How We Lost America offers a fresh and compelling exploration of the events that led to the American War of Independence and the profound social and political transformations that followed in its wake.

Bringing together contributions from leading historians, this fascinating collection of essays re-examines the ideas that shaped the revolutionary age, from the radical writings of British thinkers such as Thomas Paine to the enduring influence of British law on the Founding Fathers of the United States. The book also shines a light on lesser-known stories that challenge traditional narratives, including the women who fought to extend the principles of liberty and equality into democratic thought, the experiences of Black soldiers who served in the armies on both sides of the war, the role of print and newspapers in inciting revolution, and the importance of map-making in relation to the ceding or seizure of Indigenous territory in the newly formed United States of America.

The book is published to accompany the educational touring exhibition also titled ‘How We Lost America’.

Contributors include:

Amie Brian, Jon Chandler, Tom Cuttenham, Leanne O’Boyle, Becca Palmer, John Rees, and Sarah Tucker.

Interviews with Sejel Bodereau and Selena Scott.

Also includes the famous poem about George Washington by Phillis Wheatley, extract from Judith Sargent Murray's 'On The Equality of the Sexes'  and extract from 'Common Sense' by Thomas Paine.