Join us as we uncover the remarkable, complex life of John Laurens—soldier, diplomat, abolitionist, and one of the most passionate idealists of the American Revolution.  Gregory D. Massey speaks with us about  his acclaimed biography John Laurens and the American Revolution. Together we'll explore the fiery convictions and bold actions of a young South Carolinian who fought not only against British tyranny but also against the hypocrisy of slavery in a nation proclaiming liberty. 

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 We just celebrated the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill in which the men of Connecticut under Colonel Thomas Knowlton played a pivatol part.  Today we investigate the life of another Connecticut patriot, Colonel John Durkee of Norwich, Connecticut.  To help us learn more about Col. Durkee and his friends and neighbors in eastern Connecticut Professor Robert Allison (Suffolk University) is in conversation with Dayne E. Rugh, author of John Durkee; The Forgotten Story of Connecticut's Bold Man from Bean Hill.

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If Joseph Warren had lived, Peter Oliver said, no one would have heard of Washington.  This might be an exaggeration, but few patriot leaders were as important to the cause as Joseph Warren—Roxbury physician, chair of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, chair of the Committee of Safety, Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge—he did not seek office, but his compatriots recognized his talents and put him to work.  His death at the Battle of Bunker Hill, at the age of 34, deprived the cause of one of its greatest leaders.  And today he is almost forgotten.  Janet Uhlar tells his story in her biography, Liberty's Martyr, and she shares more on Warren and his brief but extraordinary life with us. 

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For our 250th Episode, Pulitzer-prize winning author Rick Atkinson joins us to talk about his best-selling new book, The Fate of the Day:  From Ticonderoga to Charleston, which focuses on the War between the British capture of Ticonderoga in 1777 to the fall of Charleston in 1780.  HIs book, and our conversation,  plumb the depths of the American Revolution and the characters who shaped the war.  This is the second volume of his Revolutionary War trilogy, and leaves us wanting to know more. 

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Captain John Parker is famously supposed to have said on Lexington Green, "If they mean to have a war, let it begin here." Even if the attribution is true, did the British or the Provincials mean to have a war in April of 1775?  Join Professor Robert Allison (Suffolk University) as he explores the aftermath of the events of April 19, 1775 through the end of the year.

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Jane McCrea’s death in 1777 became a powerful tool of Revolutionary propaganda, fueling anti-British sentiment across the colonies. Her murder by British-allied Native warriors was portrayed as savage and unjust, rallying support for the Patriot cause and highlighting the perceived brutality of British alliances. We talk with Blake Grindon about her book on the life, death, and legacy of Jane McCrea.

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2027 will be the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga and the surrender of General John Burgoyne's forces to those of General Horatio Gates.  Often called the "Turning Point of the Revolution" the victory over Burgoyne was instrumental in earning America its first European ally, France. Long a subject of legend and story, Burgoyne's expedition is now the subject of a new series of novels by Avellina Balestri titled All Ye That Pass By.Join Revolution 250 guest host Jonathan Lane as he discusses Book 1 of the series, titled Gone for a Soldier with the author.

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The monuments of Washington D.C. are among the most visited sites in our nation's capital. The legacies of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt are carried through the generations by their stone memorials in D.C.  Today, there is a national commission to investigate and plan for a new addition to those memorials, one dedicated to John Adams and the many notable members of his family, including Abigail, John Quincy, Louisa Catherine, Charles Francis and Henry Adams. We talk with Jackie Cushman, Chair of the Adams National Memorial Commission.

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What is a "turning point"?  We talk with John Mass, whose new book From Trenton to Yorktown:  Turning Points in the Revolutionary War looks at five episodes that changed the course of the war and lead toward the American victory.  Which were the decisive moments?  Listen to find out! 

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Don Troiani's magnificently detailed battle paintings and meticulously-researched uniforms bring to life early-American military history.  He has collaborated with historian John Rees on a visual and artistic look at Black soldiers from the Seven Years War to the Civil War, in this richly-illustrated   Don Troiani's Black Soldiers in America's Wars 1754-1865.   Historian John Rees, whose previous book, They Were Good Soldiers, told the story of African-Americans in the Revolutionary War, tells us about the world of Black soldiers which his and Troiani's book brings documents. 

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