Benjamin Franklin: The Great Founding Father of the United States

The act of dedicating a time to be thankful preceded the Thanksgiving holiday. It even preceded what most think of as the “First Thanksgiving” in Plymouth. This act became an official holiday only after a committee introduced a resolutio...

These infamous words closed the impassioned speech Patrick Henry delivered at the Second Virginia Convention in 1775. With this speech, he persuaded the convention to mobilize troops to defend Virginia against the British. No official transcription ...

Explore the captivating history of the Culper Ring!Spying and warfare have always gone hand-in-hand. From Julius Caesar to modern generals, we have accounts of commanders covertly gathering information about their opponents, ensuring they have the i...

As the Revolutionary War came to an end, Congress had failed to pay many of its soldiers. In response, a group of officers from the Continental Army planned a mutiny. When they met to discuss their plans, George Washington arrived on the scene to ha...

After the Treaty of Paris officially ended the Revolutionary War, Washington resigned from his position as leader of the Continental Army. By the end of the war, Washington held enough power and influence to establish himself as king or even dictato...

George Washington gained a reputation for military excellence for his service in the French and Indian War. This experience, combined with his unique situation as a relative outsider, made him an obvious choice to lead the Continental Army. Washingt...

Explore the captivating contradictions of one of U.S. history’s most divisive figures with the celebrated West Point professor and author of Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson’s Image in His Own Time.Thomas Jefferson was the first secr...

Before George Washington was president, he was a great general. He understood not only how to lead men into battle, but also how to keep them fighting when things became bleak. After the brutal Battle of Long Island, Washington wrote to the presiden...

In 1790, Moses Seixas of the Touro Synagogue wrote a letter to President Washington. Representing a people who had been escaping persecution for generations, he wanted confirmation that Jews would be given full freedom in the United States. Washingt...