American colonial historian Timothy H. Breen, a James Marsh Professor-at-Large at UVM since 2012, presents the 2019 Marsh Professor Lecture “Ending the American Revolution: Reconciliation and Revenge” on Tuesday, September 17 from 4-5 p.m. in Waterman Memorial Lounge.

Breen explores why the American Revolution ended without continuing partisan violence between colonials and their former British adversaries after a negotiated peace treaty in 1783. For ordinary people the war’s conclusion raised hard issues—they had memories of suffering, sacrifice, and betrayal. They contemplated revenge. Yet, despite the depth of popular anger, Americans were reconciled with their former enemies. 

Breen is the William Smith Mason Professor of American History Emeritus at Northwestern University, and former John Kluge Professor of American Law and Governance at the Library of Congress. He is also Founding Director of the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies at Northwestern University. A former Guggenheim Fellow, he has taught American history at Oxford, Cambridge, Caltech, and Yale universities. He is the author of many books, including George Washington’s Journey, winner of the History Prize of the Society of the Cincinnati and finalist for the George Washington Book Prize; and Marketplace of Revolution, winner of the Society of Colonial Wars Book Award. 

Also author of the book The Will of the People: The Revolutionary Birth of America recently released by Harvard University Press, Breen will be available for a book signing following the lecture. The event is free and open to the public. 

For more information contact Professor Amani Whitfield at Harvey.Whitfield@uvm.edu. For ADA accommodations call (802) 656-3033.