Course

Histories of the Book in the Age of Atlantic Revolutions

H 225

The political, social, and cultural upheavals beginning in the mid-eighteenth and lasting well into the nineteenth centuries have often been labeled an “age of Atlantic Revolutions.” How does book history intersect with these revolutionary histories? How can we understand and assess print and written culture as key elements in these revolutions? And how might attention to book histories refine our historical accounts of that era?

  • Instructor(s)
    James N. Green, John H. Pollack
  • Location
    Philadelphia, PA: The Library Company of Philadelphia & the University of Pennsylvania
  • Date
    20–22 May 2026
  • Length
    Three days
  • Fee
    $900
  • Course ID
    H-225
  • Application Deadline
    Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until course fills. Read more about the application process.

Course Description

This short, three-day course will introduce participants to these and related questions with a series of focused investigations centered within the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. We will concentrate upon the revolutionary world of North America but also consider the Haitian and South American revolutions, and of course the French Revolution and its aftermath.

The course will meet in Philadelphia, where two of the most impactful revolutionary documents were printed: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence. 2026, the 250th anniversary of these imprints and of United States independence, offers a unique opportunity to address our topic. The city will host several major exhibitions, and participants will have the opportunity to visit some of these and to reflect critically upon them.

 

Faculty

James N. Green

James N. Green

James Green is Librarian Emeritus of the Library Company of Philadelphia, where he has worked for more than 30 years. He contributed three long essays on American printing and publishing …

John H. Pollack

John H. Pollack

John H. Pollack is Library Specialist for Public Services at the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University of Pennsylvania, a position he has held …

Course History

  • 2026-

    James N. Green & John H. Pollack co-teach this course.