeed like much current scholarship, Ms. Anderson’s book emphasizes the Revolution’s messiness and, at times, its ugliness.” – Wall Street Journal

Tickets are $15 for Museum members, $20 for non-members, and $10 for students (does not include Museum admission). More information and tickets are available here. A book signing will follow the discussion.

Dr. Virginia DeJohn Anderson is Professor of History at the University of Colorado, Boulder, specializing in the history of Colonial and Revolutionary America. She is the author of New England's Generation: The Great Migration and the Formation of Society and Culture in the Seventeenth Century and Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America, and co-author of American Journey: A History of the United States.

The Museum’s Read the Revolution Speaker Series brings celebrated authors and historians to the Museum for lively discussions of their work. The series is based on the Museum’s national Read the Revolution bi-monthly e-newsletter, which has nearly 50,000 subscribers and features excerpts from thought-provoking books to inspire learning about the American Revolution.

About Museum of the American Revolution
The Museum of the American Revolution explores the dramatic, surprising story of the American Revolution through its unmatched collection of Revolutionary-era weapons, personal items, documents, and works of art. Immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and digital touchscreens bring to life the diverse array of people who created a new nation against incredible odds. Visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in the ongoing promise of the American Revolution. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is a private, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.