What do you think the authors mean by the phrase "in our lowest moments, we can find out greatest strengths." Do you agree? If so, are there modern examples you can point to?

The authors state that "the one truth at the core of both the Revolution and America itself [is]…that in our lowest moments, we can find out greatest strengths." What do you think is meant by the phrase? Do you agree? If so, are there modern examples you can point to?

In our lowest moments it may take a lot for us to summon the gumption to move forward and not give in or give up. We learn more about ourselves and of what we may be capable.

America has had many very low moments. Unfortunately, many have occurred recently. The meaning is when we are sorely tested, we rise to the occasion. In all cases we have not risen as one-there have been dissenters, there have been traitors, there have been those who seek to profit from America's turmoil. We currently face a great threat to our democracy, and just as Mayor Mathews and Governor Tryon sought to destroy the tremulous threads that held the United Colonies together, there are those who seek to undermine our nation today. One wonders what would a George Washington - male or female archetype, be able to do with the onslaught of lies spread through media of all types today. How would they fuse together a nation so enamored with "alternative facts"?
I would argue that the police defending the Capitol against the attempted coup found their "greatest strength". I would also consider the Presidential election of 2020 to be an example of many Americans banding together to find our greatest strength. Despite threats of violence, attempts to restrict voting access,(limiting polling machine, locations, removing drop boxes, slowing the U.S.mail, long lines, shortened registration times, intimidation), people came out and voted to remove an autocrat from power. Poll workers and election officials in many states faced threats and yet held fast and did their duty. In Georgia, where threats were made directly from the then sitting President, election officials did not bend and cheat to award him an election he did not win. These people are not model citizens, they have enacted legislation that makes it much harder for people of color to vote, but they did hold the line on fabricating and changing votes. Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers lost his bid for a state Senate seat after refusing the President's request to help overturn the 2020 election results. He was well aware his stance wold most likely cost him the election. Bowers is a conservative Republican, but when no evidence of voter fraud could be produced he felt duty bound to follow the law and the State constitution. There are many more less publicized acts of strength against an onslaught of threats and intimidation and many "average citizens" faced those and worse just to exercise their legal right to vote.

I took this statement in two different ways. As individuals faced with adversity, most people find their greatest strength to do things they had no idea they were capable of doing i.e. James Armistead Lafayette who lived as a slave but who became a spy for the army and acted as a runaway slave so that he could gather information from General Cornwallis’s headquarters and then relay that back to the army which he did multiple times.
I also agree with the points gerrieb made with regard to more current events. I couldn’t help but reflect back on 9/11/2001 and how the terrible events of that day brought so many people together or

First, I really enjoyed their writing style - it's like we were sitting around a table drinking coffee. I think their thought was too general; however, I would say that in our lowest moments, some of us shine and can bring entire groups with them. Right now, our greatest strengths lie in those who are speaking up against the things that are hurting our society the most. They are doing so at great risk, but choose to do so anyway because it just needs to be said. I think that's the case here in Idaho when there was a group who wanted to shut down an entire city library system because there were materials available that they just didn't like. An amazing number of citizens showed up at a hearing and spoke for around 5.5 hours (one person at a time) and it was incredible to see. We don't all have to be heroes - but when we speak up, a lot can be accomplished even when the negative seems to outweigh the positive.