History Spaces

THE LOVE STORY CONTINUES AND ANDREW JACKSON BECOMES A NATIONAL HERO. "THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS," BY JOHNNY HORTON (1959), JACKSON'S RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY, THE "CORRUPT BARGAIN" OF 1824, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND HENRY CLAY, THE DIRTIEST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN U.S. HISTORY (1828), RACHEL'S DEATH, ANDREW'S GRIEF, AND THE ANIMANIACS SING "THE PRESIDENT'S SONG."

2012-02-29T22:21:00.002-06:00

In my previous post I described the duel between Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson in 1806. Charles Dickinson died an agonizing death as a result of that confrontation.The duel and its aftermath nearly destroyed Jackson’s political career in Tennessee and, for a time, made him a social outcast. But his military victories in the War of 1812 against the Creek and Seminole Indians in Alabama and Spanish Florida, and his one-sided massacre of the British army at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, made him a national hero, revived his political career and set him on course for an eventual attempt to capture the greatest prize of all, the presidency of the United States.

NOTE/DIGRESSION:

During the Creek and Seminole War Jackson proudly displayed the scalps of his dead enemies on the bridle, saddle and reigns of his horse as he led his troops. Later, after his troops had destroyed an entire village he found a young Indian child sitting on the ground next to his dead mother. Jackson picked up the child, had him cared for, and sent him back to his wife Rachel at The Hermitage. His orders were that he be raised and educated as one of the family. Jackson later adopted him and he was named Lyncoya Jackson. This incident highlighted the violence Jackson could rain down on Native Americans, but revealed an inexplicable touch of tenderness. Lyncoya Jackson died of tuberculosis at the age of 16 in 1828.

END OF DIGRESSION.

As for the Battle of New Orleans, the Battle itself became the subject of a hit song in 1959 by Johnny Horton who, below, is performing it live on television in that same year. (Note: recently, my editor and I, over lunch, were able to recite the lyrics to the entire song more than 50 years after we had heard it as children.) It was a catchy song and if you listen to the lyrics it is a pleasant mixture of facts and amusing imagery.

Johnny Horton performing his hit song from 1959

A colleague recommended this version of the song by a 1970s group called

"Kingfish." He told me the group was a side project of Bob Weir, of the

"Grateful Dead." Bob Weir is playing rhythm guitar and singing vocals.

By 1824, he was ready. But the campaign ended in frustration and anger for Jackson and his supporters when, in the four candidate race, Jackson received more popular votes (but not a majority) than any other candidate but failed to gain a majority in the Electoral College. Thus, the election was to be decided by a vote of the House of Representatives, each state having one vote, and the winner of a majority of the states becoming President. One of the candidates, Henry Clay of Kentucky, threw his support behind John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts in exchange for his being appointed Secretary of State in the Adams administration.

John Quincy Adams.
Jackson firmly believed that Adams and Clay
had stolen the election from him."Furious" is too
mild a word to describe Jackson's reaction.

Clay was consciously and deliberately positioning himself for another run for the Presidency in 1828, the position of Secretary of State being a stepping stone to the presidency. This “Corrupt Bargain”, as it was referred to by Jackson’s supporters, denied the man who had polled more votes than any other candidate any chance to serve the people of his country. Jackson was outwardly gracious and accepting of the outcome, but inside he was seething. Presidential candidates, he understood, do not challenge those who have wronged them to duels or engage in extremes of insulting and accusatory language. Andrew Jackson had matured into a man to whom the virtues of honor and integrity in public life were of the utmost importance. He returned to Tennessee and, immediately, began to plan and organize the political apparatus that would, he hoped, propel him into the Presidency with an overwhelming and unquestionable victory over his corrupt enemies.

Henry Clay engaged in a "corrupt bargain"
with John Quincy Adams to deny Jackson
the presidency in the election of 1824. Clay
recieved the post of Secretary of State as a reward.

They had smeared both himself and his wife Rachel with accusations of immorality, murder and adultery. He would get his revenge and his vindication. The bitterness in his heart, and in the hearts of his many supporters, would provide the motivation and energy necessary to complete the work ahead. In the years to come he knew that he and Rachel would move into a new home together, the White House in Washington, D.C.

The White House, 1829, at Jackson's inauguration.

The national political organization that Jackson and his supporters created was the forerunner of the modern Democratic Party. And by 1828, it was prepared to take on the task of putting Andrew Jackson into the White House. The campaign of 1828 was one of the most dirty and vicious in American history. Adams, Clay and the Republicans were merciless in their accusations and methods in attempting to deny Jackson the Presidency. They even accused Jackson’s dead mother of fathering a bastard child out of wedlock by a mulatto man, and charged that the child of that coupling was none other than Andrew Jackson himself. Jackson was also condemned as an uneducated man, lacking in the graces and knowledge needed to be a successful statesman and political leader, and a man of uncontrollable anger whose past behavior had resulted in personal conflicts which had led to 8 duels and a number of murders. He was a brute, likely to explode in violence at any time, “a blood thirsty wild man.” But the cruelest attacks on Jackson were those directed at the supposedly promiscuous and adulterous past of Rachel Jackson herself.

An example of the accusations against Rachel
that attempted to deny Jackson the Presidency.

Andrew could not protect her from these attacks and he could not directly respond to them. Rachel’s health began to suffer as the 1828 campaign proceeded toward its climax. Despite attempts by Jackson and his inner circle to hide the coarse and vulgar accusations being made against her, Rachel was too aware of the political climate around her to remain unaffected by it.

Andrew and Rachel in earlier, and happier, days before
the vicious elections of 1824 and 1828. The Hermitage
appears in the background.

Jackson won a stunning victory over Adams in both the popular vote and in the Electoral College. The opposition had been badly beaten. But so had Rachel Jackson. She suffered from the knowledge that awaiting her in Washington, D.C. was a social establishment that had relished the gossip thrown about during the campaign and would never accept her as anything but a pipe-smoking, illiterate country woman who would be an embarrassment to the nation. Upon hearing the news of Andrew’s election to the Presidency she replied, “For Mr. Jackson’s sake I am glad. For my own part I never wished it.”

Rachel Jackson just before her husband's
election to the Presidency.

On a trip into Nashville with friends to be fitted for her inaugural gown, Rachel overheard some gossip about herself and came across a campaign pamphlet that revealed to her the full extent of the vile attacks that had been made upon her during the campaign. She broke down into uncontrollable sobbing and became nearly hysterical. A few days later, on December 17^th, 1828, she suffered a stroke, the result of deteriorating health and the emotional stress that had accumulated within her during her husband’s two presidential campaigns. She was placed in bed where she seemed to be on her way to recovery. But she became restless and uneasy during the evening of December22nd, 1828, and her servant Hannah helped her to her chair near the fireplace in her bedroom where she smoked her pipe silently. Then, in a faint and faraway voice she said, “I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to live in that palace in Washington.” Shortly thereafter she cried out, “I’m fainting!” and she fell unconscious into Hannah’s arms. Moments later, she was dead.

The entranceway and stairway which was busily
used by those called in to try and save Rachel's life.

Jackson was devastated. He stood by the table where her body was laid out, holding her hand, stroking her head, tears streaming down his face. Refusing to believe that she had really passed away, he insisted that four blankets be placed under her body so that if she revived she would not be uncomfortable. He remained at her side all that night and all the next day, weeping, mourning, his bowed head held in his hands, trying to understand why this had happened.

She was buried on Christmas Eve, 1828, at 1:00 in the afternoon in a spot in the Hermitage gardens which she and Andrew had chosen as their final resting place. Rachel’s body was clothed in the inaugural gown she would have worn had she lived to accompany her husband to Washington. Onlookers and friends of the General said he appeared to have aged twenty years overnight. A light drizzle and deep chill accompanied the pallbearers as they carried Rachel’s coffin to the gravesite underneath a low and steel-gray sky. During the graveside service and funeral oration Jackson was unsteady and would have, a number of times, fallen had not friends been there to hold him erect. In the uneasy silence that followed the end of the service, Andrew Jackson stood silently, trying to control himself, but the grief and tears would not stop. “I know it’s unmanly,” he said in a soft voice, “but these tears are due her virtues. She has shed many for me.” His voice rising, and with words that revealed the depth of his loss, he said, “In the presence of this dear saint, I can and do forgive my enemies. But those vile wretches who have slandered her must look to God for mercy.”

Jackson's friends said that Rachel's death
aged him 20 years overnight. Compare this
picture to those appearing in my previous posts
about him, January22, 2012, and February 23, 2012.

A few days later, just before he left for Washington, D.C to assume the Presidency, he visited Rachel’s grave with a few of Rachel’s nieces and nephews and shed more tears for his beloved wife who had been with him through all the struggles, successes and disappointments of his life and career, but who had not lived to share the crowning political achievement of his life. He cried out, “She was murdered – murdered by slanders that pierced her heart! May God almighty forgive her murderers as I know she forgave them. I never can!” A few days later he was gone. But he was frequently heard to say that he looked forward to the time when his work would be done and he could come home and spend the rest of his days near his beloved Rachel. The following video is of a song which reminds me of a tune Andrew and Rachel might have danced to at his inauguration ball had she lived to attend. It is appropriately called "The Lover's Waltz."

Andrew Jackson never remarried and never, as far as anyone knows, ever looked at another woman. For the rest of his life he wore around his neck a miniature portrait of her. While he lived in the White House, he took it off every evening and placed it on the table next to his bed so that it would be the first thing he saw when he would awaken in the morning. He remained utterly devoted to her memory. During his Presidency, he held a large party at his home, The Hermitage, in Nashville. Congressmen, ambassadors and many important political figures were in attendance. It was a grand affair with one of Rachel’s nieces serving as hostess for the event. Jackson moved about from group to group as the evening progressed, but at one point he simply disappeared from the party. No one could find him. Servants and friends searched the house without result. Lanterns were lit and the areas around the house were searched. Still, the President was not in evidence. Finally a friend wandered back into the Hermitage gardens and there, lying prostrate on the ground, on top of Rachel’s grave, lay Andrew Jackson, shedding tears as bitter as those on the day Rachel had died. The importance, splendor and power of the office of President could never make up for the sorrow that he lived with in his heart. Respectfully giving Jackson a moment to compose himself, the friend said, “Mr. President, you must return to your guests. They are wondering where you have gone.” And taking Jackson by the arm, he helped him to his feet and led him back to a place where his heart could not follow.

This was Andrew Jackson's bedroom at The
Hermitage. Note the portrait of Rachel on the
wall in front of the bed. Andrew always said it
was, like the previously mentioned locket, the
las thing he saw before he closed his eyes at night , and
the first thing he saw upon waking in the morning.

Andrew Jackson served two terms as President of the United States, leaving a lasting impression upon both the office of President and the nation That a man from such a poor and obscure background as Andrew Jackson could become President of the United States, achieve such a high status, proved to many the success of the American experiment in republican government. He was the first President of the United States to be truly born a “common man.”

If Andrew Jackson had died at the hand of an assassin on that dreary January day in 1835 (see my post of January 22, 2012), he may have welcomed death because the seven years he had spent without his Rachel had broken his heart. But death on that day was not to be. He lived on, retiring from the Presidency in 1837, with his hand picked successor, Martin Van Buren, elected to succeed him. He retired to the Hermitage where he lived out his years. Death came for Andrew Jackson on June 8^th, 1845. One of the last things he beheld before he died was the picture of Rachel that hung on the wall in front of his bed. Two days later he finally joined his beloved Rachel, being placed in the ground at her side in the spot they had chosen together so many years before. Jackson had thought often of heaven and being reunited with Rachel. He had been heard to say, during his last years, that, “Heaven will be no heaven for me if she is not there.” And are there any among us who, hearing this story, do not hope that they have, at last, found each other in eternity? I hope that this telling of their story has made a difference to the memory of two people who loved each other simply, sincerely and completely. A passion such as this should not be forgotten.

An amusing afterthought to the story I have just related concerns a peculiar circumstance of Andrew Jackson’s funeral in 1845. For many, many years Jackson had kept a pet parrot who, it seems, learned to repeat the more colorful and profane words that had been a regular part of Jackson’s vocabulary. Since the parrot had been a constant companion to the ex-President for so long a time, it was brought outside to be near Jackson’s grave during the funeral service.

I have been unable to confirm the type of
parrot Jackson owned. But its behavior at
his funeral indicated a long and close relationship.
The parrot would have had much time to absorbJackson's
verbal mannerisms and vocabulary. Parrots, depending
upon their size, can live anywhere from 20-70 years.

As the graveside service began, the bird proceeded, at first slowly, and then more quickly and loudly, to utter a string of coarse, foul and profane words. Those present recognized Jackson’s verbal spirit in the utterings of the bird, but they were not fully appreciated at this solemn moment. The bird continued its off-color discourse until someone, finally, took the initiative and quickly dispatched the President’s pet back into the confines of the Hermitage. The rest of the funeral proceeded without incident. I hope this story presents these two individuals as more human, more understandable, and more compelling. Jackson's public life and history are intriguing and thought provoking, but his personal life makes for an even more captivating subject to reflect upon.

A rare photographic image of Andrew
Jackson just before his death in 1845.

LET'S END ON A HUMOROUS NOTE:

"THE PRESIDENT'S SONG," BY THE ANIMANIACS.

NOTE THE LYRICS HAVING TO DO WITH THE ELECTIONS

OF 1824 AND 1828 BETWEEN ADAMS AND JACKSON

AND IN THE INTEREST OF "EQUAL TIME," HERE IS THE VERSION OF
"THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS" SUNG BY JOHNNY HORTON BUT THE
LYRICS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO TELL THE STORY FROM THE
BRITISH POINT OF VIEW. INTERESTING. DID HE DO IT TO MAKE IT LESS
OFFENSIVE TO BRITISH SENSIBILITIES? (click on the purple "watch on You Tube")

ANDREW AND RACHEL JACKSON: A LOVE STORY. VIOLENCE, DIVORCE, BIGAMY, THE JACKSON- DICKINSON DUEL OF 1806, DUELING AND THE "CODE DUELLO," THE GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL, DOC HOLLIDAY, "AND I LOVE HER," BY THE BEATLES, AND BELLA AND EDWARD FROM "TWILIGHT."

2012-02-23T22:28:00.002-06:00

Andrew Jackson, the first President to actually be born in a log cabin, had spent much of his life in love with, and deeply devoted to, his wife Rachel Donelson Jackson, and she suffered greatly at the hands of her husband’s political enemies as they tried to use the unusual and scandalous circumstances surrounding the beginnings of their relationship to destroy her husband’s political career. Theirs was one of the great love stories of our nation’s early history. They had met in 1790, when he had arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, to take up his duties as the new public prosecutor for the western part of the state. She was 21 and he was 22 years old.

Rachel Jackson nearing
middle age.

She was separated from her husband, Lewis Robards, of Kentucky, and living with her mother at the boarding house her mother ran in Nashville, Tennessee. One of the boarders there was Andrew Jackson, who took an immediate, but respectful, interest in the young Rachel. By all accounts she was a beautiful, alluring woman who was a great dancer, had a winning smile, and smoked a corncob pipe. They spent more and more time together, until her husband appeared in order to attempt to salvage their 4 year marriage. He saw the attraction between Jackson and his wife and, being a man of quick emotions and violent temper, angrily confronted Jackson on a number of occasions, accusing him of trying to steal away his wife. Jackson just as angrily denounced Robards as a scoundrel for doubting the innocence and honor of Rachel.

Andrew and Rachel are immediately attracted to each
other when they meet in Nashville. This is a still from
the 1953 film "The President's Lady," starring
Charlton Heston and Susan Hayward.

