Comments on: Lives of the Founders

By: Marcus_Traianus

Marcus_Traianus — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:17:53 +0000

That is one I have not read. I have only read Brookhiser’s book on Hamilton, which was excellent.

Just got the Morris book on Amazon.

By: Warner Todd Huston

Warner Todd Huston — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:16:57 +0000

Richard Brookheiser did a great little book on Morris. You should look it up.

He subtitled it “the rake who helped write the Constitution.”

By: Marcus_Traianus

Marcus_Traianus — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:26:13 +0000

Gouverneur Morris, immortalized in my tagline, is largely credited with polishing the Constitution and writing the preamble of “We the people…”.

He was picked as a Constitutional delegate from Pennsylvania since the British were occupying his New York estate (his mother was also reported to be a Loyalist).

In my opinion, his exploits on behalf of the Continental Army have gone very unappreciated. Especially after Valley Forge, Morris became a constant advocate on behalf of the men and for more money and better training.

The consummate New Yorker, Morris attended Columbia at the age of 12 and is buried at St Ann’s.

Great catch, Paul.

By: Tanggor

Tanggor — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:53:02 +0000

Mr. Cella.

I don’t get out and about much, and often miss good stuff like this.

By: Swamp_Yankee

Swamp_Yankee — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:37:36 +0000

Of all the founders, I think Massachusetts own John Adams was the most unappreciated for centuries. David McCoullough’s book brought him into the forefront. Ironically, the two great conservative thinkers of that generation may have been Otis and Adams both from Mass.

Jefferson, a Virgninian like Washington, ways got his due. Our culture heralds the Virginians. I believe the bias is academic not regional. Southerners are identify with region more than Northerners, Northerners dont care as much. Academics love Jefferson, likethey love Franklin, because they were the two most prominent deists of the founders and were more aligned with the Jacobin egalitarian strain of era. I think the fact that Adams and Otis were left to the dustbins of history show that the bias is ideological and not regional.

Greene too was a Son of Rhode Island and Long Neglected.

Also, prior to the actual war, the sentiments and the politics that culminated in the revolutionary spirit flourished in New England. The Stamp Act, Boston Massacre, Tea Party, Sons of Liberty, … There was a reason that the British invaded Boston. They were the most troublesome. There is much scholarship on New England because New Engalnd was the catalyst for the whole thing.

By: Achance

Achance — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:18:27 +0000

Revolution was won in British Occupied New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Somehow, the British just happened to chose Virginia as the place to surrender. The fighting and harrassing “retreat” through The South bought the time to both irreparably damage British morale and civic will and to get the French Navy in place.

Green had a plantation near Savannah, Georgia and hired a young Yale-educated tutor for the plantation school named Eli Whitney. Whitney watched the combing of cotton lint and from his observations developed the cotton gin, one of the two or three most influential inventions in American History.

By: Swamp_Yankee

Swamp_Yankee — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:11:51 +0000

I’m not sure the war could have been won without Greene and I know that’s a strong statement.

I used to live near his historic home and lament the lack of good reading material on him. He gets little respect considering the size of the role he played and the obstacles he faced. He was a giant. Most able and loyal.

Nice post.