Casey Jones
Who is Casey Jones? A 1900 train wreck that was immortalized by The Ballad of Casey Jones is a fascinating chapter in railroad history. Jackson, Tennessee, home of the real Casey Jones, offers tours of his home and railroad memorabilia, plus unique shopping and dining experiences. Jackson, Tennessee is best known as the home of railroad legend Casey Jones. Jonathan Luther Jones was born on March 14, 1863, and his family moved to Cayce, (pronounced Casey) Kentucky when he was 13 years old. He was instantly attracted to the trains passing through his new hometown. Two years later, when he was 15, he became a telegrapher for the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. He acquired his famous nickname, Casey, when other railroaders inquired about where he lived. This shy young man set about to learn as much about trains and railroads as possible. He became a brakeman on the train runs from Columbus to Jackson, Tennessee. It was in this west Tennessee hub that he met his bride, Janie Brady. They married and raised their three children, Charles, Helen, and John Lloyd, in Jackson.
In 1888, Jones became a fireman for the Illinois Central Railroad (ICRR). Jones was promoted to position of engineer in February, l900, and had a reasonably good record, not having been disciplined for the past three years. He had been assigned to passenger service between Memphis and Canton and instructed about the importance of the trains to which he had been assigned. His supervisor told him to use good judgement, especially in stormy weather, and to keep close lookout for signals at all times, particularly in approaching and passing through stations and yards. He particularly instructed Jones not to attempt to do any reckless running with the view of establishing a record of making fast time, or better time than the other men on the runs. From February until April, 1900, Jones ran the Cannonball Express, which consisted of two fast passenger trains that traveled the dangerous 188 mile route between Chicago and New Orleans everyday. He greatly enjoyed the thrill manuevering this curving route at high speeds, but he hated being stationed in Memphis while his family was still in Jackson. He hoped to soon have enough money to move them to join him. With this thought in mind, Jones agreed to a double shift on the night of April 29, 1900.
Casey Jones and his fireman, Sim Webb, had just reached Memphis after completing a northbound run of the Cannonball. The engineer scheduled to take this train southbound was ill, and Jones agreed to take the run with his engine #382. The southbound train from Chicago was 90 minutes late, placing Jones behind schedule. Convinced he could make up the lost time, Jones maneuvered the rushing passenger train through the dark and foggy night. The engine reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. He took the siding at Goodman, Mississippi, in order for the northbound train to pass on the single track. With a supposedly clear track ahead, Jones was only 2 minutes behind schedule when he approached Vaughan, Mississippi. Trains here were supposed to have been sidelined to allow him to pass, but one train had a broken airhose and 4 cars remained on the track as #382 rapidly approached. As the engine rounded the curve at Vaughan, Sim spotted the red lights of the stranded train's caboose. When Sim yelled to warn Jones, Casey through on the brakeline and yelled "Jump, Sim, jump," as he took a final look at his friend. With a certain death ahead, Jones did not abandon his engine. At 3:52 am on April 30, 1900, Engine 382 exploded into the stranded cars and left the track. Jones was the only fatality. Official accident reports state that the actual damage of this collision amounted to $3,323.75. Total blame was placed on Engineer Casey Jones.
Sim, who often made up tunes to sing while he worked, was deeply touched by the death of his friend. He created a song about Casey Jones. The railroaders who worked with Sim began to sing the tune up and down the rails Jones had ridden. After Engineer William Leighton sang the ballad for his brothers, vaudeville performers Bert and Frank Leighton, they began including this song in their routines. The ballad caught the attention of songwriters T. Lawrence Siebert and Edward Newton who copyrighted a version of this song in 1909. Even though the copyrighted version differed noticeably from Sim's original ballad and wasn't entirely factual, it became a best seller within a few years. In the words of a simple song, the story of Casey Jones was shared with the world, creating a place in history for a man who loved railroading.
