George Washington: Circular to the State Governments "America has been almost amused out of her liberties. We have frequently heard the...

To that, Demaratos replied, “The Lacedaemonians are in fact no worse than any other men when they fight individually, but when they unite...

In the meantime, news was brought that Caesar had occupied Ariminum, a great city in Italy, and was marching directly towards Rome with...

In the ballots that followed, as daylight gave way to gaslights in the great hall, Lincoln reached a high point of 47 votes, only 4 shy of victory. Nonetheless, the little Trumbull coalition refused to budge, denying Lincoln the necessary majority. Finally, after nine ballots, Lincoln concluded that unless his supporters Douglas Democrats, who had, as expected, switched their allegiance to Matteson, would choose the next senator.

By contrast, Chuck Templeton had a passion for intellectualism that had been stimulated by his studies. He made no attempt to hide his feelings about me. "Billy, you're fifty years out of date. People no longer accept the Bible as being inspired the way you do. Your faith is too simple. Your language is out of date. You're going to have to learn the new jargon if you're going to be successful in your ministry."

Washington’s wealth and way of life, like his physique and horsemanship, were of great importance to large numbers of the men he led and among many in Congress. The feeling was that if he, George Washington, who had so much, was willing to risk “his all,” however daunting the odds, then who were they to equivocate. That he was also serving without pay was widely taken as further evidence of the genuineness of his commitment.

But of all the theatrical productions he had seen it was Cato, by the English author Joseph Addison, the most popular play of the time, that Washington loved best. One line in particular he was to think of or quote frequently in his role now as commander-in-chief: “Tis not in mortals to command success, but we’ll do more, Sempronius, we’ll deserve it.”

Joseph Reed, a young man with a long jaw and a somewhat quizzical look in his eyes, was a charming, London-trained Philadelphia lawyer who had been chosen as part of an honorary escort when Washington departed Philadelphia for his new command. Reed had intended to ride only as far as New York, but found himself so in awe of the general that he continued on to Cambridge to become Washington’s secretary, despite the fact that he had made no provisions for his wife and three you

John Greenwood was a 16 year old boy who enlisted in the Revolutionary Army. Shortly after he joined the army he witnessed the aftermath of a great battle as the soldiers who fought were returning to their base:

No one thought that Nathanael Greene would become one of the greatest leaders in American history:

“First be sure you’re right, then go ahead!’ I ask myself, ‘Is it right?’ Satisfied that it is so, I let nothing swerve me from my purpose.” If a general “adopts public opinion as guide,” he concluded, he “cannot entertain one purpose long, for what pleases one will displeasure another.”

When Jameson wrote that letter on January 18, he counted one hundred fourteen defenders including the sick and wounded from Bexar, “which leaves us about 80 efficient men.” The arrival of Bowie’s men brought the number only to one hundred ten effectives. Despite Jameson’s optimism, as Bowie surveyed the Alamo he realized that the vast size of the three-acre compound was the fort’s greatest weakness. There scarcely were enough men to adequately staff all the artillery. That le

…for no man is able to make progress when he is facing both ways. But if you have preferred this course to every other, if you wish to devote yourself to this alone, and labour to perfect it, give up everything else. Otherwise this facing both ways will bring about a double result: You will neither make progress as you ought, nor will you get what you used to get before. For before, when you frankly aimed at nothing worth while, you made a pleasant companion. You cannot achie

In each separate thing that you do consider the matters which come first, and those which follow after, and only then approach the thing itself. Otherwise, at the start you will come to it enthusiastically because you have never reflected upon any of the subsequent steps, but later on, when some of them appear, you will give up disgracefully. “I wish to win an Olympic victory.” But consider the matters which come before that and those which follow after; and only when you hav

Bias the philosopher on Commitment:

The self-made, intellectually curious Williams was ahead of his time in regarding hitting as a science worthy of study, experimentation, and technical analysis. He coddled the blunt instruments of his success: his bats. He boned them. He cleaned them with alcohol every night. He weighed them meticulously on small scales to make sure they hadn’t gotten slightly heavier through condensation. And, acting on the improbable suggestion of a teenage boy from Chelsea, Massachusetts,

Williams always believed there was no such thing as a natural hitter. Yes, you had to have good eyesight and strong wrists, but after that, there was only one way to really be great: through hard work and practice.