Observations on the new American republic by an early president of Georgetown UniversityFather Giovanni Antonio Grassi was the ninth president of Georgetown University and pioneered its transition into a modern institution, earning him the moniker Georgetown’s Second Founder. Originally published in Italian in 1818 and translated here into English for the first time, his News on the Present Condition of the Republic of the United States of North America re...

This is an electronic edition of the complete book complemented by author biography. This book features a table of contents linked to every chapter. The book was designed for optimal navigation on the iPad, Nook, PDA, Smartphone, and other electronic readers. It is formatted to display on all electronic devices including eReaders, Smartphones and other Mobile Devices with a small display.

"A wise, humane and beautifully written book." —Bret Stephens, Wall Street JournalFrom the best-selling author of Benjamin Franklin comes this remarkable work that will help redefine our notion of American heroism. Americans have long been obsessed with their heroes, but the men and women dramatically portrayed here are not celebrated for the typical banal reasons contained in Founding Fathers hagiography. Effortlessly challenging those who persis...

The story of the Mayflower is one of adventure, courage, and destiny. The Mayflower was the ship that launched a nation. She left from England in September of 1620, carrying 102 English Separatists to a new life, one that came with the freedom to practice their religious beliefs as they saw fit. These Pilgrims had the courage of their convictions. They had already potentially faced execution for practicing their beliefs and now they were willing to uproot their lives, their families, and t...

In addition to being an uncompromising defender of liberty, esteemed diplomat, and successor to George Washington, John Adams was a passionate and prolific writer. Adams biographer John Patrick Diggins gathers an impressive variety of his works in this compact, original volume, including parts of his diary and autobiography, and selections from his rich correspondence with this wife, Abigail, Thomas Jefferson, and others. The Portable John Adams also features his most impo...

How did the United States, founded as colonies with explicitly religious aspirations, come to be the first modern state whose commitment to the separation of church and state was reflected in its constitution? Frank Lambert explains why this happened, offering in the process a synthesis of American history from the first British arrivals through Thomas Jefferson's controversial presidency.Lambert recognizes that two sets of spiritual fathers defined the place of religion in early A...

"I have often wondered for what good end the sensations of Grief could be intended."-- Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson suffered during his life from periodic bouts of dejection and despair, shadowed intervals during which he was full of "gloomy forebodings" about what lay ahead.Not long before he composed the Declaration of Independence, the young Jefferson lay for six weeks in idleness and ill health at Monticello, paralyzed by a mysterious "malady." Similar lapse...

In 'The Beginnings of the USA', Carl Lotus Becker meticulously explores the early history of the United States, focusing on the country's origins and the political, social, and cultural factors that shaped its development. Written in a clear and engaging style, the book provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of the founding of the nation, drawing on primary sources and historical documents to present a detailed and insightful narrative. Becker's work is a valuable contribution...

Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the story of the Mayflower in next to no time with this concise guide.50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the voyage of the Mayflower. In 1620, a group of Puritans now known as the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for America to escape the religious persecution they faced in England. Despite delays, tempests, food shortages, disease and discord, they managed to establish the colony of ...

"A delight . . . rewarding insight into Washington and his times . . . and an illuminating section on the religious outlook of this American founder." — Journal of American HistoryGeorge Washington is revered as the father of his country, a clever and skilled general, and a man of restrained principle—but not as a political thinker. This short introduction to Washington's political philosophy reveals him as a thoughtful public intellectual who was well equi...

An intellectual dialogue of the highest plane achieved in America, the correspondence between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson spanned half a century and embraced government, philosophy, religion, quotidiana, and family griefs and joys. First meeting as delegates to the Continental Congress in 1775, they initiated correspondence in 1777, negotiated jointly as ministers in Europe in the 1780s, and served the early Republic — each, ultimately, in its highest office. At Jefferson’s defeat of A...

Gordon S. Wood presents the final chapter in his definitive three-volume edition of the writings of a great American Founder and presidentA powerful polemicist, insightful political theorist, and tireless diplomat, John Adams (1735–1826) was a vital and controversial figure during the early years of the American republic. Once overshadowed by Washington and Jefferson, Adams has become the subject of renewed interest, with a best-selling biography and acclaimed tele...