Category Archives: Nifty History People

Boutwell: A Book Review

According to author Jeffrey Boutwell (a distant collateral descendant), George Sewall Boutwell was an “important public figure hiding in plain sight.” His life was long (1818-1905), and filled with an equally long list of political and governmental accomplishments. According to … Continue reading

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A Home for the Great Lady & Me

Ulysses S. Grant was President when the country celebrated its centennial. The Birthday Bash A centennial celebration of anything is a momentous occasion. Therefore, when the USA was poised to celebrate its 100th anniversary, President Ulysses S. Grant was delighted … Continue reading

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Archie Roosevelt’s Christmas Surprise

Christmas a la Roosevelt Few White House families were as robust and open for fun as Theodore Roosevelt, his wife, six children and a slew of pets. Nevertheless, very few stories, articles or even anecdotes are about how the TR’s … Continue reading

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James Armistead Lafayette: Revolutionary Spy

James… never in his youth used the surname Armistead. Trying to Trace the Untraceable Information It is a nearly impossible job to accurately delve into long-long-ago history when scant records were kept. It is all the harder when the information … Continue reading

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The Lincoln Men: Father and Son

Lincoln’s upbringing was indeed the “annals of the poor.” But How Poor? They were definitely not rich, but two generations prior to Abraham Lincoln’s arrival, the Lincoln’s were comfortably fixed, and well regarded by their peers and neighbors. Originally from … Continue reading

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Margaret Taylor: Army Wife

“She was just as much a soldier as I was.” – Zachary Taylor Margaret Mackall Smith …long forgotten by history, Margaret Smith was a Mackall on her mother’s side. They were a prominent Maryland family, whose distaff members were said … Continue reading

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Dusting Off Franklin Pierce

The Basic Pierce Facts Franklin Pierce (1804-69), Democrat from New Hampshire, was a dark horse nominee, elected President in 1852. It took 49 Ballots to put him on the ballot, which was an exhausting exercise for the convention attendees. Few … Continue reading

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John and Abigail Adams: Mourning Alone

Late Fall, 1776 John Adams, following a momentous time in Philadelphia, promoting, drafting and approving the Declaration of Independence, requested and was granted some leave of Congress to attend to his family and business in Massachusetts. John had been away … Continue reading

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The Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt 1901

Vice President Theodore Roosevelt had a quiet, somber inaugural. The Sad Circumstances Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was taking a rare family vacation at a resort in New York’s Adirondack Mountains when news came that President William McKinley had been shot … Continue reading

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Grant, Greeley and the Strange Election of 1872

The Unlikely General Ulysses S. Grant was an unlikely general. West Point educated (class of ’43), he was a middling student, and other than his fine horsemanship, there was little that stood out. True, he served admirably in the War … Continue reading

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