American Revolution
“Was it revolutionary?”
And More Questions for America 250

The U.S. Department of Education launched the America 250 Civics Coalition to celebrate “a new era of American greatness.” The coalition of 40 organizations includes the Heritage Foundation, Hillsdale College, Moms for Liberty, PragerU, and Turning Point USA. 

Given the many crises with immigration detention, extreme weather, education censorship, loss of healthcare, genocidal wars, authoritarian rule, and more — it is imperative that we give students tools for an honest study of the American Revolution so that they can shape a more just future.

We offer an annotated list of questions for a study of the American Revolution — starting with, “Was it revolutionary?” To help students explore the questions and come to their own conclusions, we have compiled lessons and other resources for teaching outside the textbook.

Let’s make visible the fact that teachers everywhere are teaching truthfully about the American Revolution.

Sign up to participate. Help us fill the map so that it reflects participation in all 50 states and territories. (We will not share names.)

People’s History Events

We'd love to see you at these events hosted by the Zinn Education Project and our colleagues. Online unless noted otherwise.

The Indigenous Origins of the American Revolution with Ned Blackhawk, December 11. The class is in preparation for teaching about the American Revolution on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Blackhawk, in conversation with Jesse Hagopian, will draw on stories and primary documents from his book, The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History. Attendees can receive a free copy of the book.

Mapping Deportations Curriculum Workshop with Kelly Lytle Hernández, December 15. Learn about “Mapping Deportations,” a classroom-friendly digital resource that invites visitors to see the history of U.S. immigration enforcement not as a series of disconnected events, but as a pattern. Mapping Deportations offers classroom-friendly data visualizations and a timeline on how the history of anti-immigrant legislation and racism are intertwined. 

2026 Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Fair, January 24. Consider submitting a workshop proposal.

I’ll Make Me a World: The 100-Year Journey of Black History Month with Jarvis Givens, February 2. Drawing on archival research, personal stories involving family and students, and especially the wisdom of Black educators, Givens recovers the legacy of Carter G. Woodson and many others who envisioned Black history as a liberatory force — knowledge that shapes who we are, how we resist, and what we dream.

Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea with Marcus Rediker, May 4. Rediker will also talk about the many enslaved people who fled successfully from the horrors of bondage in the antebellum South not by land but by sea.

Education Censorship

Free Book for Your Story

To receive one of the books featured above, share a story about the impact of anti-history education laws, executive orders, the chilling effect in your school or school district, and whether or how educators and communities are resisting this repression. Our appreciation to Seven Stories Press, Haymarket Books, and individuals for donating the books.

We Need Your Help

Teachers are under attack for teaching truthfully about U.S. history. Please donate so we can continue to offer free people’s history lessons and resources, and defend teachers’ right to use them.

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