Cum Laude

The Cum Laude Society is the high school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa:  an elite academic honor society.  Here at Exeter, about twenty percent of each year’s graduating class is honored with Cum Laude membership.  An even smaller group, about five percent of each year’s senior class, is honored with early membership in Cum Laude.…

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CSPAN

While in Washington last week, I was interviewed by Brian Lamb of CSPAN for his show Q&A.  It was a long interview, almost an hour, and a serious one:  he had read the book carefully and had lots of good questions. The interview will air on CSPAN on November 4, 2012, at 8 pm and…

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on the road again

I am in Boston airport this morning, heading down to DC, for more than a week of events. First up is an interview with CSPAN.  I had assumed when this was first set up that it would be a few minutes; I find that it will be almost an hour of questions about my life…

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Exeter Event

I spoke last night to an enthusiastic audience at the Exeter Historical Society.  It meant so much to speak both to a few of those who taught me, years ago at Exeter, and those whom I am teaching now, in the mock trial club.  I hope that my presentation lived up to the mock trial…

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Jay and Jay’s Treaty

Here is what I will say today about Jay and Jay’s Treaty. President Washington faced many serious foreign policy challenges.  The British had agreed, in the treaty of peace negotiated by Jay and Franklin and Adams, to evacuate the western forts, at Niagara and Detroit and so on.  They did not:  and they had Indian…

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Jay and the Federalist

Here, roughly, is what I will say today if time permits about John Jay and the Federalist. The Constitution, when it was published by the Philadelphia Convention in September 1787, was just a proposal.  It would only take effect once it was ratified by conventions in nine of the thirteen states.  Those who favored ratification…

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