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Entries for February 2020

23
In the early pages of The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness, Harlow Giles Unger writes, "Washington's three successors -- John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison-- were mere caretaker presidents who left the nation bankrupt, its people deeply divided, its borders under attack, its capital city in ashes." And then, by contrast, Unger states: "Monroe's presidency made poor men rich, turned political allies into friends, and united a divided people as no president had done since Washington. The most beloved president after Washington...(Monroe) created an era never seen before or since in American History--an "Era of Good Feelings" that propelled the nation and its people to greatness." I highlighted these bold passages, found on pages 2 and 3, and thought much about them while I read. To my surprise, Unger sold it. True, he wrote in glorifying terms of all Monroe did for the country. He traveled to all of the states to spread good will. Along ......

Read More of #5 James Monroe, American History, President x President...

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16
George Washington (#1) was born February 22, 1732. The celebration of his birthday became Presidents Day, the third Monday of February, which became a celebration of Washington and Abraham Lincoln (#16), which morphed into a celebration of all of our presidents, which--in my opinion--should actually be a celebration of the institution of the presidency and its original intent.  No president was revered in his day and after as Washington was and is. He was an American hero, even if he never actually chopped down a cherry tree, even if his teeth were not made of wood. He epitomized the original intent of the presidency. A mediator who lives in a big white house. This is, of course, ignoring the question, should a slave holder be entitled to a day in his honor?  (As an aside, New York City was the capital during Washington's initial term and he lived on Cherry Street. He then moved to Philadelphia after Thomas Jefferson (#3) and Alexander Hamilton orchestrated a deal to reloca......

Read More of Detour: Presidents Day, Kindness Chain, American History, President x President...

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04
I am reading a book on each president with a few detours in order to learn more about American History and to try and decode how the past influences the present. "First Ladies of the Republic" by Jeanne E. Abrams was one such detour in my passion project. I couldn't imagine making my way from Washington (#1) through Madison (#4) and then jumping to Monroe (#5) without first learning more about Martha, Abigail and Dolley, our first first ladies.  I enjoyed the book but wished it was shorter and longer. Let me explain. The book is broken into 5 sections: an introduction, a section on each of the women, and a conclusion. It is well researched and thoughtful. I trusted Abrams, which is important to me as a reader. However, I found the book to be repetitive. Not only within each section, but from section to section. It seemed like half the book could be left on the editing room floor and the same information would have been imparted. As an example, I grew weary of reading about t......

Read More of Detour: Our First First Ladies, American History, President x President...

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