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
Blog Directory > Politics Blogs > Government Blogs > A Potus-FLotus government Blog >
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
2022-01-31 21:51
Family Ties.
The Common Bond
Claes Maartenszen van Rosenvelt came to New Amsterdam around 1640, about the time Peter Stuyvesant was its governor. He was not a wealthy man. He d… Read More
2022-01-24 15:55
Ike – the WWI tank officer
POTUS Ike: The Early Advocate
Dwight D. Eisenhower was a Lt. Colonel in the US Army in 1917, when US participation in The Great War began. He was deepl… Read More
2022-01-17 15:42
Chester Alan Arthur was a recent widower when he was elected VP in 1880.
Ellen Herndon Arthur
The Private Arthurs
No one was more surprised than Chester Alan Arthur when he was nomi… Read More
2022-01-10 16:36
Said to be the earliest photograph of Lincoln.
Lincoln of Illinois
In February 1860, Abraham Lincoln, a country lawyer from Illinois was little known outside of his home state. He was… Read More
2022-01-03 15:56
Thomas Jefferson was a man of many talents and interests…
The Agronomist
Long before Monticello as we know it was built and rebuilt by “Thomas Jefferson, Architect,”… Read More
2021-12-27 16:59
When Theodore Roosevelt died on January 6, 1919, the world was stunned.
TR Dies
Not only was the world stunned at the death of former President Theodore Roosevelt, who was only… Read More
2021-12-20 20:21
President and Mrs. FDR
After the First War
When Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt married in 1905, it was a love match. Despite differences in their personalities and natures (he was outg… Read More
2021-12-13 16:06
Ida McKinley was dealt some nasty woe…
Poor Ida McKinley
Ida Saxton McKinley (1848 – 1908) was the pretty, wealthy and privileged daughter of a well-to-do Canton, Ohio bus… Read More
2021-12-06 20:59
During the past few decades, a couple of mild kerfluffles were posed by eminent scholars who suspected that POTUS Rough and Ready may have been done in!
Ol’ Zach
Zachary Tayl… Read More
2021-11-29 16:25
Bess and Harry Truman on their wedding day.
The Old Soldier
Harry Truman was 33, well past the age for a man to be a volunteer soldier, unless, of course, the country is in severe dang… Read More
2021-11-22 15:51
In 1863 Thanksgiving Day had been a local or regional holiday for more than two centuries.
Quibbling The Day
Massachusetts has long maintained that a day of Thanksgiving was celebr… Read More
2021-11-10 19:15
Held his nose and away he run…
The quintessential Ulysses S. Grant
Jesse Grant, Tanner
Jesse Root Grant (1794-1873) was Pennsylvania-born, but migrated to southern Ohio as a… Read More
2021-11-08 16:28
An early image of Lou Henry as Mrs. Herbert Hoover
The Western Woman
Despite her birth and early girlhood in Iowa, Lou Henry (1874-1944) spent most of her growing-up years in Californi… Read More
2021-11-01 14:40
Everybody knows about Lincoln’s assassination and the huge funeral journey back to Springfield. But what about when Mary died?
First Lady Mary Lincoln
Mary Lincoln, Widow
Mary… Read More
2021-10-18 14:27
Of all the programs undertaken by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, none was more personal than the National Infantile Paralysis Foundation.
The quintessential PR photo for the March of Dimes… Read More
2021-10-11 15:18
A quarter century after James Monroe died, he was buried. Again.
James Monroe, Virginian
Like his close friends and Revolutionary companions Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, Jam… Read More
2021-10-04 14:33
This is a book for middle-school readers.
Eons ago, when old-me was a very very young-me, Scribner’s published as “Scribner’s Junior” – a series of biographi… Read More
2021-09-27 14:03
In 1864-5, City Point, VA briefly became the tenth largest city in the United States.
Grant in the East
On February 29, 1864, President Lincoln promoted General Ulysses S. Grant as… Read More
2021-09-20 14:42
This was actually a “family” undertaking.
The Father
On April 8, 1869, a formal meeting was held in the front parlor of the Roosevelt home, at 28 East 20th Street in Ne… Read More
2021-09-13 13:27
Literally.
