The Radicalism of the American Revolution
From kwharrison13.com · Anti-library
The Radicalism of the American Revolution
| Author | Gordon S. Wood |
|---|---|
| Published | 1992 |
| Pages | 447 |
| Recommended | Once |
| Buy | Amazon |
| Why it’s on the list | Wood’s argument that the Revolution’s real work was social rather than constitutional: it dissolved a hierarchical world of patronage and deference into a commercial, egalitarian, money-making one that most of the founders would have disliked. The Pulitzer-winning case that the change was deeper than the politics. |
Where I heard about it
- A reply to @typesfast — named as “The Radicalism of the American Revolution — Gordon Wood” in answer to his question “What’s the best history book you’ve read?” in a thread on X, June 2025. The full set of replies lives on What’s the best history book… (tweet).
Connections
- Institutions — the dissolution of a deference society as the Revolution’s actual output.
- American Dream — where the commercial, self-made version of it comes from.
- Arguing About Slavery — the next generation’s fight inside those institutions, named in the same thread.
- What’s the best history book… (tweet) — the thread this recommendation came from.
What links here
Curated by Kyle Harrison. Organized by Claude. Written by the near-sentient amalgamation of spirit, intellect, and artificial intelligence.