The Cause of Liberty

I have read two historical novels by Jeff Shaara -- The Glorious Cause about the American Revolution and The Rising Tide about WWII. I love when history is taught from the perspective of a story since that's what history is at its core. People who view history as a time line where they have to memorize dates and people's names generally think of it as boring and a waste of time -- that's sad.

One interesting excerpt from The Glorious Cause caught me as an interesting perspective of American in the early years. Since this week is the July 4th holiday I thought is appropriate to post this now.

This is General George Washington speaking about raising money and recruiting men to the army with a Prussian General von Steuben who volunteered his service. "This is a war about an ideal, General. The American people are united in a cause. If we lose this war, if I am captured, I will likely be hanged. Every one of my officers here faces the same fate. Even . . . you. But what the British, what King George does not understand is that what happens to this army is not important. The cause cannot be defeated. No king, no army can capture a man's mind, or the minds of an entire country. There is inspiration in that, General. In some ways, the American people have already won this war, because they have experienced what it is like to cast off an oppressive ruler. They have come to accept that they have rights, that no supreme power can command any of us to bow before him, except the Almighty God" (page 345).