Quotes from Zachary Karabell

At the time, few Americans gave much thought to preserving legacies for history. The new was worshipped, the old usually cast aside. To the dismay of archivists and preservationists, the White House of the nineteenth century was a revolving door of styles and motifs, and successive occupants discarded past desiderata with little consideration for the desires of future generations for artifacts.

The idea that the government—any government—had a responsibility to help support those of able body who couldn't support themselves was alien. That was charity, and charity was the province of churches or local associations and in no way the responsibility of government.

Wars not only make nations; they make bankers.

The founders of the United States," he declared, "proclaimed to the world the American belief that all men are created equal. . . . We shall not, however, finally achieve the ideals for which this nation was founded so long as any American suffers discrimination as a result of his race, or religion, or color, or the land of origin of his forefathers.

The idea that the government—any government—had a responsibility to help support those of able body who couldn't support themselves was alien. That was charity, and charity was the province of churches or local associations and in no way the responsibility of government. Yet those attitudes

In many respects, the conquests were swift and largely bloodless. Instead of the usual scenes of wanton death and destruction, the cities and towns occupied by the Arabs were treated almost gently, and seem to have welcomed the exchange of rulers. Given the disarray of both the Persian and the Byzantine armies in the region, and the absence of strong organized resistance, that makes sense. There was, in essence, no need for substantial violence.