American History
Our First Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton
Image of Alexander Hamilton Courtesy of www.biographyicon.org Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers, is regarded as the architect of American capitalism. Born in the Caribbean around 1755, he was orphaned while still young and worked as a clerk as a young man. His writing talent caught the attention of local patrons who sent him…
Read MoreBenjamin Franklin: A Renaissance Man
Benjamin Franklin was what many might consider to be a renaissance man. Among his many inventions were the lightning rod, bifocals, odometer, the glass harmonica and the Franklin stove. But he also invented swim fins and proved with his kite experiment that lightning is electricity. Franklin did not secure patents for any of his inventions…
Read MoreWashington Crossing the Delaware
On Christmas Eve 224 years ago General George Washington crossed the Delaware River and attacked the Hessian mercenaries garrisoned in Trenton, New Jersey. The Hessian’s stopped in Trenton after forcing the American Patriots out of New Jersey into Pennsylvania. The Hessian’s now had a river between opposing armies, and intelligence reports that the Americans were…
Read MoreA Salute to the U.S. Navy
About 30 angry colonists set out in a whaling sloop called Success May 13-14, 1775, to retrieve a pair of merchant vessels captured by HMS Falcon in Buzzards Bay off the coast of Fairhaven Massachusetts. The sloop was aptly named. Outnumbered almost 4 to 1, the colonists, under no military command, retrieved the ships, killed…
Read MoreSarah Josepha Hale: The Godmother of Thanksgiving
Sarah Josepha Buell Hale was born on October 24, 1788, on a farm in Newport, New Hampshire. From a tender age, she was curious, smart, and eager to learn. As a young girl, Sarah was taught by her mother about history and literature. Later, her brother Horatio taught her everything that he was learning as…
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