Jackson, Tennessee is home to Casey Jones Village. At the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum visitors can see exhibits of personal items from the Jones family and railroad memorabilia, including a scale model depicting the famous accident at Vaughan, Mississippi. Tourists can also climb aboard historic Engine 382 and ring the bell. The Village also includes The Old Country Store which has thousands of unique gifts items, an old fashioned soda parlor, and a bountiful buffet specializing in southern country cooking. Several other shops specialize in Christmas collectibles, swords and knives, and railroad memorabilia. Guests can spend the night in a real red caboose or an 1890s railroad car at the Casey Jones Station Inn.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford was born Ernest Jennings Ford in Fordtown, Tennessee, on February 13, 1919. He was raised in a musical and religious family in Bristol, Tennessee, and began a radio career at WOPI following his high school graduation. In 1939, he enrolled at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and then joined the Army Air Corps during World War II.
After his discharge, he and his first wife, Betty, went to California. He worked at KFXM in San Bernardino and later KXLA in Pasadena as both a serious announcer named Ernest Ford and a drawling hillbilly disc jockey named Tennessee Ernie. His singing, along with the records when he portrayed Tennessee Ernie, prompted entrepreneur Cliffie Stone to recognize his talent and become his manager. Ford became a regular vocalist on Stone's radio shows in the Los Angeles area. Capitol Records signed Ford in 1949 and on the first day of his contract he recorded his first top 10 hit, "Tennessee Border." "Mule Train" spent a month atop the charts at the end of 1950 and by early 1951 Ford's long string of hits included "The Shot Gun Boogie" at #1 for fourteen weeks.
In 1954, Ford hosted NBC's College of Musical Knowledge game show. In 1955, Ford also began hosting a thirty-minute daytime variety television show on ABC. On his shows, he exposed the public to songs he had not yet recorded, such as an upbeat version of a coal-mining ballad that had been recorded in 1946 by Merle Travis. Viewer response to this song was so positive that on September 20, 1955, Ford took time from his hectic schedule to record "Sixteen Tons." It sold 400,000 copies in just 11 days after its release. Ironically, "Sixteen Tons" was the B-side of "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry," but it was the definite favorite. It was #1 on the country music charts for ten weeks and the pop music charts for eight weeks.
The Ford Show, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, was on NBC from 1956-1961. Ford's homespun humor and phrases such as "Bless your peapickin' heart" became catch phrases throughout America. His tradition of closing each show with a hymn led to the release of "Hymns," his first sacred album. It remained on the charts for 277 weeks, over five years.
Ford continued hosting regular TV shows until 1965. In 1974, he toured Russia with a cast from Opryland U.S.A. at the request of the State Department. Ford frequently appeared on TV, particularly on "Hee Haw" after its 1983 debut and on the Nashville Network.
Betty died shortly after Ford's 70th birthday in 1989. Soon after, he married Beverly Wood-Smith. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990. Following a state dinner at the White House, Ford fell ill and died of liver disease at a Virginia hospital on October 17, 1991.
Tennessee Ernie Ford was born Ernest Jennings Ford in Fordtown, Tennessee, on February 13, 1919. He was raised in a musical and religious family in Bristol, Tennessee, and began a radio career at WOPI following his high school graduation. In 1939, he enrolled at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and then joined the Army Air Corps during World War II.
After his discharge, he and his first wife, Betty, went to California. He worked at KFXM in San Bernardino and later KXLA in Pasadena as both a serious announcer named Ernest Ford and a drawling hillbilly disc jockey named Tennessee Ernie. His singing, along with the records when he portrayed Tennessee Ernie, prompted entrepreneur Cliffie Stone to recognize his talent and become his manager. Ford became a regular vocalist on Stone's radio shows in the Los Angeles area. Capitol Records signed Ford in 1949 and on the first day of his contract he recorded his first top 10 hit, "Tennessee Border." "Mule Train" spent a month atop the charts at the end of 1950 and by early 1951 Ford's long string of hits included "The Shot Gun Boogie" at #1 for fourteen weeks.
In 1954, Ford hosted NBC's College of Musical Knowledge game show. In 1955, Ford also began hosting a thirty-minute daytime variety television show on ABC. On his shows, he exposed the public to songs he had not yet recorded, such as an upbeat version of a coal-mining ballad that had been recorded in 1946 by Merle Travis. Viewer response to this song was so positive that on September 20, 1955, Ford took time from his hectic schedule to record "Sixteen Tons." It sold 400,000 copies in just 11 days after its release. Ironically, "Sixteen Tons" was the B-side of "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry," but it was the definite favorite. It was #1 on the country music charts for ten weeks and the pop music charts for eight weeks.
