A Resistance History of the United States by Stoermer, Tad

Revisit the Salem Witch Trials, the Underground Railroad, and other resistance movements of American history to get a bold new understanding of how resistance shaped our past--and how its principles can change our future.

The United States was shaped by resistance--but not in the way we've been taught. The Revolution did not secure liberty; it opened the door to either liberty or oppression, where only white men enjoyed all of the benefits and protections of citizenship.

In A Resistance History of the United States, public historian Tad Stoermer shows how from the very beginning, that tension--between the ideals of resistance and the realities of power--has defined America more than the Enlightenment ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Utililizing powerful storytelling to focus on key--and often lesser-known--moments in American history, this book reveals the truth of how resistance movements from Colonial times have opposed the powers that be. Stoermer covers an impressive roster of pivotal movements, with each chapter identifying a key resistance movement and principle meant to inspire contemporary readers, including:

• Bacon's Rebellion/Metacomet's War (1676)
• Salem Witch Trials (1692)
• The Black Loyalists (1783)
• The Underground Railroad (1850)

Through these and many more examples, Stoermer dismantles the mythologies that pass for American history--exposing the curated nostalgia, moral evasions, and institutional silences that have long protected abusive power. What emerges is an essential look at how we can take lessons from the past to understand, and effectively respond to, the injustices we face today.

Author: Tad Stoermer
Publisher: Steerforth Press
Published: 06/02/2026
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.30w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781586424367

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 05/01/2026 pg. 125
Booklist 05/01/2026
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2026

About the Author
Tad Stoermer is a public historian who trained at the University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard, with a particular focus on Colonial and Revolutionary America. He is also a former congressional staffer and speechwriter, and he served in the US Army and Reserves as a reconnaissance scout. He lives in Denmark.