Honestly, from a historical perspective a chick that is an “expert” at Jefferson should wear bloomers.

Joanne B. Freeman should take a Native American Studies class, and then teach and record this course again, because she is an engaging teacher, and it would be worth the trouble. Please identify specific tribal nations when referring to specific colonies, explaining how they correspond. Specific colonial personalities are named, do the extra work to identify indigenous leaders and individuals of the time period. Please stop referring generally to “The Indians”, including also the label, “Hostile Indians”. This labeling acts to erase the many various, and distinct cultures of the region. You identify the evolving mindset of the colonists, without humanizing their indigenous counterparts. Please never tell your students there was empty and available land. I realize that society is a bit more focused on social justice now than during this recording. It’s time to update this course. I am a Chinook Indian Nation tribal member in the state of Oregon. Thank You

I just finished the series in about a week. Always looking for times and excuses to listen. I’m retired now, but don’t remember many of my professors back in the day so engaging. I find myself wanting and looking for more from Professor Freeman!

Background information, political and diplomatic moves, major battles, witness accounts and anecdotes are all included in this series of lectures. Professor Freeman has masterfully blended all of those elements to produce an amazing course that is both informative and entertaining. Loved every minute of it!

This is a great podcast! Very detailed and well written. It’s a good mix of looking at the military and civil affairs during the years covered so far. Looks at the major events but also keeps it interesting with stories of more minor characters and adventures. In addition the after show’s book and online recommendations are a great resource with lots of awesome suggestions of both primary sources and well written books. This would have been a great resource when I was in school doing my history minor.

Wow! This is such a great podcast to listen to! Professor Freeman is engaging, funny, and has a passion that truly shows in her lectures. I’ve learned so much and makes me want to learn more!!

Thoroughly enjoyable. I listened to most of the 25 lectures inside of a week, and would have kept listening if there were more. —Wallace Adams-Riley

Really learned a lot about the Revolution and enjoyed the lively lectures.

Excellent lectures, but the Prof is too intent on being engaging and funny, when it’s not needed. The forced giggling is very distracting.

I love this podcast! Five stars!

I am 88 years old and just discovered podcasts. My love for history has brought me to your doorstep and I am elated. I have never had history presented in such a realistic way. I have almost finished your lecture on the American Revolution . I was astonished to hear women had the right to vote albeit for a short time in New Jersey (my home state) Any recommendations for more if your lectures? Look forward to a reply.

This podcast was amazing! I listen to this everyday on my way to work. I wish my college professors were this engaging. Well done professor freeman. I need to find more of her stuff

Thank you open Yale!

...it’s interesting and informative, and Professor Freeman’s enthusiasm is engaging... up to the point where her constant giggling is, I’m sorry to say, irritating me so much I may not continue listening.

I absolutely loved this series and am now listening to it for the second time. She does a fantastic job bringing history to life and making it relevant and understandable despite it’s distance. If she ever does another podcast, I would listen without hesitation. Thanks Dr. Freeman!

I found this course to be quite fascinating. Although I thought I knew the causes of the American Revolution, Dr. Freeman does a great job explaining the well-intentioned motives on both sides which ultimately led to war. I wish Yale also had Dr. Freeman’s next course about politics in the 1790s on iTunes. Instead, I’ll just have to read one of Dr. Freeman’s books. :)

Great from start to finish.

Fabulous lectures! Joanne Freeman is an engaging speaker. Her perspective is refreshing! Would love to "take" her other courses!! Please add!!

I haven't studied the revolution much since high school. Although a good student in high school I wasn't as interested in history as I was science and math, so I didn't absorb as much as I should have. AS an adult I have become more interested in history and I've been devouring the history courses on itunes university. This is an engaging, easy to understand course that covers a relativily broad topic. Every American should take a refresher course in American Revolution as an adult, and this one is perfect. I looked forward to her lectures everytime I turned them on. She really brings the characters of the Revolution to life, giving them depth and personality. Excellant course!

Best iTunes U series ever! Joanne Freeman is a phenomenon

One of the best history classes I have ever seen, great syllabus and a good topical overview presented in a light engaging manner by an engaging and bright professor who teaches and entertains

An enormously interesting, comprehensive and even entertaining introduction to the American Revolution. Professor Freeman surely would have been one of my favorites had I taken this course as a student.

This series is completely absorbing and totally entertaining. Dr Freeman has a wonderful style of presenting history, which may be described as anything but dry! She is both knowledgable and witty, and her love for the era is both obvious and passionate.

Really enjoyed this class. So much great info and presented with so much passion. Strongly recommend!

Rather then a professor of history, this sounds like a high schoolers book report. Lacking seriousness and historical accuracy this is a very lite version of events told by a cackling knob. Many unforgivable mistakes about true decisions and intentions of the actors of this period. Very poor story telling skills. Cannot believe this is college level information. Most of this is in history books from the eighth grade. No new information here, better source material and backstory found on the Huntington site. Only two there about the revolution but by far more interesting tales told from a modern authors perspective rather some glorified high school teacher. I thought Yale was a good school especially after listening to the Civil War lectures. I fear I was mistaken. Total waste of time.

