When Washington Stole a March
On March 5 1776 George Washington seized Dorchester Heights, positioning artillery that forced the British to abandon Boston. The operation hinged on Henry Knox’s winter transport of 59 cannons from Ticonderoga and a meticulously timed night march that caught the enemy off‑guard. A sudden nor'easter blocked any British counter‑attack, turning a risky gamble into a strategic checkmate. Within twelve days the city was evacuated without a major battle, highlighting the power of logistics, terrain, and timing over sheer force.
The Frenchman Who Understood Us Before We Did
The post revisits Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1831 trip to America, highlighting how his study of local self‑government, associations, and democratic habits revealed a social foundation for U.S. democracy. It argues that Tocqueville’s outsider perspective uncovers the “democratic DNA” that modern...