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…
On May 17, 1792, outside 68 Wall Street, twenty-four stockbrokers signed an document that established the New York Stock & Exchange Board. Since a buttonwood tree stood outside the building, the…
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…
On headlines The purpose of the headline is to pick out people you can interest… What you have will interest certain people only and for certain reasons. You care only…
Alexander and Eliza were married in December, 1780 (see last week's post). A month earlier, with the prospect of a wife and family to support, Hamilton wrote to George Washington…
My Innovators in Sculpture tour starts at Frishmuth's The Vine, one of my favorite sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art - and a great example of how far sculptors had…
"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…
I posted in April on the new Tappan Zee Bridge. Here's an update: pics from the end of May 2016, taken from the bridge rather than the viewing platform on…
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…
Jacob Wrey Mould did remarkable decorative work in Central Park, at Bethesda Terrace and elsewhere. You can also see his hand in the oldest section of the Metropolitan Museum. These…