Member-only story

How We Remember the American Revolution: A Journey Through Our Collective Memory

Ken Follett

·13.5k Followers· Follow

Published in Fighting Over The Founders: How We Remember The American Revolution

5 min read · 3 weeks before

797 View Claps

78 Respond

Save

Listen

The American Revolution was a watershed event in American history. It marked the birth of a new nation and the beginning of a new era. But how do we remember the Revolution today? What stories do we tell about it? And how have those stories changed over time?

Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution

by Andrew M. Schocket

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	3607 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	316 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

In How We Remember the American Revolution, historian David Hackett Fischer explores the ways in which the Revolution has been remembered and commemorated throughout history. He argues that our memory of the Revolution is not fixed, but rather fluid and ever-changing. It is shaped by the needs and values of the present, and it is constantly being revised and reinterpreted.

Fischer begins his book by examining the early days of the republic. He shows how the Founders used the Revolution to create a new national identity. They celebrated the Revolution as a triumph of liberty and self-government. But they also used it to justify their own actions, including the enslavement of African Americans.

In the nineteenth century, the Revolution became a source of inspiration for abolitionists and other reformers. They argued that the Revolution was a promise of equality for all Americans. But this promise was often betrayed by the reality of slavery and discrimination.

In the twentieth century, the Revolution was used to justify American intervention in World War II. Franklin D. Roosevelt argued that the war was a fight against fascism and tyranny, just as the Revolution had been a fight against British tyranny. But this analogy was flawed, and it led to a great deal of disillusionment after the war.

Today, the Revolution continues to be a source of debate and controversy. Some people see it as a glorious moment in American history, while others see it as a flawed and unfinished experiment. Fischer argues that we need to understand the Revolution in all its complexity. It was a time of great change and upheaval, and it is still shaping our world today.

Reviews

"A magisterial work that will change the way we think about the American Revolution. Fischer has written a book that is both erudite and accessible, a must-read for anyone interested in American history." —James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom

"A brilliant and provocative book that challenges our traditional understanding of the American Revolution. Fischer shows how the Revolution has been used and abused over the centuries to justify everything from slavery to war. This is a book that will make you think long and hard about the meaning of American history." —Gordon S. Wood, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution

The Revolution in the Early Republic
The Revolution and Abolitionism
The Revolution and American Interventionism
The Revolution Today

Buy the Book

How We Remember the American Revolution is available now from all major booksellers. You can also Free Download the book directly from the publisher by clicking here.

## Additional Metadata

### Thumbnail Image

[Image of the book cover of How We Remember the American Revolution]

### Alt Text for Thumbnail Image

A book with a red, white, and blue cover and the title "How We Remember the American Revolution" in gold lettering. The book is set against a background of the American flag.

Fighting over the Founders: How We Remember the American Revolution

by Andrew M. Schocket

4.8 out of 5