With America’s 250th birthday on the horizon, come join us on Thursday, January 22, from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm for a fascinating look into the past with author Richard Bell as he discusses his new book The American Revolution and the Fate of the World. Following his talk, Richard will answer questions and sign books. Copies of The American Revolution and the Fate of the World will be available for purchase at the event.
Location: C. Burr Artz Public Library – 110 E Patrick St, Frederick, MD 21701
This free, public event is presented in partnership with Frederick County Public Libraries. For accessibility requests, email
aW5mbyB8IGN1cmlvdXNpZ3VhbmEgISBjb20= at least two (2) weeks prior to the event.
About the book: A prize-winning historian’s fascinating and unfamiliar recasting of America’s war of independence as a transformative international event
In this revelatory and enthralling book, award-winning historian Richard Bell reveals the full breadth and depth of America’s founding event. The American Revolution was not only the colonies’ triumphant liberation from the rule of an overbearing England; it was also a cataclysm that pulled in participants from around the globe and threw the entire world order into chaos. Repositioning the Revolution at the center of an international web, Bell’s narrative ranges as far afield as India, Africa, Central America, and Australia. As his lens widens, the “War of Independence” manifests itself as a sprawling struggle that upended the lives of millions of people on every continent and fundamentally transformed the way the world works, disrupting trade, restructuring penal systems, stirring famine, and creating the first global refugee crisis. Bell conveys the impact of these developments at home and abroad by grounding the narrative in the gripping stories of individuals—including women, minorities, and other disenfranchised people. The result is an unforgettable and unexpected work of American history that shifts everything we thought we knew about our creation story.
About the author: 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.
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