The Ford Show, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, was on NBC from 1956-1961. Ford's homespun humor and phrases such as "Bless your peapickin' heart" became catch phrases throughout America. His tradition of closing each show with a hymn led to the release of "Hymns," his first sacred album. It remained on the charts for 277 weeks, over five years.
Ford continued hosting regular TV shows until 1965. In 1974, he toured Russia with a cast from Opryland U.S.A. at the request of the State Department. Ford frequently appeared on TV, particularly on "Hee Haw" after its 1983 debut and on the Nashville Network.
Betty died shortly after Ford's 70th birthday in 1989. Soon after, he married Beverly Wood-Smith. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990. Following a state dinner at the White House, Ford fell ill and died of liver disease at a Virginia hospital on October 17, 1991.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States. He served two terms, from 1817 to 1825. He was the last president to have served as an officer in the Revolutionary War.
James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on April 28, 1758. He became the fifth president of the United States in 1817. His Vice-President was Daniel D. Tompkins.
When James Monroe had became president the White House was still under construction from the burning in the War of 1812. Monroe had decided to take a tour of the country, to get to know more about the country he would govern. While on tour, the White house could be properly repaired.
The trip took fifteen weeks, and it gave Monroe the knowledge of the country to better help him serve well. He had more knowledge of the country than any other president that served before him, with the possible exception of George Washington.
Everywhere the president went he was greeted with cheers. Even in Federalist New England, who had detested James Madison, was quicker to accept Monroe because the region's economy had changed in the years during and after the War of 1812.
Congressman Henry Clay and John Calhoun championed a series of projects designed to improve and update the country's infrastructure, that is, its roads bridges an canals. The bills they introducted were part of a larger plan devised by Clay called the American System. Monroe agreed that Calhoun's public works project would benefit the Nation. But like Madison before him, he worried that these internal improvements, were not constitutional. A jeffersonian at heart, Monroe feared that construction of roads and canals went well beyond the powers granted to the government by the constitution.
The era of good feelings mades James Monroe one of the most popular presidents in the history of the United States. When the electoral college met in 1820, Monroe won all electoral votes but one. The single contrary vote was cast by New Hampshire's governor William Plumer. According to Plumer's son, the New Hampshire governor simply hated Monroe.
Between 1816 and 1821, six new states joined the union, making a total of twenty-four. Although they were generally welcomed, the admission of these new Western and southern states was also unsettling for many Americans. Because new regions of the country would of course have their own concerns, those of the original states would necessarily matter less.
Northern factory owners wanted increased tariff protection for their manufactured goods. They also wanted raw materials at a cheap price. Western farmers wanted exactly the opposite, they liked to see high prices for the raw materials they grew and low prices for the manufactured goods they bought. In the south, plantation owners were concerned about a reduction in slave labor, which they thought would hurt their ability to produce cotton at a competive price.
Now that the United States controlled so much of North America, John Quincy Adams suggested to President Monroe that he use this power to warn European nations against further colonization in the America's. On December 2, 1823, the president delivered a speech to congress outlining what soon became known as the Monroe Doctrine.
Neither an executive order nor a law, the Monroe Doctrine was a statement of policy that has guided U.S. actions ever since. For the first time, the United States recognized that it had important national interests outside its geographic borders.
James Monroe was the fifth president of the United States. He served two terms, from 1817 to 1825. He was the last president to have served as an officer in the Revolutionary War.
James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on April 28, 1758. He became the fifth president of the United States in 1817. His Vice-President was Daniel D. Tompkins.
When James Monroe had became president the White House was still under construction from the burning in the War of 1812. Monroe had decided to take a tour of the country, to get to know more about the country he would govern. While on tour, the White house could be properly repaired.
The trip took fifteen weeks, and it gave Monroe the knowledge of the country to better help him serve well. He had more knowledge of the country than any other president that served before him, with the possible exception of George Washington.
Everywhere the president went he was greeted with cheers. Even in Federalist New England, who had detested James Madison, was quicker to accept Monroe because the region's economy had changed in the years during and after the War of 1812.
Congressman Henry Clay and John Calhoun championed a series of projects designed to improve and update the country's infrastructure, that is, its roads bridges an canals. The bills they introducted were part of a larger plan devised by Clay called the American System. Monroe agreed that Calhoun's public works project would benefit the Nation. But like Madison before him, he worried that these internal improvements, were not constitutional. A jeffersonian at heart, Monroe feared that construction of roads and canals went well beyond the powers granted to the government by the constitution.
