2024-04-08 13:07
There were six wretched years for Ulysses S. Grant.
Grant: The 1850s
Ulysses S. Grant had become a soldier under duress. His father insisted that his eldest son attend West Point. It w… Read More
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2024-04-01 13:11
John Payne Todd, Dolley’s son, showed such promise…The Promise of Payne
Payne Todd had no memory of his natural father who died in a cholera epidemic when his toddler son was… Read More
2024-03-25 12:40
After the initial “how-do,” Mary Lincoln and Julia Grant did not meet again for a year.
Mary Lincoln: 1864-5
Mary Lincoln took a long time to emerge from her deep grief… Read More
2024-03-18 12:28
Piracy was not new in 1800. It had been around for centuries.
Demanding tribute.The Barbary Pirates
For centuries, North African countries then part of the Ottoman Empire, augmented th… Read More
2024-03-11 12:52
First the source.
When she was a very old lady in 1931, Julia Taft Bayne published a slim volume called Tad Lincoln’s Father. It was her personal memoir of 1861-2, when, as a tee… Read More
2024-03-04 13:57
Sherwood Forest, home of President John Tyler
Nestled in the northern part of Virginia’s Tidewater Peninsula, midway between its original capital of Williamsburg, and Richmond, its… Read More
2024-02-19 14:38
A Book Review
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
POTUSES, Politics.
Poetry too?
What a surprise! Editor Michael Croland has amassed a charming little array of actual poetry (… Read More
2024-02-13 15:02
Young James Madison
Hats Circa 1776
James Madison is seldom connected to a amusing (somewhat) story, so here is one to treasure!
Head coverings for both men and women have always he… Read More
2024-02-05 16:21
The similarities were apparent; the dissimilarities were intrinsic.
Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1883) was seven years older than Julia Dent Grant. From Kentucky and Missouri respective… Read More
2024-01-29 15:50
The Young Widow Dolley
In many ways, Dolley Payne Todd Madison had a (1768-1849) charmed life. A loving childhood, her essential wants and needs met, and an exposure to the excitement of… Read More
2024-01-22 15:05
Stories and legends are vastly overlooked and an under-regarded part of history. They have been around since the beginning of time. Bible stories (and indeed stories connected with all r… Read More
2024-01-15 15:09
It wasn’t an affair. It was mostly a meddle-muddle.
The Enigmatic Miss Nabby
Abigail (Nabby) Adams (1765-1813), the only daughter of John and Abigail Adams was a hard one to figu… Read More
2024-01-08 15:34
Most people liked President James Monroe well enough – but not his womenfolk.The Era of Good Feelings
The Monroe years 1817-25, are commonly referred to as “The Era of Good Fe… Read More
2024-01-02 15:03
Had he been a little older, Charles Leale would definitely be well remembered.
Ford’s Theater: April 14, 1865
Enjoying a pleasant night out, Abraham and Mary Lincoln and their gu… Read More
2023-12-18 16:38
Lucy Hayes was born to be a mother.
Lucy: Girl to Woman
Lucy Ware Webb (1831-1889) was born and raised in Chillicothe OH, when the state was becoming a major industrial force in the… Read More
2023-12-11 14:54
George Washington held the first New Year’s Day Reception at the President’s House in New York.
GW adopted the old Dutch Custom
New York: 1790
The weather was unseasonabl… Read More
2023-11-27 16:03
The General and the King each had definite ideas, goals and responsibilities.
Earlier Georges
George I
George I became King of England following the death of the last Stuart monar… Read More
2023-11-20 15:12
John Quincy Adams was fourteen years old and incredibly bright.
First…Naming Rights
It has been fashionable lately to name one’s offspring as if it came out of a Scrabb… Read More
2023-11-13 15:00
To her everlasting credit…
AA: Revolutionary Patriot
With her husband some 400 miles away in Philadelphia trying to create an independent nation from 13 disassociated colonies w… Read More
2023-11-07 15:10
It was pivotal. It was bold. It was a colonial victory. It was never a battle.
General Washington
Boston, Massachusetts
There is little doubt that Boston was the cradle of the Americ… Read More
2023-10-31 14:15
Harry Truman was not a popular president in his own time.