They almost came to blows during these heated arguments. In one instance, Robards threatened to kill Jackson. Jackson suggested a duel but Robards answered him with more insults and profanity. The air was temporarily cleared when Jackson left on his circuit rounds of western Tennessee and Rachel returned with her husband to Kentucky to attempt a reconciliation. She returned to Nashville weeks later after continued arguments and abuse drove her away, again, from her husband. Robards followed her back to Nashville, where he accused Jackson of being too intimate with his wife. Jackson threatened to cut off Robard’s ears if he ever again suggested that he and Rachel had anything but an honorable relationship. Robards had a warrant for disturbing the peace served on Jackson, and Robards, a constable and several guards marched Jackson under guard to appear before a magistrate. During the walk, Jackson borrowed a hunting knife from one of the guards and, glancing threateningly at Robards from time to time, carefully examined the sharp blade of the weapon.

This is actually a "Bowie knife," not a hunting knife.
I show it here because of Jackson's connection to
David Crockett and the Alamo. (See my post of January
22, 2012: 1st presidential assassination attempt). Jim
Bowie, after whom the knife is named,died there
with Crockett in March, 1836.

Robards got the message, and, losing his nerve, fled from Jackson into the woods. All charges were dismissed since Robards was not present when the party arrived at the magistrate’s court. Later that year rumors spread that Robards had returned to Kentucky and had asked permission to proceed with divorce. Assuming that Robards had in fact gotten the divorce, Andrew and Rachel married in 1791.

1790s wedding dresses. Did Rachel
wear one similar to this during her TWO
weddings to Andrew?

But the divorce was not granted until two years later, 1793. So, it turned out that Rachel and Andrew were not legally married at all and that Rachel was, technically, a bigamist. Finding out that their marriage was not a legal one, Andrew and Rachel went through a second marriage ceremony to bring them into accordance with the law. Jackson thought the issue was resolved and would be a forgotten footnote to the lives of him and his wife.

Charlton Heston and Susan Hayward play
Andrew and Rachel Jackson in the 1953 film
"The President's Lady," which is based upon the
Irving Stone novel of the same name.

However, as his prominence as a politician grew, his political enemies used the issue of his “stealing” of Robards' wife and their living together without being legally married to smear Jackson’s reputation and moral character whenever possible. The attacks on Rachel were particularly vicious because she was a woman and, according to the ideas of the day, could not defend herself against attacks on her character.

The Irving Stone novel that
inspired the 1953 movie.

But Andrew Jackson considered any attack on the character of Rachel an attack on himself. And if she could not defend herself against such insults, he would step in and defend her himself, to the death if necessary. On May 30^th, 1806, Andrew Jackson fought a duel with a man named Charles Dickinson and found himself, for the sake of his wife Rachel, nearly a dead man.

A short video clip of Susan Hayward accepting an award for

"The President's Lady" and a trailer for the film. History texts
never mention the passion these two felt for each other, which
might turn them into understandable human beings for us.

In late 1805 and early 1806, as a result of gossip and a minor misunderstanding having to do with a race one of Jackson’s horses had won, a few reckless words spoken about Rachel’s character turned into a major incident that almost ended Jackson’s political career, as well as his life. Charles Dickinson was a young, reckless, arrogant attorney who was a partial owner of the horse defeated by Jackson’s horse in the race and was reported to be the best pistol shot in the state of Tennessee.

Single shot dueling pistols.

In a tavern while drinking with friends he made some disparaging comments about Rachel and when Jackson heard of them he sought out Dickinson, confronted him face to face, and demanded an explanation. Dickinson, startled by the sudden confrontation, lamely explained that if he had made any rude comments about Mrs. Jackson, he had made them while drunk and did not mean what he said. Jackson accepted this public explanation and left the tavern.

Tavern scene, early 1800s.

But the matter did not end there. Political enemies of Jackson were said to have encouraged Dickinson to continue making disparaging remarks about Jackson and his wife. Troublemakers who were acquainted with the tension between the two men also spread inaccurate reports of comments made by both individuals. Jackson then received another report of Dickinson making an insulting comment about the moral character of Rachel and this, in addition to other misunderstandings, both real and imagined, caused Jackson to write a letter to Dickinson, challenging him to a duel so as to receive “satisfaction” according to the code of honor lived by gentlemen of social standing.

"Gentlemen" settling an argument by getting
"satisfaction" on the field of honor.

The “seconds”, or personal representatives, of each party met to arrange the time, place and circumstances of the meeting. Jackson and Dickinson were to meet on the morning of January 31^st, 1806, and, at a distance of 24 feet, were to each be armed with a single shot pistol and could fire at will upon a signal given by an agreed upon individual. In the days leading up to the duel Dickinson publicly displayed his skill with the pistol by firing 5 shots into a target the size of a silver dollar at a distance of 24 feet. He also amazed observers by hanging a piece of string from a limb of a tree and splitting it in two with a single shot. Dickinson was then supposed to have said, “If General Jackson comes along this road, show him that!” Bets were being placed by people in Nashville and most of the money was being wagered on Dickinson to win. Dickinson himself had wagered $300.00 on himself that he would kill General Jackson. While practicing, Dickinson had outlined Jackson’s form on a tree and had boasted of how many times he had hit it.

John Overton, Jackson's close,
personal friend and political ally,
who served as Jackson's "second" at the
1806 duel with John Dickinson.

Jackson was aware of the superior skill of his opponent and, with the help of his friend John Overton, worked out a strategy for engaging his adversary. Jackson wore an oversize blue frock coat and trousers that hid his thin and angular frame underneath a billowing layer of material. Also, he decided to let Dickinson fire first so that the impact from a bullet would not spoil his aim, if he were trying to fire at the same time. Then, even if injured, he could steady himself and return fire. He meant to do this, he said, even if it were the last act of his life. The men met just across the border of Tennessee in Kentucky, amidst a clearing in a forest of poplar trees. Stakes had been placed in the ground 24 feet (8 paces) apart and the men took their places with pistols in their right hands.

Duelists did not stand back-to-back and
take ten paces before turning and firing
at their opponent. Movies have created
this misconception.

Jackson stood slightly angled, not placing his body directly facing Dickinson, thus exposing even less of a target for Dickinson to shoot at. John Overton, Jackson’s friend, had won the right to supervise the duel and give the signal to fire. Overton asked, “Are you ready?” And when both Jackson and Dickinson answered “I am ready,” Overton said “Fire!” Dickinson quickly raised his pistol, aimed, and fired. The bullet streaked across the 8 paces separating the men, grazed Jackson’s shoulder and struck his chest, shattering two ribs and lodging in his chest an inch from his heart. Jackson’s left arm shot up to the hole in his chest, covering a wound that was bleeding profusely but was hidden by his baggy coat. Jackson wavered momentarily, grimacing in pain, his chest throbbing, and then stood erect and still, desperately trying to regain his composure. Jackson slowly and with great deliberation raised his pistol and aimed it at Dickinson. Dickinson was struck with terror to see that Jackson was still standing and cried, “My God, have I missed him?” as he stepped a few paces backwards away from Jackson.

The classic look of "fear" by Janet Leigh in
Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film "Psycho." Did Dickinson
feel hopeless terror like this when staring down the barrel of
Jackson's dueling pistol. (NOTE: Hitchcock used chocolate syrup for
the blood that appears in the famous shower scene.)

This moving from the assigned station was a violation of the rules that dictated behavior during duels between gentlemen. Overton, raising his pistol, and aiming it at the terrorized man, said, “Back to the mark, sir!” If Dickinson had refused to step back to his assigned mark or had turned to run from the field, Overton would have been obliged to shoot him. But Dickinson did calm himself enough to return to his assigned place and, with his body squarely facing Jackson across the empty space between them, folded his arms across his chest to protect his vital organs and bowed his head and awaited his opponent’s return fire.

Dickinson must have felt terror staring
at the poised pistol in Jackson's hand.

Dickinson was now at the mercy of Jackson and could do nothing to escape whatever fate sent screaming towards him out of the barrel of Jackson’s pistol. It was within Jackson’s power to refuse to shoot at his opponent or to fire a shot into the air, ending the duel. But Jackson had made a promise to his friends that he would hit or wound Dickinson in order to teach the young man a lesson – he was a loudmouthed, reckless man who was a public nuisance and had disgraced the honor of both himself and his defenseless wife. With those thoughts racing through his mind, pain racking his chest, and remaining standing through sheer willpower, he pulled the trigger. The hammer stopped at half-cock, not detonating the powder in the barrel of his pistol. For a moment, time stopped, and then Jackson re-cocked his pistol and pulled the trigger again. This time the pistol flashed as the bullet exploded from the muzzle of his gun and, with a lethal velocity, shrieked towards Dickinson’s downcast, awaiting figure. The bullet slammed into Dickinson’s abdomen just below his ribs, sliced a jagged trail through his intestines and exited his body on the other side. Dickinson spun around and fell to the ground, his doctor running over to him and tearing open his clothing trying to stem the flow of blood from the wound. The doctor instantly recognized the wound as a fatal one. Dickinson was slowly bleeding to death.

A picture drawn of Jackson killing
Dickinson in their 1806 duel. (Other
sources dispute this, and say it is an image
of the Hamilton-Burr duel, 1804).

Jackson immediately began walking from the field, determined to reveal nothing to his opponents about his injuries or his pain. About a hundred yards from the site of the duel, his surgeon noticed that his shoe was full of blood. “My God, General Jackson, are you hit?” he asked Jackson. Jackson responded with the words, “Oh! I believe that he has pinked me a little. Let’s look at it.”

Promotional poster for the film "The
President's Lady" that refers to the
charges of adultery leveled at Rachel, and,
in the background, a silhouette of Jackson
fighting a duel in defense of her honor.

There was nothing the doctor could do but bandage the wounds the best he could and return Jackson to his home as quickly as possible. Jackson was confined to his bed for nearly a month and more months passed before he could move around without considerable pain and discomfort. When asked afterwards how he had managed to return fire when he himself was so badly wounded, Jackson revealed the power of his determination by saying, “I’d have hit him if he shot me through the brain.” The injury never healed properly and for years afterwards Jackson felt the agonizing effects of this perilous gunfight with Charles Dickinson. He carried the bullet next to his heart for the rest of his life, sometimes thinking of it as a symbol of the extent he would go to passionately defend the honor and reputation of his beloved Rachel. This love story makes me try to think of a contemporary couple that have a comparable passion, romantic connection, protectiveness and devotion. That's a difficult one. Historically, there have been Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet (I know, they're fictional),...your list is as good as mine. But here is a pick to relate the Rachel-Andrew story to the young people of today: Edward and Bella from the Twilight books and films. Enjoy the music and film clips:

Or if you prefer a more traditional and/or historical approach to the comparison of Rachel and Andrew to the present day, how about this song by the Beatles accompanied by a photo montage of beautiful women from Hollywood films. Andrew saw Rachel as his "star." Because of the extremes he went to defend the honor of his beloved wife, what else could I imagine him saying but, "And I Love Her."

A DIGRESSION AND WRAP-UP.

The practice of dueling, though often outlawed in most states, moved westward with the expansion of the U.S. after the Civil War. Many Southerners brought with them their "code of honor" that they were ready to protect with their lives. As a matter of fact, many gunfights were between "unreconstructed" Southerners who felt the Civil War had not been lost and seized any opportunity to prove that fact to any Northern cowboy, rancher or citizen who begged to differ.

"Wild West" shootout. Hollywood movies
made them appear to be everyday occurrences.
They weren't. Most "shootout" victims got shot
in the back or from ambush ("bushwacking").

Plus, the Civil War had made many men very familiar, and skilled, with firearms. In the West, law was often unavailable to those who lived there. As a result, the "code duello" (code of the duel), morphed into what has come to be known as the "gunfight." It has been portrayed in numerous western films as a shootout/confrontation between individuals who decided to settle their differences with weapons. Actually, the classic one-on-one fast-draw shootout was quite rare and very few were ever recorded. But those few are quite famous. To end this story, then, I connect Andrew Jackson's duel with Charles Dickinson with two actual events concerning "Doc" Holliday, Wyatt Earp and Tombstone, Arizona. The Gunfight at the OK Corral (one of the most realistic renderings of the gunfight ever put on film), and a confrontation at a gambling table between "Doc" Holliday and a man named Ed Bailey who didn't like Doc very much (this incident really happened and is not made up). Hope you like them. Watch the films "Wyatt Earp" and "Tombstone" if you have not seen them.

Ed Bailey-Doc Holliday showdown. That's his girlfriend,

Kate Elder, who gives him a hand during his getaway.
Note that the cards Doc lays on the table have no markings
on them, a historical detail that some films miss.

"Wyatt Earp" starring Kevin Costner, gunfight at the OK corral. As famous as it is,

it really only lasted about 30 seconds and happened very much as portrayed here.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME: JACKSON'S RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY, RACHEL'S

DEATH, ANDREW'S GRIEF, AND A FUNNY BUT TRUE STORY

ABOUT HIS FUNERAL (PLUS SOME CONNECTIONS AND SURPRISES.

FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT AND "THE CHILDREN'S HOUR," HIS RELAXATION RITUAL IN THE WHITE HOUSE. JOKES, COCKTAILS, THE MARTINI, GOSSIP, J. EDGAR HOOVER, ELEANOR AND LUCY MERCER, THE RADIO, BENNY GOODMAN, JO STAFFORD, THE "JITTERBUG" AND "BOOGIE WOOGIE," AND HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW.

2012-02-18T19:29:00.001-06:00

As the year 2000 approached, lists of all kinds began to appear ranking the most important, most popular, most significant...etc...people and things of the last century. Time magazine rated Franklin Delano Roosevelt the most important and significant President of the United States in the 20th century. He was the leader of our nation during the time when "the greatest generation" came of age during the course of The Great Depression and WW II. The stress of leading the U.S. and working with its allies through these two cataclysmic events took its toll on his health, and it was important for him to find a way to relax every day so that he could continue to face the challenges of his responsibilities.

Tom Brokaw christened the Americans who
experienced and triumphed over both the Great
Depression and WW II "The Greatest Generation."

One of the primary ways in which FDR dealt with the stress of his responsibilities was to convene each day in his second floor study in the White House a gathering of friends and associates that he called "The Children's Hour." This room was FDR's favorite room in the White House, filled with so many of the things he loved: model ships, naval prints and maps on the walls, his beloved stamp collection, book cases overflowing with his favorite texts, and overstuffed leather chairs and sofas in which visitors could lounge in the peaceful atmosphere of the room. It was in this room that FDR transacted much of the important business of his Presidency - but NOT during "The Children's Hour." During this interlude, which might last for a couple of hours, no business of state or any serious discussions of any sort were to be undertaken.

FDR's second floor study in the White House.
"The Children's Hour" took place here when he
was in Washington, D.C.

It was a time FDR set aside to meet informally with his political family and friends. He had begun this tradition during his years as Governor of New York, and had institutionalized it during his years in the White House. The list of individuals who attended these gatherings included Harry Hopkins, Frances Perkins, "Missy" LeHand, Edwin "Pa" Watson, cabinet members, visiting politicos from across the U.S. and Senate and House members who felt like "stopping by"to have some "fun" with the President. As mentioned above, no talk of politics, Depression or war was allowed. Jokes, gossip, and funny stories and anecdotes from the day were the topics of conversation. FDR would tell his own tales while engaging in one of his favorite pastimes, that of mixing drinks for all of his guests. He would sit in his wheel chair next to a table filled with the alcoholic beverages necessary to make any kind of drink for his visitors. Martinis seemed to be the preferred drink. As people would filter into the second floor study, they would approach the President, say "hello," and the President would ask them what they would like to drink.The guest made a request and the President made the drink and gave it to him or her. As the "Children's Hour" went on the atmosphere became loose, loud and full of gaiety. This was FDR's time to relax and enjoy himself.