The era of good feelings mades James Monroe one of the most popular presidents in the history of the United States. When the electoral college met in 1820, Monroe won all electoral votes but one. The single contrary vote was cast by New Hampshire's governor William Plumer. According to Plumer's son, the New Hampshire governor simply hated Monroe.
Between 1816 and 1821, six new states joined the union, making a total of twenty-four. Although they were generally welcomed, the admission of these new Western and southern states was also unsettling for many Americans. Because new regions of the country would of course have their own concerns, those of the original states would necessarily matter less.
Northern factory owners wanted increased tariff protection for their manufactured goods. They also wanted raw materials at a cheap price. Western farmers wanted exactly the opposite, they liked to see high prices for the raw materials they grew and low prices for the manufactured goods they bought. In the south, plantation owners were concerned about a reduction in slave labor, which they thought would hurt their ability to produce cotton at a competive price.
Now that the United States controlled so much of North America, John Quincy Adams suggested to President Monroe that he use this power to warn European nations against further colonization in the America's. On December 2, 1823, the president delivered a speech to congress outlining what soon became known as the Monroe Doctrine.
Neither an executive order nor a law, the Monroe Doctrine was a statement of policy that has guided U.S. actions ever since. For the first time, the United States recognized that it had important national interests outside its geographic borders.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
The home in Key West, used by Harry S. Truman during his presidency. The residence is now a museum. Historians rank Harry S. Truman, our 33rd President, among America's ten best, although he was not particularly popular during his presidency (1945-52). What, then, are the qualities of the man that have vaulted him into his illustrious place in history? Truman has been called the "last human being" to occupy the White House, "an uncommon, common man."
Be that as it may, President Truman called the White House the "Great White Jail" and took great pleasure in escaping from it. Next to going home to Missouri, his favorite get-away was The Little White House in Key West, Florida. Truman's press secretary at the time commented the president could get more real work done in Key West than in Washington. Despite the heavy burden of office, Truman had a way of enjoying himself in Key West. Most days began with a brisk walk around the naval base. He fished, swam and lounged in the sun.
In April 1991, the Little White House was restored at a cost of $2 million and opened to the public. Prior to that time, roughly between the years 1974 and 1989, the house had fallen into serious disrepair. It had become a refuge for vagrants and rumored to be a crack house. Detroit businessman Henry A. Drettmann and his wife Mary, generously funded the restoration.
Guided tours, lasting about 40 minutes, give valuable insight into the President, and his days in Key West. Visitors begin by viewing a short movie which includes interesting newsreels.
Truman was at first a reluctant visitor to the Sunshine state. His doctor ordered him to this compound at the U.S. Naval Base when he couldn't shake a cold during the grueling early months of his presidency. He soon fell in love with the area. In March of 1949, he wrote to his wife Bess, "I've a notion to move the capital to Key West and just stay."
Even today, the fourteen room white frame house is modest by presidential standards, and was Spartan when Truman made his first visit in November of 1946.
According to the tour guides, 80 percent of the furnishings in the house are authentic, including the bedroom desk where Truman reputedly wrote more than 15,000 personal letters. Other significant pieces include Bess' desk, a poker table concealed under a removable mahogany wooden cover, a framed front page of the Chicago Tribune with the infamous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman," and other artifacts.
Guides jokingly tell you about Truman's famous Key West Uniform. A Miami publicist by the name Hank Meyer came up with the idea of sending the president colorful sports shirts. Truman loved the casual shirts and pictures of him wearing his "Key West Uniform" made front page stories across the nation. The subsequent publicity started a craze which continued for the rest of his visits to the city. He received dozens and dozens of similar shirts as gifts. Truman even expected his visitors to don the typically floral, Hawaiian shirts. Members of the press also adopted the Key West Uniform.
Truman was very fond of nightly poker games, which often lasted until midnight. Unlike today, the press kept quiet about these games, in consideration for the president's reputation. Apparently, it was believed the public might consider such card games unseemly. How times have changed! Historians say Truman had an unusually warm relationship with the press who referred to him as "Truman the Human."
