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Josiah Bartlett, a signatory of
Isaac Fitzgerald • Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional
Shortly before the Hammonds’ arrival the building’s East Portico had been the scene of an assassination attempt against President Andrew Jackson. The assailant was named Richard Lawrence, who believed himself to be England’s long-dead King Richard III and claimed that Jackson had interfered with the delivery of payments long owed to him by the
... See moreErik Larson • The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
But lo! men have become the tools of their tools.
Henry David Thoreau • Walden (AmazonClassics Edition)
Rounding out the group were Thomas Nelson, Jr., son of the late Virginia governor, and Washington’s young nephew Robert Lewis, who had escorted his aunt Martha to New York. Among members of Congress, James Madison stood in a class by himself in his advisory capacity to Washington. When he ran for Congress, Madison had consulted Washington about how
... See moreRon Chernow • Washington
Mann’s candidacy was a different story. The young Attorney General’s personal qualities attracted loyalty. The wording on the plaque he had hung on the wall behind his desk—“I sacrificed no principle to gain this office and I shall sacrifice no principle to keep it”—did not strike a false note with those who knew him, and neither did his habit of
... See moreRobert A. Caro • The Path to Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson I
Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804), first Secretary of the Treasury, had two sons, both named Philip. Philip the younger (1802-1884) was assistant District Attorney in New York and was a member and Past Master of Albion Lodge 26. He was often confused with his older brother of the same name who died prior to the second Philip's birth. The elder Philip
... See moreTodd E. Creason • Freemasons
In July, he took on a new role. There was one asset that only he among the Texas Congressmen possessed: Charles Marsh’s friendship. Texas newspapers were overwhelmingly anti-Roosevelt, but Marsh’s six Texas newspapers, including the influential paper in the state capital, were for him. The publisher of six pro-Roosevelt Texas dailies had very
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