The American Revolution

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Rated 5 out of 5 by mitchg from Superb teaching of the American Revolution This is one of several courses and books that I have completed about the American Revolution. It is by far the best. Professor Guelzo presents the history as an engaging storyteller. He personalizes the major themes of the War and makes military and political strategies riveting. I am looking forward to Ken Burn's PBS "American Revolution", due for release in November 2025. I will be able to understand and appreciate it much more with the knowledge that I gained from this course. Thank you to all involved with its production. Mitch

Date published: 2025-10-06

Rated 5 out of 5 by Anonymous from Why Great Courses is Great Excellence in presentation coupled with mastery of the subject equates to a Great Course

Date published: 2025-09-04

Rated 5 out of 5 by the professor from Building an Empire of Liberty Professor Allen Guelzo, in a captivating and unscripted delivery, provides The Great Courses learner with a very detailed review of the American Revolution. For this reviewer, Dr. Guelzo is mesmerizing as he examines the key and common leaders, and the boots on the ground fighters whose ability to unify, helped create as Thomas Jefferson termed it, "An empire of liberty". 1200 battles, 10,000 soldiers; although some online data reports list over 25,000 were killed: the numbers are chilling! these warriors were fighting for a new form of government, a Republican Democracy. I very highly recommend this course and Professor Allen Guelzo, an Exemplar Professor!!

Date published: 2025-08-23

Rated 5 out of 5 by D Larry G from Riveting Recount of The American Revolutionary War I've reviewed numerous lecture series from The Great Courses, but none has equaled the detailed command of material, the energetic presentation and demanding attention of this series. Three days of my time were consumed in listening to all 24 lectures, and it couldn't have been better time spent. Heart felt thanks to those involved in making it available.

Date published: 2025-08-22

Rated 5 out of 5 by Bill Lindich from Exceptionally detailed and well presented! Professor Allen Guelzo is among the best presenters I've ever come across, either in TGC or in a live classroom. His incredible command of the topic, insights and humor all combine to make him a riveting storyteller and an effective teacher. I tore through these 24 lectures in record time and immediately ordered all his other courses offered here on TGC. I'm so glad they found such an exceptional professor for this important story of our nation's birth. He shares it without bias or embarrassment, the good, the bad and the ugly, but always communicating his admiration of those who pulled off the impossible against the largest, best-armed empire in the world. I strongly recommend this program!

Date published: 2025-02-20

Rated 5 out of 5 by TDC52 from Thoroughly enjoyable course Would highly recommend this course. Material is detailed but not overbearing. This is presented exceptionally well with excellent development of characters and themes throughout the Revolution. Dr. Guelzo’s presentation skills are outstanding and he keeps you very engaged in each lecture. My experience in past courses has been that the quality of the presenter of the material makes all the difference in the overall quality of the course. Dr. Guelzo is one of the best lecturers in the Great Courses catalog.

Date published: 2025-01-19

Rated 5 out of 5 by Smart Sylvia from Captivating presentation Just completed the American Revolution course. I have purchased numerous courses from The Great Courses. This is by far the most informative, broad based, and delightful presentations of them all. The delivery was filled with animated and precise description, explanation, and in-depth development of the characters who played significant roles. I thought I was fairly well versed in this subject through the years of reading, and general education. Taking this course, I found out that compared to the scope and depth of this course, I knew only superficial facts that I could utilize to connect current political developments to the foundations of America. I highly recommend this course for anyone who wishes to be educated and entertained at the same time. I was glued to the screen as I listened and watched a highly skilled and animated professor share his expertise and his enthusiasm for the subject. I have since purchased and am viewing The Founding Fathers. I am again looking forward to each day as I set aside the time to view each lecture. So far I am as pleased with this course as I was with American Revolution. Thank You, for providing this opportunity to enrich my life and improve my understanding of the greatest political experiment in the history of government - Representative Democracy, with all its warts and scars and its glorious achievements.

