Brave and determined

Our Founding Fathers were brave, determined, frightened men making it up as they went along, says Joseph J. Ellis, author of Revolutionary Summer. I heard Ellis speak recently at Arts & Letters Live in Dallas.

“None of these men was perfect,” Ellis told the audience. But, there was a great crisis, and they responded to the crisis.

They responded even though they weren’t always sure they would be victorious. According to Ellis, George Washington left these instructions when he went off to war: “When the British burn Mount Vernon, please get out my books and Martha.”

This week, let’s all give thanks to these brave, determined, frightened men–and to Martha and the other wives, too, of course. Happy Fourth of July!