Lost Letters of the American Revolution

They wrote in fear, fury, love—and treason.

Now, 250 years later, their words return to speak.

Smuggled in boots. Burned in haste. Hidden in cipher.

Lost Letters of the American Revolution reveals the raw, unfiltered voices of those who lived through America’s fight for independence. This landmark collection features more than 100 authentic letters drawn from primary sources, offering a rare and deeply personal perspective on the Revolutionary era.

Inside, readers encounter:

• Benedict Arnold’s chilling note of betrayal to George Washington

• Peggy Shippen’s coded correspondence with British spies

• King George III’s orders and reflections on a distant rebellion

• A defiant enslaved man’s plea for liberty

• Abigail Adams urging her husband to “Remember the Ladies”

• Paul Revere’s legendary midnight ride—told in his own words

Beyond the famous, readers meet the forgotten—soldiers, mothers, preachers, printers, and runaways. Each letter reveals a world torn by revolution and a voice echoing across centuries.

With vivid editorial notes and contextual insights, historian Elizabeth Winslow brings these voices together into a powerful narrative. These are not summaries or secondhand reports. They are the Revolution as it was lived—dangerous, intimate, and profoundly human.

Experience history through the firsthand words of those who lived it.