Where revolutions, by their nature, resisted excess government power, the opposite situation could be equally hazardous. As too much power leads to despotism, too little leads to anarchy, and both eve...
The British were unhinged by the colonists' unorthodox fighting style and shocking failure to abide by gentlemanly rules of engagement. One scandalized British soldier complained that the American rif...
By 1792, both political parties saw their opponents as mortal threats to the heritage of the Revolution. But the special mixture of idealism and vituperation also stemmed from the experiences of the f...
A face so broad and ruddy that he was dubbed Bacon Face.
No etiquette yet defined civilized behavior between the parties.
Adumbrate a plan
A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidding appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government.
Only a free press could check abuses of executive power, Hamilton asserted.
Warrior
As his life steadily unraveled, he pawned his gold watch and chain for $20 on December 23, 1857, to purchase Christmas presents for his children—perhaps the symbolic nadir of his life.
Errors once discovered are more than half amended,
He became known for breaking in wild horses for local farmers, a sight that drew admiring spectators to the village square. He tamed even the most refractory horses through a fine sensitivity to their...
Hamilton wanted his central bank to be profitable enough to attract private investors while serving the public interest. He knew the composition of its board would be an inflammatory issue. Directors...
Could see masts of submerged ships poking up from the water—and seeded the East River with spiked obstacles to thwart vessels.
Another female observer found Madison entertaining in private but mute, cold, and repulsive in company.
America’s character would be defined by how it treated its vanquished enemies, and
The public has lost faith in the ability of Social Security and Medicare to provide for old age. They've lost faith in the banking system and in conventional medical insurance.
When the couple rode by the shore one day, John became so enraged at Fidelia that he drove their carriage straight into Chesapeake Bay. When Fidelia asked where he was going, John replied with a sneer...
Day confirms me in the intention of renouncing public life and devoting myself wholly to you. Let others waste their time and their tranquillity in a vain pursuit of power and glory. Be it my object t...
It would have been better never to have made a sacrifice of blood and treasure to save the Union than to have the democratic party come in power now and sacrifice by the ballot what the bayonet seemed...
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