Nine Things You Didn't Know About the 4th of July-- Part 2: Three Presidents Have Died July 4th

3.  During the American Revolution, George Washington gave his troops a special treat on July 4.

On July 4, 1778, he ordered a double ration of rum for his soldiers.  He also ordered a cannon salute for the occasion.

Drinking has always been a large part of the 4th of July celebration.  In the past it was traditional to drink 13 toasts, one for each of the states that voted for independence.

4.  In a bizarre coincidence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.  The two Founding Fathers and adversaries died within five hours of each other.  As Adams lay on his deathbed, unaware that Jefferson had already died, his reported last words were, "Jefferson still still survives."

James Monroe was the third president (and only one since) to die on the date, July 4, 1831.

Some Coincidence.  --DaCoot

Ten Things You Might Not Know About the Founding Fathers (and Mothers)-- Part 3

8. Like the ROSS legend, the MOLLY PITCHER story did not become popular until many decades after the war. But, the tail of a woman operating a cannon after her husband had fallen matches the real exploits of two women: MARY LUDWIG HAYS at the Battle of Monmouth and MARGARET CORBIN at the Battle of Fort Washington. Corbin was badly wounded and became the first woman to earn a US military pension.


9. SAMUEL ADAMS wasn't a very good brewer (he ran the family business into the ground), but he was a first-class revolutionary. One of the first colonists pushing for independence, he wrote hundreds of letters to newspapers promoting the cause. To make the "cause" look stronger, he signed his letters with many different names to make it seem he had more supporters (but also likely to evade British efforts to catch him).


10. Probably the best military commander on the American side was none other than old BENEDICT ARNOLD. His attacks in upstate New York and Canada protected New England early in the war (and that area had the most Patriots committed to independence) and, if for nothing else, the shocking American victory at Saratoga which turned the tide of the war after France decided to come to our aid. At it, he suffered a horrible leg wound. "OK, so Arnold later committed treason. Nobody's perfect."

Again, Messrs. Jacob and Benzkofer, Great Job. Looking Forward to Your Next Effort. --Cooter

Ten Things You Might Not Know About the Founding Fathers (and Mothers)-- Part 2

4. PHYLLIS WHEATLEY, whose first name came from the slave ship that brought her over from Africa as a child was too frail for housework, but brilliant at poetry, After writing patriotic verse honoring George Washington, she was welcomed at his headquarters (considering that she was a slave and he was a slave owner). Four of the first five presidents owned slaves, the exception being John Adams.


5. Hold on to your letter signed by BUTTON GWINNETT. The Georgia politician signed the Declaration of Independence and died violently during the Revolutionary War fighting a duel. Because of this early death, his John Hancock is quite rare. A letter of his got $722,500 at auction last year.


6. Another Declaration signer, FRANCIS HOPKINSON, most likely designed the Stars and Stripes flag, but was never paid for it. In 1780, he asked the government for "a quarter cask of the public wine" as a reward. He never got it.


7. There is little reason to believe that BETSY ROSS sewed the first US flag. This legend gained popularity after her grandson addressed a Philadelphia historical group in 1870 about it and presented sworn statements of relatives who said they had heard Betsy tell the story.

Sounds a Bit Flaggy to Me. --Cooter

Ten Things You Might Not Know About the Founding fathers (And Mothers)-- Part 1

From the July 3rd Chicago Tribune.

Another masterful list by those Tribune research guys, Mark Jacob and Stephan Benzkofer.


1. PAUL REVERE did not shout "The British are coming!" He was a British subject at the time. He actually said, the "regulars" were coming, referring to British soldiers. Regulars had one too many syllables for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem, so "British" be it.


2. I liked President Josiah "Jed" Bartlett in the TV show "West Wing," but there was another JOSIAH BARTLETT from New Hampshire who signed the Declaration of Independence. He was a physician and credited with saving the lives of people with diphtheria by breaking with the practice of bloodletting or sweating as treatment. He treated his patients with Peruvian bark which contains quinine.


3. The "FOUNDING FATHERS" obviously did not refer to themselves with that term. Probably "Dead Meat" if the British got them. The term is usually credited ti President Warren Harding who said it at the 1916 Republican National Convention in Chicago when he was still a senator. Actually, Judson Welliver was his speech writer so he should receive the credit.

More to Come. --DaCoot