General Washington's Christmas Farewell is a quick read and contains enough interesting things to be of interest to the aficionado as well as the novice.   Read the rest of this entry »

Have some spare time? Here are some interesting things we've happened on this week. Good reading from good people.   Read the rest of this entry »

Class warfare, political infighting, or a lingering sympathy for a condemned man? Whatever the reason, Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge successfully argued in the House of Representatives against increasing the pension of three erstwhile American heroes. This week's crossword is taken from an article in the Niles Weekly Register which evidently did not agree.   Read the rest of this entry »

Cato letter Nos. 59-60 argue that man’s freedom is given by God, and that all men are equal in His sight. Men, having been given free will, are not virtuous by nature and, acknowledging their imperfections, create governments so that they may live in safety and harmony together. In the American Republic, the Founders said, that being the case, all men must likewise be equal under the laws government creates. However, governments, being creations of men, are also imperfect. Cato prescribes a way to keep government from exceeding its mandate and trampling on the liberties of the governed.   Read the rest of this entry »

In Marc Leepson's short book on this important "American", Lafayette's membership in the cadre of remarkable men who made the founding possible is revealed. He seemed always to be where he was most needed and to always perform beyond expectation both on the battlefield and in the political arena.   Read the rest of this entry »

This week's crossword puzzle is derived from John Adams' most influential writing of the Revolutionary period, Thoughts on Government.   Read the rest of this entry »

Winston Churchill is supposed to have said that history is written by the victors. The implication being that posterity will know the past from the standpoint of the winners and that the losers will get short shrift. That might explain why so little is known about the fate of the Americans who were loyal to the Crown. Liberty's Exiles by Maya Jasanoff fills that void.   Read the rest of this entry »

This book reveals the story behind Boston Tea Party. It is as much a tale of political infighting as it is an account of patriotism and sacrifice. Sam Adams, John Hancock, and James Otis and others are revealed as flawed but courageous patriots whose activities began a revolution.   Read the rest of this entry »

The Liberty Fund's Portable Library of Liberty is full of interesting things. The two quotes given for consideration here are from the first of two sermon's entitled "Discourses on Liberty". It is well worth reading in its entirety, but the text excerpted here makes two points worth pondering. In fact, they could have been written today.   Read the rest of this entry »

Nathan Hale might not have been much of spy, with regard to his trade craft, but he became an American martyr for his brave comportment at his death. His was a tragic end to a short but brave life.   Read the rest of this entry »