George Washington’s Perseverance

GeorgeWashingtonWashington was well known for sticking to a task that he had undertaken. He couldn’t be shaken from doing his duty, or fulfilling his promise.

After he had fought in the French and Indian War, served in the Virginia House of Burgesses, Served as Commander in Chief of the United Colonial Armies until he won the War, served as President of the Constitutional Convention, was unanimously elected, not once but twice as the President of the new United States of America, he finally wanted to return home to Mount Vernon to live out his life. The country wanted him to serve a third term as President, but he finally declined a job! He truly had served enough!! read more

Benjamin Franklin and Religion

Ben Franklin thumb pictureBenjamin Franklin responded to his sister Jane Mecom of Boston in a letter in 1743. Jane was apparently concerned about Ben’s slightly unorthodox view and convictions.

Ben carefully explained his beliefs and stated gently: “There are some things in your New England doctrines and worship, which I do not agree with, but I do not therefore condemn them, or desire to shake your belief or practice of them.”

At the age of 37, Ben was a little ahead of his time relating to religious toleration soon to be called Freedom of Religion, because under the U.S. Constitution, First Amendment, we are guaranteed that no Government Religion would be established (Amendment I, December 15, 1791). read more

Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday!

ThomasJeffersonThomas Jefferson should truly be remembered and honored today. What did he accomplish? I’ll just mention a few here. He graduated from William and Mary College and then studied law for 5 years under George Wythe, the first law professor in Virginia.

By then he was already an accomplished violinist and dancer. He fell in love with and married another musician, Martha Wayles Skelton. He had already begun construction on Montecello, so they moved in to the one room that was finished there. He worked on building and remodeling for the next 40 years. (If you haven’t been there, you should go to visit and to observe the detail and the beauty of his mansion on the hill. read more

Benjamin Franklin’s Mistakes He Never Made

Ben FranklinBenjamin Franklin will be the first to admit that he made mistakes. Plenty of them. However, there appear to be at least 3 mistakes he never made. He tells us about those.

Franklin never accepted the current situation to be unchangeable. He thought he could change things for the better, and he looked for ways to do it. If something wasn’t quite right he would rack his mind, or work on whatever the conditions were until he could find a solution. A good example of this is when his brother suffered from kidney stones, he developed America’s first urinary catheter to ease the problem. read more

James Madison and the Bill of Rights

JamesMadisonThe Constitution was undeniably the idea, design, and proposal of James Madison, but so also was the Bill of Rights. The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. Once the Constitution was ratified and signed by the 55 Representatives of the States in Congress, it had to be approved by each of the States individually.

In an effort to gain the votes of the States, Madison, together with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton wrote the “Federalist Papers” to fully explain the meaning and importance of the Constitution. Nine State had to adopt it before the Constitution would replace the Articles of Confederation as the principle document uniting the States. read more

Founding Fathers—Uncommon Heroes

Founding Fathers coverThe Founding Fathers were patriots. The root word of ‘founding’ is ‘found’, which means to “take the first steps in building”. The first builders of the nation. The use of the word ‘father’ in this sense means originator. They began the whole thing.

In this context, a father is one who has become one of the leading men as of a country. Just like a man is a father to a boy. The originator, the starter, the one who sees it through.

The way we use these words together today refers to the men who were there at the beginning of our new nation. The ones who originated or started the process of building a new nation. Nation means a politically organized community. read more

Ben Franklin’s Advice re Argument

Ben FranklinBenjamin Franklin was one of the most successful diplomats in our nations early history. He was so good at making friends, and helping them to agree on lending money to the colonies that we won the Revolutionary War.

He made few speeches at the Constitutional Convention, but those he did make led to the approval of the final document. He learned to make friends even out of those who would want to argue.

He once put it this way: “The way to convince another is to state your case moderately and accurately. Then scratch your head, or shake it a little and say that is the way it seems to you, but of course you may be mistaken about it. This causes your listener to receive what you have to say, and as like as not turn about and try to convince you of it since you are in doubt. But if you go at him in a tone of positiveness and arrogance, you only make an opponent of him.” read more

Benjamin Franklin’s Warning

Ben FranklinMost people who have a little interest in American history have read Benjamin Franklin’s words which seemed to bring about a final consensus and agreement on the basics of our Constitution. I believe I have even repeated them here on this blog at some time or another. (If you can’t remember them or want to have them again go to the book “FoundingFathers–Uncommon Heroes”. What Ben said is there on page 33. If you don’t have the book yet, for heaven sakes, get it right now. Click here.) read more

Citizens Amend the Constitution

constitutionThere is something I just can’t understand—at all! Yesterday in my blog I gave some little bit of background about our U.S. Constitution. I mentioned that our Constitution has been amended only 17 times since the original Bill of Rights was adopted. Seventeen times since December 15, 1791. That’s more than 225 years.

But two of those amendments came in 1913. What happened in 1913 that allowed those two amendments to be approved? Woodrow Wilson was president and started the “progressive” movement. Which shortly died out for a while, but it’s back now—with a vengeance. Just look, we have our first openly socialist candidate. read more

The U. S. Constitution and Its Amendments

constitutionThere has been much talk in the recent political arena about protecting the Constitution. There hasn’t been much talk about the Constitution itself and what it says or means. I sometimes wonder how much politicians, Senators, Representatives, Judges and even citizens really know about the Constitution. But it does make for a good sound bite.

When I think about the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1987, I am amazed that it even got ratified. There was much debate and disagreement. The room at Independence Hall was locked and the windows closed so the people wouldn’t see the contention in the debates. (Think of the televised debates today!) read more