FDR with his secretary "Missy" LeHand, who served
him in that capacity from 1920 until 1941when she
suffered a stroke. Rumors of a romantic relationship
between them have persisted. She was totally
devoted to his happiness and well-being.

FDR, it must be said, was quite a gossip and was always more than eager to hear the latest story or rumor making the rounds of Washington. As a matter of fact, FDR and J. Edgar Hoover got along quite well during FDR's years as President. Hoover had the dirt on most everyone and FDR would often call J. Edgar on the phone and ask him what tidbits of scandal he had uncovered. Hoover, being a gossip himself, and a collector of "secrets," was more than happy to oblige. Even when FDR was in residence at Hyde Park, his family home on the Hudson River, or on his weekly excursion on the Presidential yacht, The Potomac, the observance of this "Children's Hour" ceremony was brought along with him. Poker games with members of his cabinet were another activity that provided an escape from the daily worries of his Presidential duties. Again, drinking , jokes and gossip were the rules of etiquette at these gatherings.

Hoover was the source of some
of the gossip that FDR enjoyed.

Why was this interlude of entertainment and down time referred to by FDR as "The Children's Hour?" What does this term have to do with the President and his need for relaxation? The answer leads to a coincidence. In 1882 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published a poem titled "The Children's Hour." It is one of the most beautiful, touching American poems ever written in honor of the love a father feels for his children. It is an expression of the joy and contentment that FDR, perhaps, longed for during the tempestuous times he was leading the nation. Here is a video of a recitation of the poem. Listen to the feelings of domestic comfort and happiness at the core of the poem.

And here is the great coincidence. Franklin Roosevelt was born in the same year Longfellow published this poem, 1882. Growing up, FDR was undoubtedly familiar with these verses and, years later, used the title to this beautiful poem to give a name to the pastime he created for himself in trying to recreate the serenity and comfort he so much needed and desired. My imagination connects the children of the poem with the friends FDR surrounded himself with during his own "Children's Hour." FDR often remarked that he felt like one of the loneliest people alive. Power and responsibility can isolate a public figure, and this feeling must have been a severe burden for the naturally social, cheerful and optimistic President.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, author of
the poem "The Children's Hour."

During the daily respite of "The Children's Hour," a radio would be playing in the background in the second floor White House study. Music would have added another dimension to the relaxation of the moment. What would have been playing? It's only a small leap of imagination to fill in this part of the story. Here is a popular song of WW II sung by Jo Stafford that, more than likely, played in FDR's study during "The Children's Hour." I use this video rendition of the song because, along with the song, it uses combat footage to illustrate the anxiety and agitation FDR was trying to escape, if only for a short time. (After you click on the "play" icon, select the purple words "Watch on You Tube.")

Jo Stafford singing "I'll Be Seeing You,'" one of the great

songs to come out of the WW II experience.

Needless to say, FDR's wife, Eleanor, only rarely put in an appearance at "The Children's Hour." She had been raised a proper Victorian woman, and she worked very hard in support of her husband and his programs. Her focus was on all of the work to be done, and she saw this gathering as a waste of precious time that needed to be spent on pressing issues. She was always writing notes to Franklin telling him about this problem, that issue, a new idea or a controversy that needed to be handled. One of the last things Franklin saw before he went to bed at night was a stack of handwritten notes on his bedside table from Eleanor, demanding his attention. She was an indispensable part of his work, but she sometimes drove him to distraction. Their daughter, Anna Roosevelt, once related an incident in the White House during which Eleanor's petulant insistence upon her husband attending to a stack of official papers and reports during his "cocktail hour" resulted in FDR flinging the entire stack of papers across the room. The integrity of "The Children's Hour" was to be maintained.

Eleanor Roosevelt earlier in her
married life to Franklin.

A DIGRESSION ON ELEANOR, FRANKLIN AND LUCY MERCER.

Their relationship had evolved into a political, rather than personal, partnership because of Eleanor's discovery in 1918 of an affair he was having while he was serving as Undersecretary of the Navy in President Woodrow Wilson's cabinet. On his way back from an official trip to England (he met Winston Churchill, who did not think much of the young man) on a U.S. naval ship, he came down with a severe case of the Spanish flu. Upon arrival in New York City, FDR was brought home to be cared for. Eleanor, between her nursing duties, unpacked his suitcases and discovered a packet of letters from Lucy Mercer, who was Eleanor's social secretary and, practically speaking, a close member of their family circle.

Lucy Mercer, a more
formal pose.

Lucy, in an informal moment.

When Franklin recovered she confronted him with the letters and offered him a divorce if he wanted one. But FDR's mother forbade it and threatened to cut Franklin out of the family's inheritance if he proceeded. She was not about to allow her son to sacrifice his future political career over this matter. Eleanor gave Franklin an ultimatum: either promise to never see Lucy Mercer again or she would seek a divorce herself. He promised to never see her again. He did not keep this promise. Lucy and FDR kept in contact over the years. He sent her a secret invitation and ticket to attend his inauguration as President in 1933 and supplied her with a private car. Their "secret" meetings were frequent enough that the Secret Service had a code name for Lucy Mercer, "Mrs. Johnson." She visited him in the White House a number of times when Eleanor was away, saw him at the winter White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, and was with him when he died there of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945. Many historical sources consider her to be the love of his life. I highly recommend the book Lucy, by Ellen Feldman, a historical novel told in Lucy's voice that offers an interesting perspective on the story of their relationship.

END OF DIGRESSION

So Eleanor's presence at these "Children's Hour" gatherings was very rare. On one occasion, however, the following incident supposedly occurred. The atmosphere was loose and loud in the second floor study when the door opened and Eleanor strode into the room. She raised her head slightly and gazed at the assembled people, looking down her nose a bit, giving every indication of her disapproval of this waste of precious time. The guests became quiet, wondering what to make of her surprising appearance. FDR turned to her and asked what she had been doing all day. She answered that she had attended a number of important meetings and had gathered some crucial information concerning official White House business. The suggestion was that she had been busy at work while those present had been wasting time drinking and gossiping. As she walked further into the room she passed close by her husband's wheelchair, which was placed next to the table full of alcoholic beverages necessary for him to mix drinks for his guests.

The Martini: the preferred drink of
"The Children's Hour."

NOTE:
It's called a "martini," dating from 1899, because of the famous brand of vermouth, "Martini and Rossi," which was popularly used to make this drink. Other word historians think there
actually was a bartender named Martini, either Spanish or Italian, who invented the drink and gave it his name, thus immortalizing himself. Take your pick.

Just as Eleanor was close to FDR he raised his hand and loudly slapped her ass with the palm of his hand and exclaimed, "Well, did you talk about that big, fat ass of yours at any of those meetings today?" All of the guests were stunned. Silence fell upon the room. After all, the President had just slapped Eleanor on the ass in public. What was going to happen next? Eleanor stopped immediately, remaining as still as a statue, her anger rising, but she managed to regain control of herself. She then turned around, faced FDR and said, "Actually, Franklin, your name never came up once during any of my meetings today." Then she walked out of the room. (Note: I relate this with a touch of skepticism because various versions of this joke existed prior to this period. BUT, it does two things I appreciate. First, it makes Franklin and Eleanor into more than two-dimensional cardboard characters, especially in light of the Lucy Mercer affair. The tension between husband and wife is highlighted in this story. Second, it is a "hook" that provides the potential to engage individuals in a larger picture being presented concerning The Great Depression, WW II and the relationship between FDR and Eleanor.)

BACK TO THE RADIO, SWITCHING GEARS:

What might have been playing on the radio in the background as the preceding incident took place? How about this song, one of the classics of the big band era? I equate it with the
ever-present optimism that FDR modeled for those around him.

BENNY GOODMAN, "SING, SING, SING."

And, just for fun, and in honor of "The Children's Hour," let's take a look at the "jitterbug" dancing that was done by young people (children?) during the years FDR was in the White House. Although he could not dance himself, I could imagine him daydreaming of doing this dance with a woman he loved. And who would that be?

THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING CLIP.

And if you have the time, here is a nine minute film that was shown as a short subject in movie theaters in 1944. It takes viewers through the older dances (the waltz, for example) that contributed steps to the "jitterbug" and "boogie-woogie" dance craze of the 1940s. It's a terrific film and an interesting historical piece, but if you are short of time (which I hope you are not) fast forward to the last half of the film when the dancers really show their stuff. It's amazing!

SHORT SUBJECT ON "JITTERBUG" AND "BOOGIE WOOGIE"

DANCING IN THE 1940s.

FINISHING UP: FDR, "THE CHILDREN'S HOUR," AND ELEANOR.

The complex nature of the relationship between Franklin and Eleanor has been written about and speculated upon extensively. They were not cardboard characters living two-dimensional lives. My post has been an attempt to bring a measure of consideration to their humanity, their strengths and weaknesses and the love and loss they felt for each other. Near the end of FDR's life in late 1944 and early 1945 he was extremely ill. The picture below illustrates the extent to which the pressures of his work had taken their toll on his health.

FDR just prior to his death.
The Presidency has taken its toll.
Compare this picture with the one at
the beginning of this post.

No matter how ill he was, however, he still maintained the tradition of "The Children's Hour." It is a touching detail of the intricacies of their relationship, that near the end of his life FDR asked Eleanor to come in to his beloved second floor study to mix and pour the martinis and other drinks for his guests who came for his daily ritual gathering. She did so without complaint or judgment. And it is with that loving gesture toward him in my mind that I wish to end the story.

NOTE: READ THIS BOOK.

I dedicate this post to Ms. Goodwin.
This book won the Pulitzer Prize and
is the finest work of historical biography
I have ever read. I would be terribly remiss
not recommending it.

WHY DOES THE YELLOW RIBBON REPRESENT THE DESIRE FOR A LOVED ONE TO RETURN HOME SAFELY? A STROLL THROUGH SUBJECTS SUCH AS THE "BUFFALO SOLDIERS," THE CAVALRY IN THE "WILD WEST," RASTAFARIANS AND BOB MARLEY, MARCUS GARVEY, DREADLOCKS, TONY ORLANDO AND DAWN, THE IRANIAN HOSTAGE CRISIS AND "THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN."

2012-02-12T22:57:00.001-06:00

A family in my neighborhood has a son serving in Afghanistan. Outside their house yellow ribbons are tied around the trunks of the numerous trees located along the street. It got me to thinking of how the yellow ribbon became a symbol for the concern families and individuals feel for those loved ones far away serving our country in life-threatening circumstances. It symbolizes the hope felt that those loved ones will return safely.

This is the story I discovered. In the years after the Civil War (1861-1865) the army was severely downsized while at the same time being faced with the need to protect settlers as they rapidly moved westward into the Great Plains, lands which had been promised "in perpetuity" to the Native Americans living there. (See my post of January 22nd, 2012, concerning Andrew Jackson and the "Trail of Tears.") The U.S. Army Cavalry was sent to the Plains to protect wagon trains going westward, homesteaders who had purchased cheap land from the federal government and to rein in the angry response Native Americans had to this encroachment upon what they considered their homelands.

Custer's defeat in 1876 is the most famous
expression of the outrage felt by the Plains Indians.

After training, soldiers who were to be posted to the frontier would get a brief leave to return home to say good-bye to families, loved ones and sweethearts. When the time for final departure approached, many of these soldiers would leave something behind with their loved ones as a reminder of them while they were away. The yellow bandana that was a part of the cavalry uniform became the item most often left behind, and, as time passed,it became almost a ritual to leave this colorful item with the one most dear to a soldier's heart. Families or sweethearts of absent soldiers would wear the bandanas on clothing or in their hair, place them in windows, simply carry them in a pocket or handbag, or hang them from a tree or bush in the front of their homes. Listen to the words of the theme song for the 1949 classic John Ford film, "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon." It tells the story of a sweetheart and a cavalryman's yellow ribbon (i.e., bandana).

Some sources report that this tradition started with the black cavalry soldiers on the Great Plains. They, supposedly, were the first to practice this custom, and it later spread to soldiers of all races and nationalities. These black cavalry units were some of the best fighting units stationed on the frontier. However, following policies begun during the Civil War, they were all led by white officers. They were the most highly decorated units in the entire frontier cavalry, had the lowest desertion rates of any other units and, because of their superior fighting ability, were greatly respected and feared by the Native Americans of the Plains.

"Buffalo Soldier" re-enactors. Note the yellow bandanas.

The Plains Indians so admired the bravery and fighting ability of these black troops that they honored them with the name "Buffalo Soldiers." This was a gesture of recognition that was at first not understood by the U.S. Army. The buffalo was a sacred animal to the Plains Indians and it was only with a great deal of thought that they bestowed this name on their adversaries.

The American Bison, The sacred animal of the Plains
Indians that gave the "Buffalo Soldiers" their name.

The buffalo was the basis of the entire life-style and culture of the nomadic Plains Indian tribes. The thick, kinky, wiry hair of the black soldiers reminded the Indians of the hair on the mane on their sacred buffalo. Thus can be understood the seriousness of the comparison made when they gave this name to their enemy. "Buffalo Soldiers" were to be respected, but feared as well.

Respected and feared, both!

So the color yellow was established as the symbol of loved ones away fighting in wartime. This sets the stage for one of my favorite music videos, "Buffalo Soldiers" by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The lyrics are replete with "Rastafarian" references, but that is another story that I will touch upon briefly below. Listen to the lyrics closely and you will hear mention of the black man as wandering in the wilderness of the Americas, longing for his homeland, Africa.

A NOTE/DIGRESSION ON "RASTAFARIANS."

Marcus Garvey, the most influential
black person in the U.S. during the 1920s.

The Rastafarian religion traces its roots back to Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican immigrant to the U.S. who founded the "back to Africa" movement during the 1920s. Garvey was a black nationalist who predicted that a black man would one day become a king in Africa. His prophecy was fulfilled in 1930 when Haile Selassie became King of Ethiopia. Rastafarians refer to Haile Selassie (he died in 1975) as the "Lion of Judah" and claim he was a direct descendant of King Solomon of the Old Testament and the Queen of Sheba (a black East African ruler).

King Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
"The Lion of Judah." Rastafarians
consider him a god-like figure.

Rastafarians believe that black people in the Americas are ancestors of the ancient Israelites, and one of the lost tribes of Israel. Rastafarians see themselves as living in exile and see Africa, but especially Ethiopia, as their homeland and "promised land." Marijuana ("ganja") is referred to by Rastafarians as "the wisdom weed," and they believe it was found growing on the grave of King Solomon. They believe that smoking "ganja" brings them closer to God. Most true Rastafarians, however, will not touch alcohol because they believe white men used it to get Africans drunk and, thus, more easily enslave them. True Rastafarians refer to themselves as "Ethiopian warriors" and grow their hair into long "dreadlocks," a hairstyle believed to be borrowed from the Masai and Somali tribesmen of eastern Africa.

Masai women braiding their hair in East Africa.
Dreadlocks perhaps came from this practice.

Dreadlocks have been adapted as a hairstyle
by many who are not Rastafarians.

Rastafarians also believe that the black race is holy and beautiful, and the day is coming when a reversal will occur and the white man will become the black man's servant. I wish to counter the impression that Rastafarians are merely a group of black people who wear dreadlocks and smoke marijuana. It is a serious political, religious and social movement that emphasizes liberation and has a rich and interesting history. And here is the connector: Reggae music has proven to be the most popular vehicle for transmitting the Rastafarian message worldwide. Bob Marley and the Wailers. Full circle. The message that Rastafarianism seeks to communicate is a positive one and is illustrated in the following song by,...guess who?

