#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An urgent, bracing new look at American history that Ava DuVernay calls "deeply necessary for this moment."
Revisit the Salem Witch Trials, the Underground Railroad, and other resistance movements of American history to get a bold new understanding of how resistance shaped our past—and how its principles can change our future.
The United States was shaped by resistance—but not in the way we’ve been taught. The Revolution did not secure liberty; it opened the door to either liberty or oppression, where only white men enjoyed all of the benefits and protections of citizenship.
In A Resistance History of the United States, public historian Tad Stoermer shows how from the very beginning, that tension—between the ideals of resistance and the realities of power—has defined America more than the Enlightenment ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Utililizing powerful storytelling to focus on key—and often lesser-known—moments in American history, this book reveals the truth of how resistance movements from Colonial times have opposed the powers that be. Stoermer covers an impressive roster of pivotal movements, with each chapter identifying a key resistance movement and principle meant to inspire contemporary readers, including:
- Bacon’s Rebellion/Metacomet’s War (1676)
- Salem Witch Trials (1692)
- The Black Loyalists (1783)
- The Underground Railroad (1850)
Through these and many more examples, Stoermer dismantles the mythologies that pass for American history—exposing the curated nostalgia, moral evasions, and institutional silences that have long protected abusive power. What emerges is an essential look at how we can take lessons from the past to understand, and effectively respond to, the injustices we face today.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Author’s Note
Introduction
Nine Resistance History Principles — patterns that emerge across centuries of Americans confronting abusive authority.
1.The Rebellion That Wasn’t (1676)
Principle #1: Beware of False Prophets — not all who wave the banner of resistance seek liberty; some only seek their own power.
2.The Weight of Truth (1692)
Principle #2: The Weight of Truth — in a system built on lies, the refusal to validate falsehood is the most basic and dangerous resistance.
3.A Declaration of Their Own (1783)
Principle #3: My Enemy’s Enemy — alliances in resistance don’t require shared ideals, only a shared opponent, if they advance liberation.
4.The Haunted Man on Maiden's Lane (1789)
Principle #4: Make Them Fight — abusive authority never yields on its own; it must be forced to recalculate, to concede under pressure, to pay a cost.
5.The Fugitive President (1796)
Principle #5: The First Step — every resistance begins with one refusal. But survival depends on persistence: the courage to take the next step, and the next.
6.The Right to Refuse (1846)
Principle #6: Ideas Matter — symbolism only endures if it rests on conscience and higher principle, not just revolt for power’s sake.
7.The Unbreakable Chain (1850)
Principle #7: Build Your Networks — when institutions fail, resistance builds its own: parallel structures of trust, intelligence, and collective will.
8.Arming the Hosts of Freedom (1859)
Principle #8: Know What It Takes — resistance must abandon ineffective tactics and embrace what works, even when it demands risk or provocation.
9.The Last Battle of the American Revolution (1866)
Principle #9: Seize Your Moment — when power is toppled and opportunity opens, act decisively. Make the change real, permanent, and deep—because the chance may not come again.
Conclusion: An American Way of Resistance
Epilogue: The Return of the First Republic
A Resistance History Toolkit — Nine hard-earned principles drawn from American history’s fiercest defiance, distilled into a usable framework for confronting abusive authority today.
