Americans agree that their nation’s origins lie in the Revolution, but they have never agreed on what the Revolution meant. For nearly 250 years, politicians, political parties, social movements, and a diverse array of ordinary Americans have constantly reimagined the Revolution to fit the times and suit their own agendas.
Drawing from his new book, historian Michael D. Hattem reveals how conflicts over the meaning and legacy of the Revolution—including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—have influenced the most important events and tumultuous periods in the nation’s history. He also explores how African Americans, women and other oppressed groups have shaped the popular memory of the Revolution and how much of our contemporary memory of the Revolution is a product of the Cold War. By exploring the Revolution’s unique role in American history, Dr. Hattem demonstrates how the meaning of the Revolution has never been fixed, and how remembering the nation’s founding has sometimes done more to divide Americans than to unite them.
About the Speaker
Michael Hattem is a historian whose research focuses on early America, the American Revolution, and historical memory. He received his Ph.D. in history at Yale University and currently serves as the associate director of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. His academic career includes teaching courses at The New School, Knox College and Eastern Washington University, where he currently teaches online graduate courses. In addition to his most recent book, The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History (Yale University Press, 2024), he is the author of Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution (Yale University Press, 2020). These works have been featured or mentioned in various well-known publications, including The New York Times, TIME magazine, The Smithsonian Magazine and the Washington Post. Dr. Hattem has also served as a historical consultant or contributor for several projects and organizations, curated historical exhibitions, appeared in television documentaries and authenticated and written catalogue essays for historical document auctions.