The guides also mention Harry came downstairs every morning at 7:00 a.m. for a quick shot of bourbon with an orange juice chaser, rather than the standard cup of coffee. This unusual habit was said to astonish his housekeepers.
As a side note, two other Presidents, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the Little White House.
With so many other attractions in Key West, Truman's Little White House doesn't get the attention it deserves and that's a shame. The museum gives the American public a unique opportunity to discover a very personal side of Harry Truman and how his down-to-earth personality affected his presidency and the events of his day.
Key West and America lost a great man on December 26, 1972, when Harry Truman died. Two days later, the citizens of Key West gathered on the beach for a memorial service for their friend and their president. Taps was played and a wreath tossed onto the waves. The Little White House is located at 111 Front Street (Truman Annex) Key West, Florida, 33040.
A short biography of our nation's 33rd President, Harry S. Truman. Called a "common" man, he was an uncommon leader. On the day following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman is said to have told reporters, "When they told me yesterday what had happened, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me."
The nation, too, was stunned. Roosevelt--aristocratic, fatherly, and seemingly immortal--was gone. In his place stood Harry Truman, a plain-talking, small business man turned politician. He had a Missouri twang, a corny brand of humor, and an irrepressible grin. After the dramatic FDR, it was difficult to realize that Truman was exactly as he appeared at first glance: a typical American who didn't pretend to be anything else. One of his nicknames was "Mr. Average."
But if Truman represented the typical American, he certainly was not the typical president. Never before had there been anyone quite like Harry in the White House. Truman believed he and the presidency were separate entities. "Some men...get to thinking they are the power rather than the instrument of power," he said.
Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884. He grew up in Independence and for twelve years prospered as a farmer. He went to France in World War I as a captain in the Field Artillery. Upon his return, he married Elizabeth Virginia Wallace and opened a haberdashery in Kansas City.
Active in the democratic party, Truman was first a judge, then a senator. During World War II, he headed the Senate war investigating committee, checking into waste and corruption. His biographers note his effects saved perhaps as much as 15 billion dollars.
One in the office of President, Truman made some of the most crucial decisions in American history. Very soon after V-E Day, the war against Japan had reached its final stage. Pleas to Japan to surrender were rejected. Truman, in consultation with is advisors, ordered atomic bombs dropped on cities devoted to war work. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed and the Japanese surrender quickly followed.
Although Truman had followed some of his predecessor's policies, he also developed a few of his own. He presented to Congress a twenty-one point program proposing the expansion of Social Security, a full-employment program, a permanent Fair Employment Practices Act and a public housing and slum clearance. It became known as the Fair Deal.
Despite a three-way split in the Democratic party, and practically unanimous predictions for his defeat, Truman won an astounding victory over Thomas Dewey in the 1948 election. His win proved another point: people really liked Truman.
Other foreign affairs required much of Truman's time. When the Russians blockaded the western sectors of Berlin in 1948, Truman created a massive airlift to supply Berliners until the Russians backed down. Meanwhile, he was negotiating a military alliance to protect Western nations, NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, established in 1949.
Truman again faced troubles abroad when Communist North Korea attacked South Korea. A long struggle ensued as U.N. forces held a line above the old boundary of South Korea. Truman kept the war a limited one, rather than risk a major conflict with China and perhaps Russia.
Deciding not to run again, Truman retired to Missouri at age 88. He died in December of 1972.
The home in Key West, used by Harry S. Truman during his presidency. The residence is now a museum. Historians rank Harry S. Truman, our 33rd President, among America's ten best, although he was not particularly popular during his presidency (1945-52). What, then, are the qualities of the man that have vaulted him into his illustrious place in history? Truman has been called the "last human being" to occupy the White House, "an uncommon, common man."
Be that as it may, President Truman called the White House the "Great White Jail" and took great pleasure in escaping from it. Next to going home to Missouri, his favorite get-away was The Little White House in Key West, Florida. Truman's press secretary at the time commented the president could get more real work done in Key West than in Washington. Despite the heavy burden of office, Truman had a way of enjoying himself in Key West. Most days began with a brisk walk around the naval base. He fished, swam and lounged in the sun.
In April 1991, the Little White House was restored at a cost of $2 million and opened to the public. Prior to that time, roughly between the years 1974 and 1989, the house had fallen into serious disrepair. It had become a refuge for vagrants and rumored to be a crack house. Detroit businessman Henry A. Drettmann and his wife Mary, generously funded the restoration.
Guided tours, lasting about 40 minutes, give valuable insight into the President, and his days in Key West. Visitors begin by viewing a short movie which includes interesting newsreels.
Truman was at first a reluctant visitor to the Sunshine state. His doctor ordered him to this compound at the U.S. Naval Base when he couldn't shake a cold during the grueling early months of his presidency. He soon fell in love with the area. In March of 1949, he wrote to his wife Bess, "I've a notion to move the capital to Key West and just stay."
Even today, the fourteen room white frame house is modest by presidential standards, and was Spartan when Truman made his first visit in November of 1946.
According to the tour guides, 80 percent of the furnishings in the house are authentic, including the bedroom desk where Truman reputedly wrote more than 15,000 personal letters. Other significant pieces include Bess' desk, a poker table concealed under a removable mahogany wooden cover, a framed front page of the Chicago Tribune with the infamous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman," and other artifacts.
Guides jokingly tell you about Truman's famous Key West Uniform. A Miami publicist by the name Hank Meyer came up with the idea of sending the president colorful sports shirts. Truman loved the casual shirts and pictures of him wearing his "Key West Uniform" made front page stories across the nation. The subsequent publicity started a craze which continued for the rest of his visits to the city. He received dozens and dozens of similar shirts as gifts. Truman even expected his visitors to don the typically floral, Hawaiian shirts. Members of the press also adopted the Key West Uniform.
Truman was very fond of nightly poker games, which often lasted until midnight. Unlike today, the press kept quiet about these games, in consideration for the president's reputation. Apparently, it was believed the public might consider such card games unseemly. How times have changed! Historians say Truman had an unusually warm relationship with the press who referred to him as "Truman the Human."
The guides also mention Harry came downstairs every morning at 7:00 a.m. for a quick shot of bourbon with an orange juice chaser, rather than the standard cup of coffee. This unusual habit was said to astonish his housekeepers.
As a side note, two other Presidents, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the Little White House.
With so many other attractions in Key West, Truman's Little White House doesn't get the attention it deserves and that's a shame. The museum gives the American public a unique opportunity to discover a very personal side of Harry Truman and how his down-to-earth personality affected his presidency and the events of his day.
Key West and America lost a great man on December 26, 1972, when Harry Truman died. Two days later, the citizens of Key West gathered on the beach for a memorial service for their friend and their president. Taps was played and a wreath tossed onto the waves. The Little White House is located at 111 Front Street (Truman Annex) Key West, Florida, 33040.
A short biography of our nation's 33rd President, Harry S. Truman. Called a "common" man, he was an uncommon leader. On the day following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman is said to have told reporters, "When they told me yesterday what had happened, I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me."
The nation, too, was stunned. Roosevelt--aristocratic, fatherly, and seemingly immortal--was gone. In his place stood Harry Truman, a plain-talking, small business man turned politician. He had a Missouri twang, a corny brand of humor, and an irrepressible grin. After the dramatic FDR, it was difficult to realize that Truman was exactly as he appeared at first glance: a typical American who didn't pretend to be anything else. One of his nicknames was "Mr. Average."
But if Truman represented the typical American, he certainly was not the typical president. Never before had there been anyone quite like Harry in the White House. Truman believed he and the presidency were separate entities. "Some men...get to thinking they are the power rather than the instrument of power," he said.
Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884. He grew up in Independence and for twelve years prospered as a farmer. He went to France in World War I as a captain in the Field Artillery. Upon his return, he married Elizabeth Virginia Wallace and opened a haberdashery in Kansas City.
Active in the democratic party, Truman was first a judge, then a senator. During World War II, he headed the Senate war investigating committee, checking into waste and corruption. His biographers note his effects saved perhaps as much as 15 billion dollars.
One in the office of President, Truman made some of the most crucial decisions in American history. Very soon after V-E Day, the war against Japan had reached its final stage. Pleas to Japan to surrender were rejected. Truman, in consultation with is advisors, ordered atomic bombs dropped on cities devoted to war work. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed and the Japanese surrender quickly followed.
