Revolution: Mapping the Road to American Independence 1755-1783, identifies and illustrates the works that best reveal the unfolding of events that resulted in the establishment of the United States.  

Revolution relies largely on manuscript maps, often hand-drawn delineations at the “seat” of action.  Many have never been reproduced before, and some come from the personal collections of King George III, the Duke of Northumberland, and the Marquis de Lafayette.  Others are from private collections and institutions. Together they form a narrative that brings to life decades of struggle in America.

Filmmaker Ric Burns called the book “a GPS to the American Revolution” and described it as “ravishingly beautiful.”  Harvard historian Jane Kamensky praised it for casting “new light” on the subject as well as inviting “fresh thinking about the founding of the United States.”  An Amazon reviewer wrote:  "The provenance of the maps is almost as fascinating as the history they tell. To look at these maps is to see history as the contemporary map makers saw it."    

The speakers have authored a book with the same title; books will be available for purchase after the event.

These events are in partnership with the California Map Society. The California Map Society is a founding partner of the David Rumsey Map Center. Speakers will also speak in La Jolla 5/5 and Los Angeles 5/6.

David Rumsey Map Center, May 4, 2017, 5 pm and 6 pm; attendance is free, but pre-registration is required.