Past and Prologue

"[R]ecounts the fascinating process by which the colonists established a new identity and created a uniquely American history"—Journal of the American Revolution


“Ambitious, comprehensive, and compelling.”—Peter Onuf, University of Virginia

“Hattem presents a powerful, clearly made argument that scholars on the revolution’s origins will need to reckon with.” —Frank Cogliano, University of Edinburgh

“In this sure-footed, luxuriant, and often surprising book, the author shows how Americans made history on their way to nationhood. What a worthy, insightful testament to history’s enduring importance.”—Benjamin L. Carp, Brooklyn College, CUNY

“By introducing and exploring the idea of a “history culture” developing both before and after 1776, Hattem has produced one of the most impressive discussions in a very long time of the coming of the American Revolution and its impact on the formation of national identity and American nationalism.”— Andrew Shankman, author of Original Intents: Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and the American Founding

“Michael Hattem's Past and Prologue brilliantly explores history's roles in the American Revolution and in developing American national identity. This learned, vigorous book signals the debut of a major scholar.”—R. B. Bernstein, author of The Education of John Adams