The Debate on the American Revolution - (Issues in Historiography) by Gwenda Morgan (Paperback)

About the Book

'Who will write the History of the American Revolution' asked a worried John Adams, and 'who will ever write it? This book is an attempt to answer these questions. Examining the many histories of the American Revolution and Constitution, it looks at how the transition from amateur to professional transformed the interpretation of the Revolution.

Book Synopsis

This book is the first in-depth study of the way in which historians have dealt with the coming of the American Revolution and the formation of the US Constitution. The approach is thematic, examining how historians in different periods interpreted these events and their causes and, more contentiously, their meaning.

Making accessible to modern readers the work of often-neglected early historians, this book examines how the emergence of history as a professional discipline led to new and competing versions of the history of the Revolution. It spans the entire period from the first generation of writers, whose ideas about history were shaped by the Enlightenment, to those of the twenty-first century who drew on the rich legacy provided by black studies, gender and women's studies, cultural studies and ethnohistory.

This book will be an invaluable resource for all students and scholars of the American Revolution.

From the Back Cover

This book is the first in-depth study of the way in which historians have dealt with the coming of the American Revolution and the formation of the US Constitution. The approach is thematic, examining how historians in different periods interpreted these events and their causes and, more contentiously, their meaning.

Making accessible to modern readers the work of often-neglected early historians, this book examines how the emergence of history as a professional discipline led to new and competing versions of the history of the Revolution. It spans the entire period from the first generation of writers, whose ideas about history were shaped by the Enlightenment, to those of the twenty-first century who drew on the rich legacy provided by black studies, gender and women's studies, cultural studies and ethnohistory.

This book will be an invaluable resource for all students and scholars of the American Revolution.

Review Quotes

"A substantial and important survey that assesses and summarizes the truly vast literature on the American Revolution. Readable, insightful, and witty, this book will help students and scholars appreciate the complex histories of the American Revolution." --Professor Stephen Conway, University College London "[Morgan] has succeeded in producing a book that will become required reading for undergraduates studying this enormous topic." --Simon Hill, Liverpool John Moores University "Given the wide variety of topics incorporated within its pages, it has a lot to offer those who do not naturally consider themselves historians." --Simon Hill, Liverpool John Moores University

About the Author

Gwenda Morgan is Reader in History and American Studies at the University of Sunderland