In what ways was the American Revolution a civil war? How did Americans, after decades of living together as neighbors, turn each other into enemies? What distinguished Loyalists from Patriots? How did Americans construct a variety of meanings for the war? How did independence affect their daily lives and their sense of themselves? What was the global impact of the American Revolution? How did the art and architecture of the period express American national identity?

“Making the Revolution: America, 1763–1789” will explore these and other questions through history, literature, and art. Under the direction of leading scholars, participants will examine how and why the British changed the rules by which they governed their American colonies. This will lead to a thorough consideration of the imperial crisis. Participants will also consider how the revolution impacted ideas about liberty, with particular attention to matters of religious freedom and gender concerns. They will also consider the American Revolution in a global context.

Participants will assist National Humanities Center staff in identifying texts and defining lines of inquiry for a new addition to the Center’s Toolbox Library, which provides online resources for teacher professional development and classroom instruction.