Disdain for Harry
Harry S Truman (1884-1972) was a midwestern farm boy with neither pedigree, education, money or talent t… Read More
2023-10-25 14:25
John Adams, lawyer
Lawyer Adams
John Adams was never a wealthy man, and never would be – at least compared to his fellow Founding Fathers like Washington or Jefferson. Or John Ha… Read More
2023-10-16 13:48
Martha Washington
A Lady’s Secretary
In the 18th century, a “secretary” was also a synonym for a writing desk. Also, in the 18th century, communication between indivi… Read More
2023-10-09 15:00
Perhaps the biggest surprise in Coolidge’s life was being nominated as Vice President in 1920.
Calvin Coolidge
The Vice Presidency
If the selection of little-known Warren… Read More
2023-10-02 13:49
Illustration of Georges Washington Lafayette
The Family Lafayette
The Marquis Gilbert (plus a slew of middle names) Motier de Lafayette was born in 1757, into one of the wealthiest ari… Read More
2023-09-26 14:18
Historians have pondered her “wedding day” letter for centuries!
The Quaker Girl
Dolley Payne (1768-1849) was born into a family who had converted to the Quaker religion… Read More
2023-09-18 15:13
Chester Alan Arthur, 21st President, was one of our most private Presidents.
The Making of a Private Man
Chester Alan Arthur (1829-1886) was born in Vermont, and raised in upstate New… Read More
2023-09-11 14:50
Prof. Emeritus Peter Henriques says it perfectly: Complicated, Very Complicated
GW: The Humiliation
In 1781, General George Washington received a confidential letter from his old fr… Read More
2023-09-05 13:47
Joe Hooker was a pretty interesting fellow any way you look at it…
Joseph Hooker, Making of a Soldier
Joseph Hooker (1814-79) was Massachusetts born, and perhaps genetically… Read More
2023-08-28 14:21
Millard Fillmore, 14th President, had little illusion about his own capabilities.
The Struggling Farm Boy
Millard Fillmore (1800-74) was the son of a minister-farmer, living n… Read More
2023-08-21 13:37
Abigail Adams was the first “Second Lady” and the second “First Lady.”
Abigail: Third Generation
Abigail Smith Adams, born in 1744, was already the third genera… Read More
2023-08-14 13:13
The orphaned boy and a childless father.
The Orphaned Boy
Gilbert de Motier, with a long string of additional names, but primarily the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), was orphane… Read More
2023-08-07 14:24
Calvin Coolidge
Succession Wars
Throughout history, and perhaps even to include Biblical times, if leadership does not pass to a successor freely and with general support, there is cha… Read More
2023-07-31 15:08
Two Southern legislators, poles apart, bitter enemies.
Andrew Johnson: Mechanic
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) was arguably the poorest of our Presidents, measured in family positio… Read More
2023-07-24 13:59
Zachary Taylor was arguably the most reluctant of our Presidents.
ZT: A Brief Run-Up
Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) was born in Virginia, but grew up near Louisville, when Kentucky was… Read More
2023-07-17 14:14
In late fall, 1775, Martha Washington joined her husband in Cambridge, MA.
The Continental Army General
It was never a secret that the bonds of affection between the American Coloni… Read More
2023-07-10 13:46
Every public person wishes to escape “privately” from time to time.
Caveat:
This does not mean to “hide” anything salacious, criminal or embarrassing. It ma… Read More
2023-07-03 13:42
The War of 1812 was seminal for James and Dolley Madison.
The Unlikely Commander-in-Chief
James Madison (1751-1836) was one of the most unwarlike men to serve as President of the Un… Read More
2023-06-12 13:14
The freakish tragedy on the USS Princeton in 1844 claimed dozens of deaths and injuries.
The Pride of the Navy
It had become a fact of government: a strong, well trained and well eq… Read More
2023-06-05 14:30
President Andrew Jackson was the best known man in the country.
General/President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was a wild boy, devoid of blood relatives by his teens, self… Read More
2023-05-30 14:28
The USS Merrimac of Civil War history is sometimes spelled with a “k”. But I live in the Tidewater Virginia area, where it is always spelled with the “c”.
