Saturday, December 20, 2008
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
The holiday season was an eventual time in the life of George Washington. Following
are significant events which occurred from December 21 through December 31
involving GW:
December 22, 1789: During GW’s first year in office as president, South
Carolina ceded Tennessee to the U.S. to become a separate state.
December 23, 1775: About eight months after the [...]
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
On this date in 1753, Virginia colonial governor Robert Dinwiddie sent a force
led by George Washington to demand French withdrawal from the Ohio
Territory. This mission presaged the on-and-off, nine-year war between Britain
and France for control of the area comprising the eventual states of Ohio,
Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois. When the conflict ended in [...]
Monday, September 22, 2008
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
The spector of failing banks, Wall Street woes, and government bailouts may seem
like contemporary problems which have little relevance for George Washington’s time.
That premise is flawed, as the state of the economy was a paramount concern during
George Washington’s presidency. That the new national government started in the red
was a consequence of Article VI of [...]
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
What would George Washington’s reaction have been to the heinous attacks against
the United States on September 11, 2001? Probably moral outrage, followed by
the goal of identifying and punishing the perpetrators. Yet, professional solider that
he was, Washington hated war. The following excerpt demonstrates his view
of war, necessary as it was in his own [...]
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
September 3, 1777 marks the only day that a Revolutionary War battle was fought
in Delaware. The Battle of Cooch’s Bridge engaged elements of British-Hessian forces
under General Cornwallis with Continental Light Infantry Corps under the command of
Brigadier General Willam Maxwell. The objective of the American effort was to
obstruct and harass British troops in order [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Geoge Washington was busy fending off the British in New York during
the Summer of 1776. However, he wrote eloquently on the spirit of the
revolution for freedom from England. Below is one such contribution:
“..The value of liberty was thus enhanced in our estimation by the difficulty of its attainment,
and the worth of characters [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
June 17, 1972 was the date of the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters
in the Watergate building in Washington, DC. The investigation into the botched
burglary revealed an attempt by CREEP, the Nixon reelection staff, to bug the DNC
offices. This in turn led to other revelations and eventually to the resignation of
President Richard [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Flag Day is celebrated in the U.S. annually on June 14. The flag
evokes feelings of patriotism in Americans. George Washington
wrote often about patriotism; below is one such communication:
“…it is a maxim with me, that in times of imminent danger to a
Country, every true Patriot should occupy the Post in which he
can render them [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Memorial Day 2008 arrives as the United States is involved in
a two-front war on terrorism, with a combined 180,000 troops
presently in Afghanistan and Iraq. George Washington, as
commander of American forces during the revolution against
Britain, knew the sacrifices of his troops all-too-well. The
observation below offers a perpetual reminder that freedom
isn’t free:
“To see men without [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States has increased
the visibility of organized religiion and its benefits. George
Washington wrote often about religious liberty and toleration; below is one of his writings on the topic:
“…It gives me the most sensible pleasure to find, that, in our nation, however different are the sentiments of citizens on
religious [...]