Rich FLOTUS Julia Gardiner Tyler
Julia Gardiner (1820-1869) was a wealthy New Yorker. Her father, David Lyon Gardiner owned considerable property in Long Island. Her mot… Read More
2021-08-30 14:42
The Colorado River is a mighty one, taking eons to carve out the Grand Canyon.
HH: The Great Engineer
Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) was a true Horatio Alger story. Born to a poor farm… Read More
2021-08-23 14:08
Young Mary Todd Lincoln
“Elizabeths” were imporant in Mary Lincoln’s life – and that doesn’t even include her mother Eliza and stepmother Betsey!
Friends… Read More
2021-08-16 13:53
Calvin Coolidge deeply loved his wife. Always…
But…
Most modern historians conclude that Coolidge was one of the most “sexist” Presidents we ever had.
Bor… Read More
2021-08-02 14:47
At the end of his first term, Ike was 66,, and one of our oldest Presidents to that time.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower
The Life of Duty, Honor, Country…
Dwight Eisenhower (… Read More
2021-07-26 15:31
Ulysses S. Grant was never happier than with his beloved wife and children.
The Family Grant – later
USG & Julia: The Long Courtship
Young Ulysses S. Grant
For Second L… Read More
2021-07-19 13:52
Franklin D. Roosevelt was well born and well pedigreed.
But…
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
But when his seventy-something father died, FDR was still in college. His son was… Read More
2021-07-12 14:39
It wasn’t a shoo-in by any means.
The USA in 1864
The Civil War had begun its fourth year. Casualties were huge,with seemingly no end in sight.
Nobody was happy. Nobody w… Read More
2021-07-06 14:47
Spoiler alert! She didn’t do him in!
The Death of Harding
When President Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly in August, 1923, the country was sincerely shocked and saddened… Read More
2021-06-28 13:55
The incomparable Dolley Madison
Following Dolley Madison, there was a big gap in the role of the First Lady
Elizabeth Monroe was a reclusive woman by nature, and her grown daughter wa… Read More
2021-06-22 14:35
No question abut it, Mary Lincoln liked nice stuff!
The Well-Born Miss Todd
Miss Mary Todd (1818-1882) was born into what might be called Lexington, Kentucky aristocracy. At birth… Read More
2021-06-14 14:48
Harry Truman probably said it best. “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
The Thick Hide
It is a part of human nature to be sensitive to criticis… Read More
2021-06-07 15:12
Grover Cleveland always resented media intrusion.
The Return of Cleveland
Just about all historians rate Cleveland’s second go-round (1893-7) as far less successful than his… Read More
2021-05-31 15:14
Woodrow and Ellen Wilson
Woodrow Wilson always enjoyed feminine companionship.
Woodrow Wilson and Women in General
Like many men with high intellect and matching egos, Woodrow… Read More
2021-05-24 15:22
Abraham Lincoln
“It is hard, hard to have him die.”
Man of Sadness
Most historians agree that Abraham Lincoln, when he wasn’t laughing and telling droll stories, w… Read More
2021-05-10 15:06
James and Elizabeth Monroe: Parents of the Bride
Maria Hester Monroe was the first daughter of a President to be married in the White House.
Maria Hester
Maria (pronounced Mar-IAH)… Read More
2021-05-03 14:26
Most people today know the story, true or legend or both, of Betsy Ross.
The Original Flag
The legendary Betsy Ross
The original design
In 1776 (or thereabouts) it is said that G… Read More
2021-04-26 14:52
Major William McKinley
At the suggestion of General Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley decided to study law.
The Hard-Knocks Youth of William McKinley
Born in Niles, raised in th… Read More
2021-04-19 14:25
The First Act being his youth and political rise, the Second Act being his Presidency…
Millard Fillmore: Lame Duck
President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore (1800-74) h… Read More
2021-04-12 15:21
Yes, Warren Harding was a dark horse, and yes, it did happen in a smoke filled room… BUT…
Leading Up To 1920
There was an odd assortment of coincidences that cr… Read More
2021-04-05 14:24
At eighteen, John Quincy Adams returned to Massachusetts after eight years in Europe.
Young Man JQ:
His Harvard education suited him well. Classes were small and elite. Only the be… Read More
2021-03-29 14:31
New York can boast being home to ELEVEN Vice Presidents!
The Old Guys…
In the early days of our country, a geopolitical balance between the President and Vice President wa… Read More
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