Search results for ""author robert p. watson""

George Washington is remembered for leading the Continental Army to victory, presiding over the Constitution, and forging a new nation, but few know the story of his involvement in the establishment of a capital city and how it nearly tore the United States apart. In George Washington’s Final Battle, Robert P. Watson brings this tale to life, telling how the country's first president tirelessly advocated for a capital on the shores of the Potomac. Washington envisioned and had a direct role in planning many aspects of the city that would house the young republic. In doing so, he created a landmark that gave the fledgling democracy credibility, united a fractious country, and created a sense of American identity. Although Washington died just months before the federal government's official relocation, his vision and influence live on in the city that bears his name. This little-known story of founding intrigue throws George Washington’s political acumen into sharp relief and provides a historical lesson in leadership and consensus-building that remains relevant today. This book will fascinate anyone interested in the founding period, the American presidency, and the history of Washington, DC.

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An insightful re-examination of one of the most dangerous moments in US history, the British assault on Washington, DC Perhaps no other single day in US history was as threatening to the survival of the nation as August 24, 1814, when British forces captured Washington, DC. This unique moment might have significantly altered the nation’s path forward, but the event and the reasons why it happened are little remembered by most Americans. When Washington Burned narrates and examines the British campaign and American missteps that led to the fall of Washington during the War of 1812. Watson analyzes the actions of key figures on both sides, such as President James Madison and General William Winder on the US side and Rear Admiral George Cockburn and Major General Robert Ross on the British side. He pinpoints the reasons the campaign was such a disaster for the United States but also tells the redeeming stories of the courageous young clerks and the bold first lady, Dolley Madison, who risked their lives to save priceless artifacts and documents from the flames, including the Constitution. The British invasion was repulsed over the coming weeks and months, and the United States ultimately emerged stronger. General readers interested in the history of Washington, US history, and military history will be fascinated by this book.

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Written by Hamilton himself to confess to the affair he conducted with Maria Reynolds, Alexander Hamilton: Adultery and Apology is Hamilton’s attempt to defend and rationalize his misdoings, and ultimately salvage what was left of his reputation.The pamphlet was originally published in 1796 after accusations of the adultery arose. This personal exposé reveals a man, whom the public initially revered as a politician and Founding Father, as a flawed human-being. Within these documents Hamilton describes his exploits in impeccable detail and languid prose, at the risk of tarnishing his public image, to prove to the public that he had nothing to hide.With a new foreword by Robert Watson, presidential scholar and author of Affairs of State, delve into this exquisite, essential account of history’s most scandalous love affairs.

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