Includes bibliographical references (pages 399-427) and index.

In this volume consisting of twenty-two original essays, leading historians reveal the radical impulses at the founding of the American Republic. This is a new reading of the American Revolution that gives voice and recognition to a generation of radical thinkers and doers whose revolutionary ideals outstripped those of the founding fathers. It explores the founding fathers' more radical contemporaries, who advocated for true liberty for all at the United States' inception, including the abolition of slavery and equality despite race, class, or gender. While the founding fathers advocated a break from Britain and espoused ideals of republican government, none proposed significant changes to the fabric of colonial society. Yet during this revolutionary period some people did believe that "liberty" meant llibery for all and that equality should be applied to political, economic, and religious spheres. These essays are the stories of individuals and groups who exemplified the radical ideals of the American Revolution more in keeping with values of today. This volume helps us to understand the social conflicts unleashed by the struggle for independence, the Revolution's achievements, and the unfinished agenda it left to future generations to confront.

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