Republic and Empire with Andrew O’Shaughnessy

The American Revolution is often celebrated as a glorious cause, as the period when 13 colonies defied an oppressive empire, declared independence, and created a new nation. In many retellings, the revolution is a local tale of aggrieved colonists who became disenchanted with the greedy Parliament and felt betrayed by their tyrannical king.

But what about the rest of that empire? Of the colonies in North America and the Caribbean that remained loyal to the crown, of places like Ireland, Senegal, and India that were woven into the fabric of an empire that some Americans eventually rejected.

If we take a global view of the American Revolution, do some truths become less self-evident? In this episode, Dr. Jim Ambuske is joined by Dr. Andrew O’Shaughnessy to discuss his recent book, Republic and Empire: Crisis, Revolution, and America's Early Independence.

Hosted by Dr. Jim Ambuske. Executive producers are Dr. Lynn Price Robbins, Jeanette Patrick, and Patrick Long. Audio and video editing by Patrick Long. Revolutions in Retrospect is a joint production of Primary Source Media and Revolutionary Histories.