Chris Coelho

Author of American Revolution history and historical fiction

Books

Matlack's Declaration: How a Philadelphia Brewer Proclaimed America's Independence

On July 4, 1776, Timothy Matlack stepped through the doors of the State House, stopped at the top of the stairs, and began to speak. The crowd fell silent. Before the broadside was printed and before the parchment was signed, he proclaimed the Declaration in real time. Those who heard it understood that independence was no longer just an idea but a reality—one that the enemy would oppose at all costs.

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Pirates in Uniform: The Conspiracy to Invade Buenos Aires that Triggered a War

Driven by ambition and acting without orders, British naval officer Sir Home Popham led a makeshift army to invade Buenos Aires and seize the Spanish Empire's vast royal treasure. His daring heist ignited a ferocious war across the River Plate. The Criollos' unexpected victory over the mighty British army signalled the beginning of their march to the May Revolution and the end of the reign of the viceroys.

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EDICIÓN EN ESPAÑOLSpanish edition of Pirates in Uniform

Cien Años de Perdón

Impulsado por la ambición y actuando sin órdenes, Sir Home Popham lideró un ejército improvisado para invadir Buenos Aires y apoderarse del vasto tesoro real del Imperio español. Su audaz incursión desencadenó una feroz guerra en la región del Río de la Plata. La inesperada victoria de los criollos sobre el ejército británico marcó el inicio de la revolución argentina y el fin del dominio de los virreyes.

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Timothy Matlack, Scribe of the Declaration of Independence

When riders from New England arrived in Philadelphia with news of war, there was no turning back for Timothy Matlack—the fight for freedom had begun. But once proclaimed, independence had to be won. Summoned by Washington, he led his militia battalion into New Jersey, where a long and bitterly cold winter campaign lay ahead. Disowned by the Quakers, he was well aware that many of his family members prayed for his defeat.

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About the Author

Chris Coelho is the author of Timothy Matlack, Scribe of the Declaration of Independence, Pirates in Uniform, Cien Años de Perdón, and Matlack's Declaration: How a Philadelphia Brewer Proclaimed America's Independence. He has published articles in The Trafalgar Chronicle and the Journal of the American Revolution and was a featured speaker in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Pen to Paper program series.

Coelho grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. He received his degree from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He has lived in New York and San Francisco and now splits his time between Cambridge, MA and Buenos Aires. His current historical fiction project chronicles the multi-generational saga of a family empire—from its nineteenth-century rise on the Argentine pampas and the streets of Recoleta to its collapse in the twentieth.

Writing & Appearances

The Trafalgar Chronicle

The Popham-Code Controversy

When Lord Nelson sent his legendary pre-battle signal at Trafalgar—'England expects that every man will do his duty'—his reliance on Sir Home Popham's new flag code triggered a political battle for the ages.

Journal of the American Revolution

The First Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Journal of the American Revolution

Timothy Matlack, Scribe of the Declaration of Independence

Appearances

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Pen to Paper — Timothy Matlack, Scribe of the Declaration of Independence