The B… Read More
2023-05-24 13:32
Historians and biographers have long explored the enigmatic mind and heart of Thomas Jefferson
And their conclusion is…
Some have claimed he was infuriating, evasive, elusive, c… Read More
2023-05-15 14:27
Nothing in James Monroe’s upbringing indicated his latent taste in the decorative arts.
JM: Orphaned Boy
James Monroe (1758-1831), Virginia born to a middle class planting fa… Read More
2023-05-09 12:22
The Whig Party was a brand new national entity in 1840.
John Tyler…And Tyler Who?
The Whig Party, originally formed around 1836, was an amalgam of sectional and factional differ… Read More
2023-05-01 20:32
Nothing in his 60+ years prepared Zachary Taylor to be President.
ZT: A Brief Background
Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) was born to a fine old Virginia family, but the rugge… Read More
2023-04-24 14:20
Abigail Adams was never one to mince words.
Mrs. A. The Outspoken
Most historians concur that Abigail Smith Adams (1744-1818) was a woman far ahead of her time. Born to a Congregationa… Read More
2023-04-17 14:47
Martha Washington lost all four of her children.
Martha’s Kids
In 1750, eighteen year old Martha Dandridge married Daniel Parke Custis, twice her age, and one of the wealthiest p… Read More
2023-04-10 13:57
Surgeon Generals are seldom associated with mega-events.
The Surgeon General
More than 200 years ago, the US Army created the position of Surgeon General, the ranking doctor of pub… Read More
2023-04-03 14:30
The Civil War could have been fought 3x over in the time it took for Grant’s Tomb to be erected.
We Love New York
Choosing New York City to be the site of Grant’s fin… Read More
2023-03-27 14:02
Former POTUS (and always General) Ike lived nearly a decade after his Presidency.
But The General’s Health…
…was not very good. He had suffered a few aches and pain… Read More
2023-03-20 14:35
This is another Julia story, told in her memoirs.
Julia, The Plain Child
Julia Dent (1826-1902) was the fourth of eight children (one died in infancy) born to Frederick W. Dent and El… Read More
2023-03-13 15:05
Andrew Johnson is one of the most unlikely US Presidents
The Unlikely POTUS
Beginning with Andrew Jackson in 1828, and into the 20th century, the White House was the home of some of th… Read More
2023-03-06 13:41
Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth sullied the family name.
The Booth Brothers
While Junius Brutus Booth Sr., the patriarch of the illustrious acting family had long been dead… Read More
2023-02-27 21:30
An Assassin in Utopia: The True Story of a Nineteenth-Century Sex Cult and a President’s Murder, is one of those “you can’t make this stuff up” historical episode… Read More
2023-02-13 15:16
Dolley Madison was 41 years old when she became First Lady in 1809…
But…
For eight years prior to 1809, she served frequently as de facto FLOTUS for President Thomas J… Read More
2023-02-06 22:23
Willie Lincoln was 11 when he died in the White House.
Willie.
In December, 1850, ten months after his sickly four year old brother Edward Baker Lincoln died, William Wallace Linco… Read More
2023-01-30 14:43
Helen Herron Taft’s happiest years were in the Philippines.
The Manila Years
In 1900 Helen Herron Taft (1861-1943), married and mother of three, traveled to Manila, where she… Read More
2023-01-23 14:00
Edwin M. Stanton was a complicated and very prickly fellow.
Stanton: The Basics
Edwin McMasters Stanton (1814-69), was Ohio born and raised, the son of a middle class physician a… Read More
2023-01-16 15:54
They called him The Little Magician .
MVB: Dutch Politician
Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) was born in Kinderhook, near Albany New York, to a tavern keeper and his second wife. Origi… Read More
2023-01-09 15:59
Theodore Roosevelt had a varied career, and made the most of all his opportunities
The Mid-90s: At Loose Ends
Still in his early-to-mid 30s, Theodore Roosevelt, aristocratic and we… Read More
2023-01-02 15:23
On December 6, 1941, the US was an isolationist country. That changed on December 7.
