I know, it seems like a stretch but think about it, the founding of a country is a bit of storytelling. You need heroes and villains, you need drama and intrigue and when it is all done the main participants become larger than life characters. Plus it's Friday and we could all use some fun. I also think these strangely work. So examine and debate. George Washington is John Cena: Hustle, Loyalty and Respect. These words are emblazoned on John Cena t-shirts but really they describe our greatest Founding Father too. He hustled to avoid battles or to attack at night (i.e. Washington Crossing the Delaware). He was loyal to America, risking his life to lead the Continental Army and you better believe he commanded respect. Like Cena, Washington never had a heel turn and both could accurately be described as "The Face Who Runs the Place". Alexander Hamilton is HHH Both men started from the bottom and both used special connections to work their way up. Hamilton through his friendship and apprenticeship with Washington and HHH through marrying the boss's daughter Stephanie McMahon. Both make terrific heels and as much as Lin-Manuel Miranda tries to do otherwise, Hamilton has been a "bad guy" for most of US History, distrustful of the common man and always doing "what's best for business". Ben Franklin is Ric Flair Both men absolutely ooze charisma. They are headliners and really big fans of themselves. They know how to play to a crowd, they have famous one liners too! Franklin is the architect of lines like "God helps those who help themselves", "early to bed, early to rise" and the classic athlete slogan "no pain, no gain". Flair gave us "to be the man, you gotta beat the man" and "limousine riding, high flying, etc. etc." Let's also point out they both had rather notorious and public liaisons with the fairer sex during their times. Thomas Jefferson is Sting Let me be clear on this too, I don't mean beach bum Sting, I'm talking "The Crow" EMO Sting because...well Jefferson was kind of EMO. Some historians actually think that Jefferson today would be diagnosed with depression or that he was possibly bipolar. Both men were loners and reclusive. Both men were also wildly popular among the masses but confusing in their actions. Sting was the most naive baby face in modern wrestling and Jefferson contradicted himself at every turn. These two could take turns on the psychiatrist's couch. Thomas Paine is the Ultimate Warrior
Both men were incredibly passionate and rebellious. Have you ever seen the Ultimate Warrior run into the ring for his entrance and wrestle like he was on the clock? Paine had a brief moment of love and brilliance in America with Common Sense, but his later writings and support of the French Revolution made him lose favor with America and the Founding Fathers. Both were probably too passionate and intense for their own good. Washington and Paine had a very personal falling out, Paine lashed out when the former refused to help him when he was incarcerated. The wound never healed. The Ultimate Warrior also fell from grace and tragically did not come back into the good graces of the company until it was too late. He died shortly after the WWE welcomed him back.
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I recently learned about a Tony-winning play that it set during the Early Republic of American History.
It follows the drama inside President Washington's cabinet as one brave Founding Father fights for the ideals of the American people and to preserve this country for the future. Oh and the play ran in the year 1943. That's right, Hamilton the Musical may be record-breaking and visionary in several respects but it is far from the first Broadway attempt to discuss America's founding. The key difference in this play called The Patriots, besides the lack of rap songs, is the protagonist and antagonist are switched. Jefferson is the man of the people, fighting against despotism as he did in the Declaration of Independence and Hamilton is the corrupt, immigrant bastard who distrusts people and wants a strong centralized government to rule the unwashed masses. Indeed, Lin Manuel Miranda's greatest accomplishment is not getting people to know Hamilton, but branding him a hero. Hamilton, as important as he is, has often been portrayed as a bit of an outcast and villain by historians from the inception of American history. "If men were angels, no government would be necessary" Hamilton's famous line from Federalist 51 has defined his view of life. He distrusted the common man and found them to be easily manipulated and uneducated enough on policy to have much of a voice at all in government. He wanted the President to serve for life, essentially recreating the British government. He even sold out John Jay in negotiations with Great Britain to prevent a severing of the two countries relationship. So while 1943's play is not nearly as famous today, it is important for its historiography. What Founding Father will get redeemed by history next? John Jay? Thomas Paine? Find out more about the musical in this podcast: http://backstoryradio.org/shows/hamilton/
Here are some revolutionary things you can try this week.
1. How revolutionary are you? Would you have been a patriot in 1776 or nah? www.historyisfun.org/how_revolutionary_are_you/quiz.html 2. Relive the greatest declaration since "The Declaration" The internet is amazing at answering all the deepest philosophical questions.
If I were a color, what would I be? Which 1990s cartoon show am I? And now the answer to your most burning historical question; "If I were a rich, white 18th century dude in America, who would I be Mr. Gibson?" Wonder no more, here is a sampling of quizzes to try out for some Friday Fun. I put my results in the description just so you can see if we are on the same level. Usually this is my go-to for inane quizzes but it gave me John Adams so I'm a bit disappointed: www.buzzfeed.com/jamesgrebey/which-founding-father-are-you?utm_term=.hxdbAzpw9#.bu45bxY3D This one has the most variety, it gave me George Mason (no Button Gwinnett though) http://constitutioncenter.org/foundersquiz/ This one has few options but it's quick for those on the go (it also gave me John Adams so bleh): https://www.constitutionfacts.com/?page=foundingFatherShort.cfm This is another Weebly and it got me George Washington so here's some love: http://brainfall.com/quizzes/which-founding-father-are-you/ This one got me Ben Franklin so that's pretty ballin' http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/10/21/which-of-the-founding-fathers-would-you-be/ How did you do? Put your results in the comments or tweet at me @MrG_Unit. You can find part one here.
