American Revolutions

Think the American Revolution was just about powdered wigs and patriotic unity? This summary shatters that myth, revealing a chaotic, continent-wide civil war. You'll discover the violent, complex truth behind the birth of the United States and Canada, and why it matters today. Go beyond the simple story of heroes and villains. You’ll learn how the revolution was shaped by Native American alliances, slave rebellions, and intense political divisions that pitted neighbor against neighbor. Uncover the real, messy history that created the modern nations of North America.

Alan Taylor is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Chair in the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia. Raised on the US-Canada border, his unique perspective on North America informs his groundbreaking work, which re-examines the American Revolution not as a simple revolt, but as a complex, continent-spanning civil war. This broader view reveals the intricate and often violent contests for power among diverse peoples that truly shaped the new nation and its neighbors.