Alamo

“Remember the Alamo!”

Battles inspire us when we rehearse the ideas worthing dying for. Texas was initially owned by Spain, but as George McAlister writes, “Three major independent factors changed the destiny of Texas.” They were U.S. independence from Britain in 1781, U.S. acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, and the independence of Mexico from…

James Monroe

The 200th Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine and the Turning Point of American Foreign Policy

On December 2, 1823, the Monroe Doctrine was proclaimed by President Monroe. It was the culmination of key ideas drawn from the Bible and articulated in the Reformation. Three words came to define the foreign policy of America and the application of the Monroe Doctrine: independence (rejecting interdependence), neutrality (rejecting intermeddling), and interposition (rejecting interventionism.)…

USS Constitution

The Legacy of the USS Constitution

On October 21, 1797, the USS Constitution was launched in Boston Harbor after two previous failed attempts. The Naval Armament Act, signed by George Washington on March 27, 1794, authorized six frigates. She was the third to be completed, preceded by United States and Constellation. The other three were Congress, Chesapeake, and President. Essentially this…

The Gettysburg Address

155 years ago, on November 19, 1863, Lincoln delivered what has become his most famous address. He was not the main speaker and his remarks lasted all but two minutes. However, what he said captured the hearts and minds of Americans then, as well as serving as a reminder for us today. To understand its…

The Battle of Iwo Jima

The most iconic image of World War II is the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima Island in the Pacific Ocean by six soldiers on the morning of February 23, 1945, though the battle for the island did not end until March 26, however.  80,000 Marines would be deployed – more than any other…

The Battle of Princeton

On January 3, 1777, the battle of Princeton took place that helped turn the tide of the Revolution.  However, setting the stage for this battle, early in the morning December 25, 1776, Washington secretly crossed the Delaware River to conduct a surprise attack on Trenton, New Jersey.  The painting by Emanuel Leutze depicting Washington Crossing…