WEBVTT

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♪

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>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING
JOE."

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WITH US NOW SAY A CLAIMED WRITER

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HIS FIRST BOOK.

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ALSO, WE’RE HONORED TO HAVE WITH

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US BEST-SELLING AUTHOR AND

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HISTORIAN RON CHERN OUR.

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WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GEORGE
WASHINGTON TODAY.

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WASHINGTON TODAY.

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RON WROTE AN EXTRAORDINARY

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BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON.

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TOM, YOU ARE STUDYING OUR

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FOUNDERS AND ACTUALLY HOW THEY

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STUDIED.

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WE HAVE JAMES MADISON DECIDING

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TO BREAK TRADITION AND GOING TO

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THE RADICAL UNIVERSITY OF NEW

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JERSEY PRINCETON.

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AND THEN JEFFERSON, OF COURSE,

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WILLIAM & MARY, AND WHAT HE

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LEARNED IN PARIS AND ADAMS AT

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HARVARD.

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BUT GEORGE WASHINGTON, HE HAD A

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DEGREE FROM FORT NECESSITY, AND

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THE FREFRM AND INDIAN WAR.

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EXPLAIN HOW HIS CHALLENGES IN

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THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR MAY

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HAVE BEEN HIS GREATEST

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EDUCATION.

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>> YOU KNOW, IT’S A SPOT IN

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AMERICA TO HAVE A MORNING TV

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SHOW AND DISCUSS THE FRENCH AND

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INDIAN WAR.

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ONE OF MY FAVORITE WARS THAT

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NOBODY EVER TALKS ABOUT.

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THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR,

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COLONIAL FIGHT, THE AMERICANS

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ARE FIGHTING WITH THE BRITISH

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AGAINST THE FRENCH AND INDIANS

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KIND OF OVER WHO IS GOING TO

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TAKE OVER NORTH AMERICA.

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WASHINGTON GOES IN, HELPS START

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THE WAR, ACTUALLY, AND THEN GETS

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HIS BUTT KICKED.

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HE SURRENDERS FOR THE ONLY TIME

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IN HIS LIFE, A PLACE CALLED FORT

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NECESSITY.

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AND HE WINDS UP THEN IN ANOTHER

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BIG BATTLE, BRADDOCKS DEFEAT,

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BIGGEST MILITARY ENCOUNTER ON

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NORTH AMERICAN SOIL TO THAT

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POINT, IN WHICH THE INDIANS

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FOUGHT REALLY INTELLIGENTLY,

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HAVING GONE AND RECONNAISSANCED

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THE AMERICANS IN THE BRITISH

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COMING IN FOR WEEKS.

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THE FIRST PEOPLE SINCE THE -- I

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REFER TO THEM, THE FIRST

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PEOPLE’S FIGHTERS REALLY

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UNDERSTOOD WARFARE IN A

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DIFFERENT WAY, AND I THINK

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WASHINGTON LEARNED THERE IS MORE

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THAN ONE WAY TO FIGHT A WAR, AS

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HE SAW THE BRITISH SUFFER THIS

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TERRIBLE DEFEAT.

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THAT REALLY HELPED HIM 20 YEARS

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LATER IN THE AMERICAN

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REVOLUTION.

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HE HAD SEEN PEOPLE BORN IN

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AMERICA DEFEAT A EUROPEAN ARMY.

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HE HAD SEEN THAT YOU COULD FIGHT

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DIFFERENT WAYS, THAT YOU SHOULD

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LISTEN TO DISSENTING VOICES, AND

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ADVANCE RECONNAISSANCE, GETTING

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SCOUTS OUT, UNDERSTANDING THE

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PEOPLE IN THE TERRAIN IS

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ESSENTIAL.

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THESE ARE ALL THINGS.

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HE EVENTUALLY LEARNED TO USE

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THEM DURING THE REVOLUTION.

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I HAVE TO SAY, HE DIDN’T START

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THE REVOLUTION WELL.

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HE SPENT HIS FIRST COUPLE OF

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YEARS IN THE WAR AS A PRETTY

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CONVENTIONAL THINKER.

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THE DIFFERENCE WAS THE BRITISH

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STAYED CONVENTIONAL AND HE BEGAN

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TO ADJUST AND CHANGE.

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>> WELL, OF COURSE, WE SELDOM

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TALK ABOUT IT TODAY, BUT HE WAS

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HARSHLY CRITICIZED BY JOHN ADAMS

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DURING THE WAR.

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HE WAS HARSHLY CRITICIZED BY HIS

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OWN MILITARY SECRETARY.

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HE WAS HARSHLY CRITICIZED TIME

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AND TIME AGAIN.

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BUT WHAT YOU -- YOUR WONDERFUL

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BIOGRAPHY OF WASHINGTON SHOWS US

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THE HUMAN SIDE AND WHAT YOU AND

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TOM BOTH TOUCH UPON IS -- AND I

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WROTE THE QUOTE DOWN HERE.

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THAT WASHINGTON WAS A MAN

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CAPABLE OF CONSTANT

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SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

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AND, TOM SHOWS THAT AS WELL IN

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HIS BOOK, HOW HE STARTED ON THE

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OFFENSIVE IN 1775, 1776.

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THEN HE DECIDED TO DO A WAR OF

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POST AND THEN THAT FAILED AND

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THEN HE LEARNED TO FIGHT LIKE

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THE INDIANS THIS FOUGHT AGAINST

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HIM IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN

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WAR.

