Remember what brought about this?

The people occupying positions in the United States Federal Government are acting much like King George III. After some dithering, the following post was made by another precursor to what we know now as a “blog.” It was the town crier of Philadelphia, circa 4 July 1776. Here’s what was said in case you missed it. Please read carefully.
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In particular, I draw your attention to the following:

“He has refused his assent to laws most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”

“He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent for laws establishing judiciary powers.”

“He has erected a multitude of new offices.”

“FOR IMPOSING TAXES ON US WITHOUT OUR CONSENT.”

If any more explanation is required… forget it.

Published in: on March 1, 2009 at 10:47 am  Comments (1)  
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What was this all about?

In light of recent actions by the people currently holding positions of power in the United States Federal Government, I humbly ask readers of this blog to take a moment to read this document, originally posted on the earliest of blogs (namely a stout tree in the Boston area circa 1773).

bostonteapartyjoycenoticeReplace the term “Tea Consignee” with “the United States Congress and President.” There you have it, what must be done with the pretenders who are doing everything they can to ruin what was once the greatest nation to grace this earth.

(As a side note, remember that Benjamin Franklin, the first and finest American yet to walk this same earth, insisted that the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party be paid for. Several merchants went to Lord North, then Britain’s Prime Minister and offered to pay the damages. Lord North declined the offer. Thus, the die had been cast with regard to the future of the Colonies.)

What a deal!

While knocking around the U.S. National Archives, I found an image of the check the United States paid Russia for Alaska. Have a look.

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It was written for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre. What a deal! The US definitely got the whole kit and kaboodle, everything from fishing grounds, to oil, to polar bears, not to mention 600,000 square miles of turf. And there’s a stamp on that check where it was actually paid and I’m wondering how Russia received the money. Was it greenbacks, gold, or something else. I’ll have to keep looking.

And have a look at that handwriting. Whoever wrote this check wanted the world to be able to read it. Great penmanship! Anyway, just goes to show what a little more than seven million bought back in the day.

Published in: on February 4, 2009 at 11:43 am  Leave a Comment  
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Interesting Research

MacMillan Judge, Privateer is a novel I work on from time to time. Well, I was doing some research the other day and came across some a very interesting find at the National Archives (of the United States that is).  I was looking for information about the War of 1812 as it is known in America, when the United States fought Great Britain again. The character MacMillan Judge missed out on his chance to serve in this war due to the fact that his father was a Quaker and not only forbid MacMillan to fight, but also ruined his chances by revealing certain information to the United States Navy regarding a renegade action MacMillan was about to undertake.

So in the national archives, I found the report of Colonel Armistead, who was commander at Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the famous British shelling of that facility. This is the event that triggered Francis Scott Key to write the Stars Spangled Banner. Here is the direct link to the page that contains the document: http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=914

Below I insert a thumbnail of the first page of this two-page document for your review:

mchenry11Note the clear handwriting of this man, something that always impresses me about previous generations. (My own left-handed scrawl is barely legible, sometimes only to myself and perhaps one other person). Also, he describes the action clearly and almost detachedly, simply related the facts of the situation without much embellishment or exaggeration. I’ve seen log books from previous centuries which include similar writings. It is literally amazing the records that still remain. We can learn plenty of these first hand accounts, which I dare to say are better than what passes for journalism in the current age.

Published in: on February 3, 2009 at 11:52 am  Leave a Comment  
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