Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past

The highly praised book in which cherished stories from American history are exposed as myths.

Widely praised following its initial publication, Founding Myths is a page-turner created out of the stuff of American history primers. Reexamining thirteen well-known tales from the American struggle for independence, the book documents the errors and inventions that permeate these cherished national myths—myths that are often still taught in American history classes—in what Baltimore's City Paper calls a "debunking that does not disappoint."

"Engaging and eye-opening" (The Sacramento Bee), Ray Raphael's bold and provocative book reexamines the story of Paul Revere's midnight ride, which turns out to have involved far more than one rider; Patrick Henry's famous (and fictitious) "Give Me Liberty" speech; and the made-up character of Molly Pitcher, among many others. Raphael cleverly demonstrates how these stories evolved over time. And in each case, he offers an alternative version, one that is both more historically accurate and more in tune with our nation's democratic ideals.

For anyone who is curious about the true story of the nation's founding, and for those searching for a genuine chronicle of democratic struggle, Founding Myths is American history at its truest and most vital.