Why Concord?
The geological origins of the American Revolution
November 2025 Issue
The Unfinished
Revolution
Read more about the November issue’s cover illustration.
“The Unfinished Revolution” examines the founding of the United States and brings the nation’s history to bear on its present—and its future. Our special coverage of America at 250 will continue through July 4, 2026, and beyond.
Chapter 1: Defiance
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The Myth of Mad King George
He was denounced by rebel propagandists as a tyrant and remembered by Americans as a reactionary dolt. Who was he really?
No One Gave a Speech Like Patrick Henry
How he roused a nation to war
Chapter 2: War
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You Have No Idea How Hard It Is to Be a Reenactor
Benedict Arnold’s boot wouldn’t come off, and other hardships from my weekend in the Revolutionary War.
The Black Loyalists
Thousands of African Americans fought for the British—then fled the United States to avoid a return to enslavement.
Why Did Benjamin Franklin’s Son Remain Loyal to the British?
One of the most influential and ardent Patriots couldn’t persuade his son to join the Revolution.
What We Learned Filming The American Revolution
The co-directors of the new PBS series describe how they made a documentary about a war distant in time and shrouded in myth.
Chapter 3: Independence
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How Native Nations Shaped the Revolution
The Founders were inspired—and threatened—by the independence and self-governance of nations like the Iroquois Confederacy.
The Moral Foundation of America
The idea that everyone has intrinsic rights to life and liberty was a radical break with millennia of human history. It’s worth preserving.
Whose Independence?
The question of what Jefferson meant by “all men” has defined American law and politics for too long.
So Much Madeira
What the Founding Fathers ate—and drank—on July 4, 1777
The Insurrection Problem
Violence has marred the American constitutional order since the founding. Is it inevitable?
Chapter 4
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Wake Up, Rip Van Winkle
Washington Irving’s story isn’t just about a very long nap. It’s about the making of America.
The Lincoln Way
How he used America’s past to rescue its future
The Many Lives of Eliza Schuyler
She lived for 97 years. Only 24 of them were with Alexander Hamilton.
What Is Colonial Williamsburg For?
Telling the full story of the town’s past is an easy way to make a lot of people mad.
What the Founders Would Say Now
They might be surprised that the republic exists at all.
Chapter 5
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I Don’t Want to Stop Believing in America’s Decency
I want to feel, as Walt Whitman did, that America and democracy are inextricable.
America Needs a Mass Movement—Now
Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades.
The Beacon of Democracy Goes Dark
For nearly 250 years, America promoted freedom and equality abroad, even when it failed to live up to those ideals itself. Not anymore.