Founding Myths

Ray Raphael has written more than twenty books, including A People’s History of the American Revolution, The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord, Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation, Constitutional Myths: What We Get Wrong and How to Get It Right, Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past, and The Spirit of 74: How the American Revolution Began (co-authored with Marie Raphael), all published by The New Press. He has taught at a one-room public high school, Humboldt State University, and College of the Redwoods and is currently a senior research fellow at Humboldt State University and associate editor of Journal of the American Revolution. He lives in Northern California, where he hikes and kayaks.

Praise for the tenth-anniversary edition of Founding Myths:"A persuasive argument in favor of evidence-based history, even if it means surrendering some of our cherished fabrications."—Kirkus ReviewsPraise for the original edition:"Ray Raphael's engaging and eye-opening book doesn't merely debunk historical fallacies. Using the best modern historical writing and his own research, the author also explains why and to what purpose these myths were created and then offers well-argued alternative explanations."—Sacramento Bee"Raphael relays so much forgotten or never-known history and argues so well why it, not the legends, should be remembered that virtually any Americans will profit from reading this lively, intelligent book."—Booklist"All students of American history will find Raphael's correction of the historical record instructive and enjoyable."—Publishers Weekly