John Rhodehamel, volume editor, is Norris Foundation Curator of Early American Historical Manuscripts at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. He is the author of The Great Experiment: George Washington and the American Republic and editor of George Washington: Writings for The Library of America.

Drawn from letters, diaries, newspaper articles, public declarations, contemporary narratives, and private memoranda, The American Revolution brings together over 120 pieces by more than 70 participants to create a unique literary panorama of the War of Independence. From Paul Revere's own narrative of his ride in April 1775 to an account of George Washington's resignation from command of the Army in December 1783, the volume presents firsthand all the major events of the conflict-the early battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill; the failed American invasion of Canada; the battle of Saratoga; the fighting in the South and along the western frontier; and the decisive triumph at Yorktown.

Famous figures-Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Benedict Arnold, John and Abigail Adams-are here alongside lesser known participants like Samuel Blachley Webb describing courage and panic at Bunker Hill or Sarah Hodgkins writing longingly to her absent soldier husband. American Loyalists and British officers and officials serving in America provide provocative insights into the losing side of an epochal conflict.

The American Revolution includes a chronology of events, biographical and explanatory notes, and an index.