Months ago, I found John Laurens's letter to Hamilton about General Charles Lee's "infamous publication," and Hamilton's account of the Lee-Laurens duel. But it took me weeks to find the "strong…
On Wednesday July 20, 2016, a bronze bust of Alexander Hamilton by Zenos Frudakis (a noted American sculptor) is coming up at auction in Philadelphia, at Freeman's. I asked Zenos's…
Until I read Philbrick's Valiant Ambition, I hadn't realized how much dissent there was among American generals during the Revolutionary War. The fact that they managed to cooperate long enough to defeat…
I'd meant to write on the Battle of Monmouth this week, but I'm skipping ahead a bit, to the song after "Yorktown," because it's a perfect Father's Day song. Not bad…
"Employ all your leisure in reading" By early July 1780, Alexander and Eliza had been engaged for several months. (For Alexander's list of requirements for a wife, his letter to sister…
A note on long-distance relationships in the 18th century In the 1770s, there is no Snapchat or Twitter, no email or phone. If you can't talk to someone face to…
The British fleet arrives General George Washington to John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress: New York July the 3d 1776 Sir Since I had the honor of addressing you and…
Washington asks Congress for help Commander-in-Chief George Washington to John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress: New York July the 11th 1776 As I am truly sensible the time of Congress…
In several violent Acts and interludes, with important and incendiary dialogue in (of course) red. Setting: A world before the Industrial Revolution and capitalism, with countries ruled by kings and assorted…
By 1774, 45-year-old Reverend Samuel Seabury (1729-1796) was a veteran of verbal combat. Assigned to a church in New Jersey from 1754 to 1757, he became embroiled in the debate over…