Alexander Hamilton arrived in America in 1772 at the age of fifteen—a poor, self-taught, ambitious immigrant from the West Indies. He settled in New York City in the midst of the colonial crisis, when oppressive taxes and other policies pushed Americans to question British rule. Hamilton soon befriended prominent patriots and embraced the cause for […]
March 1780: The marquis de Lafayette is entrusted by his king with a message for George Washington. It is a message the American commander-in-chief has been hoping to receive for nearly five years—that France will send troops to America’s aid. The twenty-two-year-old Frenchman boards a French navy vessel bound for the United States and sets […]
Philanthropist. War nurse. Political commentator. World traveler. Patriot. Author. Arts patron. Isabel Anderson filled her life—spanning the centennial of the American Revolution and World War II—with pursuits that both fulfilled and challenged the expectations for a woman of her generation. She valued history and tradition, but refused to follow what she considered outdated customs. She […]
For many of the men who fought for American independence, the Revolutionary War was the defining experience of their lives. They paid artists to paint their portraits, identifying themselves for posterity as participants in the cause that established their nation. Officers chose to be depicted in military uniform, forever associating themselves with George Washington’s army […]