Course

The real story of the American Revolution is far more than a catalog of deeds done by a handful of famous men. Declaring independence on a piece of parchment on a summer’s day in Philadelphia in 1776 would have meant nothing had not tens of thousands of ordinary Americans been willing to support that cause. In this course, we will explore the tumultuous eight years of war between 1775 and 1783, examining five of the extraordinary groups of people who played central roles in the war for independence: patriot soldiers, non-combatants on the home front, Native Americans, Black Americans, and white loyalists.

Faculty Bio 

Richard Bell is a professor of history at the University of Maryland and author of several books, including, most recently, The American Revolution and the Fate of the World. 

This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time 
• Classes will also be video recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and ends on Tuesday, Feb. 16
• Classes meet for 5 weeks, 1.5 hours per session (1:30–3 PM)
• All course materials remain in Member Dashboards through March 28

 Member Praise for Richard Bell

What a wonderful class and brilliant instructor! I loved Rick’s style of presentation = intense and dramatic. I’m so impressed with my fellow OLLIians = smart, informed, engaged. Everything worked for me.

​​I’m hooked on the drama of Rick’s lectures. He brings heat and humanity to his subjects.

After the first ten minutes of the first class, I turned to my husband, who had also signed up for the class, and said, “He is terrific!”

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Richard Bell from our archive.