Thursday, September 2, 2010
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Though there was no Labor Day holiday celebrated nationally in the United
States during George Washington’s life, he did express his statement for
the type of worker he preferred. The following comment comes from a March
1784 letter he wrote to Tench Tilghman:
“I would, however, prefer middle aged to young men, and those who have good
countenances, and [...]
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Though his formal education was limited, George Washington was aware of the
value and benefits of schooling at all levels. As the nation begins another school
year, it is appropriate to remind ourselves of GW’s views on this critical issue.
The quote below emanates from GW’s January 1790 First Annual Address as
American president:
“Knowledge is in every country [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
What would George Washington say in response to the controversy over
a proposed mosque to be build in the neighborhood of Ground Zero in New
York City? One logical response came in a July 1790 letter President Washington
wrote to the Convention of the Universalist Church in Philadelphia:
“It gives me the most sensible pleasure to find, that, [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
As we close in on the 2010 midterm election, there are signs of extreme
partisanship and ideological clashes which have come to paralyze Congress
if not the entire Federal government. Such personal and collective rancor
certainly existed in George Washington’s two presidential administrations, even
though political parties were not fully formed yet. But Washington understood
these differences, as [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
In February 1784, George Washington wrote his French friend and Revolutionay
War ally Marquis de Lafayette about enjoying retirement. This period of
tranquility would be short-lived, as the Constitutional Convention took place
just three years later and GW would be inaugurated as the first U.S. president
under the Constitution by the end of the decade.
“Envious of none, [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Today it is likely that I will be no longer associated with an organization which
I chaired for 5 1/2 years and for which my service was an important part of
my life. So it was for George Washington, who resigned his military commission
three times and stepped down from the American presidency after two terms.
The quote [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
Today’s Washington Post began a three-part series on the national security
apparatus of the United States. Though much more rudimentary at its inception,
spying has been around since the American revolution, and George Washington
deserves much credit for helping to create the original “Culpepper” ring of
informants. Below is Washington’s view on the value of this tool [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
George Washington was no saint. He was human, and human beings have
emotion. One of them is wanting to get even once wronged. Below is
Washington’s view on the value of acting on that emotion, from a letter
sent to the President of the Second Continental Congress in March 1777:
“Retaliation is certainly just and sometimes [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
What do George Washington and Jimmy Carter have in common? Aside from serving
as American president, evidently little. But both men realized the the lure of the
opposite sex while married. For Carter, it was “lust in his heart.” For GW, it was…well, read
the quote below from a letter sent to Mrs. Richard [...]
Posted by Samuel B. Hoff
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence against Britain was released.
But American forces were in danger of being routed by the British in New York.
After holding their own for the first fiew months of the conflict, the Americans
were exhausted and shorthanded. From that vantage point, it is difficut to
see how the colonials would [...]