Ray Raphael facts for kids

Ray Raphael (born in 1943) is an American historian and author. He has written more than twenty books. He is well-known for his work on the American Revolution. He also writes about the United States Constitution. His books cover the history of Northern California too.

The American Revolution

In 2001, Ray Raphael wrote A People's History of the American Revolution. This book looked at history from the viewpoint of everyday people. This is called "bottom-up" history. Famous historian Howard Zinn liked the book. He used it to start his "People's History" book series. Raphael's books show how regular people shaped history. He writes about their daily lives and social movements.

In 2002, Raphael wrote The First American Revolution. This book tells how British rule was overthrown in Massachusetts in 1774. This happened a year before the famous battles of Lexington and Concord. Many history books often miss these important events. Raphael showed how people in Massachusetts took power. They were upset by the Massachusetts Government Act.

For example, in Worcester, Massachusetts, 4,622 militiamen gathered. They were from 37 towns. This was half the adult men in the area. They lined Main Street. British officials had to walk between them. The officials had to resign 30 times each. Similar events happened in other towns. These actions showed that Americans had already taken control. The British march on Lexington and Concord was an attempt to get control back.

Raphael noticed that the 1774 Massachusetts rebellion was often forgotten. So, he explored how national stories are made. In 2004, he wrote Founding Myths. This book looked at thirteen popular stories. These include Paul Revere's Ride and the Winter at Valley Forge. Raphael showed how these stories changed over time. They were often altered in the 1800s to create a strong national feeling.

In 2009, Raphael wrote Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation. This book combined his "bottom-up" view with traditional history. He included both famous people and ordinary citizens. For example, he wrote about General George Washington. He also wrote about Private Joseph Plumb Martin. He showed how many different people helped create the nation.

The U.S. Constitution

Ray Raphael also wrote books about the U.S. Constitution. These include President: How and Why the Founders Created a Chief Executive (2012). Another book is Constitutional Myths: What We Get Wrong and How to Get It Right (2013).

In 2016, he published The U. S. Constitution: The Citizen's Annotated Edition. This book explains the Constitution section by section. It helps readers understand what the writers meant. It also shows how the Constitution is understood today. He helps translate the old language for modern readers.

Raphael also created special lesson plans. They are called "Choosing to Make a Nation." In these plans, students can pretend to be delegates. They can debate like those at the Constitutional Convention. This helps students learn about how the nation was formed.

Early Books and Other Writings

Raphael's first books focused on Northern California. He has lived there since the late 1960s. His book Everyday History of Somewhere won an award in 1974. It was based on interviews with older residents. It mixed natural history with human stories.

He also wrote about local issues. These include Edges: Human Ecology of the Backcountry. He wrote about timber in Tree Talk and More Tree Talk. He also explored the topic of "Cash Crop." He used a unique style, mixing interviews with historical facts. In 2007, he wrote Two Peoples, One Place with Freeman House. This book explored conflicts between white settlers and Native Americans.

Raphael has written other types of books too. He wrote The Men from the Boys about male traditions. He also wrote The Teachers' Voice about teachers' careers. With his son Neil, he wrote a mystery book called Comic Cops. He even wrote a play about John and Jessie Freemont.

Editorial Work

Ray Raphael has also helped edit books and magazines. In 2006, he edited an issue of Forum magazine. It focused on the Founders of the U.S. It included articles by many famous scholars.

In 2011, he helped edit Revolutionary Founders. This book had essays by 22 different historians. It focused on rebels and reformers from the American Revolution. He is also an associate editor for the Journal of the American Revolution.

Personal Life

Ray Raphael was born in New York City. After high school, he moved west. He earned degrees from Reed College and University of California, Berkeley.

In the 1960s, he was involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He spent summers in North Carolina and Mississippi. He helped African Americans register to vote. He also worked to integrate public places. These experiences influenced his writing style. They helped him tell history from the perspective of ordinary people.

Raphael settled in rural Northern California. He raised two sons with his wife, Marie. He enjoys whitewater kayaking. He has been kayaking since he was 50 years old.

For fifteen years, Raphael taught at a small public high school. It was a one-room school in his neighborhood. He also taught at Humboldt State University and College of the Redwoods.

Published Works

• An Everyday History of Somewhere (Alfred A. Knopf, 1974)
• Edges: Human Ecology of the Backcountry (Alfred A. Knopf, 1976; University of Nebraska Press, 1986)
• Tree Talk: The People and Politics of Timber (Island Press, 1981)
• Cash Crop: An American Dream? (Ridge-Times Press, 1985)
• The Teachers' Voice: A Sense of Who We Are (Heinemann, 1985)
• The Men from the Boys: Rites of Passage in Male America (University of Nebraska Press, 1988)
• (With Neil Raphael) Comic Cops (Real Books, 1992)
• Little White Father: Redick McKee on the California Frontier (Humboldt County Historical Society, 1993)
• More Tree Talk: The People, Politics, and Economics of Timber (Island Press, 1994)
• A People's History of the American Revolution (New Press, 2001: HarperCollins, 2002: New Press Revised Edition 2016)
• The First American Revolution: Before Lexington and Concord (New Press, 2002)
• Founding Myths: Stories that Hide our Patriotic Past (The New Press, 2004)
• (With Freeman House) Two Peoples, One Place (Humboldt County Historical Society, 2007)
• Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation (The New Press, 2009)
• (Edited with Alfred F. Young and Gary B. Nash) Revolutionary Founders: Rebels, Radicals, and Reformer in the Making of the Nation (Alfred A. Knopf, 2011)
• Mr. President: How and Why the Founders Created a Chief Executive (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012)
• Constitutional Myths: What We Get Wrong and How To Get It Right (New Press, 2013)
• Founding Myths: Stories That Hide Our Patriotic Past Tenth Anniversary Edition, Revised and Expanded (The New Press, June, 2014)
• (With Marie Raphael) The Spirit of’74: How the American Revolution Began (The New Press, 2015)
• The U.S. Constitution: The Citizen’s Annotated Edition (Vintage, 2016)
• Hamilton: Founding Father (Barnes & Noble, 2017)
• I Like It Here: Life Stories of Humboldt's Bob McKee (Creative Type, 2022)

Ray Raphael's books have been published in other countries. They have been translated into German, Portuguese, and Korean.