The great partnership
The Storm Clouds
War had been looming throughout Europe for nearly a decade… Read More
2022-12-19 15:19
All the Lincolns were very fond of animals.
The Lincoln Family Pets
In the mid-1850s, the Lincoln Family of Springfield, IL had a dog named Fido. He was likely what people would ca… Read More
2022-12-05 15:03
In Colonial days, Christmas was an important family holiday.
Christmas Celebrations Circa 1770
Christmas celebrations have been around for centuries. In the 18th century American… Read More
2022-11-28 14:39
General Eisenhower spent several months in England preparing for the D-Day Invasion in 1944.
The King and Queen of WWII
In no small part, the decisions and actions of Great Britain… Read More
2022-11-21 20:42
Richard Mentor Johnson was our first VP Johnson. Andrew (2) and Lyndon (3) came later.
RMJ: Kentuckian
Richard Mentor Johnson (1780-1850), was born/raised near what is now Louisvil… Read More
2022-11-14 14:25
A rare treasure of American history!
The Boston Tea Party
Eons ago when I was in the 4th grade, everybody learned the basics of the Boston Tea Party. The gist being that back in De… Read More
2022-11-07 14:54
Historians frequently point to 1896 as being the first “modern” election.
Setting the Stage
By 1896, the country was poised for a new century. Huge changes had occurred… Read More
2022-10-31 15:05
All children inherit varying traits of both parents.
The Second Son
Kermit Roosevelt (1889-1943) was the second son of Theodore Roosevelt and his second wife, Edith Kermit Carow… Read More
2022-10-24 15:12
Spoiler alert: Abraham Lincoln never met Prince Albert or Queen Victoria….but….
The Protocol of Nations
In the earlier days of the country, long before “the hot… Read More
2022-10-17 14:47
“The White House is the finest prison in the world.” Harry S Truman.
The White House Paradox
The White House, or the Executive Mansion, is undoubtedly the finest residence… Read More
2022-10-10 14:58
Benjamin Harrison is one of those post-Civil War presidents with a beard.
A Little More About Ben
For the knowledgeable, Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) is generally remembered as the… Read More
2022-10-03 12:41
The History Behind Today’s Headlines
One of the true lessons of history is the stunned surprise of people today when they are confronted with the similarities of yesterday. What?… Read More
2022-09-18 23:54
Martha Washington and Abigail Adams are arguably the most prominent women of the last quarter of the 18th century.
An Unlikely Friendship
The likelihood that Martha Washington (1731… Read More
2022-09-12 13:51
Mail delivery during Colonial times was arduous – and long.
Delivering the Mail
Written communication i.e. letters, documents, newspapers, etc., was not nearly as common in early… Read More
2022-09-05 15:35
In 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the most famous man in the country – maybe the world.
Ike and Mamie
Ike: Non-War
Dwight David Eisenhower (1890-1969) was called Ike from boyho… Read More
2022-08-29 13:18
The Hero of Manila Bay was always considered an excellent naval officer.
The Admirable Admiral
George Dewey (1837-1917) was a Vermont man, from a prominent family. He was sent to Norwi… Read More
2022-08-15 14:17
Hon. Joseph Jones, uncle of James Monroe
The Hon. Joseph Jones
Joseph Jones (1727-1805) practiced the triple professions of many well-to-do Colonial men: planter, attorney, and politic… Read More
2022-08-08 13:29
July 4 has been celebrated as our national birthday since 1776.
The Declaration
During a brutally hot summer in 1776, representatives from all thirteen American colonies gathered i… Read More
2022-08-01 13:55
Poor Crete… She had so little time to make an impression.
Crete
Lucretia “Crete” Rudolph Garfield (1832-1918) was a well educated young woman. She was sent first to… Read More
2022-07-25 13:24
A Book Review
Political beings, as a whole, are generally outgoing souls, with a long retinue of friends, ranging from pleasant how-ya-doin’ acquaintances to long-standing trusted c… Read More
2022-07-18 15:07
Gideon Pillow was first and foremost a “political” general of massive pretensions.
