Presidio Book Club: Claudio Saunt’s West of the Revolution: An Uncommon History of 1776

Presidio Book Club, led by Presidio Trust historian Dr. Barbara Berglund Sokolov, is an inclusive gathering that anyone can take part in, whether or not they’ve read the book. This month features Claudio Saunt’s West of the Revolution: An Uncommon History of 1776 (W.W. Norton, 2014). Love the musical Hamilton? Ever wonder what was going on out west in 1776? That momentous year, Spain established a colonial outpost on today’s Presidio, Russia pushed into Alaska, and the Lakota Sioux migrated toward the Black Hills. These and other revolutionary events rocked the American continent and set the stage for what peoples and powers would control it. Expand your understanding of the nation’s founding beyond the familiar story of the thirteen colonies with this innovative, engaging history.

Presented in partnership with the California Historical Society’s current exhibitions Alexander Hamilton: Treasures from the New York Historical Society and Meanwhile Out West: Colonizing California 1769-1821. Visit https://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.

This book is available for purchase at the Presidio Visitor Center and the California Historical Society.