Tag Archives: American history

Florence Harding’s Hatpin Story

Florence Harding loved politics – and she was a very savvy woman. The Harding: Introduction to Politics Florence Harding was thirty when she married Warren Gamaliel Harding. He was five years younger, the publisher of a weekly newspaper and the … Continue reading

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Eleanor Roosevelt: The Red Cross Uniform

Eleanor Roosevelt begged to visit the soldiers in the Pacific. The Red Cross Uniform Circa WWI The American Red Cross, begun following the Civil War, had its antecedents in Europe even before the Civil War. Clara Barton had been a … Continue reading

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VP Thomas Marshall and the Flag

Thomas Marshall is one of the unknown and generally disregarded Vice Presidents….but… About Tom Marshall Thomas Riley Marshall (1854-1925) was an attorney, and like James Madison, diminutive in stature – perhaps only 5’2 or 3”. An Indiana Hoosier, he gravitated … Continue reading

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Lou Hoover and the Cow-Pup

Lou Henry Hoover had one of the most interesting lives of any First Lady. A Brief Background: Lou Henry (1874-1944) was Iowa born, but her family moved to California when she was a small child, and California was still part … Continue reading

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William McKinley: The Carnation Story

Few Presidents were as genuinely considerate as William McKinley. Poor Boy Makes Good William McKinley (1843-1901) was one of seven children born to an Ohio iron-worker and his wife. They were poor, devout Methodists, but firmly focused on their children’s … Continue reading

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George Washington and the Rules of Civility

If you visit any George Washington-related national site, the gift shop usually includes a slim volume of George Washington’s Rules of Civility. The Processes of 18th Century Education When George Washington was born in 1732, schools as we know them, … Continue reading

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1861: A Year of Six Presidents

Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861 set many precedents. Presidential Precedents. Abraham Lincoln was a President of many firsts: The first POTUS born west of the Appalachian Mountains (KY); the elected first from Illinois; the first elected by popular plurality in … Continue reading

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Harry Truman’s Best Birthday Present

Harry Truman was just shy of his 61st birthday when he became President. HST: The Unprepared Vice President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) was elected Democratic Senator from Missouri in 1934, two years after  Franklin Delano Roosevelt was first elected Democratic … Continue reading

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Chester Alan Arthur: The Dandy President

Nothing but the very best would satisfy Chester Alan Arthur. An Insignificant Upbringing Nothing in his background remotely suggested that Chester Alan Arthur (1829-86) would ever be president. Of course that could be said about many of our chief executives. … Continue reading

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Tad Lincoln and The Doll Jack

All kids need toys.  Tad: A Child With Problems Tad was the Lincolns’ fourth and last child born after a grueling two-day labor. He was born with a cleft palate, a not-uncommon malformation in the mouth routinely corrected in infancy … Continue reading

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