THE "GOLDEN RULE": LOVE

END OF DIGRESSION. BACK TO OUR STORY.

Fast Forward to the 1950s when, so the story goes, a man was released from the Georgia State Penitentiary after serving a five tear sentence and was unsure whether or not he would be welcomed back home by his wife and family. He wrote a letter to them saying that he would take the train back to his hometown and, if they wanted him back, they should decorate an apple tree near the station with a white ribbon. If there was no ribbon he would not get off the train but would continue on and start a new life elsewhere. As the train sped toward his hometown, he told the story of his imprisonment to a fellow passenger and the hope he had of seeing the ribbons on the tree which would signal his welcome home. As the train approached the town, the man became so full of dread that he could not bear to look for the hoped-for ribbons. He asked his fellow passenger to look for him, and he laid his head in his arms and awaited word. Soon, he felt a hand on his arm, and heard the words,"There it is! It's all right! The whole tree is white with ribbons!"A happy ending to this story.

How did the "white" ribbon eventually
become "yellow?"

Years later, in 1973, a song by Tony Orlando and Dawn, called "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" told this story in musical form but changed the color of the ribbons to yellow. The two men who wrote the song said they heard this story while in the military, which may be the reason for the color change. Perhaps they were aware of the story of the yellow bandanas of the cavalrymen previously mentioned above. But here they are, Tony Orlando and Dawn, singing their 1973 hit song which, by the way, sold 3 million copies in 3 weeks:

1973, 3 million copies in three weeks!!

The song had its run on the charts and faded away. Then, on November 4, 1979, the Iranian Hostage Crisis began while Jimmy Carter was entering the last year of his term as President. A group of militant Islamist students stormed and took possession of the United States Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian Revolution. Fifty-two Americans were held hostage for a total of 444 days. Finally, on January 20, 1981, just minutes after newly elected President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office, the hostages were released into United States custody and returned home. Following is a short video summary of the crisis.

The loved ones and family members of the hostages quickly adopted the yellow ribbon as the symbol of their hope for a safe return of those held in Tehran. The song, "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" shot, again, to the top of the charts and became an anthem of sorts, an expression of the hope for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Yellow ribbons appeared on trees and bushes throughout the United States and remained in place until the hostages had been returned safely home.

Penne and her son Bruce Laingen. Her husband/His father

was held hostage in Tehran. The yellow ribbon

was displayed until he came home safely. They

donated the ribbon to the Smithsonian Institute in 1991.

And if I needed any more confirmation of the validity of the story I have just told you concerning the origin of yellow as the color of choice for the ribbons that have come to symbolize the safe return home of loved ones serving in hazardous situations, I offer you this one last piece of evidence. When our daughter was 8 years old our family went into a video store (now, these stores are a piece of disappearing history!) to look for a movie to watch on a Saturday night. A VHS movie on a shelf in front of us caught our attention. We had already seen the film "The Apple Dumpling Gang" and enjoyed it. So when we saw the title "The AppleDumpling Gang Rides Again" we thought we had found our selection for the evening. I immediately noticed the yellow bandanas around the necks of both Tim Conway and Don Knotts and was reminded of the story of the yellow bandanas I have related to you. Don't film makers have historical consultants that make sure details such as this are accurate?

Walt Disney could not be wrong!

THERE IT IS. THE END. PASS IT ON.

WHY DID LEO HIRSCHFELD NAME HIS NEW PENNY CANDY THE "TOOTSIE ROLL"? HOW MANY LICKS DOES IT TAKE TO GET TO THE CENTER OF A TOOTSIE ROLL POP? AND WHAT DO THE TV SHOW "KOJAK" AND THE "CHUNKY" BAR HAVE TO DO WITH THIS? PLUS: AL JOLSON AND "THE TOOTSIE ROLL DANCE."

2012-02-05T18:35:00.003-06:00

The "Tootsie Roll" is 116 years old this year (2012). Who invented it? How did it get its name? The story goes something like this. Leo Hirschfeld (other sources spell his name Hirschfield) was an Austrian immigrant who came to the United States in 1884, arriving in New York City with very little money and a set of skills that set him apart from many other immigrants: he was a candy maker. His father had been a confectioner in Austria so Leo landed in America with some family recipes and a desire to be a success.

A picture of Leo Hirschfeld later in life.

He settled in Brooklyn, opened up a tiny candy shop, and proceeded to make a living for himself. His candy shop did not sell much chocolate, if any, because it was still quite expensive and available only to those who could afford it. Leo's shop specialized in hard candies and penny candies of all sorts, catering to the tastes and budgets of neighboring children and their families.

A recreation of an old "penny candy" display.

During the ensuing years he got married and began raising a family. In 1891 his favorite child was born, a daughter named Clara. As Clara grew up she began to realize how fortunate (insert "cool," "neat" or any other word you wish here) she was to have a dad who was a candy maker. So in 1895-1896, the following scenario played out many times as Leo Hirschfeld walked down the street toward his home after a day of work at his candy shop.

1890s Brooklyn candy shop

Clara would wait for him, and when she saw him coming down the street she would run toward him, jump into his arms and say, "Daddy, Daddy, make me some candy!" His skills made it easy for him to say yes to Clara's request. He would go into the kitchen of his home and gather whatever was available (sugar, cocoa, butter, milk, molasses, etc...) and cook up a concoction that he would pour in small coin-sized dabs onto a baking sheet to cool. When it had hardened he would pry these candies off the baking sheet and give them to Clara. She was thrilled. Children are not good at keeping a fact like this secret. Soon, Clara's neighborhood friends would also gather to await the arrival of Mr. Hirschfeld so that they could sample some of the candy he would make for his daughter.

In 1896 it finally occurred to him that if the neighborhood children loved this candy so much he should consider selling it at his candy shop. At work he experimented with the recipe, came up with a version of the product he wanted to produce (a chewy chocolate candy with an oblong, roll shape) and planned to market it as the first piece of wrapped penny candy in the U.S. But a wrapper begs the question of a name for the product. What would he call this new confectionary invention? He tried a number of names but none seemed satisfactory. Then, one day, while engaged in a bout of reverie and daydreaming he remembered the scene of him walking down the street toward his house and his daughter Clara running up to him, jumping into his arms, and saying, "Daddy, Daddy, make me some candy!" And he heard in his mind the words he always used to reply to this request: "Yes my little Tootsie I will make you some candy." The name was fixed and he soon began to sell it at his small candy shop.

This is what the wrapper of a Tootsie Roll
looked like between 1900-1910.

It quickly became a customer favorite and his store quickly grew into a thriving candy business. His product was very popular because it was chocolate in a form that would not easily melt and so could be handled and eaten even in the summertime with a minimum of inconvenience. By 1917 the "Tootsie Roll" had become a nationally-known brand of candy and Hirschfeld had moved his operations/business into a large factory in New York City and called it the "Sweets Company of America."

Leo Hirschfeld moved from a small Brooklyn
candy store to this factory by the 1900s.

During WW I (1914-1918) he developed an artificial chocolate flavoring and made Tootsie Rolls of ingredients that were not on the ration list. This helped keep the Tootsie Roll in the public eye during difficult times. It also enhanced the previously mentioned potential to eat this chocolate treat easily in hot weather. The business continued to prosper and eventually became the multi-billion dollar international company "Tootsie Roll Industries."

Associating a product with the heroic soldiers
returning from WW I was smart advertising.

IMPORTANT DATES AND FUN FACTS IN TOOTSIE ROLL HISTORY:

Today, Tootsie Roll Industries produces approximately 64 million Tootsie Rolls per day, most of them at their main manufacturing plant in Chicago, Illinois.

In 1931, during the Depression, the company introduced "Tootsie Pops." We know them today as "Tootsie Roll Pops." They are the world's best-selling "lollipop." (Some candy historians would object to classifying the Tootsie Roll Pop as a "lollipop." But, that is another story.)

Early 1950s Tootsie Roll Pop commercial.

Tootsie Rolls were very popular during the Depression because they remained an inexpensive chocolate treat that even poor families could afford to give their children to enjoy.

Tootsie Rolls were included in the ration packs of American soldiers during the Korean War. This helped popularize the candy even more after the conflict was concluded.

The Tootsie Roll began advertising on TV during the 1950s.

1970s Tootsie Roll TV commercial.

In 2009 Tootsie Rolls were certified as a kosher food product by the Orthodox Union.

Tootsie Roll Industries has sales of nearly $500 million per year and is recognized as one of the world's largest candy producers.

Tootsie Roll International has a record of replying to all letters sent to it by children.

During the 1970s Tootsie Roll Pops got a commercial boost because of a hit TV show, "Kojak." The main character, Detective Kojak, unwrapped and ate a Tootsie Roll Pop whenever he solved a crime.

Kojak and his signature Tootsie Pop.

In 1970, in a TV ad, the question, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?" was first asked. The animated character of Mr. Owl asked this still pondered question. Is there an answer? (More on this later.)

Tootsie Roll Industries produces 22 of the most popular candies in the U.S., including (besides Tootsie Rolls) Andes Mints, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Babies, Razzles, Junior Mints, Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum, DOTS, Blow Pops, and the Charleston Chew Candy Bar.

1969 (1970?) TV commercial that asks THE question.

END OF FUN FACTS, BUT WHAT ABOUT "THE" QUESTION?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop? According to my research, I have uncovered numbers ranging anywhere from 144 to 1277 licks as necessary to accomplish the feat. Variables include whether the person is licking in one spot or spinning the pop, the amount of saliva in the mouth, the time/duration of the lick, the texture of the individual tongue, the pressure exerted during the lick, the temperature of the pop itself,... the world may never know.

Mr. Owl who first posed the question
of how many licks...???

DID YOU KNOW? (A CONNECTION)

During the mid-1930s a man named Philip Silverstein created a new candy, square shaped, that included Brazil nuts, cashews and raisins. He named it after his nickname for his daughter, who was at the time a "Chunky" baby. Thus, the "Chunky Bar" was born. That's what these two candies have in common. They were each named after the nickname each man had for his daughter.

Following is a TV commercial for the "Chunky Bar." Enjoy a bit of nostalgia.

A FINAL THOUGHT.

The word "tootsie" is a variation of the word "toots" which means sweetheart or darling. The word is of obscure origin. Does that word have anything to do with the Tootsie Roll? I wonder? Enjoy these last few video clips as this story is brought to an end.

"Tootsie" trailer. Just for fun!

Al Jolson singing "Toot Toot Tootsie Good Bye"

in 1950 in "black face." And THAT is another story.

Boston University Dance Team breaks into the

rap/hip-hop inspired "Tootsie Roll Dance."

THE "CONQUISTADORES": 8 STORIES AND FACTS THEY DON'T TELL YOU IN A TEXTBOOK. FRANCISCO PIZARRO, KING ATAHUALPA, KIDNAPPING AND MURDER. BOOK BURNINGS, RATS, HUMAN SACRIFICE AND CANNIBALISM. "CALIFORNIA GIRLS" BY THE BEACH BOYS AND "CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'" BY THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS. DRINKING MOLTEN GOLD. SPANISH WORDS ENTER THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. QUEEN CALIFA, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, PONCE DE LEON AND EASTER SUNDAY, 1513.

2012-01-31T15:50:00.002-06:00

NUMBER ONE:

The "conquistadors" (Spanish for "conquerors") were known for their greed, and since Native Americans could not often stand up to the Spanish adventurers it fell to their children to find a way to show the low regard in which these newcomers were held. Thus, to make fun of the greedy strangers, native children would, in areas surrounding their villages, decorate small trees with precious jewels, pearls and pieces of gold and/or silver. The children would watch from the surrounding forest as the Spanish conquerors “discovered” this heretofore unknown type of tree - one that bore items of immense value.

The Spanish were all too ready to
believe that wealth was easily attained.

The children were amused at the foolishness of these men when they dug up the small trees and plants, placed them in containers, and carried them aboard ships traveling back to Spain. The children got the last laugh. The Spanish brought the trees all the way back to Spain in hope of propagating them and creating even more wealth for themselves. Alas, too late, the Spanish discovered that they had been made fools of.

NUMBER TWO:

A classic L.A. landmark. The Conquistadores
could not imagine what California would become.

The 1510 novel is still
in print. (see below)

In 1510 a novel was published in Spain by Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo that was set in a land or island near the west coast of North America/the New World. It was described as a paradise on Earth ruled by a magnificently beautiful black virgin queen named Califa (other stories say her name was "Calafia.".Thus, the name of this place became known as “California” when the Spanish conquistadores and colonists settled it later during that same century.

Artistic rendering of the image
of Queen Califa.

Queen Califa may have been the first, although fictional, "California girl." Another individual on that list of most notable "California girls" might be Marilyn Monroe. And think of all the famous songs having to do with California. So let's put together some images of Marilyn Monroe with the 1965 Beach Boys hit song "California Girls." (When you click on the "play" icon, you will need to select "Watch on You Tube" on the next screen.) Enjoy.

NOTE: SLIGHT DIGRESSION

The names of a number of other states are of Spanish origin. The name “Montana” comes from a Spanish word meaning “mountainous.” Nevada is Spanish for “ snow-clad.” Colorado is Spanish and means the “color red.” How did Florida get its name? Thanks to the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon, who landed there on Easter Sunday, 1513, searching for the "Fountain of Youth."

Ponce de Leon

The Spanish word “florida” means “flowering” or “blooming”, and it reminded the explorer of the day on which he arrived there, a day the Spanish refer to as the “feast of the flowers” (Easter). The Spanish name for Easter is “Pascua Florida.” Other sources believe that Ponce de Leon simply named it “Florida” because of its abundance of flowering vegetation. Take your pick.

NUMBER THREE:

In revenge for the brutal treatment they had suffered at the hands of greedy gold-seeking Spanish soldiers, some Indians poured molten gold down the throats of captured Spaniards. Brutality or poetic justice?

Aztec warriors pouring molten gold down the
throats of captured Spanish conquistadores.

NUMBER FOUR:

The Catholic religion was very important to the Spanish Conquistadores. All expeditions were accompanied by a priest whose job it was to conduct services and convert to Christianity any “heathens” they encountered. The native religions the soldiers and priests stumbled upon disgusted them because of the widespread use of human sacrifice (more on this later) and the worship of idols (no respect for diversity here!). The Spanish began an extensive program of “cleansing” by executing any Native American priests they found and by destroying the temples used in their rituals. Books and texts were burned because they were “heathen.”

The Spanish burned the "heathen" texts
of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations.

This program was so widespread, complete and effective that to this day the major religion in Central and South America is Catholicism. However, the historical/archaeological loss was and is immeasurable. The extensive number of native texts concerning history, mathematics, science, medicine...etc...were all destroyed in the name of Christ. Book burning is not just a piece of history. Continued controversies about such books as Huckleberry Finn and Catcher In the Rye remind us of the potential for a curbing of one of our essential rights: freedom of expression. The following You Tube video tells a story:

Ray Bradbury's book Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of

a society in the future that has banned the possession of all books.

NUMBER FIVE:

Rats originated in Asia, along the rivers and streams of China, as well as in the rice paddies of Southeast Asia. They were unknown in Europe until the Crusades helped bring them from the Holy Land via both land and sea routes. They helped spread the bubonic plague throughout Europe in the 1300s, killing anywhere from a third to a half of the entire population.

Rats originated in China but came to the New World
with the conquistadores and other early explorers.