Date published: 2023-09-30

Rated 5 out of 5 by Mr Big from Wow. What a great lecture series.... This was the the finest historical lecture series I have ever been exposed to. Simply wonderful.

Date published: 2023-09-26

Trailer

01: The Imperial Crisis, 1763–1773

Driven close to financial collapse by the French and Indian War, England turns for help to the colonies that had fought at its side. The new taxes—imposed without representation—outrage a people who had considered themselves fully English.

31 min

02: The Ancient Constitution

Britain's understanding of its ancient—although unwritten—style of government places it at odds with that of its colonists, who see in John Locke's theories not a hypothetical “thought experiment,” but an argument for autonomy.

30 min

03: “A Soldier What's Fit for a Soldier”

What were the typical British soldier and officer like? How were troops organized and equipped? You meet the forces expected to maintain order in the increasingly rebellious colonies.

31 min

04: “How the British Regulars Fired and Fled”

As tensions escalate and the first Continental Congress convenes, King George III finally heeds a request for reinforcements. Nevertheless, the British sorely underestimate American militia and suffer a humiliating defeat at Lexington and Concord.

29 min

05: Standoff in Boston, 1775

As Benedict Arnold helps win a key victory at New York's Fort Ticonderoga, the Second Continental Congress authorizes a new army under George Washington, a soldier and gentleman farmer well aware of the implications of the conflict, including the risk of potentially rebellious slaves.

30 min

06: Bunker Hill

Could rebel militia stand up to British regulars? The answer comes at a brutal battle where the British pay dearly for their “victory.” Nevertheless, Washington arrives to find disorganization, overconfidence, and a reluctance to set aside regional differences in favor of a national army.

31 min

07: The King, the Conqueror, and the Coward

Ignoring the reconciliation implied by the colonies' Olive Branch Petition, the king and Parliament effectively declare war. On either side of the Atlantic, British leadership believes the many Americans still loyal to the Crown will bring victory.

32 min

08: Conquering Canada, Reconquering Boston

An American plan to conquer Canada nearly succeeds and costs Britain half its regulars. But even after the arrival of British reinforcements, American forces pull off a stunning improvisation: the overland transport of critical artillery, captured at Fort Ticonderoga, to Boston.

30 min

09: Common Sense

While poor communication, unclear objectives, and the uncertainty of participation by southern Loyalists hamper Britain's strategies, another force comes into play—an extraordinarily popular pamphlet that helps turn the tide of American opinion toward the independence made official on July 4, 1776.

32 min

10: An Army Falls in Brooklyn

The optimism of July 4th proves short-lived. Washington's army is poorly manned, poorly supplied, and poorly trained, and his officers have little practical experience. Even worse, an incorrect reading of British intentions leads to a disastrous defeat and a retreat to Brooklyn.

31 min

11: “A Glorious Issue”

With New York occupied by the British, Nathan Hale captured and hanged as a spy, and Washington's troops on the run, Thomas Paine provides inspiration with a new pamphlet, The American Crisis, and Washington provides further hope with a surprise victory at Trenton.

30 min

12: Joy in Princeton

After additional successes—again at Trenton and then at Princeton—a break in combat gives Washington time to reorganize his army, by building on a touching appeal for reenlistments. Britain, meanwhile, learns the Loyalists and fence sitters are badly shaken.

29 min

13: “Congress Are Not a Fit Body”

In March 1777, the Continental Congress faces new tasks, including establishing, outfitting, and managing an army. Unable to solve these challenges, the delegates blame the costly army—and Washington—and move to ally with France.

33 min

14: “America Is Not Subdued”

News of Trenton and Princeton forces an unwelcome reassessment by Parliament of the requirements for victory. British Major General John Burgoyne is put in charge of his own strategy of invading from Canada, but things do not go according to plan.

29 min

15: “A Day Famous in the Annals of America”

Burgoyne suffers a series of defeats and surrenders near Albany. The news energizes parliamentary opposition to the war, but the king is unmoved. Then comes more bad news: The Americans have signed a treaty with the French.

