Independence Day Fun List: Conversation Starters For Your BBQ
Top 9 OFF/beat Facts About Our Founding Fathers
9) While George Washington was a well known hemp farmer, did you know his gardener at Mt. Vernon was a rampant alcoholic? In fact the guy was such a lush that, in return for the promise of the sober fulfillment of his duties, our first President would compensate him with "four dollars at Christmas, with which to be drunk four days and four nights; two dollars at Easter, to effect the same purpose; two dollars at Whitsuntide, to be drunk for two days, a dram in the morning, and a drink of grog at dinner and at noon."
8) Anyone who's read the Declaration of Independence can surmise that Thomas Jefferson believed some rules were meant to be broken, but were you aware that he extended that maxim to parlor games? Yup, it turns out the dome on his Monticello estate conceals a billiards room even though in Jefferson's day, billiards were illegal in Virginia.
7) James Madison is often referred to as the father of our Constitution, but were you aware he was the first president to wear long trousers? All the previous presidents apparently wore knee length breeches. Still, given his diminutive 5'4" stature, one might argue that he had in fact been wearing the same breeches as his predecessors and they just appeared like pants.
6) Benjamin Franklin came up with a lot of big ideas, but not all of them caught on. The avowed vegetarian and founder of the University of Pennsylvania proposed making the turkey America's national bird instead of the bald eagles. Still, which do think is a more representative mascot for our postal service?
5) While it's common knowledge Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr, his career may have ended a lot sooner had he not dodged another dangerous political bullet. In 1791 America's first Treasury Secretary began a long affair with Maria Reynolds, who had come to his office in dire need of financial help. When her husband caught wind he blackmailed Hamilton, who ended up paying royally for his silence. But when Mr. Reynold's got locked up for "shady dealing[s] with the government," rumors began spreading about his relationship with Hamilton. Rather than be branded a crook, Hamilton was forced to publish a tell-all pamphlet which described in sordid detail the nature of his affair. And you thought Bill Clinton had it rough... who knows, maybe someday Slick Willie could end up on the 10 dollar bill?
4) Despite the Boston Beer Company's marketing, Samuel Adams really didn't enjoy making or drinking beer all that much. And while it's true that he inherited his father's successful brewery, "he paid it little or no attention," and was far more occupied with politics and the fight for independence. The business was soon in ruins and Adams was left penniless.
3) Urban legend would have you believe that Washington, D.C. planner Pierre L'Enfant intentionally left out "J" street because he had beef with future Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay, however there may be a far more mundane explanation. According to Snopes.com "J Street was likely omitted simply because the letters I and J were often indistinguishable from each other (especially when handwritten), and in 18th century English they were still largely interchangeable."
2) While first President George Washington famously rocked a solid wood grill, John Adams didn't play that. Despite the fact that America's second president had lost most of his teeth by the time he took office in 1797, he opted to go denture free. As a result, Adams "talked with a lisp," and would have looked really freakish during photo ops had there been such a thing back then.
1) Even though today is Independence Day, only two people actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. They were John Hancock (excuse me: JOHN HANCOCK) and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
HAPPY 4th!
By Emil Steiner | July 4, 2007; 5:26 AM ET | Category: OFF/beat Politics
Posted by: rick davis | July 4, 2007 10:01 AM
it was ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: rick davis | July 4, 2007 10:01 AM
I thought George Washington's wooden teeth was a myth and according to the folks at Mount Vernon, his teeth were made of the finest ivory. I heard that on CBS "Sunday Morning" last Sunday.
Posted by: carrie | July 4, 2007 12:54 PM
boring...
Posted by: evagall | July 4, 2007 2:39 PM
Enjoyed reading this list; I only knew one of these, #6, about Ben Franklin's favoring of the turkey for our national bird, because I used to volunteer for a wildlife museum that has an "eagle presentation" and that was part of it. In addition, Franklin thought that the eagle was not worthy because it was also a scavenger, and a very badly behaved bird as well, with habits such as stealing a fish from the osprey by making him drop it in mid-air!!
Did you know that if an eagle could read, he (or she) could read a newspaper from a distance of 50 feet? Or if we had eyes that could see as well and as far as an eagle, they would be the size of softballs?
Liked the drunken gardener story, the billiards anecdote, and the Adams lisp;
since my name starts with J, not so keen on that one although the story is fascinating. Yes, old Bill (as I like to call him) will probably be on one some day.
Now I must join the 4th of July parade in our fair town, where I am walking with a group of cancer survivors. And it is a very sunny 4th!!!
Posted by: Just Jude | July 4, 2007 5:03 PM
I do not see where evagall gets the scale of human eagle eyes. Elephants have eyes about the size of softballs yet cannot see much better than humans. What determines accuity of vision is the radii of the lenses and their relative locations. If it really took a softball sized eyes to see as far as an eagle, the birds could not get off the ground.
Posted by: pixelshooter | July 4, 2007 6:54 PM
Enjoy a classic video on immigration during this beautiful 4th!
Posted by: Captain Frith | July 4, 2007 7:20 PM
glad to know that with all the screw up...americans are also human...!!from pakistan...
Posted by: asad | July 5, 2007 1:02 AM
How about a trivia question for fact number 10? To wit: Which of the founding fathers were slave owners? There's Washington, Madison, Jefferson, George Mason, and which others? Maybe not as cute as Washington's wooden teeth?
Posted by: Tom | July 5, 2007 9:52 AM
We miss you, Emil
Posted by: | July 18, 2007 10:50 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
it was ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!