President's Day

Happy President's day, or happy birthday to George Washington (Feb. 22) & Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12). Washington would be 275 years old and Lincoln would be 198. President's Day is one of the few national holidays which was originally related to Washington's birthday but in the 1980's there was a call to observe Lincoln's birthday as well and that's how President's Day came to be on the the third Monday of February.

As far as history goes, Washington is a guy that has some interesting history. He lead the Continental Army against the British in the Revolutionary War and as almost everyone knows, he was our first President. I say almost everyone because if you watch Jay Leno then you know he asks people who the first president was and sometime people don't know! I don't know too much about Washington, I mostly studied the time period beginning with the 1820's and then really focusing on The Civil War through World War II.

Lincoln, our 16th president was an interesting guy, and there are probably more stories than I have time to tell. Most people know him for freeing the slaves which is all nice and proper when you learn it in 1st grade. However, what most people never learn is that Lincoln did not intend to free the slaves. His intention was to preserve the Union and regain control of the Confederate South. After the North victory at Antietam, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which set slaves free, but that was three years into the war and the North appeared to have a chance to win at that point. Lincoln's sudden assassination at the end of the war is a huge story in itself. It seems like a simple act, but actually there was a large plot to kill many members of the government. Lincoln was the only person who actually died, although Secretary of State William H Seward was attacked in his home with an ax and badly mangled. Most of the other attackers backed out at the last minute but were convicted in the conspiracy. The first woman to be executed in the U.S. was part of the plot, and the history behind the executions is amazing as well. Maybe someday I will get to that.

However, Theodore Roosevelt is one of my favorite Presidents. He lost his first wife only four years into their marriage, just two days after the birth of their daughter. His mother died on the same day as his wife. He lived in North Dakota for some time before remarrying and honeymooning in Europe where he climbed Mount Blanc - only the 3rd expedition to ever reach the summit. He was a 'Rough Rider' during the Spanish-American War. He was the Vice President under McKinley, who was assassinated several months into his second Presidency and left Teddy Roosevelt to President. Later he helped to gain National Parks. The list goes on and on. Here's some quotes from Roosevelt that I like:

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

"In a moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing."

"I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!"

"A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad."

"Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft."

"Teddy" Roosevelt was President from 1901-1909 and during that time period America was still trying to prove to the world that we were strong and not one to mess with. It really wasn't until The Great War or as most know it now World War I, that America was to be seen as a powerful force. Roosevelt was one of the first Presidents to flex the American muscle and squelch the Spanish only 103 days after the outbreak of the war. The result of that war was gaining Puerto Rico, The Philippines, Guam, & Cuba. The Philippines & Cuba later gained independence.

Well, that's a quick history of a few of the greatest President's of The United States. I am thinking one of the next books I read will be about Teddy Roosevelt. I have only done textbook studying of Roosevelt and I would like to read a book about his life and not about his political events. I have aways to go before I start that book though. I am still reading Undaunted Courage, which is the story of Lewis and Clark and the Corp. of Discovery.

Laura and I did some geocaching this weekend. However, we didn't even find a cache! We went 0 for 3 and that was a little frustrating. We are ready to take a road trip and get out of town once again. The geocaching always seems easier when we are not on local turf...

The Daytona 500 was exciting for the last 50 laps. I had trouble watching it for the first half of the race, but things really heated up after that and the finish was one of the best in recent races! Laura can attest that I was jumping up and down and running around the living room, yelling the entire time. Sometimes the excitement can be overwhelming! I am glad Laura doesn't take pictures because I am sure I looked like a goofball. She will learn...

The sun did come out for awhile this weekend but the clouds have returned and it is dark and gloomy once again. It would be nice to get out for a walk or some geocaching this afternoon, but rain is predicted this afternoon so it might be another day spent indoors. I guess that's how it goes... Until again

-=Nolan=-