Thomas Jefferson-The third President of the United States had a pretty rough time when it came to his progeny. He and his wife Martha had six children but only two survived beyond infancy. Martha herself became weaker and weaker with each child birth and died in 1782, before the Revolutionary War was even ended. Jefferson promised his wife on his deathbed to not marry again but scientists have proven that Jefferson did bear more children with one of his slaves Sally Hemings. The debate rages as to how many children these two produced but it could be anywhere from one to six. We do know that she was born in 1773 and therefore Hemings played a huge role in Jefferson's life. Her children led a difficult life, being related to the great Founding Father but being unable to prove it. Some "passed" into white culture while others remained in bondage. James Madison-The Father of the Constitution had no children of his own. Madison, like Washington, inherited a stepson when he married Dolly Madison after a yellow fever outbreak killed off her first husband and other child. The Madisons would never conceive and unfortunately John Payne Todd was a hot mess. He constantly drank and blew his father's fortune and opportunities. He went to prison twice for debts he had accrued and forced his mother Dolly to sell Montpelier (the Madison estate to pay it off). Then he tried to fleece his niece for more inheritance. Yep, he was that awesome. John Adams-Of course, perhaps no family is more of a tragic emo-song than the Adams family (snap snap). John and Abigail had six children. The most famous, of course, being sixth President John Quincy Adams. Groomed for greatness from the start, John Quincy did not disappoint. The siblings on the other hand... Charles did of cirrhosis at age 30 because of rampant alcoholism. Abigail contracted breast cancer and after a very risky and dangerous procedure to remove the breast, malignant cells spread it across her body. She died in extreme pain at age 48. Thomas had some successes in politics, following his brother John Quincy but also picked up his brother Charles' habit of alcoholism and died at age 60 in severe debt. Yeah...you get the picture. So maybe your family is not so bad after all. :-) In honor of Father's Day, let's talk about the "real" fathers, the Founding Fathers of this great nation of ours.
We talk so much about their professional accomplishments but most people no little about their personal lives. While that makes sense for a history textbook, it does not make sense for understanding these mythic figures as human beings. Family is a huge part of our lives and a major aspect of how we measure our own lives, liberty and happiness. So how do the Founding Fathers stack up as fathers? George Washington-He may be the "Father of Our Country" but Washington is the only founder to not actually be a father. While he did become a stepfather after marrying a widowed Martha Custis, Washington never had a child of his own and therefore no direct descendants. Keep that in mind in case someone tries to tell you otherwise. Some historians contemplate whether he was sterile from a fever he got in his younger years but it seems unlikely we will ever know for sure. Ben Franklin-We all know when it comes to relationships, Franklin was complicated. One of his three children, William, was conceived out of wedlock and was not officially recognized by Franklin until age 24. Then William Franklin made headlines by being a Loyalist during the Revolution, being imprisoned and Benjamin did little to try to free him. Ouch, thanks dad. William's mother is unknown to historians but his other two children were to his wife Deborah Read, Read was previously married before Franklin and had some drama on their own so perhaps they were made for each other. She also had a severe fear of the seas which is why she did not accompany Franklin when he went to France. Well, we all know how that turned out... Alexander Hamilton-Thanks to the musical, most people know that the "Founding Father without a father" had a son, Phillip was killed in a duel just like his father would be. However, the musical (for dramatic effect) conveniently leaves out the fact that Phillip was one of eight kids between Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. We also know about the infamous Reynolds Pamphlet in which Hamilton admitted to the world his affair with Mrs. Maria Reynolds and the subsequent blackmail scheme by her husband James. In fact, the Hamiltons kept their names in the family. Their youngest was named Phil after their eldest son's murder, another child was named Angelica after Elizabeth's sister and another John Church after Angelica's husband. They even had two sons with the name Alexander in their names. Hamilton was certainly flawed but he left his family a fortune, unlike the other Founders. I guess he didn't throw away his shot.
All of this deep interpretation of the Declaration of Independence means we should not forget ALL of the men who helped write, edit and vote on this pivotal document.
Sure, Jefferson may get all the publicity but other notable names like John Adams, Richard Henry Lee and Ben Franklin signed it and worked on it. That hall also included somewhat famous names like Roger Sherman and the complete unknown like Georgia representative Button Gwinnett. Besides having an awesome name, Gwinnett appears to be given a second chance at fame just like Lin Manuel Miranda did for Alexander Hamilton (who was NOT a part of the Declaration remember) thanks to Stephen Colbert. ​Enjoy! |
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August 2016
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