When European explorers came to the New World, they brought with them this unwanted pest that has now spread throughout the world. It is estimated that the rat population of the Earth is approximately equal to that of human beings. A female rat can bear up to seven litters a year, each litter consisting of anywhere from two to twenty-two offspring. How ironic it is, then, that rats are invaluable in scientific research. Because of certain similarities in the bodies of humans and rats, these rodents are used to develop medicines and vaccines that aid in curing disease and prolonging human life

There are approx. as many rats in the world as there
are human beings. That's pushing 7 billion!

NUMBER SIX:

Francisco Pizarro (1476-1541) conquered the Inca Empire, centered in Peru, in 1532. When the great Inca king Atahualpa first met Pizarro he mistook him for one of their gods (Viracocha), and was very welcoming of him. When Atahualpa refused to convert to Christianity, the Spanish took him prisoner and held him for ransom. Pizarro asked that a large room be filled a number of times with gold and silver, which the people of the empire did in order to rescue their king, whom they considered a god. After the ransom was paid, they killed him anyway (they strangled him before burning him at the stake) because they did not want him to be a rallying point around which the Inca empire would gather. They needed time to get out of Peru safely with their loot.

The execution of Inca King Atahualpa.

The death of Atahualpa threw the Incas into chaos and gave Pizarro and his men a chance to escape. This rape of the Inca empire brought an unimaginable amount of gold into the Spanish treasury. The purchasing power of gold dropped by at least 50% between 1532 and 1570 because the supply of gold in the commercial channels of Europe had doubled. As a reward for his conquest, Pizarro was made the Viceroy of Peru and became the richest man who had ever lived (up to that point). In fact, his wealth was so great that he was richer than all of the kings and queens of Europe combined.

Francisco Pizarro, conquistador. The richest
man the world had known up until the 16th century.

Pizarro would come to a violent end himself a short time later after he returned to Panama with his spoils. During the expedition he had executed one of the officers under his command because of a violent disagreement and accusations of plotting against Pizarro himself. Friends of this man took their revenge when, during a dinner party Pizarro was giving for some friends, they broke in and slashed Pizarro to death with knives, and, as a final insult, decapitated him with a sword. Pizarro did not live as long as he expected in order to enjoy his ill-gotten gains.

Assassination of Pizarro. This image,
however, does not show him at the dinner
table where the real event took place.

NUMBER SEVEN:

During the reign of one Spanish governor on the Isthmus of Panama in the early 1500s, the native population decreased, during an 11 year period, from approximately 2.5 million to 500,000. Slavery, brutality, disease and the execution of those natives who refused to convert to Christianity had taken their toll.

NUMBER EIGHT:

Aztec ritual of human sacrifice.

The practice of human sacrifice by the Aztecs was grisly enough to disgust even the Spanish conquistadores used to their own Inquisition and its brutal methodology. One conquistador, Bernal Diaz, explored the temple quarter of Tenochtitlan (present day Mexico City), the Aztec capital city, where he was shown baskets of human flesh that had been prepared for the ceremonial cannibalism that played a part in certain festivals. The temple walls were crusted with blood, as were the clothes and long hair of the officiating priests. Diaz said, with great disgust, that the place stank like a Spanish slaughterhouse. A great rack was filled with the skulls of thousands of people whose hearts and blood had been offered up to satisfy the insatiable Aztec gods.

Cannibalism was part of the ritual
of human sacrifice.

The cannibalism the Conquistadores stumbled on was largely motivated by the belief that the qualities of the people being consumed would be incorporated by the eating of their flesh and blood. The Aztec and Maya Indians of Mexico and Central America regularly made human sacrifices of men dressed up as their deities. After opening up their chest with a stone knife on an altar at the top of a pyramid, the heart would be taken out and, still beating, be passed around to be consumed by the onlookers/worshipers.

Original Aztec sacrificial knife.

Thus, a closer connection was forged between the deity and worshipers. Actually, it was looked upon as quite an honor to be chosen as the individual who would be dressed up as a god and sacrificed for the well-being of society. The person was chosen as much as a year in advance and was treated royally and with great respect. Whatever he or she wanted was given to them. It was a wonderful year, but it came to a sudden, but expected, end.

NOTE: DIGRESSION ON WORDS

Here is a partial list of words that have entered the English language as a result of the Spanish role in the colonization of the Americas: adobe, alligator, anchovy, armada, armadillo, barricade, bravado, cask, chinchilla, embargo, galleon, grenade, guerilla, hacienda, hoosegow, lariat, mosquito (viewed from the perspective of body count/death figures, the most dangerous animal in the world), mulatto, negro, peccadillo, pinto, pronto, ranch, renegade, silo, sombrero, stampede, stevedore, vamoose, vigilante. Each of these words has its own story. Research them, and help make these remote Spanish explorers and their Native American victims human and relevant to students of history today.

THE END:

To return to California, Queen Califa, and the desires, hopes and dreams the

"Golden State" has represented to many Americans over time, here is a video of a

song from my youth. Hope you enjoy it! (Again, click on the "play" icon, and on
the next window select "watch on You Tube.")

IT'S JANUARY. KEEP WARM. CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'...

HOW ARE WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART, MISS PIGGY, "TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR," JOSEPH HAYDN, DOM PERIGNON AND THE HISTORY OF CHAMPAGNE CONNECTED?

2012-01-25T13:24:00.003-06:00

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791), one of classical music’s greatest composers, was a musical prodigy. His father trained him from a young age and, with him, toured the capitals and courts of Europe entertaining the nobility and noted people of the musical world.

Mozart's father took his son on a number of tours
of Europe to show off his prodigious musical skills.

At the age of two Mozart was visiting a relative’s farm with his father and they passed a pig pen. The pig inside let loose with a high-pitched squeal, and the toddler shouted out “G sharp!” He had labeled the pitch of the squeal but his father doubted him. So, they went back to the house and at a keyboard the youngster played the exact note (a G sharp) the pig had made. This was a skill he demonstrated throughout his life. When hearing any note he could identify it exactly.

Couldn't resist. Is "Miss Piggy" the
world's most famous pig? Could she hit a
"G sharp" or would she be a bit "pitchy"
as the judges say on "American Idol"?

At 4-5 years of age Mozart wrote the song known by every child in the Western world, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

Piano variation of Mozart's famous song, and it's

not just for children.

Mozart wrote this as a young child, 4-5 years old.

By the age of 14 he had written his first full-fledged symphony. His talent was so prodigious from such a young age that he could sight read and play perfectly sheet music that he had never seen before. As if this were not impressive enough, he would sit before his pianoforte with his hands covered up with a velvet cloth so he could not see the keyboard. Music would be put in front of him and he would proceed to play it perfectly.

Clip from "Amadeus" that displays Mozart's natural talent. A

later scene in the film during which he plays the piano upside-down

and backwards is amazing to watch. Please note that the keys are black

on the pianoforte, opposite of the modern piano.

One of Mozart’s famous contemporaries, Franz Joseph Haydn, made a playful bet with Mozart. He wagered a case of champagne that he (Haydn) could write a piece of music that Mozart could not play. Mozart accepted the challenge.

Haydn made an unusual bet with Mozart. Also,
notice that the keys in this picture are white, not black.
A historical error?

When the day of reckoning came, Mozart sat at his pianoforte and proceeded to play the music Haydn had written. The music, as the piece went on, required Mozart’s hands to perform further and further apart on the keyboard. The last notes of the piece approached, and just as Mozart’s right and left hands were playing them, he noticed that, simultaneously, there was a single note to be played that was placed in the middle of the keyboard - an impossibility because his hands were busy at both ends of the instrument. Thinking fast, as he played the final notes at either end of the keyboard, his face shot down quickly to the indicated key/note and played it with his nose!! Haydn had tried to trick Mozart, but Mozart had outsmarted Haydn. Mozart collected his case of champagne and he shared it with everyone in attendance, a marvelous time being had by all.

Haydn and Mozart toasted each other after
Mozart won the bet. Champagne had been
invented in France during the 1600s by
a French monk named Dom Perignon.

Dom Perignon, the French
monk who invented champagne.

Now you know where the name of
this world famous champagne comes from.

NOTE:

When monk Dom Perignon first tasted the extremely "bubbly" wine that he had created he is reported to have exclaimed, "I'm tasting stars!" That's how, in my imagination, the connection between champagne and Mozart ("Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star") was made. The bet made by Haydn with Mozart also reinforced the connection.

This is a short video about the history of champagne hosted by Martha

Stewart. A concise rendition of the basic facts. She actually takes

you to see the place in France where it was invented.

COME BACK AGAIN FOR A VISIT.

CONNECTING MOZART, MISS PIGGY AND DOM PERIGNON WAS FUN TO DO.

WHICH PRESIDENT WAS THE FIRST TO HAVE AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE? AND WHAT CONNECTIONS DO LEAD PAINT, QUEEN VICTORIA, DAVY CROCKETT, AND A COOL AND DAMP JANUARY DAY HAVE TO DO WITH THIS STORY? A FEW DIGRESSIONS: THE JFK AND LINCOLN ASSASSINATIONS, JUNIUS BOOTH AND THE "TRAIL OF TEARS."

2012-01-22T15:15:00.003-06:00

In November of 2013 the 50^th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy will be remembered and much will be done to point out the significance of the event and the importance of the man who was its victim. In our nation’s history there have been a number of presidential assassinations, each one with its own story to be told. Lincoln’s and Kennedy’s murders are the best known and most familiar to Americans, those of Garfield and McKinley less so.

Having JFK's assassination caught on film helped make

this one of the unforgettable moments in U.S. history.

Lincoln's assassination has been portrayed in many films, recently

in "National Treasure 2." Americans are familiar with Lincoln

and his death because, with the exception of Jesus, more books

have been written about him than any other historical figure.

How many people know that a man named Leon Czolgosz shot William McKinley with a handgun at close range on a September day on 1901 in Buffalo, New York? (Read my previous post for more on this event and how it changed toy history.) But these events bring to mind the question who was the first President of the U.S. to have someone attempt to assassinate him? This is a story few Americans know and is never mentioned in history textbooks. But it is an interesting tale and deserves to be told. It involves one of our most famous early Presidents, a military hero, the first President of the "common people," the first President from west of the Appalachian Mountains, one of the least educated of our Presidents (He once said, "Any man who cannot think of more than one way to spell a word is a damned fool!"), a man of ferocious temper and unwavering love for his wife Rachel: Andrew Jackson.

By January, 1835 Jackson was almost 68 years old, quite elderly
for the time. It was said that he rattled when he walked because
of all the bullets he carried with him in his body as a result of the
many duels and gunfights he engaged in. He was quite infirm and
would be an easy target for a determined assassin.

Jackson was an emotional, fiery personality and aroused like emotions in both his friends and his enemies. During his years as President from early 1829 to the foggy morning of January 31^st, 1835, he had received more than 500 letters threatening his life but walked around the Capitol without escort or protection. Jackson was known to have said, “I try to live my life as if death might come at any moment.” And death nearly came for Andrew Jackson on that cool and misty morning of January 31^st, 1835, while he was attending the funeral of a Congressman from South Carolina, a personal friend, who had just died while in office.

Note the cane in this portrait. Jackson needed
it to move about because of his infirmities.

The funeral service was being held in the chambers of the House of Representatives, and Jackson, using a cane and with the assistance of a friend at his elbow, hobbled past the casket to pay his last respects and proceeded to exit the chambers and move toward the stairs of the portico of the capitol building. As the President moved through a crowd of spectators a man jumped out from behind one of the huge pillars and, standing no more than 6 feet in front of him, suddenly pulled a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at the President’s chest and pulled the trigger. The sound of a loud pop echoed off the walls of the capitol building but Jackson remained standing, surprised and startled, but unhurt – the pistol had misfired.

Richard Lawrence firing the first pistol
shot at Andrew Jackson from approx.
six feet away.

The unknown assailant quickly threw the pistol to the ground and pulled a second pistol from an inside coat pocket, took aim again at the President and pulled the trigger. By this time an enraged Jackson was charging his attacker with his cane raised, ready to beat him if he could only cover the six feet separating them. Another loud pop sounded, but the President again remained standing without any visible blood or wounds upon his body.

Two single shot, muzzle loading pistols similar
to this one were used by Richard Lawrence to
attempt to kill Andrew Jackson.

Before Jackson could reach the man, others had jumped upon the assassin and beat him into submission – one of those being Congressman David Crockett of Tennessee, a Jacksonian Democratic supporter of the President. Jackson was rushed to the White House, where he quickly recovered his composure and was soon bouncing on his knees nephews and nieces and other children from his deceased wife Rachel’s extended family. He had miraculously escaped death. Only the powder caps from each of the pistols had ignited, but the powder in each of the barrels had not, thus the bullets could not find their mark.

A foggy and damp day on January 31st, 1835,
probably saved Andrew Jackson's life.

What were the chances of this turn of events happening? A contemporary expert witness testified that the chances of two loaded weapons misfiring back to back in such a manner were 1 in 125,000! It is probable that the moist conditions of that cool and misty morning had dampened the powder in the barrels of the pistols, preventing them from firing. The next day a relative of Jackson’s re-capped the two pistols and tested them. They both fired perfectly. Jackson had indeed escaped death in a manner that defied even the odds of probability.

Jackson carried a bullet in his body
one inch from his heart as a result
of a duel he fought to defend the honor
of his beloved wife Rachel. She was a
divorced woman when he married her, a
scandalous circumstance in the 1830s.

Jackson’s attacker was a man named Richard Lawrence, an Englishman, who had lived in Washington, D.C. for several years making his living as a housepainter. Recently unemployed, he had become mentally unstable, claiming that Jackson had killed his parents (not true and not possible) and then that he, Lawrence, was an heir to the English throne and that Jackson, somehow, stood between him and his possible future ascension to it.

In 1835 Princess Victoria was being groomed to
become Queen of England on her 18th birthday.
In June, 1837, she became monarch, 2 1/2 years
after Richard Lawrence's attack on Jackson.

Actually, it seems that Lawrence blamed Jackson for his unemployed status and economic difficulties. All this came out at his hearing where he was judged insane and incompetent to stand trial and was committed indefinitely to the city jail, since there was no insane asylum in Washington, D.C. One witness to the incident was quoted as saying, “Were I inclined to superstition, the conviction that the President’s life was protected by the hand of a special providence would be irresistible.”

Lead remained a major ingredient in
commercial paints until the late 20th century.
A "Dutch Boy" paint advertisement from
the 1920s.

Note:

Lead was one of the main ingredients in paint in the 1830s. This may have been a factor in Lawrence's mental instability. He had worked with lead paints for many years, and the mental deterioration that caused him to be judged "insane" might have been the result of this occupation.

Congressman David Crockett from Tennessee.
He was one of those present at the assassination
attempt who wrestled Richard Lawrence to the ground.

Another note:

Later in 1835 Congressman David Crockett broke with Jackson and the Democrats over the Indian removal policies of the administration. President Jackson wanted all Native Americans removed to the "wilderness" west of the Mississippi River where they could live on lands that would be granted to them "forever" and where they would not be a hindrance to the expansion of white settlement in the East.

The "Trail of Tears." Jackson and Crockett broke over
this issue of the forced evacuation of Native Americans
to lands west of the Mississippi River. Thousands of Native
Americans died of disease and starvation on this long journey.

Crockett lost the support of the President and the Democrats when he opposed this policy and lost his bid for re-election. It was after this election loss that David Crockett uttered his famous words to his Tennessee constituents who had voted him out of office: "You can all go to Hell! I'm going to Texas!" And "Davy" Crockett rides off into history. But that is another story. I can't mention Davy Crockett in this story without including this song/video made famous by Walt Disney in 1955 when the Davy Crockett/coonskin cap craze swept the nation. Note: Davy Crockett never wore a coonskin cap.

