Letters from an American

March 16, 2026
 In early 1775, Boston was bitterly divided, The British occupied the town as Patriots built fortifications, Militiamen led by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen seized cannons and other weapons from Fort Ticonderoga, 300 miles away, The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army, appointing George Washington as commander in chief, Henry Knox, a friend of Washington, developed a plan to retrieve the Fort Ticonderoga cannons and bring them to Boston, After several grueling months, the cannons were delivered, As British soldiers and Washington’s men traded fire in Boston, Patriots fortified the town. In a major victory for the Patriots, the British negotiated the evacuation of soldiers and loyalists from Boston, Evacuation bolstered the Patriot cause as a just and winning one. Less than four months later, Patriots took the extraordinarily daring step of declaring independence from the King.   
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March 14, 2026
On March 15, 1820, Maine joined the Union, with national repercussions.  Maine statehood was opposed by southerners worried that it would restrict enslavement in the South, With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 Maine men moved west, Owen Lovejoy of Maine, elected to the Illinois state legislature in 1854, became friends with up and coming lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, Legislators, many from Maine, who were worried they were losing their democracy, set out to stop the rise of Slave Power. They would form a new political party, the Republicans, Lincoln knew Maine was important to his presidential campaign. Lincoln won 62% of the vote in Maine, taking all eight of the state’s electoral votes, and went on to win the 1860 election.
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March 13,2026Trump administration lifts sanctions on shipments of Russian oil, Oil prices skyrocket with closing of Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine sends interceptor drones at request of the US, Six American service members die in Iraq, Pete Hegseth is sending about 5,000 Marines and sailors to the Middle East, Arms Control Association suggests US lacked expertise in diplomatic talks with Iran, Previous administrations foresaw what is happening in the Iran War, White House is concerned about the unpopularity of the Iran War, Trump threatens a takeover of Cuba, Democrats file legislation to stop a war against Cuba without congressional approval. 
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March 12, 2026
American politics have been corrupted by billionaires,  Senator Tim Sheehy’s campaign in Montana benefitted from donations from more than 63 billionaires, Elon Musk is donating millions to Republicans, Trump promised billionaires that he would favor their interests if they donated $1 billion to his re-election campaign, Trump gave his wealthy supporters the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that extended the 2017 tax cuts, cut regulation, and slashed the social safety net, The US has borrowed $1 trillion over the last five months, as Trump tax cuts slash revenue, In the 1860s, Republicans invented the income tax, Americans welcomed the taxes.
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