Worlds Turned Upside Down

The American Revolution is often seen through the lens of Founding Fathers such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, or the compelling lives of freedom fighters like Paul Revere and John Laurens. However, the war for independence upended the lives of everyday citizens just trying to make a living in the colonies. To dive deeper into these lesser-known histories, R2 Studios at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media at George Mason University produced the “Worlds Turned Upside Down” podcast.

The narrative documentary series draws on the lives of those who viewed it not only as an American revolution but also as a transatlantic crisis and imperial civil war. With the support of an NEH Media Projects grant, the podcast has expanded to 25 episodes covering the period between the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.