Tag Archives: Feather Schwartz Foster

Dr. Jonathan Letterman and Civil War Medicine

Evacuating the wounded from the battlefield could take days at the start of the American Civil War. The Letterman System Dr. Jonathan Letterman (1824-72) was an army surgeon who came from a distinguished medical family. During the 1850s, he was … Continue reading

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The Washington Dancing Classes

Dancing was a vital social skill in colonial times.   Children were taught at an early age. Martha and George Washington: Dancers George Washington was considered an excellent dancer by all who knew him, and he enjoyed it even into his … Continue reading

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The Presidential Stepping Stone

More than half our Presidents have been lawyers, at least by discipline. Whether they liked it or not, and even whether they actively “practiced law” is something else. POTUSes Reading Law In the “olden days,” one did not need a … Continue reading

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Florence Harding and The Veterans

After World War I, thousands of wounded soldiers were crowding into Washington hospitals. Florence Harding would be a regular visitor. Florence Kling Harding: Lonely Wife Florence Harding never had a strong maternal instinct. An early and disastrous elopement left her … Continue reading

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Abraham Lincoln, Father Abraham

There is no question that Abraham Lincoln loved his wife and children dearly, but was he a “family man” by nature? Lincoln: The Family Child Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was born to a hard-working, but essentially poor family. By his own … Continue reading

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Chester Alan Arthur: A VEEP on Hold

Vice President Chester Alan Arthur became President following the assassination and death of James A. Garfield. CAA: The Basics Born in Vermont and raised in upstate New York, Chester Alan Arthur (183o-1886) was a preacher’s son who attended Union College, … Continue reading

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Sarah Knox Taylor: The First Mrs. Jeff Davis

Sarah may have been a tiny little blip in history, but her connections are cool! Sarah Knox Taylor: The Army Brat Zachary Taylor was a forty-year career soldier who rose through the ranks. He was born in Virginia and raised … Continue reading

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The Three Lives of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was only 60 years old when he died. The country was stunned. How could TR allow himself to be blindsided by the Grim Reaper? TR’s Death The real truth was that TR, the poster-boy for the strenuous life, … Continue reading

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Grace and Calvin Coolidge on the Farm

President Calvin Coolidge loved to take his wife with him on Presidential out-and-abouts. She was pretty, she was stylish, and she had an impish humor. She was enormously popular. President and Mrs. Coolidge Calvin Coolidge was arguably the most sexist … Continue reading

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Lucy Hayes and the Laced Oranges

Lucy Hayes has gone down in history as “Lemonade Lucy” for banning spirits in the White House – but did people find a way around it?   The Spirits of ‘76 The election of 1876 was one of the most … Continue reading

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