"Not Yet": The Originality Crisis in American Revolution Studies
One of today’s leading historians of the American Revolution, Holton is the McCausland Professor of History at the University of South Carolina. He is the author of three books, each widely acclaimed. Forced Founders: Indians, Debtors, Slaves, and the Meaning of the American Revolution (1999) received the Merle Curti Prize of the Organization of American Historians. Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution (2007) was a finalist for the National Book Award in non-fiction. Abigail Adams (2009) earned the Bancroft Prize. Professor Holton will devote his talk to the problems historians in recent decades have encountered when writing about the Revolution and the prospects for a new understanding of the event. His own writings have focused on the Revolution’s social and economic contexts.
This free public lecture will serve as the keynote address for the conference "So Sudden an Alteration: The Causes, Course, and Consequences of the American Revolution" (registration required to attend sessions). Over the past two decades the study of the Revolution has generated little in the way of fundamentally new approaches to the topic. The conference program will pay special attention to new ways to understand the political roots and consequences of the crisis.
A reception will follow the 5:00 PM lecture, from 6:00-8:00 PM. All are welcome to attend. RSVP by email or phone 617-646-0568.