30 min

16: “Not Yet the Air of Soldiers”

General William Howe, British commander in chief in America, sails from Staten Island, intent on reaching Philadelphia. Washington blocks his way but suffers a series of defeats. Even news of a great American victory by Horatio Gates at Saratoga carries rumors of threats to Washington's command.

28 min

17: With Washington at Valley Forge

Washington settles in for the winter of 1777–1778. Although there are no battles, he must deal with shortages of clothing, housing, and food as well as attempts by Gates and others to undermine his authority in Congress. There is one victory—new treaties with France.

32 min

18: The Widening War

For the British, the possibility of French intervention heightens costs and logistical strain and requires a redeployment of naval forces to protect its West Indies interests.

29 min

19: The French Menace

With efforts to create an American navy stymied, the bulk of the French intervention will be carried by her navy, which proves a distraction to the British.

30 min

20: Vain Hopes in the Carolinas

The British believe victory might lie southward, but they cannot depend on the Loyalists.

30 min

21: “The Americans Fought Like Demons”

Nathanael Greene is appointed to take over the southern army after Gates's defeat at Camden. His innovative strategies are successful, ultimately forcing British general Cornwallis to admit that the Americans can “fight like demons.”

30 min

22: The Reward of Loyalty

Indian tribes loyal to Britain suffered the worst. On the American side, there was mutiny by the Pennsylvania Continentals and the betrayal of Benedict Arnold.

33 min

23: A Sword for General Washington

Cornwallis moves into Virginia to cut off Greene's supply and recruiting and to establish a naval station. But he underestimates American and French strength.

32 min

24: “It Is All Over”

The course concludes with the fates of the war's major figures and a summation of what the conflict meant to most Americans.

34 min

Overview Course No. 8514

Why did 13 colonies believe they could defeat the most powerful nation on the planet? And how did they manage such a feat? Get the real story on the battle for American independence win these 24 lectures masterfully delivered by Professor Allen Guelzo of Gettysburg College.

With a focus on the war's strategy, military tactics, logistics, and most fascinating people, these lectures are a must own for anyone curious about the origins of the greatest nation in modern history. Told from the perspective of both sides in a riveting style that recreates the experience of the war's key battles and decisions, the lectures introduce you to an array of vivid personalities, including George Washington, Lord George Sackville-Germaine, Henry Knox, Sir William Howe, and Thomas Paine.

Professor Guelzo's approach gives the forces at work in the palace and in Parliament equal weight with those in play at the Continental Congress and among George Washington's inner circle. It's a perspective that reveals the very different ways in which the two nations saw both their economic relationship and the philosophical underpinnings of a government's relationship to its citizens. You'll learn what it was like to serve on either side of the conflict, how those sides were trained, and about the terrors of the battlefield. Rich in dramatic moments, these lectures offer a fresh appraisal of this seminal event in history.

This classic Great Course has been digitally remastered to enhance the visual presentation.

About

Allen C. Guelzo

For Lincoln, no matter what our political persuasions, moral principle in the end is all that unites us and all that ensures that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and the government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

ALMA MATER

University of Pennsylvania

INSTITUTION

Gettysburg College

Dr. Allen C. Guelzo is the Henry R. Luce Professor of the Civil War Era and Director of Civil War Era Studies at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania. Among garnering other honors, he has received the Medal of Honor from the Daughters of the American Revolution. He is a member of the National Council on the Humanities. Professor Guelzo is the author of numerous books on American intellectual history, Abraham Lincoln, and the Civil War era. His publication awards include the Lincoln Prize as well as the Abraham Lincoln Institute Prize for two of his books-Abraham Lincoln: Redeemer President and Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation: The End of Slavery in America–making him the first double Lincoln laureate in the history of both prizes. His critically acclaimed book, Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America, was published by Simon & Schuster in 2008. Professor Guelzo has written for The American Historical Review, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been featured on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, C-SPAN's Booknotes, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.