America 250 · 1763–1789
What to read and watch aboutFounding & Revolution
To understand Founding & Revolution, start with The Radicalism of the American Revolution (Gordon S. Wood, 1992) — the book. 16 further picks — histories, biographies, novels, screen and audio — follow below.
The argument, the war, and the constitution that came out of both.
From the Stamp Act crisis to the ratification of the Constitution — the quarter-century in which thirteen colonies argued, fought, and improvised a republic. The cross-media canon for the era of the 250th anniversary itself.
Presidents who served
Histories
The Radicalism of the American Revolution
Gordon S. Wood · 1992
Pulitzer winner. Wood's case that the Revolution wasn't just a war but the most radical social transformation in modern history.
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution
Bernard Bailyn · 1967
Bancroft + Pulitzer. The pamphlets that made the case for independence, read closely.
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Joseph J. Ellis · 2000
Pulitzer winner. Six episodes — the duel, the dinner, the silence — that map the founders' world through their relationships.
The British Are Coming
Rick Atkinson · 2019
Volume one of Atkinson's Revolution trilogy. The war itself, vividly, from Lexington through 1777.
Lives
Washington: A Life
Ron Chernow · 2010
The Pulitzer-winning modern standard on Washington. The human inside the marble.
John Adams
David McCullough · 2001
Pulitzer winner. Pulled Adams back from the shadow of the Founders he often resented.
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
Jon Meacham · 2012
Jefferson as political operator; treats Sally Hemings as central rather than scandal.
The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President
Noah Feldman · 2017
Madison the constitutional architect, partisan operator, and wartime president — three theories that don't add up cleanly, which is the honesty.
In their own words
The Federalist Papers
Alexander Hamilton · 1788
Hamilton, Madison, and Jay's argument for the Constitution — the political philosophy of the founding, written under deadline.
Common Sense
Thomas Paine · 1776
The pamphlet that swung public opinion to independence. Read in months by hundreds of thousands; the closest the Revolution came to going viral.
Fiction
Burr
Gore Vidal · 1973
The Founders from the perspective of the one they tried to write out — controversial and brilliant.
Rise to Rebellion
Jeff Shaara · 2001
Historical fiction of the buildup, 1770–1776 — Adams, Franklin, Washington in their own kitchens.
April Morning
Howard Fast · 1961
Lexington & Concord through a single fifteen-year-old — the war from one rifle.
On screen
John Adams
Tom Hooper · 2008
HBO miniseries with Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney. 13 Emmys — the most for any miniseries.
1776
Peter H. Hunt · 1972
The Continental Congress as a musical. Holds up better than it has any right to.
Turn: Washington's Spies
Craig Silverstein · 2014
AMC four-season drama on the Culper Ring — the Revolution's intelligence war on Long Island.
Sons of Liberty
Kari Skogland · 2015
History Channel three-night miniseries on the Boston instigators — Sam Adams, Hancock, Revere, before they were statues.
Common questions
What is the best book to start with for the Founding & Revolution era?
For a deep dive into the intellectual framework of the period, start with The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn. It provides the essential context for the arguments and political shifts that occurred between 1763 and 1789, covering the transition from colonies to a republic.
Where should I start if I want a visual overview of the Founding & Revolution era?
The 2008 miniseries John Adams is the primary screen treatment for the Founding & Revolution era. It offers a detailed look at the quarter-century of conflict, from the initial arguments against British policy to the complex improvisation required to establish the new American republic.
Why does the Founding & Revolution era matter for the 250th anniversary?
This era, spanning 1763 to 1789, represents the quarter-century where thirteen colonies moved from the Stamp Act crisis through a war to the ratification of the Constitution. It is the foundational period for the American republic and the core subject of the 250th anniversary commemorations.
How many U.S. presidents served during the Founding & Revolution era?
There were five U.S. presidents who served during the Founding & Revolution era. This period covers the time from the initial political arguments in 1763 through the revolutionary war and the eventual ratification of the Constitution in 1789, which established the framework for the early executive office.
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