john jay

1783: Benjamin Franklin Tries to Claim Canada & Other Quebec Curios

December 29, 2016 // 0 Comments

Benjamin West's portraits of the American delegation of the Treaty of Paris. The British refused to sit for the portrait, hence it remains unfinished. Left to right: John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and Temple Franklin (Benjamin's grandson).

By the time the American War of Independence ended and each party sent their respective delegations to conclude peace treaties with one another, tensions were high even [read on]

Book of the Month Club: The Quartet by Joseph J. Ellis

July 4, 2016 // 0 Comments

John Trumbull, "The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis", oil on canvas, 1820. Currently in the US Capitol, Washington DC.

“One of the reasons Hamilton found the word democracy so offensive was because he realized that the vast majority of American citizens had not the dimmest understanding of [read on]