George Washington's greatest achievement was not winning the Revolutionary War. It was surrendering power to the civilian government. Richard Lim, host of the "This American President" podcast, joins us to talk about his new book, Refusing a Crown: How George Washington Changed the World. Washington's surrender of power—which he did in 1783, returning his commission to the Congress, and in 1796, when he chose not to run for another term—was partly rooted in his personal virtue. But Lim argues that Washington's decision was also based on an understanding of power and its potential for abuse. Washington set an example for future leaders, and became the standard against whom all are measured.

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The American Revolution was fought with muskets and cannon, but it was also waged with words, images, symbols, and stories. Long before the Patriots secured independence on the battlefield, they were winning the battle for public opinion.

In this episode of the Revolution 250 Podcast, Professor Robert Allison welcomes Julie Hall, President of the Charlestown Historical Society, veteran communications strategist, and author of Revolutionary Spin: How PR Shaped the American Revolution. Together, they explore how America's founders employed remarkably sophisticated public relations techniques to rally support, shape perceptions, create heroes and martyrs, and convince audiences on both sides of the Atlantic of the righteousness of their cause.

From the power of political messaging to the careful cultivation of a revolutionary identity, Hall reveals how the struggle for American independence became one of history's most successful campaigns of persuasion. Discover how the Patriots mastered the art of telling their story, and why the lessons of their revolutionary communications strategy remain strikingly relevant 250 years later.

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Boston, 1765. Eleven years before the Declaration. Tax collectors, mobs, fire in the streets, and the first sons of a revolution nobody saw coming. The decade your teachers skipped. If you like your history hard, your men flawed, and your stakes real, this one's for you. Join us for a conversation with Joe Wearmouth, who tells the story of this tumultuous time through the eyes of unforgettable characters--some we know--John and Abigail Adams, John Hancock, Joseph Warren, Crispus Attucks, Joyce Junior--and others he has created--Tom Bradford and his unbearable cousin Richard, Benjamin Wilson, and more. Rising Sons is the novel about why the Revolution began in Boston, and how it felt to those creating it.

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