Again, connections are so interesting. The assassination attempt is only the beginning of a longer story of links to other people and events. To me, my entire blog is about a way of thinking about history that I find lacking in textbooks and classrooms. I am not linear in my approach because, for me (and I found it also true for my students), the web of relationships surrounding events is much more interesting and important than "learning the facts" for a test. So I leave you with this: what do chewing gum, childbirth, the"code duello" and a parrot at a funeral have to do with all this? Contact me if you would like an answer because I may not get to these things in the immediate future. Have fun thinking that over!

Einstein also said, "Imagination is more important than
knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles
the world."

A FINAL AND SURPRISING IRONY: Andrew Jackson had a good friend who visited him at both the White House and his home, The Hermitage, in Nashville, Tennessee. This friend was the most famous actor in America. His name was Junius Booth. He had come from England years before and quickly established himself as one of the American stage's greatest talents. He had three sons. One of them was John Wilkes Booth. So,...the President who had the first assassination attempt on his life had a good friend who had a son who would, on April 14, 1865, become the first person to succeed in assassinating a President of the United States. This coincidental fact makes the story of Jackson's near assassination even more fascinating.

Junius Booth, friend of Andrew Jackson,
and father of John Wilkes Booth.

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE "TEDDY BEAR." HOW THE ASSASSINATION OF WILLIAM McKINLEY CHANGED TOY HISTORY. THE "IDEAL" TOY COMPANY, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, ELVIS PRESLEY AND "GOOD NIGHT" BY THE BEATLES.

2012-01-18T16:53:00.004-06:00

In November of 1902 President Theodore Roosevelt , dressed in hunting clothes and carrying a hunting knife and rifle, stepped from a private train onto the railroad platform of a small, rural town named Smedes, Mississippi. Immediately, he and his hosts and companions mounted saddled horses and rode off into a wild and remote wooded area of Mississippi ten miles from the nearest road.

Theodore Roosevelt

He had originally come to Mississippi to help settle a dispute between that state and Louisiana over conflicting claims to an extensive wilderness area that lay along the border of the two states. He accomplished this mission, but before he returned to Washington he decided to undertake a 5 day bear hunting expedition into an inaccessible area of Mississippi wilderness.

T.R. was probably dressed something like this
on his hunting trip to Mississippi.

Theodore Roosevelt was known as a great outdoorsman and hunter, a man who relished the rigorous life and presented to the world an image of courage and adventure. Men admired him for these qualities, but women were also well-inclined towards this man because of his playful, fatherly image and devotion to his family. When Theodore Roosevelt became President in 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley he was the youngest man to ever occupy that office. He was just shy of 43 years old. Some critics, in the confusion following McKinley’s death, were heard to say, “My God, a child has been made President of the United States!”

McKinley's assassination had an
unexpected consequence: the making
of a famous chapter in the history of toys.
Had McKinley not died, T.R. would never
have been in the Mississippi wilderness in 1902.

The White House had immediately become a lively and chaotic place. Theodore, his wife, and their 6 children quickly filled their living quarters with a huge menagerie of cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, guinea pigs, a black bear, a badger, a rat, a parrot, a green garter snake and the children’s favorite pet, a pony named Algonquin who was known, on at least on one occasion, to wander into the White House and, on another, was taken by the children to the second floor by elevator to visit one of the ill Roosevelt children in order to perk up the sick child’s spirits. This convergence of the President’s love for nature, wildlife and the outdoors and his child-like delight in his children and family set the stage for one of the most popular cultural icons our nation has ever created.

T.R. and three of his children. The goat and dog were
only a small part of the menagerie his children
kept in and around the White House.

The five days following President Roosevelt’s arrival on the small railroad platform in rural Mississippi proved to be one of the worst hunting experiences of his life. Reporters were allowed to travel to his remote camp once a day to ask questions and assess the progress of the President’s efforts to hunt and bag a bear. By the fifth day of the hunt it became evident that Roosevelt was having no luck at all locating an animal. He had not even seen a bear during his entire time in the woods. But an event on the fifth and last day of the hunt inadvertently gave Theodore Roosevelt an avalanche of national publicity that would immortalize him in the history and consciousness of countless unborn generations.

This is the size of bear T.R. was looking for.

On that last day of the hunt a pack of the party’s hunting dogs picked up the scent of a nearby bear and took off in pursuit of it, with one of the party following them through the thick brush on horseback. Roosevelt and a fellow hunter remained, mounted on their horses, in a clearing with their guns ready, waiting for the dogs to drive the bear back towards them. Hours passed as the President and his companion sweated and waited in the rising sun and temperatures of that fall day. Meanwhile, the hunter in pursuit of the bear, by now miles away, saw a small bear explode from the bushes in front of him with the pack of dogs closely in pursuit.

This is the size bear the scout for T.R. saw
running from the bushes, pursued by a
pack of hunting dogs.

Hot and exhausted, the bear ran into a nearby pond and proceeded to fight for its life as the dogs attacked it. One dog jumped at the animal with its jaws open but was killed instantly as the bear broke the dog’s back with one blow from its paw. The lone hunter, a man named Collier, dismounted his horse and threw a lariat about the neck of the fatigued and nearly prostrate animal and carefully tied it to a tree. He then waded into the water and, using his hunting rifle as a club, he cracked the weary and frightened animal over the head, rendering it senseless and nearly comatose. Using a hunting horn to communicate his location to the President and his companion, he waited for the arrival of Roosevelt. Finally, it seemed, the President would have the opportunity to claim a trophy for himself.

T.R. with a trophy elk he shot during a hunting
trip to the western United States. He was hoping
for an equally magnificent "trophy" on his
1902 trip to the Mississippi wilderness.

Soon, Roosevelt galloped up to the scene at full speed and quickly dismounted, pulling his rifle from its saddle holster and raised his weapon, taking aim at the bear. What he saw before him disturbed his conscience greatly. There, on the bank of the pond, stunned and bloody, caked with mud, lay a small, not yet fully grown bear who had not the strength left to resist in any way the fate awaiting it. Roosevelt paused as his gaze took in the situation materializing over the sights of his rifle. Collier prompted him to shoot. But Roosevelt slowly lowered his rifle and ordered Collier to release the bear. He then silently put his gun back into its saddle holster, mounted his horse and rode back to camp. He could not bring himself to shoot a helpless, immature animal. He had too much reverence for the wilderness, and the animals who lived in it, to engage in a meaningless act of killing for killing's sake. Later in the day he was asked by reporters about his reasons for not shooting the bear that had been tracked and found for him. He replied by saying, “I draw the line. If I had shot that little fellow, I couldn’t look my own sons in the face again. I do not shoot little baby bears.”

Mural on display in Smedes, Mississippi, commemorating the
hunt for the black bear which took place nearby in 1902. Note
the small bear being held by other hunters on the left, T.R.
seated on his horse at the center of the picture.

On November 16^th, 1902, an editorial cartoon and an accompanying article appeared in the Washington Post newspaper. The cartoon pictured Roosevelt, dressed in hunting gear and armed with a rifle, sparing the bear cub’s life – it was titled “Drawing the Line.” Readers were delighted and proud of their President when they read of his reprieve of the helpless animal’s life in the wilderness of Mississippi. His words struck an emotional chord in the souls of people all over the United States. Daily reports of the President’s frustrating hunt had appeared in newspapers across the country. But when news of the President’s high-minded and generous gesture spread across the land his popularity soared.

The November 16th, 1902, Washington Post
edittorial cartoon titled "Drawing the Line."

A Brooklyn, New York, candy maker named Morris Michtom decided to do something to commemorate the event and honor the President. He asked his wife Rose to create a stuffed bear, and she made one from extra pieces of plush mohair material, with shoe button eyes and embroidered detail for the mouth. Snout, ears, moveable arms and legs, all were a part of this original version/prototype. On November 21^st, 1902, after his wife had put the finishing touches on the animal, he took it to his candy store and, in his store’s front window, placed the bear on top of a mountain of wrapped chocolate candies. Next to the display he placed a hand printed card with the words “Teddy Bear” on it.

Morris Michtom owned
a candy store in 1902.

Customers and passersby loved the display and people came from great distances to see the new and unique item in the candy store window. Legend has it that Mr. Michtom asked his wife Rose to produce copies of the original bear to sell to customers in his candy store who had offered to buy the bear from him. But, he wondered, would not the President be offended at the use of his name, without permission, on a commercial product? So Michtom took the bear out of the store’s window, packed it into an old candy box along with a letter to President Roosevelt and mailed it to the White House. Michtom wrote, “Dear Mr. President: I do not wish to seem disrespectful, but I would like to call my toy ‘Teddy’s Bear.’” The President was charmed by the cuddly stuffed animal and responded to Michtom by writing, “I don’t think my name is worth much to the toy bear cub business, but you are welcome to use it.”

Replica of the original bear
created by Mrs. Rose Michtom in 1902.
(The red bow was not on the original)

The Michtoms immediately began producing “Teddy Bears” to sell in their candy shop for $1.50 each. The new item became so popular that the couple decided to close their candy store and enter the toy business with the “Teddy Bear” as their first creation. The ex-candy store eventually became the headquarters of the Ideal Toy Company which became quite successful.

1950s Ideal Toy Company TV commercial.

The Teddy Bear was just the beginning.

The Michtoms presented one of their first bears to Roosevelt’s son Kermit and that very bear is on display at the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of American History in Washington, D.C..

Kermit Roosevelt received
one of the first "teddy bears."

The “Teddy Bear” was an immediate sensation and a fever of “bear mania” swept the United States. Bear hatpins and tie pins were worn by men and women. Women wore necklaces of small bear figures around their necks. Teddy bear watch chains appeared on men’s waistcoats, and the Teddy Bear also made its appearance on Easter and Christmas cards in the years that followed. Toy and department stores had virtual mountains of Teddy Bears quickly shrink and disappear in the frenzy sweeping the nation.

Original antique "teddy bear" necklace.

Even today, teddy bears are still made
into a fashion statement. This "teddy bear
jacket" is quite eye-catching.

Two popular songs created as a result of this preoccupation with the new toy were “The Teddy Bear’s Picnic” and “Teddy Bear Blues.” (1922) And to forever solidify the connection between the cuddly, comforting Teddy Bear and children everywhere, mothers, for years afterward, quietly sang their children to sleep with a soothing song called “The Teddy Bear’s Lullaby.” Teddy Bears became a symbol of hugs and happiness, of contentment and love. So it was not surprising that in 1957 Elvis Presley recorded one of his biggest hits, "Teddy Bear."

In it, he tells a young lady, "Oh, let me be, Oh let me be, your teddy bear, ...I just want to be your teddy bear." It was an invitation millions of girls could not resist. Here it is:

John Lennon said, "Before Elvis there was nothing."

John Lennon will appear later in this post.

SLIGHT DIGRESSION:

Perhaps one of the effects the teddy bear had on our culture was to help encourage the creation of a great number of other famous bears to which I should at least make passing reference. How about "Smoky the Bear"? There is a You Tube video titled "The History of Smokey the Bear" (22 minutes) which tells the story of the "real" Smoky the Bear. Yes, there was a bear cub found by the U.S. Forest Service after a forest fire...well, you look up the rest.

Smokey and his signature phrase.

Here's a TV public service announcement that tries to make

Smokey the Bear relevant to today's youth.

And then there are two old popular cartoon characters, Yogi Bear and his friend BooBoo. In this short public service announcement they mention their "good friend Smokey the Bear."

END OF DIGRESSION.

WRAPPING IT UP.

"To sleep, perchance to dream...,"
William Shakespeare

Every night when the world goes to sleep, millions of children are comforted by this plush and furry friend which, in their wonderful imaginations, embodies all the goodness, loyalty, trust and contentment they wish to have present in the world around them during their waking hours. The teddy bear has come to represent something to many adults as well: our childhood dreams, hopes and optimism. It strikes grown-ups with a wave of nostalgia for our innocence and youthful happiness. So I will end with a video that, in my mind, reflects the nostalgia I have just spoken of. Grab the nearest teddy bear and watch this clip. Enjoy!

To all the teddy bears that were, are and
will be, thank you. And thank you T.R.,
and Morris and Rose Michtom.
Good night and sweet dreams.

THE "TEDDY BEAR IS 110 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR!

DID YOU EVER WONDER? WHY IS IT A "THREE MILE LIMIT" FOR A NATION'S BOUNDARY ON THE OCEAN? WHY NOT FIVE? TEN? WHY IS IT CALLED A "DANDELION"? WHAT DOES THE PHRASE "RED HERRING" HAVE TO DO WITH A MISLEADING CLUE IN A MYSTERY? WHY DO WE SAY, "I SMELL A RAT."? WHY IS AN IMPORTANT PERSON CALLED A "BIG WIG"? WHY DO WE SOMETIMES CALL A BATHROOM THE "POWDER ROOM"? WHY DO WE SAY SOMEONE IS "THROWN IN THE CLINK" WHEN THEY GO TO JAIL? AND SURPRISE! THE WORD "COWBOY" WAS FIRST USED IN AMERICA DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

2012-01-13T21:04:00.003-06:00

One of the items that settlers and colonists brought with them from Europe was a small, hearty and persistent plant whose leaves had jagged edges and reminded someone of the sharp teeth of a lion. In French, the words “tooth of the lion” are “dent de lion.” The English in America anglicized the phrase and made it into one word: “dandelion.” Dandelions are not native to the Americas but, with a little encouragement from chemical and pesticide companies, we are vigorously trying to exterminate them. Actually, dandelion greens are very nutritious and can be purchased in the produce sections of some food stores, especially in the spring.

Note the sharp tooth-like shape of
dandelion leaves.

During earlier historical periods, it was not uncommon for people to have rats infesting their homes. Sometimes a rat would die in a place where it could not be seen - inside a wall, for example. The person living in the house might not be aware of this until, with the passage of time (less time in warm weather), the individual could begin to smell the decaying body of a dead rodent. That was how they could tell something was amiss and needed to be corrected. You literally “smelled a (decaying) rat.” Over time, these words became a colloquial phrase meaning to sense that something was wrong, even though it might not have been immediately evident to them.

The old blues song, "I Smell A Rat," sung by Patti Griffin as part of the "True Blood"

TV series sound track. The song tells the story of a woman who suspects

her man of cheating on her. In other words, she smells a rat.

Another story: Dogs, Fish and Poachers.

When dog trainers would train hounds to follow a scent while hunting, they would use a fish, a red herring, which had a strong smell. This smell became very familiar to the dogs as their training progressed. Then, when a dog was ready to join a hunting party, the hound was expected to follow the scent of any animal it was directed toward.

Hounds were trained to follow a scent with the
use of red herrings.

However, poachers, who often intruded into private property to hunt and steal game, would often shadow hunting parties and try to kill animals before they were shot by the legitimate hunters. To do this, poachers would insert themselves between the prey and the hunting party and drag a red herring across the trail to mislead the dogs.

If poachers were successful with their tricks,
they could steal an animal like this from the estate
of a noble or wealthy person in England.

The dogs, when they came across the scent of the herring, would immediately follow it because that was the scent with which they had been trained and were most familiar. The dogs took the hunting party in another direction, giving the poachers the opportunity to bag the animals they had been trailing. Over time, this practice of deception and misdirection has come to be applied to the mystery genre of literature. In literature, or life, anything that deliberately misdirects you or leads you away from the solution to a mystery or problem is called a “red herring.”

This term is commonly used in the mystery
genre of literature, as well as in everyday life,
but we have forgotten its origin.

