This course reframes the American Revolution as a global event shaped by imperial rivalries and geopolitical forces. Each session focuses on a different group—Germans, French, Spaniards, South Asians, and others—revealing how their experiences intersected with the collapse of British rule in North America. By viewing the Revolution through a global lens, participants will uncover new perspectives on its causes, course, and consequences.

OSHER ONLINE INSTRUCTOR: Richard Bell, PhD, is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of Stolen, a finalist for the George Washington and Harriet Tubman Prizes. A National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar and Carnegie Fellow, he has held fellowships at Yale and Cambridge. His latest book, The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, was published in 2025

Osher Online courses are offered fully online through Zoom – classes are not recorded. The Osher National Resource Center manages these courses and all communication to registered students.

You must be an OLLI member to register. This program is currently offered to a select few OLLIs. Space is limited per university. Be sure to register early.

Osher Online is a complement to OLLI programs offered by the Osher National Resource Center. The National Resource Center for Osher Institutes (Osher NRC) is a non-governing center of excellence, hosted by Northwestern University, benefiting older adults through the national network of 124 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs).