Leadership in History

State of the Union…Pep Talk, or Barometer?

2012-01-25T18:37:00.000-06:00

As I watched the State of the Union address last night, I had to wonder about the many, many state of the union addresses that have come before this evening. While the 2012 election campaign, for better or worse, is beginning to heat up, and people are anxious to hear how the President would stack up against the political rhetoric (?) of the opposing party, I had to wonder what other presidents throughout history had to say. Is it important to hear what the president has to say? Is this speech a “pep talk” for a sometimes weary nation-- or does this speech serve the purpose as a barometer for the nation?

The Constitution States that the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” The first address to Congress by a president was given in the Senate chamber on January 8th, 1790 by, appropriately enough, the first commander- in-chief, George Washington. After his inauguration, Washington thought it would be a good idea to begin each year with a speech to Congress.

While not referred to as the State of the Union Address, the “Annual Message to Congress” was delivered by Washington, as well as his successor, John Adams in person. Adam’s successor, Thomas Jefferson submitted his address in writing. He considered addressing congress in person to monarchical. The practice of submitting the address in writing was followed by subsequent presidents until Woodrow Wilson in 1913.

In Washington’s address, he spoke of his political philosophy for a fledgling nation, and set forth a framework of what he thought were the pressing actions Congress should take in the year ahead. As it does today, the address covered a variety of topics from immigration, where Washington considered “it expedient that the terms on which foreigners may be admitted to the rights of citizens should be speedily ascertained by a uniform rule of naturalization” to technology where he encouraged “new and useful inventions from abroad” and “the promotion of science and literature.”

Source

In December of 1830, Andrew Jackson spoke of policies that through the lenses of time have come to be seen as controversial. Jackson said “…it gives me great pleasure to announce to Congress that the benevolent party of the government, steadily pursued for nearly 30 years, in relation to the removal of the Indians beyond the white settlements is approaching to a happy consummation.” Jackson was outlining the Indian Removal Act of 1830.

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Abraham Lincoln spoke to war weary country in his last address on December 6, 1864. In it, he speaks of the American spirit. America had grown in the face of adversity, and the Union, Lincoln stated, can “maintain the contest indefinitely…material resources are now more complete and abundant than ever. Back then, even in the face of a Civil War, America was still a nation of hope.

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Franklin Roosevelt’s State of the Union Address on January 20, 1941 spoke of freedom—specifically four freedoms. In his address, FDR stated that “In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.” He then proceeded to basically reiterate the freedoms enumerated in the Bill of Rights. He said, “the first freedom is of speech and expression—everywhere in the world. The second is the freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world. The third freedom from want—which translated into world terms means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world. The fourth freedom from fear—which translated into world terms means worldwide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.

Why the emphasis on the world view? At the time, Europe was fully engaged in a World War. The U.S. would be included in December of that year. Perhaps FDR reiterated these basic rights to reassure Americans that they would continue to have these rights, regardless of what the future may hold.

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January 11, 1962 had John Kennedy speaking to Americans on looking forward during prosperous times. He says how that while the year began in a recession; it ended on the high road of recovery and growth. “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining—by filling three basic gaps in our anti- recession protection.” Kennedy proceeded to outline a program to expand growth and job opportunities. Kennedy said that by the end of 1961, an economy that Khrushchev once referred to as a “stumbling horse” was “racing to new records in consumer spending, labor income, and industrial production".

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Ronald Reagan spoke on January 26, 1982 of a “new federalism” advocating less federal spending and more state initiative to solve social end economic problems. However, while in public he spoke of programs promoting a return of political power to state and local governments, in private, he encouraged additional centralization of political power in several functional areas, and continued by signing bills prohibiting state economic regulation of certain industries.

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Bill Clinton’s campaign dream of universal health care for all Americans was called the Health Care Plan of 1993.This plan was announced in a highly anticipated speech on September 22, 1993. After many negotiations, discussions, reports and arguments, the plan was declared dead by the Senate Majority Leader on September 26th of 1994. However, in his State of the Union Address in January of 1997, Clinton proposed a new initiative to provide coverage to up to five million children. This revised version of State Children’s Health Insurance Program was passed on June 25, 1997.

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Fast forward to me on my comfy couch watching President Obama last night. Many of the same issues, many of the same problems. Does this speech serve a purpose? How do you feel about the process? Do yourself a favor, and Google the addresses of your favorite President. They are very enlightening!

Fundamental Orders—The Other Constitution

2012-01-13T16:04:00.004-06:00

Happy Constitution Day, Connecticut! What? You say Constitution Day is in September? You think I’m mad? Not really—January 14th is the 373rd anniversary of the first ever written constitution in the world…and it was Connecticut’s.

In 1614, the Dutch were interested in establishing trading posts in the Hudson Bay area. Adriaen Block was hired to investigate and trade for furs. He was the first European to explore the Connecticut River.

The 1630s brought three communities of Puritans from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Led by Thomas Hooker, they had come to feel increasingly shut out from the government that had been established by the other communities in Massachusetts. They also wanted to increase their land holdings, and were feeling a bit cramped and crowded in Massachusetts. Hooker led them to the land of the Connecticut River Valley. By 1638, they had settled in Wethersfield, Windsor, and Hartford. Representatives from the communities met in Hartford to set up a unified government for a new colony.

Roger Ludlowe

In 1639, lawyer Roger Ludlow, the only trained attorney of the colony, presented the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. This constitution was the first ever written constitution framed by a body of men for their own government. It stated that the sovereign power rested with the freeman, there was no mention of a king.

The document contained eleven Orders. The first Order called for the holding of two general courts or assemblies, one to be held in April, and the other in the month of September. In April, elections were held by the freemen of the colony for Governor and six magistrates. Freeman status was not easy to come by. Only those with substantial property interested were allowed to cast their ballots.

Puritans saw no separation of church and state. They felt this constitution was an outgrowth of their religious convictions, and thus they had no tolerance for “non-believers” a.k.a. anyone with beliefs unlike their own. They also held a dim view of vagabonds or undesirables. The trick was they had no standardized religious oath or testing to restrict participation in the government.

The Fundamental Orders carry out these philosophies. The introduction, or preamble calls for an "orderly and decent government according to God" to preserve "liberty and purity of the gospel of our Lord Jesus," to maintain discipline in the churches, and to be guided by "laws, rules, orders and decrees" in civil affairs.

The main purpose of the Fundamental Orders was, of course to formalize the union of the three Puritan communities. The towns were now in compact. This began the commonwealth of Connecticut.

The Orders were the law of the land until 1662 when they were superseded by the Charter of Connecticut. However, many of the laws and statues of the Orders remained until 1818 when the General Assembly established a new Constitution.

So Long 2011, Hello 2012!

2011-12-30T12:26:00.000-06:00

Rather than bemoan the fact that this New Year's Eve brings with it (once again) an economy that leaves a lot to be desired, unemployment, clowns running for office, etc., I thought I would be fun (remember fun?) to look at the reasons why we have certain traditions on New Year's Eve. Some of them are very interesting.

January 1

The date of our new year in terms of time, is relatively new. Up until the time of Julius Caesar, the new year began on March 1. The January 1 date coincided with the date that the Roman governmental figures and new consuls were inducted into office. The occasion also brought with it games and partying. Caesar decided to change the date to January to honor the god Janus--the god of all beginnings and the gatekeeper of heaven and earth. This god was also depicted with two faces. This was rather apropos for New Years. One face looking back at the past, the other looking forward to the future.

When emperor Constantine came along and with him Christianity, he decided to keep the date January 1, as opposed to returning it to March 1. He decided to take it from a day of festivals and merriment, and make it a day of fasting and prayer--a chance for Christians to turn over a new leaf.

However, even as late as 1582, Great Britian and the English colonies in America kept March for the beginning of the year. Perhaps they felt that spring was a better beginning. It wasn't until 1752 that Britain and it's colonies adopted the new Gregorian calendar and January 1 as the beginning of the year. Many Puritans in New England felt the Roman god Janus was a pagan god and chose to ignore January 1 as a New Years Day. Instead they just made the entire month of January as "The First Month" of the months.

Father Time
This symbol of the new year once again has roots in Greek and Roman Mythology. The Greek god Cronus, known to the Romans as Saturn, god of agriculture, is thought to be the source of the image of the bearded, scythe-carrying old man known as Father Time. Saturn is typically associated with the sowing of seeds and the tilling of the soil.

The ancient Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a week-long harvest festival in December, to honor Saturn, and this festival has in many ways influenced Christian tradition. In A.D. 354, when Pope Liberius ordered that Dec. 25 be observed as the birthday of Christ, he cited the precedent of Saturnalia, probably hoping the new holiday would divert attention from the pagan revelry. That’s why the images of Father Time and Father Christmas, and the passing of the old year and the coming of the new have all come to be associated with one another over the centuries.

Scholars now believe that the name Cronus is actually pre-Greek and is not etymologically related to chronos, one of several Greek words for time. But the confusion between Cronus and chronos has probably reinforced the scythe-wielding Father Time image.

Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" the title of a Scottish folk song that many English speaking people sing at midnight on New Year's Eve translates roughly to "days gone by" Poet Robert Burns has been credited with transcribing
adapting, and partially rewriting the song in the late 18th century. The lyrics rhetorically ask whether "auld acquaintance" should be forgot have been interpreted as a call to remember friends and events of the past.

Noisemakers
As far back as 335 AD, New Year’s Eve was the night of Holy Sylvester, the Pope who converted the Roman Emperor Constantine to Christianity. After the Emperor’s conversion, pagan gods fell from favor but fought back through the souls of the living. The people protected themselves from their return during the darkness of New Year’s Eve by wandering the streets shouting to strangers, frolicking with noisemakers, and generally acting foolish, a custom that resurfaces every New Year’s Eve. Sound familiar??

Resolutions
Once again, this goes back to Roman times. ancient Romans. They took it upon themselves to indulge in alcoholic and sexual excess as a way of acting out all the chaos that they hoped a new year would get rid of. They reasoned that the New Year's festival was a way to start over. By purging yourself of all this so-called excess energy and confessing your sins, there was a hope that you would be much better in the year ahead.

As time went on, the Puritans never did approve of this merriment at the New Year. They instead celebrated the date as a time of religious renewal of cleansing, purging, and fasting. They encouraged young people not to waste the new year on foolish things but to use it as an opportunity to make a good change in their lives for the good. They in turn also made New Year's vows or pledges focused on overcoming their own weaknesses and to enhance their god-given talents and to make them better citizens to others.

The popular idea of making New Year's Resolutions began during the 20th century. It was mostly done tongue in cheek with an understanding that they would not be kept--seriously, how many resolutions have you kept over the years?

The resolutions today are a secular version of the religious vows people made in the past toward spiritual perfection. They are often made with good intentions and broken with a sense of humor and renewed annually.

Champagne
One theory for the consumption of champagne on New Years Eve is that the correct way to open the bottle, by popping the cork, sounds very much like a starter's pistol...a new beginning. Just a theory, but it makes sense!

As we all look with OPTIMISM toward 2012, let's hope it brings with it all of the good things we hope for and aspire to in the coming year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Spirit of St. Nicholas--Week 4

2011-12-21T11:35:00.000-06:00

St. Nicholas of Myra became a saint because of the miracles he performed. He continues to perform miracles today in the form of the goodwill that seems to permeate the world at Christmas. People who might not get along at any other time of year, or people who might walk by a homeless person without a thought at Christmas time take the time to say a kind word, or give some money with a message of encouragement. That is truly the miracle of Christmas.

There are many other celebrations of St. Nicholas and Christmas throughout the world. In the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas happens in the summer!

In South America, the presepio, or nativity plays a very important part in the celebrations. The presepio is part of a series of novenas, public gatherings of worship in the form of prayer, hymns, and religious poetry usually in a nine-day period or morning church services, or re-enactment plays and pageants of the nativity scenes recalling the journey of the Holy Family to Bethlehem under the guidance of a star and angels

In South Africa, the most important part of their Christmas worship service is the love offering, this is the gift in honor of Jesus. Then at about 8 or 9 o'clock everyone makes their way to the celebration of the birthday of Jesus. Everyone who attends the service goes forward to lay down their gift upon the raised platform near the Communion table. Not one person will attend the service without giving a gift.

No matter where in the world St. Nicholas travels, it is important to remember through all of the presents, music, and food that make the holiday season so festive, that he wants us all to look out for the other person, show some kindness, and as he told the man whose daughters received the bags of gold for their dowries—if you want to make me happy, do good deeds for others expecting nothing in return, and you will be rewarded tenfold. Merry Christmas!

The Spirit of St. Nicholas--Week 3

2011-12-14T11:41:00.000-06:00

How did the legend of St. Nicholas come to the New World or the United States? . This had a great deal to do with the Dutch settlers who came to this country in the 17^th century.

When these settlers came to the New World, their lead ship had a figure head, or statue, on the front of the ship, of St. Nicholas, or as the Dutch called him, Sinter Klaas, the patron saint of sailors, to guarantee safe passage. When the Dutch arrived in the New World, they gave thanks to the Patron Saint of Sailors for their safe arrival.

St. Nicholas’ influence continued far beyond that of the safe arrival of ships. As retold in Washington Irving’s famous book DiedriechKnickerbocker: An History of New York City from the Beginning of the World tothe End of the Dutch Dynasty Oloffe Van Kortland, a member of the Dutch development council, was asked to choose a site for the new city. Van Kortland went in search of an appropriate area and promptly fell asleep in the woods. He awoke when he heard the sound of sleigh bells. He looked up in the sky and saw a miniature sleigh pulled by reindeer above the treetops. Soon it landed in a clearing and out of the sleigh hopped Sinter Klaas. He came to Van Kortland and said he would assist him in finding the ideal location to establish what would become the greatest city in the New World.

Sinter Klaas gave Van Kortland very specific instructions. I will take drag of my pipe, and blow the smoke into the air. You are to follow that smoke until it settles on the ground. Where that smoke settles, I want you to establish the city of New Amsterdam. Van Kortland followed Sinter Klaas’ instructions exactly.

When all was said and done, New Amsterdam was established, and became one of the busier cities in the New World. As thanks to Sinter Klaas for help in establishing the city of New Amsterdam, the people of the city made St. Nicholas the patron saint of the city.

Eventually, people of many countries came to New Amsterdam. Many of them were British. They eventually became the leaders of the town and on June 12^th, 1665. New Amsterdam was renamed New York in honor of the King of England’s brother, the Duke of York. The British did not however, change their patron saint. St. Nicholas remains to this very day the patron saint of New York City. To date, there are six churches of various denominations dedicated to St. Nicholas in the city of New York. One of them, The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas (Reformed Church in

America

) can trace its roots back to the original St. Nicholas Church established by the Dutch in New Amsterdam.

Time passed, and more and more immigrants came from

England

to New York City. The English did not speak Dutch, so rather than call St. Nicholas Sinter Klaas; they began to call him Santa Claus. In 1822, Clement C. Moore wrote a poem for his children about a Christmas visit from St. Nicholas. In this poem, he talked about a jolly old elf that came down the chimney and filled the children’s stockings.

Many of Mr. Moore’s friends asked for copies of his poem and in 1823, one of these friends published the poem anonymously in the Troy, New York Sentinel. It later became popularly known by its first line “T’was the night BeforeChristmas”.

As more immigrants came to

America

, they brought with them their traditions of St. Nicholas. Decorating Christmas trees, hanging of stockings and the giving of gifts are all traditions brought from the celebrations of St. Nicholas throughout Europe.

All of the wonderful celebrations are still celebrated to this day. Many children put out their shoes on December 5^th for St. Nicholas Day. Many oldest daughters adorned in white gowns and candle lit wreaths bring their parents breakfast on December 13th for St. Lucia Day.

The main holiday for many people is the birth date of Jesus on December 25^thChristmas Day. There are others that celebrate the coming of the Magi, or the Epiphany on January 6^th.

It doesn't really matter when you celebrate; all of these wonderful feasts celebrate the Christmas Season.

To hear more of the stories of St. Nicholas, check out Nicholas Comes to America, the Story of Santa Claus. There is still time to order in time for Christmas delivery!

www.hfkpresents.com

The Spirit of St. Nicholas--Week 2

2011-12-04T22:41:00.000-06:00

We continue our journey to the big day, Christmas Day!! This week we celebrate the feast day of St. Nicholas. Many set out their shoes in hopes of getting a small treat or two to help them in their long wait for the main event. Candy canes, books, decorative pencils, Christmas sox have all graced the shoes of children in our family. What do you do to celebrate the day?

There are many special stories of St. Nicholas that remind me of the importance of giving to others at this time of year. One of the most famous examples of Nicholas’ good deeds was how he secretly helped a man and his three daughters. There was a man in town, who had fallen on hard times, and had lost his wife. He raised his three daughters on his own.

When the oldest daughter wanted to get married, the man had no money to give as a dowry. He thought if he sold her into slavery, he could use the money as dowries for the other daughters when they wanted to get married. Nicholas found out about the poor man’s situation, and the night before she was about to be sold, he took some of his own money that was left to him by his parents, wrapped it into a ball in his handkerchief, snuck out to the man’s house in the dark of night when no one could see him, and threw the money into the window.

The next morning the man woke up, found the money, and was about to use it for his daughter’s dowry and wedding. She was not sold into slavery. The man was so happy for the gift, that he asked everyone in the town who had done this wondrous deed, so he could thank that person. No one knew who had done it, so the man didn’t know who to thank.

Time went by, and the man’s second daughter wanted to get married. He was still down on his luck. He has no money. Again he thought if he sold his second daughter into slavery, he would have money for his third daughter’s dowry. Nicholas heard of the poor man’s situation. The night before she was about to be sold into slavery, he again took some of his own money, put it into his handkerchief, tied it into a ball, sneaked out to the man’s house in the dead of night, and threw the money into the window, making sure he was not seen by anyone.

The next morning, the man woke up, found the money, and was again able to save his second daughter from slavery and pay for her wedding and dowry. Once again he asked around town, and no one would take credit for helping the man with his financial difficulties. Unfortunately, the man continued to suffer hard times, and when it came time for the third daughter to marry, he again had no money. He thought if he sold this daughter into slavery, at least she would be taken care of. The night before she was about to be sold, Nicholas again came with his handkerchief full of money. Carefully he crept up to the house. Just before he threw the money into the window, the man jumped out of the shadows, grabbed his arm, and said “Bishop Nicholas, is it you who has saved my children from slavery?” Bishop Nicholas admitted that it was he who had thrown the money into the window. The man was so grateful; he wanted the world to know of Nicholas’ wondrous deeds. However, Nicholas said that if he really wanted to make him happy, keep this as their little secret, and instead do good deeds for others, expecting nothing in return. Nicholas said that this would make both him and Jesus very happy. He told the man that if he did this, he would be rewarded tenfold. However, when the time is right, I will allow you to tell people what I have done for you. This is how Nicholas came to be known as the giver of gifts, and the protector of children--someone who leaves gifts in the middle of the night, unseen by children, expecting nothing in return. That is how his legend began.

How can we give anonymously this season expecting nothing in return? Have you seen the red kettles of the Salvation Army outside of you favorite store? Give generously to this wonderful organization, and you will be rewarded ten fold. Enjoy this short segment of a classic holiday movie that shows the sentiment of the season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoekfgmbe-o

The Spirit of St. Nicholas--Week 1

2011-11-28T14:33:00.000-06:00

It is finally here—the holiday season with all of its shopping, parties and hoopla. This year, let’s take a few moments during the season to remember the spirit of St. Nicholas.

There are many inspiring stories of the patron saint of children. The following is one of those stories. It rings true even today. Many people are in need. Many of those in need are in need for the first time in their lives. Let’s try to do something as Nicholas would have—without expecting anything in return.

Source

During a famine in Myra, Bishop Nicholas worked hard to find grain to feed his people. He learned that cargo ships bound for Alexandria with cargos of wheat were to anchor in Myra’s harbor, Andriaki. The bishop asked the captain of the ship to please sell some of the grain from each of the ships to feed his people and relieve their suffering. The captain said he could not because the cargo was meted and measured. In other words, the cargo has already been accounted for at the beginning of the voyage, and he was responsible for having the same amount of cargo at the end of the voyage. If he did not have the same amount of cargo, he would be responsible for the shortage. Nicholas assured the captain that there would be no problem with the grain when it was delivered. Reluctantly, the captain finally agreed to take 100 bushels of grain from each of the ships. The grain was unloaded, and the ships continued on their voyage to Alexandria.

When the ships arrived at their destination, and the grain was unloaded, it was weighed and measured, and weighed exactly the same as when it was put on board. As the story was retold, the emperor’s ministers worshiped and praised God with thanksgiving for God’s faithful servant, Nicholas.

Back in Myra, Saint Nicholas distributed the grain to everyone in need, and no one was left hungry. The grain lasted for two years until the famine ended. There was even enough grain to provide seed for a good harvest.

Do we help others to make sure they have enough seed to provide a good harvest? Do we give them a moment in a day to see the goodness in ourselves?

Chicago’s ABC 7 has joined forces with Dominicks again this year for their annual Holiday Food Drive. The drive benefits the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Northern Illinois Food Bank.

This would be a great way to help others in a way that St. Nicholas did, without expecting anything in return.

The spirit of St. Nicholas need not be a big thing. Check back daily for ideas great and small to spread “The Spirit of St. Nicholas” to others this season.

Chase the Black Clouds Away...Be Thankful

2011-11-08T14:05:00.002-06:00

Source

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It's time to drag out all of the old tried and true recipes that only see the light of day at this time of year. We all take so much time shopping, planning cooking...as it is for any holiday, at least around my house.

This year, even though the times we currently live in have me taking pessimism to a religion, I am REALLY going to try to count my blessings. I truly do have a lot to be thankful for. And hey, even as the pink slips are passed out and the stock market crashes all around us...we're all still breathing, right?

Let's jump into the 'ol history mobile, shall we? With all street cred to Mr. Peabody and Sherman, let's set the mobile to the year 1621. We all know the story. In the fall of that year, the 53 surviving pilgrims had a little shindig at which they gave thanks for their health and the good harvest. They invited the Native American tribe of the area, the Wampanoag, to the feast as well. These settlers did not specifically call their feast a "thanksgiving" feast, for those were religious events. However, they did give thanks for the good harvest, as was the English tradition.

Source

In attendance at this feast were the 4 married women, 5 adolescent boys, 9 adolescent girls, 13 young children, and 22 men who had made it through that tough first winter. All were Mayflower survivors.

I'm sure what those survivors went through that first winter would make ANYTHING we're all going through these days look like a walk in the park, it's obviously a matter of perspective. Regardless of perspective, it's tough now. Let's try a little gratitude for making through_______(insert your black cloud here!) If you are sitting reading this, you have survived it. It may not be on the upswing just yet, but stay in there!

However, I am still amazed at the grasshoppers of us who are still spending like there is no tomorrow, and wait for hours to be first in line for the latest tech toy. Take it from a newly converted ant...we're not back on top yet, my friend! Take it down a notch and save a bit for the winter. I think after being kicked around by the politicians and banks for a while, our generation has come to believe in the adage that you never know what tomorrow brings!

Believe it or not, while things may have looked rosy in 1621, by 1633, the pilgrims had their first run in with the seventeen year locusts, in '35 a hurricane, and in '38, and earthquake. There's ALWAYS going to be the next black cloud, but if we're prepared, at least when the cloudburst occurs, we can still be grateful we're standing! Happy Thanksgiving!

Spooky Fun of Years Gone By

2011-10-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

The calendar seems to chug along, and believe it or not, it is the middle of October. As a child, this was prime planning time for costumes and other Halloween fun. While I know costumes and festivities are safer now than they were when I was a child, I somehow feel the children of today miss out on going into the store and looking at the rows and rows of boxes that were stacked on the shelves from about the end of September. The cheap vinyl jumpsuits or dresses with the plastic masks were gold to us. Even though we couldn’t breathe in the masks, and the elastic that held it on invariably broke before the night’s festivities had come to an end, we loved to stare with a critical eye over all of the boxes to pick out the perfect alter ego for the evening.

Halloween is said to have originated about 2000 years ago as the Celtic festival of Samhain, for the harvest or summer’s end. During this festival, people would dress in costumes and light bonfires to ward off roaming ghosts.

During the 700s, Pope Gregory III designated November 1st as a holiday to honor all saints and martyrs. By 1000A.D, Christianity had spread to the Celtic lands, and many of the older Celtic rites were blended with the Christian holiday. November 2nd was designated All Souls Day to honor all of the dead. It is thought that this was the church’s attempt to replace the Celtic holiday with a similar, but church sanctioned holiday. The evening before All Saint’s Day holiday became All Hallows Eve, and eventually Halloween.

Some think the Irish brought over some of the practices of the old Celtic celebrations during the Great Potato Famine of 1845-49. President Grover Cleveland is said to have grown up playing Halloween pranks and trick or treating. There is little documentation of revelers wearing costumes before 1900. The first recorded instance of an American Halloween celebration was in 1921 in Anoka, Minnesota. At that time, it was celebrated as a citywide civic festival. Mass produced costumes became popular in the 1950s, when trick or treating became a fixture of the holiday.

Many other American Presidents celebrated the haunted holiday. The Eisenhowers decorated the columns of the White House foyer with corn stalks and pumpkins. During the Nixon administration, first daughter Tricia Nixon hosted a Halloween party for underprivileged children. The Fords and the Carters continued to enjoy the holiday celebrating events to accommodate trick- or- treaters from charitable organizations such as UNICEF.

The costumes have become a bit more sophisticated, and there seems to be (for the better) a closer eye kept on tykes than when we were kids freely running around the neighborhood, but I wouldn't give up my memories of trudging down my block with my plastic pumpkin for the world-- Happy Halloween!

Time Flies!

2011-08-30T12:40:00.000-05:00

Have you ever gone to put the date on a document, check, assignment, etc. and looked to someone for confirmation of the correct date, only to realize you must have lost a few days along the way? Imagine waking up one morning, only to discover it was 11 days later? That is exactly what happened when people of the British colonies went to bed on September 2, 1752. They woke up and found it was September 14th!!

The reason for this jump in dates had to do with the calendar. Prior to 1582, the Julian calendar (invented by none other than Julius Caesar) had been used as the standard measure of counting days, months, years, etc. The problem with this was that there had been an error in this calendar. Every 128 years, the calendar was out of sync with the equinoxes and solstices by one day. As time passed, the calendar became more inaccurate, and was inarticulately determining the date of Easter-- a very important date to Catholics.

Pope Gregory XIII decided that the old Julian calendar should be disregarded, and a new calender used to bring the date of Easter, which was to be the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the Vernal Equinox back to where it belonged.

How did they do this? Ten days were omitted from the calendar to bring it back into sync with the solstices. The Pope then decreed that the day following Thursday, October 4, 1582 would be Friday, October 15, 1582.

That was fine for the Catholic countries who followed the Pope. Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Poland immediately began following what was to become the "Gregorian Calendar" However, the Protestant countries were a bit more difficult to sell on a calendar that had been revised by a Catholic Pope.

As a result, the British colonies, including those soon to be known as the United States, did not begin following the new Gregorian Calendar until September of 1752. Greek Orthodox countries did not come over to this way of thinking until the beginning of the 20th century!

I can think of a number of reasons why I may have been a bit upset about this change. What if your birthday, anniversary, any special day fell within this time frame? Not only that, but New Year's Day was thrown all up for grabs! The Julian calendar had New Year's celebrated closer to the beginning of spring or "new life". Suddenly, the Gregorian calendar changed it to January 1st. Poor George Washington fell victim to that date change-- however that was kind of a good news bad news deal. While the bad news was his birthday went from February 11th to February 22nd, it also made him a year younger. As the date if the new year changed from March to January, Washington, born in February, had the year of his birth changed from 1731 to 1732.

The country of Nova Scotia didn't know what date is was for a while! While it was under Catholic rule, it followed the new Gregorian calendar from 1605 to 1710 when the British took over and it reverted back to the Julian calendar. It went back to the Gregorian calendar with the other British colonies in 1752.

So, as you relax this Labor Day weekend, be glad you at least know what the date is...

The August 2nd Deadline... Apocalypse Now??

2011-07-28T17:23:00.001-05:00

While in no way making light of the situation, the deadline of the raising of the debt ceiling reminds me of the dangers of Y2K. The difference is, we really didn't have an idea of the dangers lurking other than we could all lose power and our digital clocks would rise up and attack.

This crisis has me worried about a few things. First and foremost, will the more senior members of my family get the SS checks? I have also heard that the military may not get paid on time. Could there be two more deserving groups of people to get their money when they need it?

I also started to think about when this love affair with debt began. I have long since become a cash on the barrel head person-- debt is simply too scary these days. I have also taught my kids that credit cards are the devil's plaything!

I took a quick look back in history to find that the debt ceiling was first set in September of 1917 to fund World War I. This was done under the Second Liberty Bond Act. If you take the $11.5 billion dollars that was authorized under that act and allow for inflation, at 2011 dollars, it equals about $193.2 billion dollars. So this ain't all inflation folks!

In the 94 year period since the Second Liberty Bond Act was authorized, the debt ceiling has been raised 102 times. I found a nifty little graph that compares the debt ceiling to the GDP ratio. You can very clearly see the Great Depression in this graph. The ratio was at its lowest in January of 1981, and at its greatest in February of 2010. That by the way was the highest it's been since World War II.

This is what I am the most concerned about. I tend to think a lot of what is going on now is political posturing. If the debt ceiling could be raised 102 times in the past, why not now? Yes, I know the spending has to stop. Why not figure that out without the economy crumbling around our ears? From what I have heard on various newscasts, so many angry people have written their congressman for or against the action, that the servers have crashed! Does this mean that the more complacent of us are finally sitting up and taking notice? Is it because it could really hurt us this time? Perhaps...now I know I'm getting a little silly here...does it mean people may ....VOTE?

I personally feel that the ceiling will be raised by the 2nd. If I am wrong, then I can only attribute it to the fact that despite the fact that life hasn't been that great for a lot of us the past few years, I still, somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain still have a bit of faith in the government. Of course that too could go down the drain if I am mistaken. Stay tuned.

S.O.S-- Save Our Social Studies!

2011-06-27T22:04:00.000-05:00

Okay, soapbox time…again. This time, the catalyst was an editorial in the June 26th Chicago Tribune. The editorial was entitled Flunking History. Of course the title piqued my interest. The author of this editorial seems to concur with what I have been saying for years. Our students are sorely deficient in U.S. History and Civics knowledge. I think the statistical findings that the author listed are the scariest. You are very capable of reading this article on your own, so I won’t rehash all of the findings…hair raising as they might be!

However, I can say with full disclosure that I admit a majority of what I know about the more in depth areas of U.S. History and Civics were self taught after I began working with Histories for Kids, Inc. / HFK Presents. I’m not talking about the names and dates. We all have had the history class where names and dates were the be all and end all of the social studies curriculum. This information is important, but it’s not the full story. Anyone can memorize bits of trivia and regurgitate them back on a test. Again—they ARE important. They help to place people and events in time. I mean… okay, I am going to draw from the editorial…1 in 5 adults who took a 33 question civics test administered by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute said that the electoral college was established “to supervise the first presidential debates” WHAAAATTTT????

What is missing in some (not all) of the teaching of our history is the background story of the figures and events. Why were certain laws made? What was the reasoning of governing bodies of the time to make them do what they did or say what they said? Let’s take a look at the society and attitudes of the time of these historical events and there we’ll find the reason for not only the events themselves, but the actions of the people. A great example of knowing the whole story has to do with good old Ben Franklin.

During the Revolutionary War, Franklin was in France. The colonies needed the support of the French if they were to win the war. Instead of going right to the French government to win the support, Ladies Man Franklin worked his magic on the wives of these men. As a popular visitor to the salons of Paris, Franklin could mix business with pleasure, and share his ideas of society and life with these women. If Franklin wanted an issue addressed, he would discuss it with the women who would in turn discuss it with their husbands. The husbands would eventually broach the subject, and Franklin would agree with their ideas. The very same ideas he had shared with their wives were coming back to him as ideas of the governmental officials. Very tricky Mr. Franklin! You don’t read things like these in textbooks, but a savvy history teacher comes equip with little tidbits like this to keep life interesting!

I will also admit that as I began to read this Tribune editorial, I automatically screamed “Aha! Once again we can thank No Child Left Behind!” That was until the author pointed out that The National Assessment has been around since 1994, long before NCLB, and history scores have been abysmal since the beginning. So I can’t blame NCLB—this time!

What I can blame are some of the attitudes about social studies education. I have related this story before, but it made such an impression on me that I tell it…frequently. I was speaking to a member of a school’s PTO who was responsible for booking school assemblies. Not only was she not quite sure the purpose of, ahem…HISTORIES for Kids…, but after I explained our purpose, mission, whatever you might call it; she loudly interrupted me by yelling “BORRINNGGG” into the phone! No, I didn’t listen to the little voice inside and hang up on her. I didn’t barrage her with my laundry list of reasons why history is important, and how we offered a different angle that might not be BORING to Neanderthals like herself. I quietly told her that perhaps we weren’t what she was looking for to educate the students of her school. Ironically, that did the trick! If a person wants to consider themselves truly well rounded or educated, they have to know what they are talking about in respect to their past. How can you successfully argue a political, religious, really any point if you do not know the history, or origins of the point you are trying to make??

So, somehow, I got under this woman’s skin with my comment. Somewhere in her mind, she must have known that the material is important. She wound up booking a program with us, and the kids had a great time, and learned something as well. Is history sometimes boring? Of course! Anything can be boring if the teacher doesn’t have the passion or knowledge of the subject he or she is teaching! I’ve had teachers that make Ben Stein in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off look like a fire thrower! Couldn’t that be said of any subject? It is why my husband and I do what we do…we try to make history exciting so kids want to learn!

The great thing about history is that it is always being made! Everyday, something new in society, the news, politics, etc. is making history. I liken it to a volcano constantly turning over new bits of the earth’s crust—it's a never-ending clean slate on which to tell the continuing story of our country and people.

I will agree with the author on another point. Parents are the primary educators of their children, and Moms and dads rarely (I won’t say they never) think of vacationing to further their children’s knowledge of history. If these parents spent the same amount of time working at expanding their children’s minds and spending the time to ensure their children know about the country / world they live in as say, the amount of time they spend at the sporting events, recitals, etc., (all important)—it might change the attitude of the kids! Bottom line, if you make it important, your kids will make it important!

As a youngster, I was taken to Springfield to see the Lincoln sites, Atlanta and Savannah, GA to see historical sites AND hear views and opinions of the Civil War that differed from what I had always heard. The later was thanks to a gentleman curator in a museum who thought my “northern” family needed to see a southern museum the “right” way, and invited us back the next day to see it through the eyes of a native. He wasn’t trying to sway opinion; he wasn’t telling us how horrible the people of the north were, he was just telling us how the people in the south saw this episode of history. He was giving us knowledge of how the attitudes of the southern people influenced their actions. He was teaching us, if nothing else, to be tolerant of others. Not to necessarily change our views, but to teach us to respect the views of others-- an invaluable experience of a vacation that a water park can’t buy.

Do I think that would happen today? From the sounds of the discussions of various topics on the Sunday news programs, I tend to think not! However, thanks to my parents, my brothers and I knew enough about the history of the subject to understand and respect where this man was coming from, and to understand why he felt the way he did.

Will an “historical vacation” be popular with the kiddies? It can be if you do a little prep work and balance the tours and museums with a boat ride or try to include the interests of your family. Our experience with the southern gentleman in the museum led to discussions in the car on the way to Stone Mountain that we never would have had in a classroom. Thanks mom and dad!

I’ve also been on architectural boat tours that were so vivid; I could picture the historical events in my 12 year old head. Again, thanks to mom and dad for the planning! I think that day also included a trip to the zoo!

I’m here to tell you that any vacation can be enjoyable if you do a little prep work and then decide to be flexible. I’ve had an absolute blast in museums and on historical tours in St. Louis, MO, and have been ready to tear my hair out at Disney World! It all depends on how you plan.

Once again, I’ll nick a line from this great article. “History isn’t just names and dates; it’s the collective experiences that shape our identity as a nation. Our successes and failures inform our civic debates and govern our actions, or they ought to. But our kids can’t apply those lessons if they don’t learn them.” Amen to that!

If you would like to see how you stack up, take a look at some sample questions at http://nationsreportcard.gov/testyourself.asp . You can also check out the Newsweek U.S. citizenship test at: http://www.newsweek.com/2011/03/20/take-the-quiz-what-we-don-t-know.html

Go Ahead--Blame It on the Weather

2011-06-22T17:18:00.000-05:00

This spring, the weather seems to have taken on a life of its own. Storms, heat, floods, fires, tornadoes, you name it, we've had it! Many of us have had to rearrange plans, or have had parties or important ceremonies rained on or blown away!

The weather has had a hand in changing many important events in history. Once in a while, Mother Nature truly lets us know she is definitely in charge!

Witch Trials
We all know the history behind the Salem Witch Trials. The misguided Puritan magistrates who accused innocent people of witchcraft. The witch trials that occurred in Europe may have been a result of meteorological ignorance!

The "Little Ice Age" that lasted from the 15th through 17th centuries caused the weather to become unseasonably cold. Historian Wolfgang Behringer who studied European witch trails found that there was a direct correlation between persecution of witches and periods of cold during the years 1560-1574, 1583-1589,1623-1630, and 1678-1690.

The innocent victims in these particular cases were accused of changing the weather! Beginning in about 1730, the climate began to stabilize, and so did the general mood of the population. The witch trails gradually faded out until finally coming to an end in Europe in 1770.

Saving Song
Have you ever been in an extremely bad storm, and promise the man upstairs that "if you make it through this..." and you then proceed to promise to change your ways, devote your life to doing good for others, etc?

Here's an interesting anecdote to history-- a former slaver named John Newton was working on a slave ship when a wicked storm struck. Newton prayed to God saying that if he made it through this storm, he would devote his life to God and service. Newton survived, and made good on his promise! He became a minister and in a 1773 sermon wrote the words, or recitation for the song Amazing Grace.

End of an Era
After the Wright brothers took that historic flight at Kitty Hawk, man was obsessed with finding a better way to fly. During the 1920s and 30s, flying ships called dirigibles seemed to be the wave of the future. The Hindenburg's flight on May 6, 1937 brought that to an end. The skin of the aircraft was made of iron oxide covered in cellulose acetate. The purpose of this material was that it was thought that it would protect the craft from moisture. Unfortunately, it was highly flammable and similar to rocket fuel. The paint used to cover the skin was made of another highly flammable material, powdered aluminum.

As the Hindenburg tried to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey, it circled for more than an hour due to stormy weather that prevented docking. As the craft passed through the storm clouds, it became negatively charged. When the crew dropped the wet lines for docking, they acted as a ground. The metal frame of the ship earthed its charge, the skin heated up, and the paint on the skin ignited. A short ten seconds later, the ship was consumed in flames, and 33 seconds later, the entire craft was in flames on the ground.

As has been proved over and over again, weather cannot be tamed. Unfortunately, weather over the past few months have been extremely violent and deadly. Has it had an effect on history? Too early to tell--if it does, blame it on the weather!!

Bored With Summer? Get With It!

2011-06-10T14:30:00.002-05:00

Do you find yourself already bored with summer or worse yet, have you heard those two dreaded words “I’m bored!” from young ones? Summer may be a great time to relax or putter around the house, get some reading in, or take up a hobby. However, many history changing events have occurred during the summer months. So hey, get up off of the couch and let’s get with it!

During colonial times, summer months were prime time for history changing events. On June 10, 1775, John Adams proposed to the congress meeting in the city of Philadelphia, that the men fighting the British in Boston be considered a Continental Army led by a general.

The men who had been fighting the British in the Battles of Lexington and Concord were from many different New England States. Adams thought it would be a very important if the British got the idea that all of the colonies were united as a single army (as opposed to various militias), led by a single general. Adams nominated George Washington as the commander- in- chief of the continental army, and Washington accepted the post the next day.

The summer of 1787 was chock full of history on the move. Beginning in May of 1787, and continuing until September, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, debated the document which, to this very day, is the law of the land.

Now fast forward to July 17, 1945. While not what you’d consider a summer garden party, the Potsdam Conference convened the Allied victors of the European theater at Potsdam, outside of Berlin. In attendance were the “Big Three” : Prime Minister Winston Churchill, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and their staffs. The main issues on the table were the postwar borders of Poland, the Soviet Union’s place in Eastern Europe, war reparations, the occupation of Austria, and the continuing war in the Pacific. [photo credit]

Also established was a council comprised of representatives of the four great powers that were to determine the fate of Germany and Austria as nations. The council was to pursue the Five D's: demilitarization, denazification, decentralization, deindustrialization, and democratization. The council also agreed that unconditional surrender would be demanded of

Japan

Potsdam did not fare as well as other Allied conferences. Participants were suspicious of , and on the defensive with each other. Winston Churchill was very suspicious of Stalin’s agenda for the Soviet Union's role in Eastern Europe. In turn, Stalin refused to negotiate the future of the Eastern European nations now occupied by Soviet forces.

Before the completion of the final negotiations of the conference, Churchill received news from back home of his Conservative Party’s loss in elections to Labor’s Clement Atlee, making Atlee Britain’s new Prime Minister. Winston Churchill returned home to London. The absence of Churchill from the final negotiations contributed to the descending of an “Iron Curtain” over Eastern Europe.

Some history makers know how to escape the summer heat! On August 3, 1958, the first undersea voyage to the North Pole was accomplished by the U.S. nuclear submarine, the Nautilus. Under the direction of the Russian born U.S. Navy Captain Hyman G. Rickover; the vessel traveled nearly 1000 miles from Point Barrow Alaska under the arctic ice to reach the pole. It then traveled to Iceland, to establish a new and shorter route from the Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe. [photo credit]

Well, I don’t know about you, but I feel as if I should shut off my computer and run around the block or build something! Summer time is the best time to make some history of your own. It doesn't have to be earth shattering, either. Volunteer at a food pantry or form a group to read to kids or teach crafts. Go green and clean up the environment. Decide to work for real change, and volunteer to work for your favorite candidate. History happens when you least expect it, so get with it!

Presidential Degrees—One Size Does Not Fit All

2011-05-20T20:08:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year again. All of the tests have been taken, and it’s time to put away the books and for some, graduate from institutions of higher learning. Many will continue on to other levels of education. Others will hit the work force and try to secure one of those increasingly rare commodities we call jobs.

Of the 44 U.S. Presidents, only two since 1869 did not attend college. Grover Cleveland dropped out of school at the age of 16 to help support his family, and then studied law on his own to pass the bar exam. Harry S. Truman worked until the age of 33, and then attended the University of MO, but did not receive his degree. (source)

George Washington, while he did not attend college, obtained his surveyor’s certificate from The College of William and Mary.

Harvard University holds the record for graduating the most U.S. Presidents. Eight of our commanders-in-chief attended this prestigious university. It also seemed to run in a couple of presidential families. Both John and John Quincy Adams attended, as well as both Theodore, and Franklin Roosevelt. Joining them as alumni are John F. Kennedy, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

One of the more interesting presidential college degrees was Herbert Hoover. He attended Stanford University during the first year of its existence in 1891. He received a degree in mine engineering. (source)

While many future presidents obtained law degrees, law was not the only thing these men majored in during their undergraduate years. William Henry Harrison studied medicine. Bill Clinton received his B.S. in Foreign Service, and George W. Bush received his undergraduate degree in history. (source)

If you are among the scholars receiving your sheepskin this spring, congratulations! Keep in mind that if you ever wanted to become president, there is no set formula—one size does not fit all!!

Those Who Forget...

2011-05-11T14:11:00.000-05:00

I have recently become aware that a group of very intelligent high school students taking an AP U.S. History test were not aware of the incident at Kent State University in 1970. For those young people who are not aware, in May of 1970, students at Kent State University were protesting the bombing of Cambodia by United States military forces. The students clashed on campus with the Ohio National Guard. Four students were killed. Kent State became a focal point of a nation deeply divided by the Vietnam War. [picture source]

While I don't want to generalize and say all of the students taking the AP tests were unaware (I know of a few who were aware) It gives one pause. Students may be aware of the origin of this country-- they can tell you all about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, etc. Students taking AP tests HOPEFULLY know a bit more than that. However, I am seeing my own educational history repeat itself.

As a student in the 1970s and 80s, history classes seemed to end at WWII. I never heard about the Korean conflict, and Vietnam was NEVER mentioned, it was all too fresh. As a result, anything I know about history after 1945 I have learned on my own.

I thought that by 2011, things may have changed. Thankfully, I know of some teachers who are, as of today, informing their students of the events that led to the terror attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001, and the rise and fall of Osama Bin Laden. Kudos to those teachers. Is it still fresh? Yes. Do we need to be aware? YES

I know these events aren't in text books, but in this day and age, there is no excuse for not having enough access to information. It seems as if the more students have open to them, the more single focused they become as far as their curiosity and learning are concerned.

I can't blame the students entirely..that would be very unfair. Take a look at the federal budget for education, and the goals of the administration. It all looks good on paper, but when the rubber meets the road, how are our students competing globally? It is going to take leadership to bring us up from the miserable drop to NINTH PLACE our college students have dropped [source]

Good luck to all students taking exams during the next few weeks. Remember, you are part of this world, learn about it, experience it, become an active participant!

Poet and philosopher George Santayana once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Let Them Have Their Day

2011-04-28T16:50:00.002-05:00

Enough already! Let Wills and Kate have their day. There are many opinions as to whether or not people will be rising with the birdies to watch the nuptials. As for me, I’m not as young and naive as I was when Charles and Diana were married. I haven’t quite decided yet.

One of the complaints I have heard (even from those near and dear to me) is that we fought a war to get rid of a monarchy, why should we get up in the middle of the night to watch this frivolous spectacle! Others say, “In this economy? This is waste!” Still others, “This is wartime!”

Okay… point taken. However, don’t be so quick to pooh- pooh a society weddings. Did you know that their have been a few dandy weddings at the White House?

The first was the wedding of the daughter of our 5th president, James Monroe. When 17 year old Maria Monroe was to get married to Samuel Lawrence Gouverneur, her first cousin, on March 9, 1820, it was to be the society event of Washington that year. However, Maria’s invalid mother, Elizabeth Monroe, and her older sister, Eliza decided to run the show. Never fans of the diplomatic corps or Washington society, the devilish duo decided that the wedding would be family only. Not even members of the cabinet were invited! Poor Maria’s wedding became the victim of her mother and sister’s ongoing war with Washington.

The only presidential son to be married in the White House was the son of the 6th president, John Quincy Adams. His wife to be, Mary Catherine Hellen had already broken the hearts of two of the Adams’ brothers. Mary Catherine had conquered both Charles, and George Adams before she decided to marry their brother, John Adams II.

The wedding itself became an awkward occasion due to the fact that neither of the jilted Adams’ brothers attended the ceremony. As a matter of fact, George became so despondent, that within a year, he fell into a pit of depression and alcoholism that would lead to his suicide a little more than a year later.

Grover Cleveland was the only president to be married in the White House in 1886. The 49 year old Cleveland married 21 year old Frances Folsom, making her the youngest First Lady! At the time of the wedding, many Americans likened it to a royal wedding.

Teddy’s Roosevelt’s daughter Alice was married at the White House in 1906. Breaking with tradition, independent thinker-- some would say she was a bit of a pill-- Alice would insist that there would be No bridesmaids at the wedding. She wanted to be the star of the show!

There were a couple of pairs of daughters who had White House weddings. Both of Woodrow Wilson’s daughters, as well as Luci and Lynda Johnson were White House brides. All four of these daughters were married either right before or during wartime in the United States. So much for the “We would never have a wedding during wartime” excuse for you naysayers!

The last presidential daughter to be married at the White House was 19 year old Tricia Nixon, who was married in the Rose Garden to Edward Cox on June 12, 1971. She was also married during wartime. Ironically, the day after the wedding, as the newlyweds went to Camp David for their honeymoon, the New York Times broke the story on the Pentagon Papers.

Perhaps the most touching White House wedding was that of 18 year old Nellie Grant, the daughter of Civil War hero and 19th President, Ulysses S. Grant. One historian described Nellie as “probably the most attractive of all the young women who have ever lived in the White House.” The White House was decked to the nines for the nuptials. The walls and staircases and chandeliers were covered in a mass of lilies, tuberoses and spirea. Florida orange blossoms had been crated up and sent north.

Her fiancé, an gentleman from England named Algernon Sartoris had met Nellie on a cruise across the Atlantic. To the public eye, this seemed to be a romantic match made in heaven. During the playing of the wedding march, Nellie’s father, President Grant, looked steadfastly at the floor and wept. Always the apple of her father’s eye, Grant knew his future son-in law would be taking Nellie away to a life in England. After her wedding, Grant walked into his daughter’s empty bedroom, fell onto her bed and sobbed uncontrollably.

Unfortunately, a marriage that began with such romantic promise ended in divorce. Nellie found Sartoris to be a womanizer and a heavy drinker. She and her four children eventually went to live with Nellie’s mother, Julia Grant.

Every time I turn on the news, I feel like I ready to stroke out. Between the economy, gas prices and however many number of wars we are involved in on any given day, I could use a bit of good, happy news. So I say, give them their day. Supposedly, Prince Charles is chipping for the bill-- as the economy in Britain isn’t much better than ours. Also, for those of you who think we will forget about what is important, fear not...the depressing news will be back for the next news cycle.--L.E.L

Dolley Madison - The Queen of Reinvention

2011-04-07T21:04:00.000-05:00

Many of us have felt the need, at one time or another during our lives, to reinvent ourselves. Whether it was during our teen years to seem more attractive to the “in crowd”, to get the right job, attract a future spouse, or perhaps in later life to get a fresh start, we all at one time or another have made ourselves over to adjust to our ever-changing lives. While we don’t necessarily have to become another Madonna or Lady Gaga, sometimes change can be good. It can help us advance our position in life, or even smooth over previous mistakes. Others may simply find that reinvention is the best way to roll along in life.

One person who made the most of reinvention was Dolley Payne Todd Madison, the wife of James Madison, the 4th President of the United States.

Dolley was born in 1768 to a strict Quaker upbringing. Her father was a struggling businessman who, following Quaker doctrine, emancipated his slaves sometime after the Revolutionary War. Young Dolley wore the traditional Quaker garb throughout her childhood and marriage to a young lawyer by the name of John Todd Jr. Unfortunately, three years after the wedding, the union ended suddenly when a yellow fever epidemic raged through Philadelphia and claimed the lives of not only her husband, but one of her sons in 1793.

While a tragedy like this might make most of us give up and wonder what to do next, Dolley was able to endure a misfortune of this magnitude with a characteristic optimism that was to become the hallmark of her character. She decided to kick up her heels and enjoy herself at some of the social events in Philadelphia, which was at that time the capital of the United States. It was at one of these functions that Senator Aaron Burr of New York introduced her to a Representative of Virginia by the name of James Madison. Despite the fact that Madison was 17 years her senior, Dolley began a courtship with him that culminated in a proposal of marriage.

The marriage of 43 year old James Madison, an Episcopalian, and 26 year old Dolley, a Quaker, resulted in the young bride being ostracized from the Quakers for marrying outside her faith. Freedom from the Quaker laws and doctrines manifested itself in not only Dolley’s appearance, but her personality as well. She assessed the situation, and became a socialite! She reinvented her persona to become someone who was known to take a pinch of snuff now and then, and wear a new style of beautifully elaborate clothing, complete with turbans, feathers, and jewelry, that made her one of the most beautiful, gregarious, and admired women of the land.

Large formal dinner parties at Montpelier, the Madison family estate in Orange County, Virginia became one of Dolley’s great joys. These elaborate dinners became known throughout the state, and proved favorable to her husband’s political career. In 1801, James Madison was appointed Secretary of State by his friend and newly inaugurated president, Thomas Jefferson.

The move to Washington D.C. was a smooth transition for Dolley, and she relished the social whirl of the city. When asked by widower Thomas Jefferson to serve as official hostess for White House functions, extrovert Dolley seemed to enliven the austere atmosphere of the Jefferson administration. It was a match made in heaven! Her social functions at the White House seemed to sooth the political tensions that often plagued the city. Dolley’s influence in Washington within the first 8 years she lived there helped to foster her eventual role as first lady after her husband became President. She also became a public spokeswoman for the fundraising effort that sent Lewis and Clark to explore the land of the Louisiana Purchase.

When Dolley Madison became first lady in 1809, her status as the central figure in Washington society was confirmed. Her Wednesday “drawing room” receptions became popular with politicians, diplomats, and the citizenry. She had an amazing gift for remembering names that made all of her guests feel welcome. Dolley was regarded not only as a good hostess, but her knowledge of politics and current events proved instrumental in helping her husband’s career. Her outgoing demeanor served to compliment her husband’s stone faced disposition.

Her political insight was also a great influence to her husband. Some think this influence with her husband was the major reason behind his reelection in 1812. In cases where warmth and diplomacy was needed, it was definitely a matter of “behind every great man….”

In the time leading up to the inauguration of her husband in March of 1809, commandant of the Washington Navy Yard, Captain Tom Tinge, requested Dolley’s permission and sponsorship of a dinner and dance. Well, this was right up her alley, so naturally Dolley agreed. This dance took place the evening of the inauguration. Thus, the “Inaugural Ball” was born. A far cry from today’s many Inaugural Balls and celebrity packed parties, it was held at Long’s Hotel on Capitol Hill for about 400 guests. The evening began with the playing of “Jefferson’s March” and the entrance of the former President.

Immediately following was the playing of “Madison’s March” and the entrance of the new President. Dolley made her presence known in a buff colored gown, pearls, and large plumes in a turban. A formal dinner followed. Not exactly what you’d call rocking the house, but it was a successful start.

More than either of her two predecessors, Dolley enthusiastically forged a highly public role as the President’s wife. She believed that the citizenry was her constituency as well as her husband’s. She set the standard for the role of First Lady that held well into the 20th century. She specifically formed this persona to promote the political fortunes of her husband, as well as the United States. Intelligent, but not intellectual, she was able to steer conversations with politicians and their wives in a direction that would either cleverly lead them to reveal their feelings on issues facing the Madison Administration or to convince them to consider the viewpoint of her husband. Dolley used every acceptable form of behavior of women of the time to exercise political influence. She wrote letters, entertained, and carefully cultivated important alliances with the spouses of political figures. She was also instrumental in placing supporters, friends and family members into official government positions. Nepotism, yes, but it was very common at the time.

Of course the one thing Dolley is best known for is saving the portrait of George Washington as Washington D.C. burned during the War of 1812. The battle was raging outside the door of the White House, and the President had to be in the city on the front line with his troops. Most of Dolley’s friends had already fled the city. The soldiers who had been left to guard the executive mansion had also made a hasty retreat. Obviously, James wanted Dolley to flee as well. He told her as he left that if anything happened, to look out for the state papers. Unbelievably, she refused to leave the White House until she heard the advance of the cannon fire. Finally, there came a note from Madison saying that the enemy was stronger than they first thought and they might actually reach the city and destroy it. He wanted her to be ready to leave at a moments notice! Always cool, calm and collected, Dolley kept her wits about her as everyone else was losing theirs! She commandeered a wagon off the street, and helped the servants load it with the important papers, documents, books, and her favorite china and silver. Most famously, she made sure the large portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart was removed from the wall. When the painting, screwed into the wall of the state dining room could not be removed, and no tools could be found,

Dolley commanded that an axe be gotten and the frame broken. She then watched as the frame was broken, the canvas taken from the stretcher and the painting finally sent to a place of safety where the enemy could not destroy or deface it. What a woman! It hangs today over the mantel of the red room of the White House. At the same time, she saw that the Declaration of Independence that was kept in a glass case was also safely carried from the house. None too soon, either! The British were soon upon the house. They ransacked it, and actually had dinner in the state dining room. They then stole all they could carry, and set the executive mansion on fire.

If you would like to read more about Dolley's quest to overcome adversity, as well as other great Americans, check our website http://www.hfkpresents.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/ to purchase Mistakes Happen: An Historial Guide to Overcoming Adversity.

New Leadership Programs Available!

2011-02-25T13:53:00.001-06:00

There are two fantastic leadership programs available from HFK Presents! These programs are NOT the historical portrayal you are all used to seeing Terry Lynch perform. This time he speaks as himself (oh-oh) and discusses various aspects of the pitfalls and responsibilities of leadership.

The first program is a new one, titled “One Size Does Not Fit All”. In this program, Terry discusses how leadership styles come in a variety of shapes and sizes. One size does not fit all! It takes work to customize a style that can lead effectively. Among other things, it takes diplomacy, service, teamwork, determination and selflessness to tailor a style for a leader that fits.

Audience members will gain a greater understanding of the wide variety of styles utilized by leaders from the past. They will learn that it takes more than a single strategy to become an effective leader.

After all, leadership is like a good suit--you simply can't “buy it off the rack"! History has shown that a good leader must be customized to fit the situation.

The other leadership program is a very popular crowd pleaser. “Mistakes Happen” discusses some of the pitfalls of leadership. Mistakes or adversity can be life changing, but not necessarily for the worse! History is full of people who threw up their hands and said “NOW WHAT!” What separates the successful people from those who failed is that after they brought their hands down they set them to the task of figuring out what would come next.

Audience members will learn effective leadership strategies, and develop important everyday decision making skills. They will discover that everything is on purpose-- so don’t let little mistakes cloud the greatness to come. Most importantly, they will see that even great leaders learn from their mistakes.

This program also has a companion book: Mistakes Happen: An Historical Guide to Overcoming Adversity. This book is available at http://www.hfkpresents.com/ OR http://www.amazon.com/ .

Bookings are now being taken for both of these programs. Call or email now to ensure your date. History happens when you least expect it!

Snowww Noooo!

2011-02-07T11:33:00.000-06:00

Much of the country has been affected by weather in one form or another this week. The Midwest and more specifically the Chicago area was hit by a monstrous blizzard. The history of major snow storms has become in recent decades, very political. While snowfall records in Chicago date back to 1884, five of the largest snowfalls in the area have occurred since 1930.

The 19.2 inch snowfall of March 1930 saw the advent of horizontal curved blades mounted on trucks to push snow to one side of the street or another.

The greatest snowfall recorded in the Chicago area since the beginning of snowfall records in 1884 remains the “Blizzard of 1967” This snow storm paralyzed the city for several days. Looting was rampant, and many school children were camped out in the libraries and gymnasiums of their schools until their school busses could make the trip. Mayor Richard J Daley pleaded with private corporations to donate their snow removal equipment.

The “Blizzard of 1979” proved to be the undoing of a mayoral candidate. Mayor Michael Bilandic was the incumbent looking to be re elected to office that winter. The 18.8 inches of snow that fell on January 13th of 1979 came on top of a 9 inch snowfall earlier in the month. The lack of snow removal and Bilandic’s failure to communicate accurate information to beleaguered Chicagoans infuriated the citizens. Mayoral candidate Jane Byrne took this opportunity and won the election that year to become the city’s first female mayor.

The 21 inches that fell on the city over New Years in 1999 remains the second largest snowfall to hit the Chicago area. Coming in at a close number three is the snowstorm of this week, to be forever known as the Blizzard of 2011. While at 20.2 inches, it does not rate as the biggest, but the repercussions of the 70 mile per hour winds, and the finger pointing for the mess on Lake Shore Drive with hundreds of cars being stranded during the height of the storm, continues to play out for the political history books.

It has been a difficult week for Chicagoans. However, you can always count on them to band together and help each other out with their snow removal —despite the actions of the Dept. of Streets and Sanitation. Spring is only a month and a half away!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 22

2011-01-19T18:58:00.000-06:00

It's time to celebrate some famous birthdays! Founding father Benjamnin Franklin and Minister Owen Lovejoy have something more in common that their both being Capricorns! Find out the answer in this week's episode.

Ben's Birthday Wish List...

2011-01-18T13:29:00.000-06:00

Ben Franklin would be (if he were alive) 305 years old this week. At this ancient age, it’s interesting to wonder what he would think if he were to come back for a birthday visit. Would we, as a country, be able to give him a birthday present of his visions realized? Would he be pleasantly surprised…or disappointed?

Ben the Birthday Boy was a renaissance man who had creative ideas on many important aspects of life. He seemed to have an adage for everything. Did he follow through on them? There are a few subjects that were near and dear to Ben that are still very much a part of the country’s consciousness in 2011.

As one of the founding fathers, Franklin’s signature is on all five of the documents that established the United States. He once stated “I look on the dignity of the American Congress equal to any assembly on earth.” Everyone in the Constitutional Convention came to the table from various walks of life. They were farmers, ministers, lawyers, and even blacksmiths. They each volunteered to help to form this young country. Ben too, came to the convention as a retired printer! He considered it a privilege to serve his country I this capacity. He also felt Congress should not be paid for their work. He reasoning was that all of the law makers would then be equally affected by the laws they created as the average citizen.

Ben always stuck me as the “Sherriff Andy Taylor” of the young government. He always remained calm during the heated arguments / debates during the ratification of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He did this by relating a folksy anecdote, not unlike the fictional sheriff, to bring the rhetoric back to a civil and more productive tone.

Mr. Franklin also believed the key to a successful life was education. He once said “Genius without education is like silver in the mine”. To Franklin, education was a gift to be shared. He was always interested in the improvement of the condition of mankind. Franklin and other businessmen of his area founded Junto, consisting of a group of elite intellectuals who were the core of cultural life and politics in Philadelphia. He was also one of the founders of what would become the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1731, few of these Junto members owned their own books, and thus could not turn to the written word to settle disputes or increase their knowledge. However, together, they had more purchasing power! Franklin and fellow Junto members drew up Articles of Agreement to form a library. Fifty members became subscribers to and invested 40 shillings each to start a library. These members also promised to invest 10 additional shillings every year to buy books and to help maintain the library. Today, there are over 120,000 libraries in the United States. From books, to periodicals, CDs, DVDs, video-- libraries carry forms of educational materials Franklin could never even have dreamed of in 1731!

Benjamin Franklin was considered by many to be the most approachable and likable of the founding fathers. He once said “Be civil to all; sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none.” Ben lived his words. If he didn’t, how could he be the great statesman who negotiated with the King and Queen of France to gain financial support for a Revolution fought to abolish monarchial rule in the Colonies? He accomplished this with, among other talents of persuasion, civility and respect. The lack of these two virtues, so to speak have been in the news a lot lately. If we looked back to other times of crises in our country’s history, we might find that more often than not, calmly and civilly solving problems often go the farthest to achieve our goals.

Well Ben, did you get a pleasant birthday surprise, or have we failed miserably? This country is always a work in progress, as anything worthwhile should be. Are we going in the right direction? Or do we need to turn 360 degrees to get back on track? Remember, as Franklin said, “Energy and persistence conquer all things.”

The History of Chicago's Flag

2011-01-14T13:46:00.002-06:00

Symbols play a large part in marking change in our society. Sometimes they mark specific events—good and bad. Symbols can also suggest goals or attributes we aspire to.

Lately, Chicago, along with the rest of the country, seems to be at a crossroads. The city is about to get a new mayor for the first time since 1989, and the old ways of doing business, and of living life, seem to be due for a change. When we are on the precipice of moving forward, it is sometimes best to look back to gain a perspective on exactly where we wish to go!

Looking at the rich history of Chicago, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Let’s make it easy, and examine a symbol-- the Chicago flag.

In 1917, Chicagoan Wallace Rice, a former lawyer turned writer, reporter and drama critic designed a flag for Chicago with four stripes and only two stars, not the four stars we see today. Each of the stripes and stars, as well as the points of the stars has a specific significance to the history, and attributes of the city.

The top white stripe of the flag stands for the north side of the city. The center white stripe stands for the west side of the city. The top blue stripe represents Lake Michigan and the north branch of the Chicago River. The bottom blue stripe represents the south branch of the Chicago River as well as the Great Canal (I&M).

The first of the two original stars of the flag of Chicago stood for The Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The six points of that original star hold special significance. They stand for religion, education, aesthetics, justice, beneficence, and civic pride.

The second of the original stars represents the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The points of this star represent the various political entities Chicago has belonged to over the years. They include France (1693), Great Britain (1763), Virginia (1778), the Northwest Territory (1798), the Indians Territory (1802), and finally the state of Illinois (1818).

In 1933, the Chicago City Council decided to add a third star after the success of the 1933 World’s Fair – Century of Progress. The points of that star represent the World’s Third Largest City, Chicago’s Latin Motto (Urbs in Horto) “City in a Garden”, Chicago’s “I Will” motto, the Great Central Marketplace, Wonder City, and Convention City.

In 1939, the Chicago City Council once again decided to add a star to the city’s flag. This time, they went back in the city’s history to represent Fort Dearborn, built on the Chicago River in 1803. The points of this final star symbolize transportation, labor, commerce, finance, populousness, and salubrity.

There has not been another star added since 1939. There have been many suggestions over the years for additional stars. Stars for everything from the advent of the nuclear age in 1940, to election of Harold Washington in 1983 as the city’s first African American mayor, to what was hoped to be the Chicago Olympics of 2016 were all at one time suggestions for additions to the stars of the flag of the city of Chicago.

As the city enters this “new age” and the country is struggling to overcome a recession, and political discord, what future events will prompt the City Council to finally add to the collection of stars? We always hope it will be a happy and momentous occasion. While the future may seem uncertain, one thing remains a constant—change.

The End of Another Year!

2010-12-29T15:07:00.001-06:00

The end of 2010 is looming near. Many people will be glad to see it go! Hopefully 2011 will be a bit better for everyone…we’ve been waiting long enough.

We’ve been through this before, you know. This country has suffered through 47 recessions since 1790. You’d think we’d learn…but we don’t. They all have the same basic structure. The fat cats get greedy, and the bottom falls out.

Take for instance the recession or Panic, as they have also been called of 1893 . The basic cause, as in the Panic of 1873, was the collapse of railroad overbuilding, which set off a series of bank failures. Some would call it the bursting of the “railroad bubble”. In something we could entitle “The Story Says the Same”, the republicans then blamed the democrats and visa versa. The recovery finally began in 1897 when William McKinley was elected. Confidence was subsequently restored with the Klondike Gold Rush. The economy enjoyed 10 years of rapid growth until…the Panic of 1907.

That panic began when the NYSE fell to close to 50% from the previous year’s peak. Some believe one of the main reasons for this panic was the retraction of market liquidity of NYC banks and the subsequent loss of confidence by its depositors. What was the trigger? Some feel it was the San Francisco earthquake in late 1907, others believe it was a failed attempt in October of 1907 to corner the market on stock of the United Copper Company.

Of course one of the most famous economic failures was the Great Depression of the late 20s and 30s. The trigger was, of course, the stock market crash of 1929. Again, the story remains the same. Banks began to fail, and with an increase in unemployment, there was a general reduction of purchasing across the board. The Smoot- Hawley Tariff created in 1930 to protect American businesses charged such ponderous taxes on imports that it resulted in less trade between the U.S and foreign countries which of course adds insult to injury in an economic downturn.

One other nail in the coffin of Americans during this time was a very untimely drought in the Mississippi River Valley beginning in 1930.

Times began to improve for a couple of reasons. Some believe the economy recovered in large part to Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” which put many unemployed Americans back to work. Others believe the bleeding stopped with the county’s entry into WWII. Whatever it was, we didn’t learn much!

There have been about 12 other recessions of varying degrees since the depression. However, the downturn we are in now, sometimes called the “Great Recession” seems to be hitting as hard for some as it did in the 30s. Another bubble, of the housing type this time led to the problem. While economists insist we came out of it in June of 2009, ask anyone out of work or needlessly suffering WITHOUT any help from the government which gladly accept our tax dollars, and I’d guess they would disagree with that date.

Hopefully, 2011 will bring better days. Hopefully, we’ll have learned something from all of this…if only to watch our nickels and dimes a bit more. Happy New Year!!!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 21

2010-12-20T09:53:00.000-06:00

At last! The big day is upon us! This week, host Terry Lynch is taking some time off and allowing Father Christmas to take the reindeer reigns for this week's episode. St. Nicholas throughout the world is discussed, as well as some of his not so nice helpers! The symbol of the Christmas tree, and the 12 Days of Christmas are also spotlighted. Merry Christmas to all!

Mistakes Happen: An Historical Guide to Overcoming Adversity

2010-12-16T13:37:00.000-06:00

WGN Morning Show segment on the book Mistakes Happen: An Historical Guide to Overcoming Adversity. Book available at http://www.hfkpresents.com/ or http://www.historiesforkids.com/ Excerpts available at http://www.authorsden.com/ Search for Laura Lynch.

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 20

2010-12-13T21:16:00.000-06:00

The big day is getting closer! This week, host Terry Lynch continues with part 3 of his 4 series of Christmas programs. This week, it's Happy St. Lucia Day! The symbols and traditions of this beloved saint will be discussed. Also-- Knut Day! Find out why you always get that orange in your Christmas stocking!

...his attire is becoming stranger by the day!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 19

2010-12-06T13:05:00.000-06:00

This week, host Terry Lynch continues with part 2 of a 4 part series of Christmas programs explaining the symbols and traditions of the Christmas season. The candy cane and the poinsettia are both highlighted. Wait...first a wreath, now white hair-- something funny is going on!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 18

2010-11-30T21:39:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas! This week, host Terry Lynch begins his first in a four part series on The Legend of St. Nicholas. Included are answers to such questions as: "Why do we hang Christmas stockings?" and "What are the origins of the advent calendar?" Hey...what's with the wreath?

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 17

2010-11-23T21:04:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! In this special holiday episode, host Terry Lynch discusses the first Thanksgiving. Who came to this special feast? How long did it last? Has Thanksgiving always been a national holiday?

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 16

2010-11-23T21:00:00.000-06:00

This special Halloween episode has host Terry Lynch on the road at the Park Ridge Senior Center for a special "Haunted History" program. Audience members heard spooky tales of Kaskaskia from "Ol Hank the haunted train conductor.

Have a Holly Jolly....!

2010-11-18T12:13:00.000-06:00

The stores have been screaming Christmas since before Halloween. That's a bit early for me. Granted, with things the way they are these days, it takes a bit more to get into the Christmas spirit, but not that long!

Memories of Christmases past always bring a smile to my face. College years are a time when you are sometimes stuck between the phases of childhood and adulthood. Not as much as when you were in high school, but it still rears its head once in a while. Christmas is a time when you can throw yourself whole hog into the the happy memories of childhood. Santa, stockings, Christmas trees...do it ALL...Enjoy it!

Debates about commericalization of the holiday are always bantied about at this time of year, too. SHOP, SHOP, SHOP seems to be the mantra this year. I can understand wanting to get the economy rolling again--but, as is preached year after year-- let's not forget the true meaning of Christmas.

The history of the holiday is facinating. Taking pagan traditions and using them to help convert them to Christianity is very interesting. Of course the history of St. Nicholas truly emphasizes the history and culture of the world! The one thing that seems to be a common thread in all of the traditions of Christmas throughout the world is family and friends. From the Eastern European countries of Poland, Romania, and the Ukraine, to the Western European countries of Germany, France and Great Britain, and everywhere in between-- the traditions and symbols of the holiday are many times as varied as the families who celebrate them! Christmas celebrations in the United States are a mix of all traditions. Traditions originally brought over by the Dutch to New York bring the jolly old elf to our shores.

HFK Presents has a new book: Nicholas Comes to America, the Story of Santa Claus tells the story of
St. Nicholas of Myra and the legends and stories that brought him form presents day Turkey around the the world. Symbols and traditions of the holiday, explanations of the symbolism in the song the Twelve Days of Christmas, as well as some holiday recipes, and a place to journal about YOUR favorite holiday memories are all part of this family keepsake.

This book is now available for purchase at http://www.hfkpresents.com/ . It makes a great stocking stuffer, and might even start a few traditions in your family. Ten years from now, you might not remember what you got as a gift from Aunt Suzy, but you might have a great memory of what you did together on Christmas. Get a great cookie of Christmas cake recipe from mom or grandma-- or take one from the book! They have been time tested for over 50 years..and I promise, you won't be disappointed!

Scroll to the bottom of the blog for the book trailer. If nothing more, the music might get your toe to tapping, or get you humming in the halls of the dorms! Happy Holidays!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 15

2010-10-05T19:19:00.001-05:00

This week, host Terry Lynch answers a viewer's question about Baron von Steuben. How did von Steuben "revolutionize" the colonial army? Also, a "hot" little ditty is sung by the host.

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 14

2010-09-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

On the road again! This week, host Terry Lynch visited Elgin CC in Elgin, IL and Berkshire College in Pittsfield, MA. Learn a bit of history about the game of baseball, and the city planners of Elgin. Also, did Ben Franklin ever fail?

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 13

2010-09-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

This week, Terry Lynch was on the 1st leg of his September college tour. MCC Penn Valley, Herkimer CC, and Corning CC were all of the itinerary for this week's "Mistakes Happen" programs, concentrating on the Constitution. Learn a little about the Constitution, and a bit of history on the great schools visited this week!

Mythology and the Season of Autumn

2010-09-06T14:19:00.000-05:00

The weather is getting cooler, leaves are beginning to change color, and the football season has begun. This could only mean one thing... summer is ending and autumn is upon us! While this is definitely one of my favorite seasons, many people begin to feel a little melancholy over the end of summer.

How did people throughout history look at the harvest season? They definitely didn't have scientists to explain the movement of the earth away from the sun's most direct rays... how did they explain this meteorological phenomenon? As with most unknown entities, a story was made to explain away the fear the ancient people may have felt regarding the impending "death" of nature. Perhaps the best known of all the harvest mythologies is the story of Demeter and Persephone. Demeter was a goddess of grain and of the harvest in ancient Greece. Her daughter, Persephone, caught the eye of Hades, god of the underworld. When Hades abducted Persephone and took her back to the underworld, Demeter's grief caused the crops on earth to die and go dormant. By the time she finally recovered her daughter, Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, and so was doomed to spend six months of the year in the underworld. These six months are the time when the earth dies, beginning at the time of the autumn equinox.

Many cultures see the change of season as a time for celebration. Early agricultural societies understood the importance of hospitality -- it was crucial to develop a relationship with your neighbors, because they if it was a tough winter, you and your family might have to depend on the friendliness of neighbors for food! Many people, particularly in rural villages, celebrated the harvest with feasting, drinking, and eating. Cattle was brought from the pastures and prepared for the coming winter, and the grain and crops were made into the staples of the diet such as bread, beer and wine.

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving was originally celebrated on October 3. This made much more sense agriculturally than the November date celebrated today. By the time the end of November rolled around, there was not much left to harvest! It wasn't until 1863 that Abraham Lincoln changed the date to November.

So go apple picking, rake some leaves, and enjoy the hibernation of nature...before you know it, the holidays will be upon us!

A Bit of History as You Enjoy Your Labor Day Weekend!

2010-08-31T11:58:00.000-05:00

Many holidays in this country are associated with either battles or rememberances of specific people, races or nations. However, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

Peter McGuire is no the only person to be associated with the origins of the holiday. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is agreed upon is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The second Labor Day holiday was celebrated a year later by theCentral Labor Union, on September 5, l883.

In l884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea caught on and spread as labor organizations grew. In l885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Finally, on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

Today, Labor Day is often associated with picnics, the end of summer, and the beginning of the new school year. Enjoy your time off, and remember those who toil for you!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 12

2010-08-11T19:09:00.000-05:00

This week's episode has host Terry Lynch on the road again! This time as our 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt at the Dyer Indiana Historical Society. TR discusses the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, and the infamous charge up San Juan Hill.

Sacagawea: GPS of the West

2010-07-30T15:10:00.002-05:00

This is an excerpt from the upcoming book Mistakes Happen: An Historical Guide to Overcoming Adversity. It has to do with the Sacagawea, the Shoshone Indian woman who accompanied Lewis & Clark and the Corps of Discovery explore the Louisiana Purchase.

Okay, first and foremost – Global Positioning Systems or GPS were invented so men would not have to hear the old joke about how they never ask for directions. They can just pop in where they want to go or whatever they want to do (go to a restaurant, store, etc.), and viola- problem solved! Those women who are old enough know better. They know the gas stations, rest stops, stores, outposts, etc. they have passed by while saying “Would you please just ask this guy for directions!” They weren’t the first. Looking back, Sacagawea, must have had the patience of a saint.

History books tell the story of Lewis & Clark; two explorers who opened up the Louisiana Purchase to the wagons full of settlers itching to go west. When President Thomas Jefferson purchased that tidy piece of land in 1803 at the low, low price of about 3 cents an acre, he needed a bit of exploration done to find out just what he had gotten himself into.

Like any group of guys on an extended trip, they didn’t think they needed to ask for directions. However, some clever gents in the party realized that the Corp of Discovery needed a guide, someone familiar with the Shoshone Indian language to serve as interpreter for the expedition, and someone who might be more familiar than they about where they were going or the terrain they might encounter. That interpreter / guide was a Shoshone Indian woman named Sacagawea.

The story of Sacagawea is often shrouded in mystery. It is thought that she was born somewhere around 1788, the daughter of a Shoshone Chief. At the age of 12, Sacagawea was captured by an enemy tribe of Hidatsa Indians and sold to a French-Canadian trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau who made her one of his wives.

Sacagawea lived with Charbonneau among the Hidatsa and Mandan Indians in the upper Missouri River area, near present day North Dakota.

In 1804, the expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark entered the area. Lewis and Clark and their men, known as the Corps of Discovery, planned to explore the newly acquired lands in the west to find a route to the Pacific Ocean.

During the winter of 1805-06, the Corps came to the Hidatsa Village where Sacagawea and her husband were living, to interview prospective interpreters for their explorations that spring. Originally, Charbonneau, Sacagawea's husband had been hired for the job. However, when they found out that his wife spoke the Shoshone language, they hired her to be their interpreter despite the fact that she was pregnant with her first child. Imagine morning sickness, indigestion, and swollen ankles on the road with a group of rough and tumble explorers.

Sacagawea gave birth to that child, a boy named Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, known as “Pompy” in February of 1805.

Due out in September 2010

Interested? The book, due out in about a month tells the stories of many historical figures, and how they either overcame the mistakes they made in life, or more often overcame the adversity of the circumstances of their lives.

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 11

2010-07-15T17:57:00.001-05:00

Let's play ball! In this week's episode, host Terry Lynch goes back in time to find out the origins of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game. Where did it originate? When was the first game? Who were some of the baseball giants to play in that first game? It's summertime fun, and a bit of history, too!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 10

2010-07-06T16:33:00.000-05:00

This week's episode has HFK Presents...On the Road! Terry Lynch portrays George Washington at the Blue Island Public Library / Historical Society for an Independence Day celebration! See a brief behind the scenes look at an HFK Presents program, a sample of the performance, as well as testimonials from satisfied clients. Look for more HFK Presents...On the Road in future episodes.

Intergalactic...um...no, Intercontinental Visitors

2010-06-29T23:51:00.000-05:00

This week's episode has host Terry Lynch pondering aliens...and not the extraterrestrial kind! Is this the first time in our history the the U.S. has debated illegal aliens? Who can we look to for advice? Let the past inspire the future!

The Greatest Road Trip of All Time!

2010-06-24T17:20:00.000-05:00

Ahh, summer! Some of us can't think of summer without looking back nostalgically to those great road trips we took in the 'ol family station wagon. Whether is was to a National Park, Disney World, or even to see the biggest ball of twine, those trips helped to shape our lives. They also could not have been made without a great deal of leadership from one or possibly more adults involved in the decision making processes during the course of the trip.

You remember those decisions: who decided when we ate at the nearby Shoney's or HoJos, when we took...ahhem other breaks, and who was keeper of the snacks. Who made the executive decisions about who sat by a window...or who got stuck in the middle??? Most importantly, who was the NAVIAGTOR IN CHARGE OF THE SACRED MAP!!

All road trips, big and small need leadership. Too many cooks spoil the brew, so everyone knew the head honcho was the one and only person to make these decisions. The rest of us in the back seat knew we’d better tow the line, or else…no stopping at Dairy Queen!

When Lewis & Clark started out on their infamous expedition over 200 years ago, who do you think was the decision maker, the "head honcho"? In many ways, it seemed to be ruled by the proverbial triumvirate: Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea.

Sacagawea helped navigate the various waters, communicated with Indian tribes unfamiliar to the rest of the expedition, and navigated unfamiliar Shoshone trails. She was even given an equal vote in important decisions. Oh, and by the way, she didn’t speak English, and she traveled with her infant son!

Lewis & Clark were of differing temperaments. Lewis was introverted, and Clark the extrovert. They complemented each other perfectly. During the entire journey, there is no record of any serious quarrel or dispute between them. They were truly brothers in command and leadership.

So what can we take from this? When it comes time to pack up the family mobile for that long awaited vacation this summer, make sure everyone knows their role, and does it to the best of their ability, and everyone will have a good time. It is doubtful that either Lewis or Clark had to threaten the men of the expedition with a strangled, “If I have to stop this keelboat and come back there, you'll be sorry!"

Fort Dearborn: Early Chicago History in an Urban Setting

2010-06-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

Those of you who live in the Chicagoland area have probably passed by a very important landmark and never even known it. It is a landmark that commemorates a very famous event in Chicago history; an event so significant to the city's history, it is represented by the first red star on the flag of Chicago.

This event took place on August 15, 1812 during the War of 1812. It was the Ft. Dearborn Massacre. During the War of 1812, the Potawatomi Indians were aligned with the British. Joined with their Native American allies, the British enjoyed early success. This alliance compelled the surrender of the 79-man garrison at Mackinac, where a U.S. fort defended the strait that connected Lakes Huron and Michigan. As a result of the the fall of Mackinac on July 17, 1812, Chicago could neither be supplied nor reinforced. From his base in Detroit, General William Hull, the commander of all U.S. troops in the Old Northwest, ordered Fort Dearborn evacuated. Captain Nathan Heald immediately complied, setting in motion a chain of events that would lead to what would be called “Chicago’s grimmest tragedy.”

Led by Captain William Wells, soldiers and civilians living in the fort were preparing to evacuate to Ft. Wayne, IN. As the soldiers began the march toward the beach, residents of the fort, which included women and children, many of whom were too small to walk, were put in wagons to head toward the beach, about where 16th Street and Indiana Ave. are now located. Watching from the banks were hostile Potawatomis led by Siggenauk and Mad Sturgeon who began the attack on the garrison. There was a sudden milling about of the scouts at the front of the line and suddenly a shout came back from Captain Wells.... the Indians were attacking! A line of Potawatomi appeared over the edge of the ridge and fired down at the column. Totally surprised, the officers managed to rally the men into a battle line, but it was of little use. The carnage was so great that many of the officers fell from immediate wounds and the line collapsed. The Indians overwhelmed them with sheer numbers, flanking the line and snatching the wagons and horses. What followed was basically a butchering of the men, women and children. While some of the Americans were rescued by friendly Potawatomis such as Black Partridge and Métis Alexander Robinson, more than 50 Americans and 15 Indians were killed.

The fort itself was burned to the ground by the victorious Indians and the bodies of the massacre victims were left where they had fallen, scattered to decay on the sand dunes of Lake Michigan. When replacement troops arrived at the site of Fort Dearborn in 1813, they were greeted with not only the burned-out shell of the fort, but the grinning skeletons of their predecessors and the luckless settlers. The bodies were given proper burials and the fort was rebuilt in 1816, only to be abandoned again in 1836, when the city would be able to fend for itself. This tragic story underscores the risks early settlers took living in this area of the Midwest.

So, the next time you are walking down Michigan Ave, and are about to cross Wacker Drive, look down. You'll see something that looks like this.

After you see the plaque, look up at the relief sculptures in the concrete bridge towers on Michigan. This relief commemorates the massacre and its victims

Another plaque on the northeast corner of 18th and Prairie Ave., commemorates the fort. It is easy to forget the sacrifice that early Americans, not to mention Chicagoans suffered for freedom. In 2009, a decision was made to rename the event the "Battle" of Ft. Dearborn. This is another episode of political correctness that will soon whitewash American history books to the point that future generations will no longer know the pain, struggle and sacrifice of our ancestors. A Spanish born American author of the late 19th and early 20th centuries named George Santayana once said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". I hope that soon we change the tide in this country of "tidying up" history. While the history of this country is great and glorious, it is also dirty and painful. Let us not forget the sacrifices of those who have come before us.

Black Hawk Mania!!

2010-06-04T19:17:00.000-05:00

Well, bet you didn't think we could do it, but we worked the Blackhawks into this week's episode!! Terry Lynch discusses Black Hawk and the dispute that led to his eventual move to a reservation.

Abigail Adams - The Consummate Plate Spinner!

2010-06-03T15:36:00.001-05:00

Those who are old enough may remember the plate spinners from the old variety shows. Plate spinners were performance artists dressed in colorful circus attire, who would have a long table mounted with six or so long vertical sticks of a few feet in height with ceramic plates spinning on the top of the sticks. The plates needed the constant tending of the plate spinner in order to keep all of the plates spinning at the same time. The spinner would run wildly from one plate to another as each slowed down and wobbled wildly on the sticks. This fanatic race was usually done to a popular plate spinning song of the time called the "Sabre Dance".

As kids, we’d anxiously bite our nails as many of the plates not only wobbled wildly, but sometimes BROKE if the plate spinner didn’t get to it to spin it into submission in time!

Many of us sometimes liken our own lives to spinning plates. Family, work, friends, everything that makes up our lives sometimes feel like plates we are constantly trying to spin into submission, lest they smash on the floor.

History’s most consummate plate spinner was Abigail Adams. Abigail Adams was the wife of the John Adams, lawyer, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Member of both the Constitutional Convention and Continental Congress, diplomat, Vice President, and eventually the second President of the United States. Yes, her husband had a bit on his plate, if you’ll pardon the pun.

For the most part, Mrs. Adams’ adversity was the result of society at the time. Abigail was a very strong minded, independent woman. From the very beginning, when other colonial girls in her home town of Weymouth, Mass. were learning to read for the sake of reading Bible passages, sewing, and cultivating good manners to catch a husband, she wanted more. Her father, the good Reverend William Smith - one of the few Parsons of the time to have a college education- taught all of the Smith girls to read and write. Abigail was not however, ever able to be allowed to study with the “great masters” who taught the male members of her family. The fact that she could not, she later said was one of the most crushing disappointments of her life.

An early proponent of women’s rights, Abigail saw marriage as a partnership. In a time when women gave up all legal rights to their husbands, Abigail wanted equal legal status as men, and fought, unsuccessfully, to have women included in the Declaration of Independence.

If you'd like to read more about Abigail and her plate spinning, tune in to future blog postings, or look for the book, Mistakes Happen: An Historical Guide to Overcoming Adversity, now available at http://www.hfkpresents.com/

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 7

2010-04-22T18:49:00.000-05:00

In this week's episode, a brief anecdote fro the forthcoming book Mistakes Happen: An Historical Guide to Overcoming Adversity. During the Spanish Amercian War, Theodore Roosevelt's "charge" up San Juan Hill wasn't all it seemed!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 6

2010-04-13T11:05:00.000-05:00

This week, HFK Presents meets...Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis & Clark Expedition! Hear a little about the adventures of the Corps of Discovery, and a special treat...what was Commander Lewis' favorite dish on the expedition! A sun shiny program of 5 Minutes of History!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 5

2010-03-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

Greetings! I know it's been a while; we have been devoting a lot of time to getting the word out about our programs to college students - but it's time for another installment of HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History. This week's episode is devoted to that master bargain hunter, Thomas Jefferson. Please give us your feedback, and join us on Facebook!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 4

2010-02-23T09:24:00.000-06:00

This week, host Terry Lynch talks about how Abraham Lincoln overcame adversity by making the most of his losses to the "Little Giant", Stephen A. Douglas. This humorous look at how "mistakes happen" is a continuation of Lynch's series of episodes on Presidents during the month of February.

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 3

2010-02-15T16:02:00.000-06:00

In this week's episode, Terry Lynch presents a humorous President's Day program. Special guest star President Theodore Roosevelt discusses his foreign policy, and Maxwell House Coffee!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 2

2010-02-06T11:40:00.000-06:00

A humorous look at founding father and first President, George Washington. George had originally wanted to be a gentleman farmer. What happened to change his mind? Remember, history happens when you don't expect it!