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>> YOU KNOW, THERE WERE

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PROBABLY, JOE, OTHER GENERALS

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WHO WERE GREATER IN TERMS OF

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MILITARY STRATEGY OR TACTICS,

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BUT THEY GOT SIDETRACKED IN

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TERMS OF PERSONAL FEUDS AND

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JOCKEYING FOR POWER.

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WASHINGTON HAD AN INSPIRED

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SIMPLICITY.

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HE KEPT HIS EYE ON HIS ULTIMATE

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GOAL.

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SOME OF THE OTHER FOUNDERS, WE

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SEE THEIR BRILLIANCE IN THE

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MOMENT.

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GEORGE WASHINGTON, CARRIES THESE

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ENORMOUS CASTS OVER THE EIGHT

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YEARS OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

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AND THE EIGHT YEARS OF HIS

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PRESIDENCY.

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AND HE WAS NOT ONLY HASHLLY

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CRITICIZED DURING THE WAR, BUT

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WE HADJUST HAD A PRESIDENTIAL

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CAMPAIGN IN WHICH THERE WAS A

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LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT

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CONSPIRACY.

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THEORIES.

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AT FIRST HE WAS A POLITICAL

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UNTOUCHABLE.

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BUT THEN THAT WORE OFF, AND HE

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WAS ACCUSED OF EVERYTHING FROM

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PLOTTING TO RESTORE THE BRITISH

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MONARCHY TO HAVING BEEN A

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BRITISH DOUBLE AGENT THROUGHOUT

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THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

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AT FIRST HE DECIDE THED HE WOULD

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DIGNIFY THESE CRACK POT IDEAS

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WITH A RESPONSE.

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IN HIS SECOND TERM HE WROTE AN

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INTERESTING LETTER IN WHICH HE

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REALIZED HE SAID IF YOU DRIP

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WATER ON A STOVE LONG ENOUGH IT

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WILL LEAVE A MARK, AND IF A LIE

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IS REPEATED OFTEN ENOUGH PEOPLE

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WILL BEGIN TO BELIEVE IT AND HE

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BEGAN TO RESPOND TO HIS CRITICS.

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ABOVE

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BEFORE THAT POINT HE TRIED TO

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STAY ABOVE THE PARTISAN FRAY.

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>> TOM, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE

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THE MOST ABOUT WASHINGTON’S

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GENERAL-SHIP IN FIRST

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PRINCIPALS -- BY THE WAY, THERE

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SHOULD BE MANAGEMENT CLASSES

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TAUGHT ABOUT WASHINGTON’S

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GENERAL-SHIP FOR YEARS TO COME.

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BUT, TOM, YOU TALK ABOUT HIS

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UTTER CONTEMPT FOR MILITIA

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MEMBERS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE

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WAR.

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HE DIDN’T DISCIPLINE THEM.

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HE COULDN’T GEM THEM TO FIGHT

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TRADITIONAL BATTLES.

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BUT YOU DESCRIBE HOW THE WAR

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WENT ON.

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HE DECIDED TO USE HIS TROOPS AS

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THEY COULD BEST BE USED, AND YOU

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SAID -- AND WASHINGTON

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EVENTUALLY SAID, OKAY, LET THEM

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FIGHT IN THEIR TOWNS.

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LET THEM FIGHT THEIR VILLAGES.

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LET THEM FIGHT.

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GO OUT, HARASS THE BRITISH, AND

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THEN BLEED BACK INTO THEIR

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VILLAGES AND TOWNS AND THAT MAY

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BE THE BEST EFFECTIVE WAY TO

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ACTUALLY FRUSTRATE THE BRITISH.

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IN FACT, HE WAS RIGHT, WASN’T

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HE?

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>> HE WAS.

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AND YOU’RE RIGHT.

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HE COMES INTO BOSTON HAVING BEEN

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TOLD CREATE THIS AMERICAN ARMY,

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AND HE HAS NEVER BEEN UP THERE.

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HE IS KIND OF STUNNED HOW DIRTY

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AND UNRULY THE NEW ENGLANDERS

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ARE.

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THEY ARE NOT DIFFERENTIAL TO

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WEALTH AND POWER IN A WAY HE HAD

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GROWN TO EXPECT IN LIVING IN

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VIRGINIA.

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AND HE ALSO WANTS THE MILITIAMEN

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TO FIGHT LIKE CONVENTIONAL

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REGULAR FORCES.

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THAT’S NOT A GOOD IDEA.

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THEY ARE NOT TRAINED, THEY ARE

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NOT PREPARED TO FACE THESE

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TERRIFYING BAYONET CHARGES BY

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BRITISH REGULARS.

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BUT EVENTUALLY HE REALIZES, AND

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THIS IS KIND OF THE AXIOM OF THE

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HAMMER AND THE SAW, IF YOU’RE

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TRYING TO HAMMER USING A SAW, IS

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IT THE INSTRUMENT’S FAULT, THE

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TOOL’S FAULT, OR IS IT YOUR

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FAULT?

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HE LEARNS USE THEM FOR WHAT THEY

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ARE GOOD FOR.

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AND AS YOU SAY, MILITIAMEN WERE

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GOOD IF THEY FOUGHT IN AREAS

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THEY KNEW, WOODS THEY WERE