Monarchy first changes into its vicious allied form, tyranny; and next, the abolishment of both gives birth to aristocracy. Aristocracy...

Now the chief cause of success or the reverse in all matters is the form of a state's constitution; for springing from this, as from a...

The union of America is the foundation-stone of her independence; the rock on which it is built; and is something so sacred in her...

The reformation was preceded by the discovery of America, as if the Almighty graciously meant to open a sanctuary to the persecuted in...

Abigail Adams to John Adams Posterity who are to reap the Blessings, will scarcely be able to conceive the Hardships and Sufferings of...

Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, Number 1: I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow...

Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, Number 1 These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will,...

John Adams to Abigail Adams: But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epoch, in the History of...

John Adams to Abigail Adams: We have appointed a continental Fast. Millions will be upon their Knees at once before their great Creator,...

George Washington: Address to the Continental Congress, June 16, 1775: “Mr. President, Tho’ I am truly sensible of the high Honour done...

John Dickinson to Arthur Lee: We are a united, resolved people; are, or quickly shall be, well armed and disciplined; our smith’s and...

Hamilton and Laurens shared an idealism about the Revolution that yoked them tightly together. They were both unwavering abolitionists who saw emancipation of the slaves as an inseparable part of the struggle for freedom as well as a source of badly needed manpower. "I think that we Americans, at least in the Southern col[onie]s, cannot contend with a good grace for liberty until we shall have enfranchised our slaves." Laurens told a friend right before the signing of the De

In less than two weeks, on December 1, the enlistments of 2.000 of his troops would be up, the free to go. It was the same nightmare prospect he had faced at Boston exactly a year before, and with the misery of the men greater now than ever, and morale suffering, there seemed every chance that his army would evaporate before his eyes.

After the signing of the Declaration of Independence:

It was also a matter of record that Washington had been retired from military life for fifteen years, during which he had not even drilled a militia company. His only prior experience had been in backwoods warfare – a very different kind of warfare – and most notably in the Braddock campaign of 1755, which had been a disaster. He was by no means as experienced commander. He had never led an army in battle, never before commanded anything larger than a regiment. And never had

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:

But then there was never any mistaking the impeccably uniformed, commanding figure of Washington, who looked always as if on parade.

It was in the first week of August, at the end of his first month as commander, when Washington learned how much worse things were than he knew. A report on the supply of gunpowder at hand revealed a total of less than 10,000 pounds, and the situation was not expected to improve soon. Very little gunpowder was produced in the colonies. What supplies there were came mainly by clandestine shipments from Europe to New York and Philadelphia by way of the Dutch island St. Eustatiu

Solon believed soldiers should make more money than athletes:

Churchill on bravery and sacrifice:

In this Illustration we see how easy it is for the opinions of academics to mislead entire nations and the great cost of misunderstanding human nature. This occurred during the First World War.