HFK Presents: 5 Minutes of History - Episode 1

2010-01-31T16:56:00.000-06:00

HFK Presents is now on YouTube!

2010-01-27T16:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Ben !!

2010-01-16T15:36:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow January 17th is Ben Franklin's birthday, he would be 304 years old if he were alive, but he is no longer with us. He died at the ripe old age of 84 back in 1790. However what a great figure to look at for leadership qualities. Even as a very young boy he show qualities that would help make him a great and insirational leader down the road.

When Ben was 10 years old he was already thinking outside the box so to say. During the summer he tried to come up with his very first invention. That invention was a way to cross a pond in a faster and more effortless manner. Ben enjoyed swimming and realised that the more water your hands and feet could displace, the quicker your body would be propelled through the water. Therefore, make your hands and feet larger , and logic would follow that you would be able to swim faster. Now all Ben had to do is make his hands and feet bigger. The answer was simple, Ben took planks of wood drilled holes in them , ran rope through the holes so he could secure the wood to his hands and feet, tied the rope around his wrists and ankles and he was now ready to move faster through the water. Ben entered a nearby pond to try his new invention and quickly moved through the water, not across the pond but straight to the bottom. He sank like a stone. You see the one thing Ben didn't take into consideration was that you need to move your hands and feet smoothly through the water and his newly designed swim fins were too ridgid and constricted his movement. Alas Ben Franklin's first invention by all accounts would be considered a failure, but not to Ben. He showed the early signs of a true leader at this point, Ben used this so called failure as a learning experience.

What did Ben learn ? Never used his swim fins again , unless your desire is to sink not swim in a pond.
All great leaders have to overcome failures or as Ben reffered to them learning experiences. The graeter the leader, chances are the greater " learning experiences " they have had. Remember we usually only see the end result and not too often the hours, days, months, or years of "learning experiences" that made the leader.
As for Ben he was not discouraged by this swim fin setback, later that summer he went on to be the first to body surf when he used his kite to propell him across the pond.

So take some time to look back and see what you can learn from past failures, it's the first step towards your goals of being a better leader.

Happy birthday Ben!! Your'e still teaching us 304 years later.

Do as I Do not just as I Say!

2009-12-03T13:46:00.000-06:00

      As the holiday season approaches, it is a good time to look at a leader for the ages, St. Nicholas. Over the next few weeks I'll tell you more of this man and his legend. Along the way you'll find out more about the tradtions and symbols of the Christmas season and may learn a thing or two before your'e done.
     Born around 280ad in the small town of Patara in what is now Southwest Turkey, the boy baptised Nicholas was considered a gift from God to his parents who had prayed for years to have a child. In return for this gift, Nicholas' mother had promised to honor Jesus for the rest of her life and teach her son to do the same. Unfortunately Nicholas' Mother and Father died while he was still a young man in his teens. Following his mother's wishes he set out to lead the life of Jesus, the best way to do this was to become a priest. So Nicholas set out for the larger town of Myra where he could start his studies. Unbeknownst to him, the Bishop of Myra had died and the other Bishops of the area had gathered to appoint a new Bishop. During the conclave the wisest Bishop heard a voice in the night that told him to watch the doors of the Church and the first person to come through the doors named Nicholas should be consecrated the new Bishop of Myra. The next morning the first person to enter the Church was none other than Nicholas of Patara, who was then to become Nicholas Bishop of Myra, (the Boy Bishop).
      Being named Bishop of Myra at such a young age was truely a great honor,so much so, that Nicholas wanted to prove worthy of the title by living the life of Jesus and setting an example for his flock to live by. It is here where we can see the qualities of a good leader in Nicholas, lead by example. Do as I do would be his advice to his congregation. Through out his life Nicholas would do good for others expecting nothing in return just as his savior Jesus had done before him. One of the first examples of this is the story of widowed husband who had three daughters and had fallen on hard times. His eldest daughter wanted to get married but the man had no money to offer as a dowlry so he was going to sell his eldest into slavery and use that money for the other daughters dowlries.The night before the girl was to be sold into slavery Nicholas found out about the father's plan and took some of his own inheritance tied it up in a handkerchief, snuck out to the man's house in the dark of night and threw the money through a window. In the morning the man found the money and instead of selling his daughter into slavery used that money as her dowlry. The man asked everyone one in town if they had done this great deed or knew who had. No one came forward, not even Bishop Nicholas.
     Soon after the mans' second daughter wants to marry and again the man has no money for a dowlry. As before, he plans to sell the second daughter into slavery and use that money for the third daughters' dowlry. Once again Nicholas finds out and in the dark of night goes to the mans' house throws a handkerchief of his own money through the window, where the man finds it in the morning and the mans' second daughter is saved from a life of slavery. Again no one in town takes credit for the good deed. I'm sure by now you can see where this is going. When the third daughter wants to marry, the man is again without the money for a dowlry, so he plans to sell her into slavery. The night before this is to happen you know who sneaks out to the mans' house in the dark of night with a handkerchief of his own money and throws it through an open window. As Nicholas turns to leave he is confronted by the man who was hiding near by in hopes of finding who was the good deed doer. The man exclaimed Bishop Nicholas it is you who has saved my children I shall tell the whole world what a glorious thing you have done. Bishop Nicholas asks the man not to tell a soul, and to keep this secret just between them. Nicholas goes on to ask the man to do good deeds for others as he has done and expect nothing in return. This is what Jesus did before him, and if the man were to do this it would make Nicholas far happier than any public recognition could ever do.
      Here is not only where we see the beginings of Nicholas the leader but also where his legend begins as the protector of children and the giver of gifts who travels in the dark of night seen by no one. Nicholas goes on to lead his flock through many troubling times that I will write about in the upcoming weeks leading up to Christmas, a holiday very closely associated with St. Nicholas or as he is more commonly known in America, Santa Claus. On December 6th we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, and many children throughout the world leave their shoes outside their door on the eve of the feast hoping to wake up Dec. 6th to find a gift in the shoes, not unlike the man who found those handkerchiefs filled with money so long ago, gifts from Bishop Nicholas. Some believe that those handkerchiefs of money fell into the girls shoes long ago, so that is why they place shoes out on the eve of the Feast of St. Nicholas, others say it was stockings hung by the fire to dry and that is why people hang stockings up for Christmas.
      Remember lead by example, sometimes it is harder than you think. Like Nicholas, do as I do not just as I say. Join me next week as I show how difficult it can be to lead, as Nicholas is challenged by other Bishops at a crucial point in Christianity. In the meantime do a good deed for someone else and expect nothing in return.

Haunted Happenings Around Chicago

2009-10-21T11:34:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm breaking from the "mission of the blog", I don't have a leadership theme for this posting. I have a Halloween blog that you might find fun for the holiday. Whether you go on haunted tours, or simply tell ghost stories around a camp fire, Chicago has a number of weird, and scary places to tingle your spine this Halloween. I found this story about Graceland Cemetery in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. I have been there myself, and along with being a Who's Who of Chicago history, it can be a bit creepy...not that any other cemetery is a day at the circus!

Graceland Cemetery, The City Cemetery, was located exactly where Chicago's Lincoln Park is located today. Before its establishment, most of the early pioneers simply buried their dead out in the backyard. This practice lead to many gruesome discoveriesas the downtown area was developed years later. Two cemeteries were later set aside for both Protestants and Catholics, but both of them were located along the lake shore, leading to the frequesnt unearthing of caskets whenever the water was high.

Finally, the city set aside land at Clark Street and North Avenue for the Chicago City Cemetery. Soon, many of the bodies were moved from the other sites. Not only was it severly overcrowded from both population growth and cholera epidemics, but many also felt that poorly carried out burials here were creating health problems and contaminating the water supply. Both the city morgue and the local pest house , a quarantine building for epidemic victims, were located on the city grounds. One cemetery chapel holds the city's oldest crematorium, built in 1893.

A ghost has been seen in the vicinity of the underground vault belonging to a man named Ludwig Wolff. The tomb has been excavated from the side of a mildly sloping hill at the south end of the cemetery and it is supposedly guarded by the apparition of a green eyed dog that howls at the moon. The statue was placed over the resting place of a man named Dexter Graves has become commonly known as the "Statue of Death". It is said that anyone who looks into the face of the statue will get a glimpse of his or her own death to come. The statue is impossible to photograph, and no camera will function in its presence.

The most famous sculpture of Graceland is that of Inez Clarke, who died in 1880, at the age of six. She was killed during a lightning storm while on a family picnic. It is not uncommon to come to the cemetery and find gifts of flowers and toys at the foot of her grave. The site has become one of the most popular places in the cemetery, for graveyard buffs and curiosity seekers alike. According to local legend, this site is haunted. There are stories of strange sounds heard nearby and some claim that the staue of Inez actually moves under its owm power. Disembodied weeping is heard nearby. It is said that Inez will sometimes vanishfrom the inside of a glass box during violent thunderstorms. Many years ago, a nightwatchman for the Pinkerton agency stated that he was making his rounds one night during a storm and discovered that the box that holds Inez was empty. Other guards have also reported it missing only to find it back in place when they pass agin, ot the following morning.

There are many other spots around the city that hold supernatural interest. The city has had a somewhat violent past. Of course these sites should be taken in a "just for fun" spirit, no pun intended!

http://graveyards.com/IL/Cook/graceland/index.html

Fire and Chicago's Opportunity

2009-10-07T20:40:00.000-05:00

Fire Prevention Week seems like a good time to reflect on not only fire safety, but on the historical events that precipitated it. In fact, what seemed a catastrophe on October 8-10, 1871 became in time, a golden opportunity for the people of Chicago.

The Great Fire of 1871 had a number of causes. In the early days of the Chicago, the town grew very quickly from an Indian outpost to a bustling city of approximately 334,000 in less than 40 years.

The hot, sultry summer of 1871 saw a severe drought in the weeks leading up to the fire. This, of course, caused everything in the city to be dried out and extremely flammable. It was basically a tinder box ready to ignite.

During this time, over 600 fires plagued the city, many of which occurred in the two weeks leading up to the fire.

The summer of 1871 also found the Chicago Fire Department undermanned, underequipped, and overworked. Many pieces of fire equipment were either destroyed or put out of commission from over use. Firemen, exhausted from fighting a large fire in the area the day before the October 8th fire, were sent to the wrong neighborhood! By the time they got to the O'Leary's, the blaze was out of control.

A drizzle that began to fall on the night of October 9th put an end to one of the worst events of the nineteenth century. After the fire, 300 people were dead, 100,000 were left homeless, and $200 million worth of property was destroyed. The entire business district of Chicago was leveled.

However, as a result of the fire, many of today's fire codes were put into practice. The implementation of "reserve" firemen ensure that when the warning sounds, the firemen are at their best! Inspectors routinely check to be sure all equipment is up to code, and in working order. Commercial buildings require fire extinguishers and ceiling sprinklers. Fire hydrants are located on all city streets, something that was nonexistent at the time of the fire.

The people of Chicago took advantage of the "clean slate" the fire provided, and rebuilt the city. Within a few days after the fire, the rubble was swept away, and a large portion of it was pushed into the lake south of the river to create new real estate. The Kerfoot Block is one of the most popular accounts of the fire. William D. Kerfoot reopened his fledgling real estate business the day after the fire, in a crude shanty. His determination was illustrated in the sign he put above his business that read "All gone but wife, children and energy!"

Chicago architect Daniel Burnham also took advantage of this real estate boom. His famous "White City" was the showpiece of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. Burnham went on to develop the 1909 Plan of Chicago. Burnham's plan was used to develop everything from street grids to parks to plans for transportation to and from suburban towns. Chicago was becoming a world class city, a transportation hub, and an innovator on the world's stage.

Were there mistakes made at the time of the fire? Yes. However, in the weeks, months, and years that followed, the leadership and ingenuity of the people of Chicago helped to make the city even greater than it was before the fire.

In the Beginning...

2009-09-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

All great adventures start with the first step. We don't know where it will take us, or when we will get there, but hopefully, we will have fun along the way.

Did you ever wonder if the great leaders of this country, like, say Teddy Roosevelt, ever MONUMENTALLY screwed up in their lives? Screwed up so bad that they never thought they'd recover? Did Ben Franklin-- you know, Mr. - "A penny saved is a penny earned" - Franklin ever get taken to the cleaners?

Let's take a look, a really good look, at history's finest. From here on out, I'll fill this blog with musings of these and other great leaders who weren't always so great and were a little more like the rest of us.

I'll take these "stories" from presentations I give to colleges, corporations, youth groups, and history junkies in my HFK Presents programs. Are you interested? Let's go!
http://www.hfkpresents.com/