John Adams doesn’t get the honor and acclaim he deserves! Even in his lifetime he saw this coming. He said:
“The History of our Revolution will be one continued Lye from one end to the other. . . . The essence of the whole will be that Dr. Franklin’s electrical Rod, smote the Earth and out sprung General Washington. . . .That Franklin electrified him with his rod—and thence forward these two conducted all the Policy, Negotiations, Legislatures and War . . . . Mausoleums, Statues, Monuments will never be erected for me, . . . .nor flattering orations spoken to transmit me to Posterity in brilliant Colours.”
George Washington was one to give words of counsel and wisdom to those he associated with (or with whom he associated, if you prefer). Pearls of wisdom just seemed to fall from his lips. Some were actually written down. Here’s one I like and understand:
That was the question put to John Kassich in a televised question and answer period with future voters. He promptly replied with his answer: “George Washington.” And then he expounded on his answer, which was thoughtful.
One of the most important, but often overlooked, details of Benjamin Franklin’s legacy, is that he was a doer, but a self-made man. Read his Autobiography if you haven’t already—or read it again for new insights.
With our upcoming Presidential Election coming this year, I thought you might be interested in a few fascinating facts about our past presidents.
Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. I remember when we celebrated this birthday on his actual birthday, in school, with lots of information and details about his wondrous life and what he did as president. I loved it, even as much as Valentines day. Honest Abe we called him. And we heard stories about his log splitting, his politicking on trains, and even the growth of the beard as suggested by a young girl.
A few posts back, I quoted a statement by Thomas Carlyle. Perhaps you’ll remember that he was a Scottish philosopher, writer, essayist, historian, and teacher. Here’s another quote from Carlyle that I think you’ll like:
“I cannot live without books, “ Jefferson admitted to John Adams. He sold his vast library of books to Congress to replace the Congressional Library which had burned in the war of 1812.