and thoroughly enjoying it. The Continental victory in the revolutionary war is such an underrated event in human history. At so many junctures, the British should have been able to crush the rebellion. Time and time again, they held on by a mere thread. So inspiring to hear these stories. A few points that I've been mulling over:

- As much adulation as we lavish on Washington, he's still underrated. Truly a remarkable person and a leader unlike any other in American history.
- John Paul Jones is a revolutionary war name that often gets overlooked. He was a fiercely brave leader and his work in ambushing British shipping lanes was an important part of the war effort.
- Thomas Jefferson is overrated. Most of his love comes due to the fact that he penned the Declaration of Independence, but he was a bad leader (at least during the war) and at times really apathetic to the war effort. It almost seems like he was more engaged with the French Revolution than he was the American one.
- Benedict Arnold was a really remarkable figure, but truly insane. One of Washington's biggest blunders was trusting him with too much based on his battlefield prowess alone. That dude belonged on a battlefield only. It also irritates me how easy Peggy Shippen got off given she was the loyalist who inspired his defection in the first place.
- The dynamic between the rebels and the Tories must have been insanely difficult to navigate. The fact that so many people all around you were sympathetic to the crown made the odds for success seemingly insurmountable. Imagine trying to fight a foreign invader when a large portion of your neighbors were loyalists and working contrary to your cause.
- The methodology of war at that time was insane in retrospect. The idea that you should stand in a field and mow each other down like gentlemen is such a weird concept. Benedict Arnold's tactics and success in the battle of Saratoga changed warfare forever.

There is a lot more that is slipping my mind at the moment, but I definitely recommend a listen. Good stuff.