1500 Shenandoah Rd.
Alexandria, VA 

Presenter: Professor Richard Bell

History Professor Richard Bell will discuss how the American Revolution not only liberated the colonies
but also served as a catalyst for changing the way the world works.

When we think of the American Revolution, we often picture a parochial drama: thirteen colonies
squaring off against the British Crown in a spirited bid for independence. But this version of the story
is only half the truth—and perhaps not even the most interesting half.  

From the sugar fields of the Caribbean to the court of the King of Mysore, from refugee camps on
the Canadian frontier to political uprisings in Sierra Leone and Peru, the war that gave birth to the
United States was never simply America’s own. It was a seismic global event that redrew maps,
toppled hierarchies, catalyzed migration, and accelerated new movements for liberty—and for empire.

Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the book
Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and their Astonishing Odyssey Home which was a finalist
for the George Washington Prize and the Harriet Tubman Prize. He has held major research fellowships
at Yale, Cambridge, and the Library of Congress and is the recipient of the National Endowment of the
Humanities Public Scholar award and the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship. 

His new book, The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, was published by Penguin in
November 2025. He maintains a list of his books and upcoming events at Richard-Bell.com.

No registration necessary. The program is free to nonmembers interested in checking us out.