Okay, not really, but it is an enjoyable, interesting, and fully educational experience. Joanne B. Freeman is a welcome guest in my home anytime.

Joanne is a highly communicative and thoughtful instructor. Sound quality is also excellent. Highly recommended.

I was only casually curious about the American revolution but after listening to a few lectures I was hooked. I absolutely love her approach to teaching about the revolution as a real event with real people and real emotions instead of the hero worship approach that most such courses I know take. It makes it more interesting and in my view even more inspiring as a story! Love the course so far!

This has been one of the most enjoyable recordings I've listened to. Ms. Freeman's delivery is great and it's kept me coming back for more. I only wish she had more material on other subjects.

I am in my 14th lecture and am loving this series. I especially enjoy the the presenters style and humor mixed with historical insight. This makes the class real enjoyable. This lecture transports you back in time to view the revolution, through the eyes of the common man and leaders of that day. Shaza Yale for making this available!

I know she is supposed to be an experienced lecturer, but she comes off as a nervous first-timer. She laughs far too much and acts like she wants to be liked by everyone instead of presenting a historical lecture.

Professor Freeman does a wonderful job presenting an overview of the American Revolution, its causes, internal conflicts, and the evolution of colonial (and later American) identity. Most importantly, she gives a good sense of what is in the reading for those of us who've not done our homework (though I suspect more than a few listeners will go out and buy a few books off her syllabus). If I can give one general compliment, Professor Freeman mentions that she teaches a class in late 18th/early 19th American history. All excited, I searched on itunes and was crestfallen to learn it isn't available. Yes, Professor Freeman is that good!

The woman delivering these lectures is desperate for the audience to think she's funny, which unfortunately guarantees that she's not. She also rambles quite a bit. If you can put up with those factors then there's some great information there.

Prof Freeman does a masterful job explaining the American revolution. You truly get a view of this period As if you were living through: you learn not to make the assumption that independence was not a foregone conclusion. Can't wait to read more/listen to more from Prof Freeman.

Wonderful series of lectures! I loved every minute of this. My only point of contention is that the assignments are not recorded. I really wish there was a link to the course syllabus or perhaps just the required assignments as I would like to take a shot at them.

Very well presented, and informative, and delivered with passion If we had more instructors like Professor Freeman, then we would have a lot more students wanting to be historians.

I saw Professor Freeman on a History Channel special about Thomas Jefferson, and I really liked how she presented the material, so I decided to see if she had any lectures on iTunes. I was very happy to find out that she does, and I have enjoyed every minute of this series. I only wish that her Early American History course that she mentions a couple of times in this series of podcasts was offered online, too!

I have listened to countless history courses, and this is at the top. Professor Freeman is engaging, incredibly knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and fun to listen to. I hope more of her courses are offered on I-Tunes.

Other reviews have said it all - so engaging, so full of humor, yet top- notch information. This exemplifies the best podcasting has to offer, and it's free.

Thank you, Dr. Freeman and thank you, iTunes for providing this fascinating and extremely informative lecture series. I hope to see many more such series available in the future. I would especially like to listen to Dr. Freeman's lectures concerning the early American republic. It would be an excellent companion to this series.

Absolutely loved the presentation! Freeman kept me hanging on to every word. Wish I had her as a teacher 40 years ago! Was delighted to find her as one of the "guest" speakers at the Stanford 'Colonial Discussions". Thank you, Professor Freeman!

This is an incredible lecture series. She doesn't just teach the course, she lives it and the interaction she has with her audience is inspiring. The interjecting of her own personal research discoveries is while she writes these lectures leaves you with more of a conversation, rather than someone quoting someone. I hope she continues the revolution with more of her insight.

As stated in the title, Dr. Freeman's American Revolution course was just absolutely wonderful to listen to. Her enthuasism was infectious. She was able to bring the ordinary people of colonial America into better light and show that the Founding Father's were really human and very faliable just like the rest of the population. She also stressed that the Founding Father's really didn't know if their little experiment in democracy was going to work. I really liked not only the flow of the course but the background information was given in fun and interesting ways. She made it easy to want to listen to more and to go look up more information on the American Revolution and the people involved in it. I really hope that more courses will be offered in podcast form from Dr. Freeman. She is an excellent teacher and storyteller, which when it comes to teaching history, is a necessity. Rose Marie Lewis Menasha, WI

The professor is obviously very knowledgeable and intelligent. And she knows how to deliver a great lecture. However, I find it distracting that she is so flip about these events. I appreciate some level of humor in lectures, but she goes too far with it. I am serious about wanting to better understand this period of history, but her constant snickering and cackling is very distracting. Certainly some of the founding fathers are not buffoons.

I enjoyed listening to this at work. She's a great speaker and historian, and I liked the perspective she gives.

This is a really good intro course on the revolution. If you have a problem mixing up your intolerable acts and your tea taxes this will set you straight. Really wish that the discussion sessions on Wood's Radicalism were included but that is a small disappointment. The primary source info is what really makes the course enjoyable. Time spent well.