Philip Mead (historian)

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Dr. Philip C. Mead, an American historian specializing in the period of the American Revolution, is Chief Historian and Curator [1] of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

Mead served as a project historian for exhibition development beginning in 2011, and joined the Museum staff as historian and curator in 2014. [2] He co-curated the Museum's award-winning core exhibition, and helped to shape the media experiences and public programs. [3] [4] He then led the collections and exhibitions team through five special exhibitions, including most recently, When Women Lost the Vote: A Revolutionary Story, 1776-1807, which broke new ground by identifying the names of large numbers of women voters in early New Jersey. [5]

Mead earned a doctorate in American history from Harvard University in 2012. [4] Mead's doctoral dissertation, Melancholy Landscapes: Writing Warfare in the American Revolution, was written under Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and read by Jill Lepore, and draws on the diaries of 169 Revolutionary Army soldiers. [6] [7] Mead previously served as a lecturer at Harvard University from 2012-2014. [8] In 2016, he co-edited with Gordon S. Wood a book of essays, Essays by “The Free Republican,” 1784–1786.

In 2014, Mead rediscovered and authenticated George Washington's silk shoulder ribbon in the Harvard University collections. [9] In 2017, Mead discovered the only known period image of General George Washington's Revolutionary War tent in the field. [10] In 2019, he led the team that discovered poll lists featuring the names of women and Black men who voted in New Jersey in the years following the Revolutionary War. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ "Betsy Ross descendants reunite with each other and with artifacts of their mythic ancestor".
  2. ↑ "Museum Announces Appointment of New Curatorial, Education Staff".
  3. ↑ Lipton, Lauren (23 April 2017). "Positively Philadelphia: Museum of the American Revolution". KYW. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 Newall, Mike (5 April 2017). "Making sure Philly's Revolution tale is told right". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Schuessler, Jennifer (24 February 2020). "On the Trail of America's First Women to Vote". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Mead, Philip (6 March 2013). "Melancholy Landscapes: Writing Warfare in the American Revolution". Harvard University. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Dissertations". Harvard University. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  8. ↑ "Cleveland painting donated". Wilkes Journal-Patriot. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  9. ↑ Mead, Philip (Winter 2015). "George Washington's Disappearing Ribbon". Common Place.
  10. ↑ Schuessler, Jennifer (15 November 2017). "Washington's Tent: A Detective Story". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Schuessler, Jennifer (24 February 2020). "On the Trail of America's First Women to Vote". The New York Times.


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