Tag Archives: history

Andrew Johnson and Jefferson Davis: The Feud

Two Southern legislators, poles apart, bitter enemies. Andrew Johnson: Mechanic Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) was arguably the poorest of our Presidents, measured in family position (low) and wealth (even lower). His father, a porter for a small tavern-hotel in Raleigh NC, … Continue reading

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Zachary Taylor: For Want of a Stamp

Zachary Taylor was arguably the most reluctant of our Presidents. ZT: A Brief Run-Up Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) was born in Virginia, but grew up near Louisville, when Kentucky was still part of Virginia. His family was relatively prosperous, but young … Continue reading

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Martha Washington, Lucy Knox and Kitty Greene: Revolutionary Pals

In late fall, 1775, Martha Washington joined her husband in Cambridge, MA. The Continental Army General It was never a secret that the bonds of affection between the American Colonies and Great Britain, the mother country, had been fraying for … Continue reading

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FDR: Meeting on the High Seas

Every public person wishes to escape “privately” from time to time. Caveat: This does not mean to “hide” anything salacious, criminal or embarrassing. It may only mean to have the personal freedom to enjoy a good book, or a quiet … Continue reading

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The Madisons: His Hat and Her Cushion

The War of 1812 was seminal for James and Dolley Madison. The Unlikely Commander-in-Chief James Madison (1751-1836) was one of the most unwarlike men to serve as President of the United States, and thus Commander-in-Chief of the military. Following in … Continue reading

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Julia Tyler and the Princeton Tragedy

The freakish tragedy on the USS Princeton in 1844 claimed dozens of deaths and injuries. The Pride of the Navy It had become a fact of government: a strong, well trained and well equipped fleet is essential to maintaining peace … Continue reading

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Andrew Jackson: The Big Cheese

General/President Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was a wild boy, devoid of blood relatives by his teens, self made into a frontier attorney, further self made into a gambler, speculator, planter, brawler, duelist, legislator, and finally soldier, became a household … Continue reading

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The Merrimac: The Two Incarnations

The USS Merrimac of Civil War history is sometimes spelled with a “k”. But I live in the Tidewater Virginia area, where it is always spelled with the “c”. The Best of Its Kind When the USS Merrimac was built … Continue reading

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Thomas Jefferson: The Honeymoon Trip

And their conclusion is… Some have claimed he was infuriating, evasive, elusive, complicated, deceptive, double-dealing, inconsistent, disingenuous, close-mouthed, and similar adjectives. And those were his biggest fans! Thomas Jefferson’s intellectual prowess and happy facility with words are generally unquestioned. But … Continue reading

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James Monroe, The Decorator

Nothing in James Monroe’s upbringing indicated his latent taste in the decorative arts. JM: Orphaned Boy James Monroe (1758-1831), Virginia born to a middle class planting family, was orphaned by the time he was 16. Into that parentless breach stepped … Continue reading

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