For what it’s worth, the picture I used for George Washington depicts what he looked like during the French and Indian War, which ended roughly twelve years prior to this date. But we wanted to show you that he didn’t always look like the guy on the dollar bill.

After the firebombing and destruction of Falmouth, Massachusetts (and which we mention for the first time today, I think, is the same place as Portland, Maine), it was only natural that the locals there felt vulnerable. It’s because it had been demonstrated to them exactly how vulnerable they were.

Their Committee of Safety contacted George Washington in Cambridge asking for help in the form of soldiers and/or weapons. Washington conceded that the attack was over the line and wished the victims well, but unfortunately he couldn’t help.

Washington cited the need to maintain the siege at Boston, and the possibility that he didn’t have the authority to help, but Washington was a shrewd tactician, as we’ll see in future episodes. It’s entirely possible that he didn’t see the point in defending a city that had already been leveled.

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