check out these Good reads!
“American Tempest: How the Boston Tea Party Sparked a Revolution” by Harlowe Giles Unger
On Thursday, December 16, 1773, an estimated seven dozen men, many dressed as Indians, dumped roughly £10,000 worth of tea in Boston Harbor. Whatever their motives at the time, they unleashed a social, political, and economic firestorm that would culminate in the Declaration of Independence two-and-a-half years later.
The Boston Tea Party provoked a reign of terror in Boston and other American cities as tea parties erupted up and down the colonies. The turmoil stripped tens of thousands of their homes and property, and nearly 100,000 left forever in what was history’s largest exodus of Americans from America. Nonetheless, John Adams called the Boston Tea Party nothing short of “magnificent,” saying that “it must have important consequences.”
Combining stellar scholarship with action-packed history, Harlow Giles Unger reveals the truth behind the legendary event and examines its lasting consequence–the spawning of a new, independent nation.
“Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty” by Jon Kukla (2017)
This is considered to be the best biography of Patrick Henry, who, along with Samuel Adams, were two regional forces in Virginia and Massachusetts at declaring that the Colonies ought to be “free and independent” states. Jon Kukla writes a very interesting story about this Founding Father and one of the best speakers in US History.
“The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams” by Stacy Schiff (2023)
This is a wonderful biography of a Founding Father who was looked at the one of the key figures in Independence in his day, but has been lost to history a bit. Stacy Schiff does an incredible job bringing him to life, as well as giving a very readable history of the era and Boston, specifically to show the events of Samuel Adams’s life and during the dawn of our nation.
“African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals” by David Hackett Fischer (2022)
David Hackett Fischer is one of the preeminent scholars of the American Revolution era. Here he has compiled a history of African-American Founders and their various contributions to the founding of our nation. This book adds an amazing amount of new knowledge to help fill in gaps of the total story of the American Revolution.
“Washington’s Crossing” by David Hackett Fischer (2004)
One of the most incredible books on the Revolutionary War Era that I have read and a masterful story of the Crossing of the Deleware River. This event, in my opinion, saved the young Continental Army and allowed them to fight another day and for 5 more years to win the war in 1781. This book teaches about all the key figures on both sides of the conflict and clarifies many of the myths surrounding the event.
“for the people” by john a. ragosta (2023)
This book tells the story of an extraordinary letter written by George Washington to Patrick Henry in 1799, asking him to come out of retirement to defend the Constitution, which Henry did not approve of at the time of its writing. Washington was worried about threats to the new nation from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and wanted Henry’s help to avoid the destruction of the young country. Henry steps back onto the national stage and is happy to support Washington and the Constitution. This is a fascinating story of an unknown era of one of America’s most revered Founders.
“Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Jon Meacham
A favorite of the many Jefferson biographies, it is a well-balanced look at one of our most important Founders. Jefferson was a complex man who crafted the most brilliant words in our history, issuing a guarantee of rights for all Americans and that those rights were given to us not by government, but by God. Jefferson comes to life as a human being, with faults like all of us. Jefferson’s many areas of expertise are discussed in the book including, his family, sciences, architecture, politics, gardening, Monticello, reading, France and French culture, and the creation of a new nation and his vision for it. Jefferson comes to life on these pages and this biography is a very worthwhile read for any student of Jefferson or the Revolutionary War era.
“Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era” by Mike Bunn
A fascinating look into an unknown part of America’s Revolutionary War era. This book is the first look at events that took place within the West Florida area, which many did not know had a Revolutionary War history. Well, it did! This region includes today’s states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. This book looks at the conflicts between Britain, France, and Spain, as well as Loyalists and Patriots for control of the Gulf South. West Florida belongs on the map of Colonial America, and Mr. Bunn places it there. This is fascinating reading that will give you new knowledge of the Revolutionary War if you are a seasoned scholar or a new student to the War. Very readable and interesting.
“John Adams” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, David McCullough
This book is considered the standard biography of John Adams. It is an epic story of one of the most influential families in American history. His relationship with his wife and confidante, Abigail, is detailed here through their writings to each other throughout their life together. Adams was an opinionated and brilliant lawyer and politician who helped to create the Declaration of Independence and lead our nation through its early history. He is one of the most underrated of the Founding Fathers and McCullough gives him his rightful place in our history. Adams has not gained the notoriety of many of our Founders, but this book will educate readers on his many accomplishments in a very readable way.