In the early years of the United States, the issue of establishing a permanent navy was a matter of considerable debate and concern. The fledgling nation, emerging from its War of Independence, recognized maritime power’s importance for defense and commerce and took action. On…
Read MoreOn the morning of March 17, 1776, the people of Boston watched a sight that would have seemed impossible only months earlier: the most powerful army in the world quietly abandoning the city it had occupied since the opening shots of rebellion. Red-coated soldiers…
Read MoreOn March 15, 1783, in a small meeting hall in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington delivered one of the most consequential speeches in American history. With the Revolutionary War effectively won but the new nation still fragile, Washington confronted a crisis that threatened…
Read MoreThe Washington Monument stands proudly on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a towering tribute to the nation’s first president, George Washington. Its dedication, a momentous occasion in American history, marked the culmination of years of planning, fundraising, and construction. The monument’s dedication on…
Read MoreOn February 4, 1789, George Washington unanimously won the Electoral College, becoming the first winner of a presidential election. Washington’s reluctance to assume the presidency further solidified his image as a leader of virtue and selflessness and, in many ways, contributed to the unanimity.…
Read MoreIn January 1787, the future of the United States of America and its newly-formed nation appeared to be unraveling at the seams when hundreds of Revolutionary War veterans launched an insurrection. The rebellion took place in western Massachusetts during 1786 and 1787, led by…
Read MoreOn January 2, 1777, at a narrow stream just south of Trenton, New Jersey, the American Revolution reached one of its most psychologically decisive moments. There, American forces under the command of George Washington successfully repulsed repeated British assaults led by Charles Cornwallis at…
Read MoreProspect Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, holds historical significance as the site where the Grand Union Flag was raised on January 1, 1776, symbolizing a crucial turning point in the American Revolution. Often regarded as the first national flag of the United States, it embodied…
Read MoreOn December 26, 1799, just ten days after the death of George Washington, the United States Congress convened in solemn session to honor the man whose life had become inseparable from the nation’s founding. It was there that Henry Lee III—Revolutionary War cavalry commander,…
Read MoreWashington Crossing the Delaware is an iconic moment in American history that took place during the American Revolutionary War on the night of December 25-26, 1776. Leading the Continental Army, General George Washington orchestrated a daring and strategic crossing of the ice-filled Delaware River…
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