Well-dressed and important men (and women) wore powdered wigs as a matter of course during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Rich and powerful men would have larger, more expensive wigs atop their heads. Thus, by 1731, the term “bigwig” had entered our language as a reference to someone who was very important or influential. Later, it came to be used sarcastically as a word that might ridicule someone who imagined themself to be more important than they really were., or who had an over-inflated sense of themselves.

A scene from "Amadeus" that shows Mozart choosing

a wig to wear. Notice the powder being applied to the wigs

as he tries them on.

The size and elaborate nature of a woman's wig was reflective of
her social status (a "big wig"). These monstrosities were decorated
with stuffed birds, jewels, feathers, fruit, and held together with such things
as lard. They could not be taken apart at night so women slept with them
on their head. A special covering was tied over the creation to protect it
from damage and to discourage rats coming out at night and feeding on it.
"I smell a rat!"

The male equivalent of the "big wig." They,
at least, could take theirs off at night.

BIG DIGRESSION:

Whose fashion idea was it to wear wigs, then powdered wigs, from the late 1500’s until, finally, the habit died with the coming of the 19^th century? It was Queen Elizabeth I of England who initiated the “style” but did it out of personal necessity. As an adult, age 28, she had contracted a severe case of smallpox (which, along with syphilis, was the great killer of the age) and the high fever she suffered from (she almost died) caused all or most of her hair to fall out. After her miraculous recovery, she began to wear wigs in order to cover up her baldness/thin hair.

Elizabeth I is obviously wearing a wig.
Note the extremely high forehead , the
result of her lost hair.

When she, as Queen, wore these wigs, members of her court, the nobility and, finally, the merchant class and others, adopted the practice. For over 200 years, the wearing of powdered wigs became a requirement for the well-dressed person throughout Europe and America, both male and female. The most common wig worn in public was made of bleached animal hair, which faded and discolored easily. Thus it was necessary to “refresh” the wigs at regular intervals with a device, a hand-held pump, called a “wig powderer,” which would apply a coating of powder or flour on the surface of the wig.

Servant refreshing a man's wig with a
"wig powderer."

At a fancy ball or entertainment, a room just off, or near, the main room would have to be provided for guests and their servants. When eating, dancing and mingling with other guests caused the powder to fall from the wig and onto the clothing of an individual, or if fresh powder needed to be applied in order to keep the wig looking appropriate, guests would retire to this nearby or adjoining room. There, a servant would brush the powder from the person’s clothing, remove the wig and replace it with another that was freshly powdered. Alternatively, the wig remained on the person’s head while a servant brushed powder from the clothing, then covered up the master’s clothing with a piece of material, a mask with a handle was held over the person’s face, and fresh powder was applied/dusted on the wig already being worn.

Mask covering the face of an individual
having his/her wig "refreshed."

This room was known as the “powder room.” We still use this term today, although it is archaic, to refer to the bathroom/toilet facilities in private homes or public places. It has nothing to do with the fact that women of past generations applied face powder in these bathrooms using the mirrors provided. The connection, I believe, is that both rooms (bathroom/toilet and powder room) were private places to which individuals would retire for some privacy in order to take care of personal business. The phrase “powder room,” then, has nothing to do with a woman powdering her nose, but with the older custom of BOTH men AND women refreshing their wigs to conform to the style and “look” of the time.

A CONTEMPORARY CONNECTION:

The phrase "wigged out" means, according to
the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "mentally or emotionally
discomposed: upset or crazy." The phrase first appeared
in 1970, and is in the image above used in a pop/advertising manner.
A play on words. The word "wig" has come a long way from Queen
Elizabeth I''s day. From a noun to an adjective phrase.

According to one source the phrase "to get a wigging" (another incarnation of the word "wig") meant/means to be reprimanded or dressed down by an upper-class person, or by someone much more important than you. Supposedly, it dates back to the 17th century when most people wore wigs, and very important people wore very large and fancy ones. Upper-class people were, I guess, used to giving scoldings and insults to those less important. So it seems perfectly reasonable that wigs became associated with reprimands from the upper classes.

END OF BIG DIGRESSION, ON TO OTHER WORD STORIES.

English prisons were notoriously brutal
and often fatal.

Many people came to the English colonies of North America to escape going to debtor’s prison. A person could spend a great amount of time in one of these institutions until either the imprisoned individual or relatives and/or friends paid his/her outstanding debts. A well-known debtor’s prison in London was known as “The Clink.” To be thrown in the “Clink” at first meant to be confined in this particular institution for debt. Over time, however, the word “clink” came to refer to any jail, and that is why we say, even today, that someone is “thrown in the clink” when he or she is sent to jail, no matter what the location.

I found this example of the word "clink" being used on You Tube.

Tory guerillas of the American Revolution used to lure continental soldiers into ambush whenever possible. One of their bushwhacking tricks was to ring a cow bell from inside a thicket of trees or bushes. Hungry continental soldiers would come in search of the cow that they might kill and eat.

Revolutionary soldiers hunted for stray cows to eat.

As they approached the thicket they were shot down without warning. These same Tory guerillas would use the identical technique on farmers they knew to be actively helping provision the rebel army. Upon hearing a cow bell, the farmer would go in search of, supposedly, a lost animal. He, also, would be shot down in an ambush. Tory guerillas that used this trick were contemptuously known as “cowboys” - the first time this word appeared in the English language. Now, we only know of it in relation to the “wild west” period of U.S. history. However, the word pre-dates that period by many generations.

This traditional view of what a "cowboy" looks like
followed the first use of the word by a
great number of decades.

It was the development of the huge 32-pounder cannon by the British military in the 18^th century that influenced the rules of international law right up to the present day. This new cannon could fire a 32 pound cannon ball three miles.

British 32 pounder cannon of the 18th century.

Thus, the three-mile territorial limit for a country’s border was established along the shorelines of countries bordering the seas. The technology of the time allowed a country to protect its seacoast up to three miles off its shore. Even though more powerful cannon and guns were later developed, this 3 mile standard remained in place, unchanged, until the late 1900s when arguments between nations led to differing territorial limits being established. During Prohibition the 3 mile limit was used by gangsters to set up floating drinking and gambling palaces on ships anchored over three miles off shore.

"Flappers" during Prohibition dancing on a casino/party ship
anchored beyond the three mile limit off the West coast of the U.S.

I didn't know this when I started, but there it is,...What is the connection between "flappers" of the 1920s and the 32 pounder British cannon developed in the 18th century?

I WELCOME YOU TO RETURN SOON.

THE OREO COOKIE IS 100 YEARS OLD! SOME HISTORY AND FUN FACTS, AND HOW IS THE OREO COOKIE CONNECTED TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 1960s? AND WHAT ABOUT JAMES BROWN? WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE OREO WAS INTRODUCED INTO CHINA?

2012-01-11T00:21:00.002-06:00

It's now 2012 and I feel it only proper to point out that an icon of food history in the United States turns 100 years old this year: the Oreo cookie! Originally marketed on March 6, 1912, by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), the earlier test versions of the new cookie, made in their factory in New York City, were a single chocolate wafer with a mound of cream frosting on top. Looking to create a name for this new product someone noticed, so this story goes, that the mound of frosting looked like a small mountain, and named the cookie after the Greek word for "mountain" which is, you guessed it, "oreo."

1968 vintage Oreo cookie ad. The single
wafer with the "mountain" of frosting gives
you the idea of where the name of this
product came from.

Other sources think that the name is derived from the French word "or" which means "gold," because the dominant color on early packaging of the cookie was gold. When the cookie was finally marketed (see date above) it had achieved its permanent configuration of two chocolate wafers embracing a cream filling. They were sold for 25 cents a pound, in bulk, and in tin containers.

Someone inspired to write and perform a song about "Oreos."

A few famous dates in Oreo Cookie history are:
1948: The cookie is renamed the Oreo Creme Sandwich Cookie. It was originally called
the Oreo Biscuit, then the Oreo Sandwich.

1975: "Double Stuff" Oreos are introduced.

1987: Chocolate covered Oreos make their first appearance.

1991: Halloween Oreos introduced

1995: Christmas Oreos make their first appearance.

Halloween Oreo Cookies were introduced in 1991.

NOTE/DIGRESSION:

The National Biscuit Company, formed in 1898, had already become famous in 1902 for its marketing of Barnum's Animal Crackers in the fall of that year in the lead up to Christmas. It sold the animal cracker in a cage-shaped box with a string attached to each end of the top of the box. This was not done as a convenience for children in carrying the cookies, but as a way to promote the cookies as a Christmas ornament that could be hung on Christmas trees as a gift for children on Christmas Day. The product caught on and another American food/candy icon was created.

BACK TO OREOS: FUN FACTS

No matter how the cookie was named, it wins, hands down, the title of the best selling cookie of the 20th century. In the last century at least 362 billion Oreo cookies have been sold. That number of cookies is enough to reach the moon and back 5 times. That number of Oreos could circle the Earth 381 times. An Oreo cookie is 71% chocolate wafer and 29% cream filling. Each year 12-13 billion Oreo cookies are sold in the United States. Another source says that 20.5 million Oreo cookies are eaten in the U.S. each day.

No wonder 20.5 million
Oreos are eaten each day!

Eaten plain, dunked in milk, crushed and used as a topping on ice cream, either at home or at a custard stand or ice-cream shop, it has consistently appealed to America's growing sweet tooth. Nabisco packages its Oreo cookies with the "feel good" marketing phrase, "Milk's Favorite Cookie."

DIGRESSION: LANGUAGE CONNECTION

A co opting of the brand name "Oreo" took place during the 1960s, when the "Black Power Movement" was very influential politically. Black pride, art, literature and culture were promoted by African Americans throughout the country. As singer James Brown sang in 1968, "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud."

The word "oreo" became street-slang for a black person who was "black on the outside but white on the inside." It was an insult directed at a black person, by fellow blacks, who felt that an individual was too accepting of white society, its racial attitudes, and who was trying to conform to, and make it in, the white man's world. It is an interesting example of how the sweetness of a cookie and its image can be turned on its head and used as an insult or negative term.

A "feel good" Oreo TV commercial.

BACK TO THE OREO COOKIE:

For decades it reigned as the number one selling cookie in the U.S. until, by the 1990s it was overtaken by another American icon, the chocolate chip cookie, specifically, the "Chips Ahoy!" brand of this cookie (and the story of the chocolate chip cookie is another post all on its own).

Oreo's main competition for most
popular store bought, packaged cookie in the U.S.

Depending upon which source is referenced, either Oreos or Chips Ahoy is the best selling packaged, store-bought cookie in the U.S. But most sources I went to say that the Oreo Cookie is, overwhelmingly, America's favorite. So sweet. One of our nation's "comfort foods." A sugar fix. And, to finish it off, just a final thought on how our culture has associated sugar and sweetness with love. Enjoy the closing video. Come back again sometime.

Just a minute! It is January 30th, 2012, and I'm reading this online article about how Kraft Foods, Inc., had to reconfigure the Oreo Cookie to make it more acceptable to Chinese taste buds. It's a fascinating story. The Chinese version looks different, tastes different, and the unique ways in which the cookie is advertised in China makes for a good read. It's just the latest chapter in the long history of a U.S. icon. Here's the link, and have fun:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120958152962857053.html

HOW ARE THE "PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE," THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR OF 1893 AND ADOLPH HITLER CONNECTED? AND HOW DID WORLD WAR II CHANGE POTATO CHIP HISTORY?

2012-01-07T22:47:00.001-06:00

1892 was going to be a significant year in the United States. Plans for celebrating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World ("In fourteen hundred and ninety-two/Columbus sailed the ocean blue...") had been discussed for years. A World's Fair was to be held whose official name would be "The World Columbian Exposition." But what city would receive the honor of hosting this extraordinary event? Many large metropolitan areas sang their own praises, promoted themselves shamelessly, but...when the field had been narrowed down, only two cities were under serious consideration: New York City and Chicago.

Chicago's elevated railway (the "EL"), 1890s.

The competition was on between the two. New York, the center of banking, trade, art, culture and sophistication...vs. Chicago, the awkward colossus of the West, home to the meat packing industry, a rougher and much less refined city. This was the way New York City advocates framed the decision. But Chicago took exception, and publicized itself as an example of the new, urban America, birthplace of the "skyscraper," with a beautiful location for the Exposition/Fair on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Chicago newspapers extolled the city with so much hype that, according to one story, a reporter for the "New York Sun" got put off by what he called the "windy bragging" of his Chicago counterparts. Chicago soon came to be known by New Yorkers as "the windy city." It was meant as an insult, but Chicago embraced the nickname and, ever since, Chicago has proudly been known throughout the U.S. as "the windy city."

This contemporary Chicago post card shows how the city has
continued to embrace the nickname it earned during the
competition with New York City for hosting the Columbian
Exposition, or, the Chicago World's Fair.

(Note: Chicago is not an especially windy city, meteorologically speaking, so the rival story about the origin of this nickname having to do with the gusty winds coming off Lake Michigan is suspect. But that, as they say, is another story.) Chicago's self promotion worked, and they were chosen over New York City as the site for the World Columbian Exposition, or as it was commonly referred to, The Chicago World's Fair. The city was now "on the map" so to speak, and here is proof of that statement:

It soon became apparent that the immensity of the project was not going to allow the Exposition to open on time in the spring of 1892. However, a formal dedication of the site, with construction proceeding all around, was arranged for October 12, 1892, on exactly the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the Caribbean. Earlier in the year Francis J. Bellamy, the editor of a popular children's magazine called "Youth's Companion," thought it would be a fine thing for all the school children in the United States to offer up, at exactly the same moment, a patriotic expression of their love of country.

Francis J. Bellamy

He composed a "pledge" and sent it to the Bureau of Education for the Fair. The Bureau liked the idea so much they printed massive quantities of the pledge and mailed copies to virtually every school in the nation. It read,"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." The children and adults saying the pledge at the moment of the dedication were to show respect for the flag by giving that symbol a gesture that came to be known as the "Bellamy salute." The gesture involved stretching the arm out toward the flag as the pledge was recited. The practice of reciting the pledge caught on quickly with educators and the public in general. Soon it was a regular part of a student's school day.

NOTE: The World Columbian Exhibition finally opened to the public in May, 1893,

and ran through October of that same year.

This is how people looked while pledging
allegiance to the flag up into the 1930s.

DIGRESSION, AND ANOTHER STORY:

The only reason this simultaneous recitation of the "pledge" could work was that four

years earlier, in 1888, the U.S. had been divided into four time zones, the time being uniform in each zone, each zone being either one hour ahead or behind the time zone next to it. This was part of the larger task of dividing the entire world into 24 time zones in 1888. It was done primarily to make it easier to create accurate train schedules. How could you calculate departure and arrival times if each town, city, or rural area had its own "time"? Up until 1888 people set their watches/clocks at "noon" when the

sun was at its highest point in the sky.

The establishment of time zones in 1888
made the recitation of the pledge simultaneously
throughout the U.S. in 1892 possible.

NOW, BACK TO MY STORY:

Then, suddenly, things changed. The rise of Adolph Hitler and the National Socialist Party (Nazis) in Germany in the 1930s was a threat to world peace. The Nazis had a love of ritual and pageantry. Huge rallies with flags, uniforms, and speeches were meant to create a strong nationalistic feeling in the German people and a love of Adolph Hitler as the savior of "the Homeland."

This salute caused Americans to change a long
established habit.

Part of the ritual established under the Nazis was the "Heil Hitler!" salute which, coincidentally, looked just like the salute to the flag United States citizens used while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance." Very quickly, the "Bellamy salute" was dropped (as well as the extended arm) and the hand was placed on the heart. This posture while reciting the pledge has remained in place ever since.