Although Truman had followed some of his predecessor's policies, he also developed a few of his own. He presented to Congress a twenty-one point program proposing the expansion of Social Security, a full-employment program, a permanent Fair Employment Practices Act and a public housing and slum clearance. It became known as the Fair Deal.
Despite a three-way split in the Democratic party, and practically unanimous predictions for his defeat, Truman won an astounding victory over Thomas Dewey in the 1948 election. His win proved another point: people really liked Truman.
Other foreign affairs required much of Truman's time. When the Russians blockaded the western sectors of Berlin in 1948, Truman created a massive airlift to supply Berliners until the Russians backed down. Meanwhile, he was negotiating a military alliance to protect Western nations, NATO or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, established in 1949.
Truman again faced troubles abroad when Communist North Korea attacked South Korea. A long struggle ensued as U.N. forces held a line above the old boundary of South Korea. Truman kept the war a limited one, rather than risk a major conflict with China and perhaps Russia.
Deciding not to run again, Truman retired to Missouri at age 88. He died in December of 1972.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Florence Kelley
Florence Kelley - Social Reformer
Florence Kelley was a leader of social reform in the United States and helped pass many laws regulating child labor. When most people think of the Jane Addams Hull House or the Settlement House movement for social reform, they associate Addams, Julia Lathrop, or Lillian Wald with movers for social reform. However, Florence Kelley's contributions to reform for labor and welfare at both the state and federal levels were truly outstanding.
Florence Kelley was born in 1859. Her father took her on a tour of factories that used child labor, and so began her lifelong commitment to helping children in these horrendous and abusive environments. She was educated at Cornell University and the University of Zurich. She read Fredrich Engel's works when she was in Switzerland, and these had a profound influence on her.
After coming back home to the United States, she started out working with Addams and while there, she found children working in abhorrent conditions for clothing manufacturers. She had a way with words and described the horrible circumstances in writing that has been compared to that of Charles Dickens. Her detailed studies of the environment in which children worked brought about the first important labor laws for women and children in the U.S.
She was asked to be the director of the National Consumers' League in New York and took the position. As a result of her work with this newly formed organization, clothing was required to be labeled with labels stating it had not been made with child labor.
Kelley was also deeply involved in improving labor conditions for women. Louis Brandeis was the attorney she used in reform for child labor, and she turned once again to him for reform of labor conditions for women. He published her research in the Brandeis Brief (still widely used today), and that was instrumental in getting a law limiting women's hours to ten per day passed in Oregon and upheld in the Supreme Court.
1903 marked another turning point for labor reform for women. Kelley was one of the founders of the National Women's Trade Union League. Working with Grace Abbot, who was the Immigrants' Protective League director, and others, this new organization was instrumental in getting laws passed that regulated minimum wages and other issues relating to labor.
Among her many other achievements, Kelley was also a mover in the suffragist movement. She helped establish the National Associate for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and was one of the founding members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in 1919. Juvenile courts in the United States were brought about partially by the work she did for that cause.
After a life of contributing to the well being of thousands of people, Florence Kelley died in Philadelphia in 1943.
Florence Kelley was a leader of social reform in the United States and helped pass many laws regulating child labor. When most people think of the Jane Addams Hull House or the Settlement House movement for social reform, they associate Addams, Julia Lathrop, or Lillian Wald with movers for social reform. However, Florence Kelley's contributions to reform for labor and welfare at both the state and federal levels were truly outstanding.
Florence Kelley was born in 1859. Her father took her on a tour of factories that used child labor, and so began her lifelong commitment to helping children in these horrendous and abusive environments. She was educated at Cornell University and the University of Zurich. She read Fredrich Engel's works when she was in Switzerland, and these had a profound influence on her.
After coming back home to the United States, she started out working with Addams and while there, she found children working in abhorrent conditions for clothing manufacturers. She had a way with words and described the horrible circumstances in writing that has been compared to that of Charles Dickens. Her detailed studies of the environment in which children worked brought about the first important labor laws for women and children in the U.S.
She was asked to be the director of the National Consumers' League in New York and took the position. As a result of her work with this newly formed organization, clothing was required to be labeled with labels stating it had not been made with child labor.
Kelley was also deeply involved in improving labor conditions for women. Louis Brandeis was the attorney she used in reform for child labor, and she turned once again to him for reform of labor conditions for women. He published her research in the Brandeis Brief (still widely used today), and that was instrumental in getting a law limiting women's hours to ten per day passed in Oregon and upheld in the Supreme Court.
