In this episode of Historians & Their Histories, Prof. Donald F. Johnson discusses his research on the experience of the American Revolution in local communities throughout North America. His work examines how the revolutionary movement transformed from a fringe, urban effort in late 1774 into a massive, grassroots mobilization by 1775. Prof. Johnson highlights the crucial, often-overlooked role of local "Committees of Safety". He explains how these "middle managers" of the revolution, operating between the "rabble" and the elite leadership, established local authority and ultimately pushed the Continental Congress towards independence.

Prof. Johnson is a recipient of the long-term fellowship sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Massachusetts Historical Society.

To learn more about MHS fellowships and how to apply, please visit this page.

Learn more about this episode here: https://www.masshist.org/podcast/hath-episode-21-Johnson

This episode uses materials from:

Colocate by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported)