Today, February 22, is George Washington’s birthday.
As we reflect on his life, it becomes apparent that he was an unusual and uncommon man. The things he accomplished in his 67 years on the earth are just astonishing.
He became a surveyor and businessman at the age of 15. He was a hero in the French and Indian War. He was a terrific dancer and married Martha just a few months after their first meeting. He turned Mount Vernon into a beautiful mansion and a business center with a carpenters shop, blacksmith shop, fishing business, and a farm with sheep, wheat, and other animals and crops.
Boy, that was an eye-opening account of “Legends and Lies” by Bill O’Reilly tonight. It was on TV. Pictured was the death of President George Washington, the election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, which was decided in the House, and the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
I am attending a week long education summit at BYU. One of the classes is about the Presidential election in 1844. It seems to have some similarities with our current election.
Yes, it was Abe Lincoln who initiated the Secret Service. One of his last acts on April 14, 1865, was to found the division to be known as the Secret Service. It was a squad originally organized to prevent the counterfeiting of our currency.
Benjamin Franklin was aware that he was dying in 1790. He was cared for by his daughter, Sara Franklin Bache. One evening a knock came at the door. A messenger carried a letter from President George Washington.
As I told you yesterday, I have learned some interesting facts from reading a fiction Bestseller. But I didn’t mention the name of the book or the author. So if you are interested, the name of the book is “the Fifth Assassin” by Brad Meltzer. The main character is Beecher White who is an archivists and the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
In honor of this Tax Day in these United States, I leave only a quote from Benjamin Franklin:
I’ve got to get some new quote books! I looked in six of my favorite quote books to find something said about “Good Friday.” There was nothing in any of them. How does that happen? Well, I guess they’re not really religious quote books, but still . . .