This is how we do it today. Few know, however,
that it was not always done this way.

A RELATED STORY:

During the 1930s one of the most popular brands of potato chip in the United States was "Mrs. Japps Potato Chips."They were sold in tin containers in weights of 1lb. or more. Later, they would be sold in the wax paper bags. Below is a picture of a vintage tin container of Mrs. Japp's Potato Chips.

The company was successful and making money handsomely, ...until a public relations disaster took place well beyond the control of this very profitable potato chip company. On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and brought the United States into World War II.The next day, Franklin Delano Roosevelt appeared before Congress asking for a declaration of war because of this "date which will live in infamy." Below is a short video clip of his message to Congress.

Suddenly, The Japanese were our hated enemy. The racial slur used regularly to refer to them was "the Japs." We had to fight "the Japs." Men volunteered to serve in the Pacific to "kill the Japs." "The Japs" were rounded up on the West coast and put into internment camps. Mrs. Japp's Potato Chips found this situation a marketing nightmare. What to do? Sales were tanking, no one was buying their product. What to do? The answer they came up with was a simple one. They changed their brand name. Mrs. Japp's

potato chips disappeared. In their place appeared "Jays" potato chips. They kept the recognition of the "J" but changed the name to something non-offensive. They have been with us ever since.

A familiar brand name.

So there it is. What does the Pledge of Allegiance and a brand of potato chips have in common? They each had to change because of World War II. The 1892 Chicago World's Fair (World Columbian Exhibition) provided the impetus for the "Pledge of Allegiance" and the rest of the story. In concluding, I give many thanks to Mr. Erik Larson for his brilliant historical novel Devil In The White City which tells the powerful full story of the Fair itself and the story of the most notorious serial murderer in U.S. history. I highly recommend the book. It is a great read and wonderful history. He inspires me.

Read this book!

WHY IS IT CALLED A "BLAZER"? SCULLING, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY, ARROGANT YOUNG MEN, THE MASTERS TOURNAMENT, FEATHERS AND GOLF BALLS, AND WHY IS THE BEST ATHLETIC TEAM AT A SCHOOL CALLED THE "VARSITY"?

2012-01-04T22:31:00.001-06:00

In the late 19th century, Cambridge University was one of the most eminent schools in England. The sons of the rich and wealthy went there for their educations. Besides attending to their studies, students at Cambridge engaged in sporting activities which were offered for their health and entertainment. One of the most popular sports was competitive rowing ("sculling"). The members of the University rowing team were some of the "coolest," most fashionable and sought after young men on campus and were greatly admired. This led, it seems, to them feeling somewhat special because they were recognized wherever they went on campus.

Saint John's College, Cambridge University, U.K.

The young men were trendy and very much in vogue, but the amount of popularity they enjoyed was, apparently, not enough for their expanded sense of self-importance. They were members of the "Saint John's College, Cambridge, Boat Club" and, in 1889, they decided on a plan to attract even more attention to themselves. One of the members of the club came up with the idea of a unique jacket that would be worn only by the members of their rowing club. They designed it to be unlike the jackets of their parents' generation, which were longer and more formal looking.

The fathers of these young men
would have worn a formal jacket
similar to this.

So, a tailor was called in to take the measurements of each of the young men. The task completed, the last decision to be made was, what color should these jackets be? The color chosen was one that is best described as "fire engine red." It was chosen by the club because it would make them even more conspicuous on campus. Now, they could be seen coming from a long distance away. "Look! It's a member of the rowing team," other students would say, admiringly seeing this bright red color from afar. It made young men who were already full of themselves even more "visible" to the rest of the student body.

This jacket differs radically
from the one above.

At this point, the new fashion statement started to backfire on the members of the Saint John's College Boat Club. Other members of the student body began to resent this "conceit" on the part of the already popular young men. Now, instead of being admired for their status, the "scullers" started hearing taunts and insults thrown their way. Some of the remarks were crude, but others were similar to the following: "Hey! You look as if you're on fire!" and "You look like you are ablaze! Watch out!" These last two more mild comments led to the creation of the disparaging term "blazer" being coined to refer to the jackets worn by the rowing club. The rowing team, however, turned the meaning of this offensive word (to them) on its head by embracing it, and making it the designated, agreed on name of the new jacket. The rowing team wore their red jackets with pride,and the flurry of rude comments began to diminish.

A "scull" is the boat the rowers use for exercise
and competition.

As time passed, the word "blazer" made its way into common usage, and that style of jacket became very popular, in a variety of colors, spreading from England to America by the 1900s. One of the most popular "blazers" in the world today is the one given to the winner of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. It is forest green in color and is pictured below:

Phil Mickelson receiving the "Masters jacket" in
2006, from Tiger Woods, the winner in 2005.

LET'S SEE IT ON VIDEO!

It just occurred to me that the "blazer" originated in England. We then went to The Masters Golf Tournament in the U.S.A. for a look at one of the world's most famous blazers. Now, let's travel back across the Atlantic. Golf was invented in Great Britain, in Scotland to be precise, in the 1600s. The original golf balls were made of feathers and leather. Wet feathers were compressed into a small sphere and then covered and stitched up tightly inside a round piece of leather. As the feathers dried they expanded, making this small ball very hard, and the first "golf balls" were created.

Early golf ball made of feathers and
stitched up pieces of cow hide.

One thing always seems to lead to another and that is why I love history and language so very much. So, if you will allow me, I offer you one more "digression" since the word "university" appeared so many times in the above post.

A DETOUR INTO ANOTHER WORD HISTORY:

The word "varsity," meaning the first string of a college or high school athletic team, comes to us from England and is a shortened form of the word "university." Originally, in England, it meant the university team (their best players). This derivation can be seen clearly because the word "varsity" first appeared (as far as historians are aware) in 1846 and meant the teams of either Oxford or Cambridge universities. An earlier form of this word was "versity," which indicates even more clearly that "varsity" is a shortened form of "university."

Let's give Oxford its due. It gets its name from
the fact that it was founded near a fording place
for oxen on a nearby river. Does the Oxford
sculling team practice on that river?

Since the words "fire" and "ablaze" appear in this post, you might find another of my posts of interest.
Take a look at my November 2nd, 2011, article which is entitled "WHY DO WE SAY "YOU'RE FIRED" WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR JOB? What does fire have to do with losing your job?

DID GEORGE WASHINGTON HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR? WHAT DID HE HAVE IN COMMON WITH J. EDGAR HOOVER AND MILTON HERSHEY? THE BATTLE OF TRENTON, HESSIANS, A CARD GAME, A FORGOTTEN MESSAGE AND DEATH. GEORGE'S VICES: WHAT DID HE DO TO RELAX? AFTER YORKTOWN: WASHINGTON AS A SLAVE CATCHER. WHY IS HE CALLED "FATHER" OF OUR COUNTRY? BLOODLETTING, HIS DEATH, AND THE TERROR OF PREMATURE BURIAL.

2012-01-01T22:15:00.003-06:00

Washington had a sense of humor that carried him through many stressful periods and events of the Revolution. While getting ready to step into the boat which would carry him across the Delaware River on Christmas Eve, 1777, Washington noticed that one of his staff officers, Henry Knox, was sitting on the seat which he, Washington, was to use to step into the boat. Henry Knox was an extremely large, fat man, and his huge buttocks took up most all of the seat, so Washington, using the toe of his boot, kicked Knox lightly and said, “Move that fat ass of yours out of the way, Henry, …but not too fast or else you’ll swamp the damn boat!”

General Henry Knox. His heaviness and girth
gave Washington the opportunity to make
a humorous quip at a stressful moment.

Washington and his troops crossed the river successfully and defeated the German Hessian troops (mercenaries for the British) stationed at Trenton, New Jersey, on Christmas Day morning, 1777. This stunning attack caught the German Hessians by surprise, but things might have turned out very differently. Colonel Johann (John) Rall was the commander of the Hessian troops stationed at Trenton and he loved to drink beer and play cards.

Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River on
Christmas Eve, 1777. An iconic American image.

DETOUR INTO THE WORLD OF POETRY:

Please read the following poem by an unknown author:

“Washington Crossing the Delaware”

A hard, howling, tossing winter scene;

Strong tide was washing hero clean.

“How cold!” Weather stings as in anger.

O silent night shows war ace danger!

The cold waters swashing on in rage.

Redcoats warn, slow his hint engage.

When across General wish’d train t’ go,

He saw his ragged Continentals row.

He stands while crew sit, an oar going,

And so this general watches rowing.

He hastens - winter again grows cold;

A wet crew gain Hessian stronghold.

George can’t lose war with ‘s hands in;

He goes astern - Alight, O crew, and win!

Notice anything? All of the lines are anagrams for the title phrase “Washington

Crossing the Delaware” There may be an imperfection or two in this pattern but it is

an amazing exercise in the use of language. Check out each of the lines (Teachers,

students will find this engaging and fun).

BACK TO THE STORY:

A few days before the attack Rall was engaged in a card game and was very intent upon playing a good hand that had been dealt him. While focused only on the game he was playing, a message arrived for him which he did not read but put in his pocket and promptly forgot about. The message was from an American Tory who had found out about Washington’s plans for his army to attack Trenton on Christmas Day. So it was that a card game played a role in the unprepared status of the Hessian troops a few days later. Colonel Rall’s oversight cost him his life. He died in the Christmas Day battle, and Washington and the Patriot cause gained a much needed victory.

Colonel Rall (mounted), leader of the Hessian
troops at Trenton, falls from his saddle with fatal wounds.

NOTE:

See my post on "John Montague" (October 11, 2011), whose addiction to

card playing changed eating history forever.

From the pictures and portraits we see of George Washington it would appear that he was a grave and serious man who worked hard and was not a fun-loving individual. However, this is a false impression created, partially, by the role history has cast him in as the “father of our country.” Washington loved to have fun, and he knew what to do to have it. He loved to gamble, card-playing especially, and he kept careful written records of his winnings and losses. He would eagerly participate in raffles and lotteries.

A "cotillion" dance. Washington loved
to engage in this activity.

Fox hunting, duck hunting, fishing, cockfighting, betting on horse races, boat racing,…all were common pursuits of Washington when the opportunity presented itself. He loved to dance and go to the theater. Visiting and entertaining, going to barbecues and raising dogs were also things he did to enjoy himself and to relax. He is not the two dimensional character presented in history books

Washington enjoyed betting on
horse races.

DIGRESSION:

J. Edgar Hoover loved to go to the racetrack and bet on the horses. He got

tips from none other than Frank Costello, the organized crime leader. All the

while, Hoover denied the existence of organized crime and the "mafia" in the U.S.
It was good "business" to keep the head of the F.B.I. happy.

J. Edgar Hoover.

ANOTHER DIGRESSION:

Milton Hershey loved to gamble as well. The man whose name became synonymous

with chocolate in the U.S. frequented the casinos and horse racing tracks of Saratoga, New York, and Havana, Cuba, where he owned cocoa and sugar plantations.

CONCLUSION?

The three of them might have had a good time together. They all had
in common a penchant for gambling/betting.

BACK TO THE STORY:

George Washington had an explosive temper. Once while riding through his army’s camp he came upon two men fighting. He ordered them to stop, but they either did not hear him or they ignored his orders in the heat of the moment. He became so enraged at the poor example these two men were setting that he quickly jumped down from his horse, grabbed both men by their necks and proceeded to knock their heads together until they were almost unconscious. The point was made. Washington demanded discipline and proper, soldierly behavior from all his men. At 6’2” tall, Washington was a giant of a man for his day and his ability to pull off such a feat as this is not surprising.

Washington, and other rebel/patriot leaders, were
slave owners, causing the English writer Samuel
Johnson to ask why it was that the loudest calls for
liberty came from the drivers of slaves?

In the aftermath of the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia in 1781, after General Cornwallis surrendered, many hundreds of black people who had fled to the British lines from nearby areas ran away trying to lose themselves in the surrounding woods and countryside, trying to escape capture by the American army. They had fled to the British lines because the British offered freedom to any slaves who ran away from their owners and sought refuge with the British army.

Running away to the British
lines for the promise
of freedom.

After the details of the surrender were agreed upon and completed, Washington turned his attention to these runaway “slaves.” He sent out search parties made up of members of the Continental Army to hunt down these fleeing pieces of property. After rounding up as many as possible, Washington instructed that ads be placed in newspapers, and pamphlets be printed and distributed so the slaves could be returned to their proper owners. It is a piece of supreme irony that this was one of the first issues Washington turned to after the successful conclusion of the decisive battle for American independence.

Idealized painting of the British surrender after
the Battle of Yorktown. What happened afterward
was not so ideal for slaves who had run away to
the British lines to gain their freedom.

George Washington’s greatest service to his country during the Revolution and, later, as President, was his example of unselfish service. He willingly and promptly gave up command of the Continental Army after the War for Independence had concluded. In 1797 he retired from the Presidency even though he could have been elected for another term. He was a man who had amassed a great amount of power, and he could have held onto it at either of the previously mentioned crucial moments. Thus, the most important thing that Washington did with the power he had was to willingly give it up and set an example for the peaceful transition of authority from one administration to the next, and to establish the idea that the military power of a nation was subservient to civilian authority.

Washington set the precedent of the military
being subservient to the civilian power of
government when he said good-bye to his
officers at the end of the war. Some wanted
him to take control of the country, but
he retired to his farm at Mount Vernon.

Washington longed to return to Mount Vernon to live out his life as a gentleman farmer. Because of this he was often compared to the ancient Roman hero Cincinnatus who was a farmer who served his country by becoming dictator and supreme civilian and military ruler in 458 B.C... After saving his country from dangerous external threats, he returned to his farm and retired from public life. Cincinnatus could have held onto power, but gave it up for the good of his nation. Washington, and others of the founding generation, were well aware of this story. Washington chose to emulate it. And because of Washington’s behavior, and the example he set for those who would come later, King George III of England said of him that he was “…the greatest man of the age.” This is why the title “Father of his country” was applied so readily to Washington.

Cincinnatus (left), the ancient Roman, willingly
gave up supreme power and returned to his farm.
Washington was frequently compared to him.

GEORGE WASHINGTON VS. HIS DOCTORS.

18^th century surgeons believed that the human body contained 12 quarts of blood. In fact, the human body contains 6 quarts of blood. It was very common, then, for doctors to “bleed” patients of amounts of blood which resulted in a worsening of their condition or even death. In theory, doctors believed that illness resulted from an imbalance in the body of the 4 “humors” or fluids produced by the liver (bile).The four humors were "black bile" (melancholy), "yellow bile" (fire and colic), "phlegm" (a fluid associated with a calm, apathetic temperament), and "blood" (sanguine, a predominance of blood with a ruddy complexion). If they were out of balance, a doctor could restore a body’s natural balance of “humors” by bleeding it and allowing the excess of one or more humors escape the body.

Bloodletting was a common method
of medical treatment well into the
19th century.

More often than not, this practice killed the patient rather than helped them. In 1799, as George Washington lay ill in his bed at Mount Vernon, suffering from a severely infected throat and other maladies, his doctors bled him of 4 and 1/2 quarts of blood over a 24 hour period. This weakened him so that he died soon thereafter, a victim, partially, of a treatment meant to cure him. Washington’s last words were: “Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.”

As well as being subjected to bloodletting, Washington
also had his skin burned/singed and was "purged"
frequently, causing diarrhea and vomiting. He bore all
of it without complaint.

George Washington was terrified of being buried alive. As a result, in his will, he directed that his body not be buried for 3-4 days after his death in order for everyone (including himself) to be sure that he was actually, for sure, absolutely...deceased.

BURIED ALIVE!!!!!