Revolutionary Founders: Rebels, Radicals, and Reformers in the Making of the Nation
"The best essays are small gems of exposition, providing both the context and detail necessary to enable readers to recognize the important contributions of these previously unappreciated and largely unknown individuals. . . . In short,Revolutionary Foundersis one step, but only one, toward a comprehensive account of the nation’s origins." —Mary Beth Norton,The New York Times Book Review“In these 22 provocative essays, leading historians highlight Revolutionary-era people and movements that textbooks and standard accounts skip. . . .Revolutionary Foundersaims to test the parameters of what we think we know with new and reinterpreted data and fresh theories. . . . [T]hey offer challenging, surprising perspectives on the turbulent crosscurrents that shaped our nation's birth.” —American History"[A] uniformly strong collection, [by] an impressive array of historians—among them, T.H. Breen, Eric Foner, Jill Lepore and Alan Taylor. . . . Editors Young, Nash, and Raphael have solicited wisely, with each contributor adding an important dimension to the controlling theme: ‘We cannot have too much liberty.’ Adds immeasurably to our understanding of the Revolution’s full meaning." –Kirkus Reviews"Fast-paced and readable, this remarkable book captures an American Revolution that has long been hiding in plain sight.  I emerged with a new set of heroes, a fresh appreciation for complex stories, and a new sense of our own connection to a revolutionary past." –Linda K. Kerber, author ofNo Constitutional Right to Be Ladies:  Women and the Obligations of Citizenship"Revolutionary Foundersbrilliantly restores the struggle for social equality to the central place in the history of American Revolution, and explains how the ‘spirit of leveling’ shaped the making of the new American Republic. For anyone interested in the sources of popular democracy in the United States,Revolutionary Foundersis required reading." –Ira Berlin, author ofThe Making of African America: The Four Great Migrations"Revolutions free the imagination, making many things seem possible that once were deemed wild visions.Revolutionary Foundersintroduces into the pantheon of the American Revolution those rebels, radicals, and reformers who passionately committed themselves to act on the conviction that ‘all men are created equal.’" –Joyce Appleby, author ofThe Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism