On this our 4th of July, or our Independence Day weekend, I am sorely reminded of the quote of Abigail Adams. As you know, she was the wife of John Adams, who argued on behalf of accepting Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence. As a result he was nicknamed “the Colossus” by Jefferson.
Abigail Adams uttered the agonizing question: “I wonder if future generations will ever know what we have suffered on their behalf?”
Albert Einstien was once an avowed atheist. After study and consideration, he seemed to change his tune. Here’s what he said:
“Only the church stood squarely across the path of Hitler’s campaign for suppressing the truth. I never had any special interest in the church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration for it because the church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual and moral freedom. I am forced to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly”
Several years ago, the King at the time told a friend how he had sent 14 of the brightest young men of Rumania to receive some training for future service in the government. He had sent 7 to England and another 7 to the United States of America, to study the respective political and even economic systems.
“The seven who went to England were very smart,” said the King, “and they now each have an important post in the leading councils of Bucharest.”
“What about the 7 you sent to America?” asked the friend.
After Benjamin Franklin was sent to France by Congress, John Adams was soon sent to join and assist him in his labors. Adams and Franklin were very different personalities. Ben was very patient, diplomatic, affable and even affectionate.
John Adams, on the other hand was terse, undiplomatic, impatient, and even gruff at times. Ben and John didn’t see eye to eye on how to proceed. Finally John became so impatient that he uncharacteristically left his assignment and travelled to Amsterdam where he was able to be introduced to some Dutch bankers. Men who controlled money. He was able to convince them to come to the aid of the Colonies, and save the Revolution at desperate time in the War. Thus saving the armies of Washington.
Yesterday I told you about two Presidents who weren’t Fathers—other than being Founding Fathers.
Did you know that no American President has been an only child in his family?
Bill Clinton had his own half-brother. Of course you’ve heard about him.
President Gerald Ford came from a family and had two half-sisters, and four half-brothers.
And the longest serving President, Franklin D. Roosevelt also had a half-brother, a younger sibling.
George Washington also had a half-brother, Lawrence. , and a half-brother Augustine, Jr. Augustine, George’s father, then re-married and with Mary Ball had six children, of which George was the oldest.
I want to wish all you Fathers a Happy Father’s Day, 2016! Being a father myself, I know how good it makes you feel to be acknowledged as a good father.
But did you know that two of our nation’s Founding Fathers, were indeed Founding Fathers, but they had NO children of their own?
Yes, it’s true. George Washington, known as “The Father of our Country, did not have any children of his own. Martha had children when they were married. She was a widower. But George gave her no children.
And James Madison, known as “The Father of the Constitution” also had no children of his own. He married Dolley Madison, who had children from a prior marriage, and who, like Martha Washington, was a widow when she married James Madison. He helped raise her children, but again they had no children together.
One of my heroes is Benjamin Franklin. I have found that he is likewise the hero to many Americans. As I have spoken to many different groups over the past 25 or 30 years about our Founding Fathers, I have found that the people’s favorite is hands down Benjamin Franklin.
My presentations based on his life are better attended and more eagerly and readily accepted that those of any other Founding Father about which I speak. Hands down. It’s not even very close. People of all ages and backgrounds love Ben Franklin!
When the U.S. Constitution was ratified and George Washington was elected as the first President of the United States of America, not only was a new nation created, but also a new culture.
This new nation was based on the founding principles of honesty, human rights, and virtue. The nation provided as John Adams described it: “a light on a hill” for all to look to admire, and duplicate. There was an excellence for other nations, and peoples, to strive after.
The creation of the United State of America gave other nations an understanding that the United States of America is a place where people could be free. They would be free to practice their religion as they chose, free to think whatever was on their minds, and even free to speak those thoughts.
The story is told of how the Liberty Bell sounded on July 4, 1776, to celebrate the signing and announcement of the Declaration of Independence. However, no announcement was made on that date, so no celebration or bell ringing was held to get the ball rolling, so to speak.
That myth, or old folk tale, was started by an article printed in 1847, in a book titled “Washington and His Generals: or Legends of the American Revolution”, by George Lippard, a Philadelphia journalist. It is now apparent that Mr. Lippard concocted the whole story of the bell’s involvement in the Revolution. He therefore forged one of the greatest mythical symbols of the Freedom of America.
Or this article could be headlined “How the Newspaper Got Bigger.”
I’ll have to report on the Jefferson story later. But his caught my eye.
The first official newspaper in the Colonies, or at least the first one to print more than once, was the “Boston News-letter”. It printed news in the order that it was received from the European news sources. The length of the stories and articles became so large, that this newspaper had to expand its size. The information received soon exceeded the space allotted.