Author Archives: Feather Schwartz Foster

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About Feather Schwartz Foster

Feather Schwartz Foster is an author-historian who has made more than 500 appearances discussing presidential history. She teaches adult education at the Christopher Wren Association (affiliated with William and; Mary College), and adult Education programs at Christopher Newport University. She has been a guest on the C-SPAN "First Ladies" program. She has written five books.

George Washington’s Two Revolutionary Sons

George Washington had no children of his own, although he raised two step-children, and was considered a responsible and affectionate parent. GW: The Revolutionary War When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, George Washington was 43 years old. Having served … Continue reading

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Calvin Coolidge Jr.: A Life Cut Short

The death of any child before his time is a devastating blow to the parents. Mortality Even into the 20th century, infant and child mortality were extremely high. With primitive pre-natal, obstetric or pediatric care and little attention to basic … Continue reading

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William Tecumseh Sherman: Grant’s Perfect Lieutenant

William Tecumseh Sherman, frequently considered the first “modern” general, was above all, the indispensable lieutenant to Ulysses S. Grant. Sherman Meets Lincoln William T. Sherman (1820-1891), Ohio born and bred, was orphaned as a child and foster-raised by the politically … Continue reading

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The White House New Year’s Day Reception

After two years in New York and ten years in Philadelphia, the capital of the country was moved to Washington at the very end of 1800. The Dismal Days Washington DC was just opening for business in late 1800, after … Continue reading

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Roosevelt and Remington: The Cowboy and the Sculptor

Theodore Roosevelt was an unlikely cowboy. Frederic Remington was an unlikely sculptor of the West. Roosevelt the Cowboy Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)was a wealthy New Yorker by birth and upbringing. A nearsighted and asthmatic child, he overcame much of his frailty … Continue reading

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Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Davis: A Healing Friendship

Two Civil war icons, one North, one South, finally met in old age, and became friends. Varina Davis: The Confederate Queen Varina Davis (1826-1905) first appeared on a national stage when she was eighteen and recently married to Congressional widower … Continue reading

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Eleanor Roosevelt’s Road to Val-Kill

  Eleanor Roosevelt was nearly forty before she had a life, and place of her own. FDR, Eleanor and Polio The marriage between Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, fifth cousins by birth, had never been a joyful one. Their personalities were … Continue reading

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U.S. Grant: The Shiloh Tree HQ

Army Generals in the Civil War usually commandeered the best houses in the area for their Headquarters. Pittsburg Landing, TN Pittsburg Landing, TN was a small village on the Tennessee River. Control of that river, which flowed into the Mississippi, … Continue reading

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Martha Washington’s White House

Martha Washington died in early 1802. She had never set foot in what is known today as the White House in Washington, DC. Martha’s White House in New Kent County Martha Dandridge (1731-1802) was only seventeen when she married Daniel … Continue reading

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The Lincolns and the Actors

Everyone knows about Abraham Lincoln’s brief run-in with John Wilkes Booth, but  other Lincolns had life and death incidents involving theater folks. Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth came from a well regarded family of dramatic actors. His … Continue reading

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