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Aaron Sullivan is an author and historian living near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his amazing spouse, two inexhaustible children, and very neurotic dog.

He serves as a professor of history at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ, and his book The Disaffected (Penn Press, 2019), received the Book of the Year Award from the American Revolutionary Roundtable of Philadelphia.

Additionally, his (very) short story, "Striking," won the Best of Category Prize in the Ethos Literacy Short Short Story Contest in 2023.

Sullivan received his Doctorate in History from Temple University in Philadelphia in 2014 and his Bachelors in Computer Science from LeTourneau University in 2004. His wife has informed him that he's not allowed to get any more degrees.

Select Publications

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The Disaffected

A book exploring the plight and perspective of Americans who strove, often in vain, to void involvement in the American War for Independence. Published by the University of Pennsylvania Pres, 2019.

Winner of the 2019 Book of the Year Award from the American Revolutionary Roundtable of Philadelphia

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"Striking"

A micro-fiction on the topic of umbrellas and the injustice of death

Winner of the Ethos Literacy Best of Category Prize in the 2023 Short Short Story Contest

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"The Uncommon Cause"

A chapter on loyalty, disaffection, and war in the anthology The American Revolution Reborn, edited by Spero and Zuckerman (Penn Press, 2016)

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"That Charity Which Begins at Home"

An exploration of kinship, charity, and immigration in 18th-century Philadelphia. Published in the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, the journal of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (2010)

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Kind Words

“Aaron Sullivan is a natural storyteller whose deeply-researched book will change the way we think about Philadelphia’s revolutionary history. A must read for scholars and the historically-interested alike.” 
~Patrick Spero, American Philosophical Society
“The Disaffected is an important book. It is carefully researched, thoughtfully argued, and beautifully written.” 
~Robynne Rogers Healey, Review in Early American Literature
“In clear, and evocative prose, Sullivan offers a nuanced analysis that refocuses the war on the experiences of those who wanted nothing to do with the conflict. He is a gifted writer, and his ability to tackle complicated historiographical questions in a relatable manner makes this book accessible to undergraduates and the general public.” 
~Lauren Duval, Review in the Journal of British Studies
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