Published in 2013, Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims is a work of children’s historical fiction by the late political commentator Rush Limbaugh. It is the first installment in the five-book Rush Revere series and was a New York Times bestseller. The story follows Rush Revere, a substitute history teacher, and his talking, time-traveling horse, Liberty. To make American history engaging, Revere transports his students—including the skeptical class clown Tommy and the quiet, intuitive Freedom—back to 1620 to witness the Pilgrims’ journey from Holland to the New World aboard the Mayflower.

The narrative uses this adventure to present a particular interpretation of American history, framing the Pilgrims’ experiences as the foundation of The Roots of American Exceptionalism. Limbaugh frames the Pilgrims’ story as a divinely guided quest for religious freedom, celebrating their defiance of an oppressive English government as an early example of The Courage of Independent Thought. The book also argues that The Failures of Communal Living caused the Plymouth colony’s initial struggles, while presenting its eventual success as the result of private property and individual incentive.

This guide is based on the 2013 Threshold Editions hardcover edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain depictions of religious discrimination, bullying, and illness or death.

Plot Summary

In the prologue, Rush Revere briefly travels aboard the Mayflower in 1620. He becomes severely seasick and encounters a hostile sailor before Liberty returns him to the present. Rush then begins working as a substitute history teacher at Manchester Middle School, immediately attracting his students’ attention with his colonial-era attire, which includes a tricornered hat and knickers. His mission is to make American history exciting and to teach what he believes is an accurate account of the Pilgrims’ story. He introduces the class to his special guest, a talking horse named Liberty, who can also travel through time. While most students are amazed, the class clown, Tommy White, remains skeptical of Rush’s historical claims, and a quiet, observant girl named Freedom seems particularly intrigued. Elizabeth Sherman immediately challenges Rush about his unusual name and clothing and later mocks Freedom. Rush explains that he will be showing the class “movies” of his historical adventures, which are actually live video feeds from his smartphone as he and Liberty jump through time portals. 

To begin his lesson on the Pilgrims, Rush and Liberty travel to Holland in 1620. There, they witness a group of Separatists, including William Bradford, preparing to depart for the New World aboard a ship called the Speedwell. Rush learns that the Pilgrims had fled England to escape religious persecution and were now preparing to leave Holland for the New World in hopes of preserving their religious community and way of life. During their visit, the mischievous Liberty gets four bright yellow wooden shoes stuck on his hooves. Upon their return to the modern-day classroom, one of the shoes flies off Liberty’s hoof and breaks a window. Principal Sherman investigates, but Tommy takes the blame to protect Rush’s secret, earning him detention. After class, Rush confides in Tommy and Freedom that Liberty can become invisible and travel through time. Freedom demonstrates an unusual ability to detect Liberty even while he is invisible, convincing Rush that she and Tommy can be trusted with the secret.

Deciding to give Tommy a more hands-on lesson, Rush takes him back to September 6, 1620, to board the Mayflower as it departs from Plymouth, England. They experience the ship’s cramped and unsanitary conditions alongside about fifty “Saints” (the Separatists) and an equal number of “Strangers” (non-Separatist colonists). During a violent storm, they witness passenger John Howland being swept overboard but surviving by clinging to a trailing rope until he is hauled back onto the ship. Later, when the ship is forced by dangerous shoals to abandon its planned destination near the Hudson River and head instead for New England, the Strangers threaten mutiny. In response, William Bradford drafts the Mayflower Compact. Rush and Tommy watch as the male passengers sign the historic document, agreeing to form a “Civil Body Politick” (106) and abide by just and equal laws. Their time on the ship is punctuated by the reckless behavior of the Billington boys, who nearly cause an explosion aboard the Mayflower by firing a musket near an open barrel of gunpowder.

Freedom joins Rush and Tommy as they time-jump to Plymouth Plantation during the first winter of 1620–1621. They find the colony ravaged by sickness and starvation, with nearly half of the original passengers having perished. William Bradford explains to Rush that their initial economic system, a “common store” where all provisions and profits are shared equally regardless of individual effort, has failed. According to Bradford, the system discourages personal initiative, leading to discontent, and many men resented having to work to support those who contribute little. During this visit, the troublemaking Francis Billington falls from a tall pine tree, and Liberty instinctively discovers the ability to momentarily freeze time, allowing Rush, Tommy, and Freedom to catch Francis in a hammock and save his life.

The trio’s final journey takes them to the spring and fall of 1621. They witness the arrival of Samoset, a Native American leader from the north who startles the colonists by greeting them with “Welcome, Englishmen!” He had learned English from fishermen who came to his lands. He is soon followed by Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe who was previously kidnapped and taken to Europe, where he learned to speak fluent English. Squanto becomes an indispensable ally, teaching the Pilgrims how to plant corn using fish for fertilizer and acting as an interpreter. Rush, Tommy, and Freedom attend the first harvest festival, a celebration of the colony’s bountiful harvest. They meet the powerful Pokanoket sachem, Massasoit, who forges an important peace treaty with the Pilgrims. William Bradford explains to Rush that the colony’s fortunes improved after he abandoned the common store and assigned a private plot of land to each family. According to Bradford, assigning each family a private plot encouraged the colonists to work harder, resulting in a surplus of food and a more prosperous colony.

Returning to the present, Elizabeth Sherman attempts to expose Rush and Liberty by bringing her father, Principal Sherman, to the classroom. However, Liberty turns invisible, leaving Elizabeth unable to prove her claims. The rest of the class, now captivated by Rush’s teaching methods, protects his secret. The experience has transformed the students, especially Tommy, who has developed a genuine interest in history. The adventure concludes with Rush announcing their next destination: the American Revolution. He plans to take them to Liberty’s original time period to witness the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, setting the stage for their next historical adventure as they “Rush, rush, rushing to history!” (184).