Preeminent scholars Serena Zabin, Carleton College, and Robert A. Gross, University of Connecticut Emeritus convene in Concord where 250 years ago, the "shot heard round the world" ignited the American Revolution. Joined in conversation by Katherine Grandjean, Wellesley College, the scholars discuss New England society's challenges and the epochal day of April 19, 1775, when an outbreak of fighting led to the formation of a republic.
1775: A Society on the Brink of War and Revolution is co-hosted by The Concord Museum, the David Center for the American Revolution at the American Philosophical Society, and the Massachusetts Historical Society.
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Serena Zabin is a historian specializing in early American history, with a focus on the American Revolution. Her acclaimed book, 'The Boston Massacre: A Family History' (2020), offers a fresh perspective on the event by revealing the personal and social ties between British soldiers and Boston’s residents. Through rich archival research, she challenges traditional narratives, emphasizing the interconnected lives of civilians and military families. A professor at Carleton College, Zabin has significantly contributed to the study of Revolutionary America, blending social and political history to deepen our understanding of colonial society and the conflicts that shaped the nation’s founding.
Robert A. Gross is a renowned historian specializing in Revolutionary and 19th-century America. His Bancroft Prize-winning 'The Minutemen and Their World' (1976) examines Concord’s role in the American Revolution, blending social history with political change. His second book, 'The Transcendentalists and Their World'(2021), winner of the Peter J. Gomes Memorial Book Prize at Massachusetts Historical Society, explores Concord’s shift into a hub of intellectual thought, focusing on figures like Emerson and Thoreau. Gross’s work masterfully connects local history with broader themes of community and change. A respected scholar, he has held positions at institutions including Amherst College, the College of William & Mary, and the University of Connecticut.
Katherine Grandjean is a historian of early America, specializing in colonial history, Native American history, and the history of communication. Her book, 'American Passage: The Communications Frontier in Early New England' (2015), explores how information networks shaped power, violence, and relationships between colonists and Indigenous peoples. Through deep archival research, she reveals how control over communication influenced colonial expansion. A professor at Wellesley College, Grandjean’s work sheds new light on the intersections of media, migration, and conflict in early America, examining the complexities of colonial society and its lasting impact on American history.
