he goes to lexington. one of his generals wrote to the trustees and said it's great you got lee to become president. he can be a great figure head. don't give him any work to do. put him on the letterhead. the trustees became the figure heads. robert e. lee ran the place. he rewrites the curriculum from top to bottom. he sidelines the old classical curriculum and starts bringing in modern subjects. he starts bringing in mechanical engineering. he starts bringing in journalism. he does away with the student code of conduct. he says to all sturnts and he interviews every student who comes to washington college. he says there's no code of conduct here. the only thing we expect of you is that you will behave as a gentleman. doesn't that sound generous? no. you know what that means. that means robert e. lee is the judge, jury and executioner of all student behavior. he takes control of everything in the college and you know the place where he's the best? fund raising. who every thought of robert e. lee as a dev

lexington. lexington, concorde, and bunker hill. massachusetts ranks were not segregated. and african americans who had fought, initially washington, the continental army and other counselor generals and he initially for bids and list meant of either not just enslaved but free african-americans. he's on going to move back, allow free african-americans and enslaved african americans and the question is why the change? two schools of thought, what is the pragmatic, the british under lord dunmore, the royal governor of virginia will issue a proclamation providing freedom for any slave who fights against the colonists. washington is shocked, responding to the same officers, is this about men combating this? the other possibility is he has a change of heart. when he starts getting reports like these. talking about a veteran of the campaigns in and around boston, so brave man who behaved like an experienced officer as well as an excellent soldier, not just any soldier but experienced officer elevating african-american soldier. general john thomas saying they are equally servicea

he goes to lexington. one of his generals wrote and said it's great that you got lead to become a president, he's a great figurehead, don't give him any work, just put him on the letterhead and let him be the figurehead of the college. you know something? the trustees became figureheads. robert e. lee ran the place. and he re-writes the curriculum from top to bottom and he basically sidelines the old classical curriculum. he starts bringing in modern subjects. he brings in mechanical engineering and journalism and not only that but he does away with the student code of conduct. he now says to all students that the interviews -- he interviews every student who comes to washington college. he says, there's no code of conduct here. the only thing we expect a view is that you will behave as a gentlemen. doesn't that sound generous? no. that means robert easily is the judge, jury and executioner of all student behavior. he takes control of everything in the college and another place that is the best fundraising

he goes to lexington and its curious one of those generals wrote to the trustees and said it's great that you got lee to become president. he's going to be great figure and don't give them any work to do this put them on the letterhead and you know something that trustees say where burt ely ran the place. he rewrites the curriculum from top to bottom and he basically sidelines the classic curriculum and he starts bringing in modern subjects. he brings in mechanical engineering and journalism and not only that but he does away with the student code of conduct. he now says to all students in the interviews every student who comes to washington college. he says there's no code of conduct here and the only thing we expect of you is that you will behave as a gentleman. that does not sound generous? no. that means robert e. lee is the judge jury and executioner of all student behavior. he takes control of everything in the college and you know the place where he's the best? fund-raising. cole edwards thought of robert lee as it dealt mental officer. he shakes the apple side of the trees es

beginning with the signing of the declaration of independence or more accurately with the battle of lexington and concord but in your book you take the roots of it back not only to the french and indian war but even in the decade before that and you see the roots of this brewing bifurcation as going back long before there was an actual conflict whereas as you also point out for benjamin franklin well into 1775 he was still hoping for reconciliation with the british empire and that an arrangement could be achieved whereby the united states or what would become the united states and that's an anachronism but where the colonies would become partners with the british motherland in a world empire so i found that really really interesting and i was wondering if you could elaborate on that ache as i think that's also a very fresh approach. >> so yes i do start the story in lexington and concord in before the french and indian war because what i'm trying to get at is this question of what causes a person to turn their back on the country and take arms against it? how are these rebels created? i don't