The Stuffed Pillow
Gideon Pillow (1806-78) was born and raised to a prosperous and we… Read More
2022-07-12 13:59
The Second President
On November 1, 1800, 65-year-old President John Adams took up residence in the unfinished Executive Mansion in Washington, DC, only a few days before the quadrennial… Read More
2022-07-05 13:56
Pickett’s Charge
EPA: The Young and Handsome
Edward Porter Alexander wanted to be a soldier from early youth. His well-to-do father, a successful Georgia planter, wanted him to b… Read More
2022-06-28 14:21
Among the many commonalities between Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd was the sad memory of being motherless at an early age.
Abraham Lincoln: Semi-orphaned at Nine
Nancy Hanks Lincoln di… Read More
2022-06-20 19:27
Senior Citizen George
The Retired General
George Washington (who preferred his military title of “General” once retired from the Presidency) was only 67 when he died in Dec… Read More
2022-06-13 13:25
Right after the Civil War, there was a huge parade in Washington, DC.
Leading the Soldiers
On May 23, 1865, as the intense mourning over the assassination of President Abraham Linc… Read More
2022-05-16 15:07
Benjamin Pierce was the third and last child of Franklin and Jane Pierce.
The Pierce Parents
When Franklin Pierce (1804-1869) married Jane Means Appleton (1806-63) in 1834, he was near… Read More
2022-05-09 15:42
Corinne Roosevelt Robinson
Little Sister Corinne
Young Theodore Roosevelt
The iconic Theodore Roosevelt was one of four siblings. The oldest of the four remarkable Roosevelts was Ann… Read More
2022-05-02 14:12
The idea of a poor, starving artist does not apply to George Peter Alexander Healy.
The Young Artist
George Peter Alexander (usually known as G.P.A.) Healy was definitely born poor in… Read More
2022-04-18 15:18
Ulysses S. Grant took command of the entire Union Army in early 1864
Hard to Believe, But…
After millenniums of savage butchery, more “civilized” armies faced each o… Read More
2022-04-11 21:04
Frances Folsom Cleveland was only 21 when she became First Lady.
The Young FLOTUS-To-Be
Frances Folsom (1864-1947) was the total antithesis of her husband, sitting President Grover Cle… Read More
2022-04-04 14:20
Mrs. Washington had a big house to manage.
Mistress Custis, Mistress Washington
Martha Dandridge (1731-1802) was not born to wealth per se. She was born, very much like George Washingt… Read More
2022-03-28 20:32
Alfred E. Smith was from the “Sidewalks of New York.”
Al: A Brief Run-Up
Alfred Emanuel Smith (1873-1944) was born to Catholic immigrants in a rough neighborhood on NY&rsq&helli…Read More
2022-03-21 20:28
Spoiler Alert: This site is a re-creation. Nevertheless…
The Land Itself…
Pope’s Creek, a beautifully situated tributary of the Potomac River in a still-rural a… Read More
2022-03-14 14:36
“An army travels on its belly.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
First…Some Numbers and Perspectives
Sometimes it is difficult to comprehend plain-old numbers. … Read More
2022-03-07 15:45
TR’s Sagamore Hill
FDR’s Hyde Park
Mano a Mano
Theodore Roosevelt’s father (Theodore Sr.) had been a nominal Whig, but once the Republican Party had formed and ha… Read More
2022-02-28 21:15
Robert Todd Lincoln was just 21 when his father was assassinated.
The Responsibility of Robert
Only hours before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the President spent a little… Read More
2022-02-22 21:33
When the Great War ended in 1918, US President Wilson was a hero to the Allies.
WW: Writer of Rules and Righter of Wrongs
Many historians over the past century have alluded to Wood… Read More
2022-02-14 15:51
Andrew and Eliza Johnson
AJ: The Turbulent Soul
Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) always ranks in the bottom of the POTUS class. It was not always so much what he did or did not do, but… Read More
2022-02-07 15:44
Most people’s weddings are a big deal.
Herbert and Lou Hoover (The Hoover Institute)
Bert and Lou: The Non-Courtship
Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) and Lou Henry (1874-1941) met a… Read More
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