Richard D. Brown— In 1787 when Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention a lady famously asked “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” “A republic,” Franklin replied tartly, “if you can keep it.” Now, 230 years later, Franklin’s observation on our Founders’ great experiment haunts us.
Matthew P. Dziennik— Close your eyes and try to conjure an image of an eighteenth-century Highlander. What comes to mind? Barren glens populated by windswept warriors, clad from head to toe in tartan plaids, highly skilled and heavily armed—and equally heavily bearded. Or maybe a diet of Hollywood movies and
Father’s Day is this Sunday, and to celebrate we bring you five books about fathers and family. These are books about American Revolutionaries, innovative photographers, domestic Victorians, virtual currencies, and literary Jews for any family to enjoy. Founders as Fathers: The Private Lives and Politics of the American Revolutionaries by Lorri
As we transition from American History November to Holiday Gift-giving December, we are sharing a series of previews of Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnessy’s profiles of the British leaders during the American Revolution from The Men Who Lost America, beginning with King George III. Each profile looks carefully at the myths that have develop around each
Not all slave owners were white. On the eve of the American Revolutionary War, South Carolina’s slave population was nearly double that of white Europeans, and while there were a still a handful of free blacks, “free” took a marginalized status in the face of color discrimination. Perhaps the richest
Ivan Lett Admittedly, it’s a bit early in the season to think about gift returns, but today is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. The 1773 Tea Act was hardly a gift, but unless you’ve been hiding under the harbor all year, you know all about the current political
Michelle Stein Yale Press’s books manage to take the reader all across the world, and look in depth at a great many topics. They also have a great many books that delve into the city of New York, where I was born and have thoroughly explored. I hope to also
Today we celebrate 231 years of American independence with parades and traditional past times of barbecues and fireworks. As we enjoy this patriotic holiday, Yale University Press looks to our founding fathers who brought forth new ideas to an emerging nation. In this New York Times Bestseller, Gore Vidal’s Inventing