1903 marked another turning point for labor reform for women. Kelley was one of the founders of the National Women's Trade Union League. Working with Grace Abbot, who was the Immigrants' Protective League director, and others, this new organization was instrumental in getting laws passed that regulated minimum wages and other issues relating to labor.
Among her many other achievements, Kelley was also a mover in the suffragist movement. She helped establish the National Associate for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 and was one of the founding members of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in 1919. Juvenile courts in the United States were brought about partially by the work she did for that cause.
After a life of contributing to the well being of thousands of people, Florence Kelley died in Philadelphia in 1943.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Diamond Jim Brady
Diamond Jim Brady
This biography of Diamond Jim Brady gives pertinent details of his lavish life in New York City.
Born in New York City on August 12, 1856, James Buchanan Brady's parents probably never had a clue that their son would amass a great fortune and be known all over the city for his lavish behavior.
Brady was educated at public schools and began working as a bellhop and a messenger for the New York Central Railway at an early age. He then worked at several positions for the railway, finally settling on selling railway equipment when he was twenty-three years old. He went to work for the Manning, Maxwell, and Moore manufacturing company and started earning commissions, which he promptly turned into more cash by beginning his own metal-saw manufacturing business. The success of his company was outstanding, and his saws were used everywhere.
But he loved railway cars most and his knowledge of the transportation system helped get him a job for Fox Pressed Steel Car Company, a British company. As time went on, he became known in the field and was offered directorships or presidencies for other companies as well. He was vice-president of the Standard Car Company. By the time he was forty-five, his fortune was huge.
Brady indulged his tastes for fine food, wine, and especially diamonds. He began collecting diamond jewelry and wore it everywhere, hence the name "Diamond Jim." He wore many diamonds at one time, on ties, vests, cuff links, and even as a topping for his cane. Many people imitated Brady, including Pearl Jim Murray, who collected pearls the way Brady collected diamonds. Brady was kind to all his copycats, often entertaining them with luxurious dinners and parties. He loved being seen with showgirls, who hung onto him like moss to a rock. Lillian Russell was his favorite date.
His appetite for gourmet food was insatiable, and he gorged himself at restaurants and parties. One night's meal might consist of several crabs, many lobsters and oysters, several meat dishes, and two or more whole fowl. He drank huge amounts of orange juice with his meals. His lifestyle caught up with him, though. Brady first consulted doctors for stomach diseases brought on by his uncontrollable eating habits: diabetes, heart and urinary problems, and high blood pressure. His prostate was swollen beyond belief. His stomach was six times the size of a normal person's stomach. After a new technique at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore helped clean the prostate, Brady went back to New York and lived lavishly for another five years.
But on April 13, 1917, Brady died of complications of his diseases. He left most of his wealth to Johns Hopkins and New York Hospital to help found medical institutes in his name.
This biography of Diamond Jim Brady gives pertinent details of his lavish life in New York City.
Born in New York City on August 12, 1856, James Buchanan Brady's parents probably never had a clue that their son would amass a great fortune and be known all over the city for his lavish behavior.
Brady was educated at public schools and began working as a bellhop and a messenger for the New York Central Railway at an early age. He then worked at several positions for the railway, finally settling on selling railway equipment when he was twenty-three years old. He went to work for the Manning, Maxwell, and Moore manufacturing company and started earning commissions, which he promptly turned into more cash by beginning his own metal-saw manufacturing business. The success of his company was outstanding, and his saws were used everywhere.
But he loved railway cars most and his knowledge of the transportation system helped get him a job for Fox Pressed Steel Car Company, a British company. As time went on, he became known in the field and was offered directorships or presidencies for other companies as well. He was vice-president of the Standard Car Company. By the time he was forty-five, his fortune was huge.
Brady indulged his tastes for fine food, wine, and especially diamonds. He began collecting diamond jewelry and wore it everywhere, hence the name "Diamond Jim." He wore many diamonds at one time, on ties, vests, cuff links, and even as a topping for his cane. Many people imitated Brady, including Pearl Jim Murray, who collected pearls the way Brady collected diamonds. Brady was kind to all his copycats, often entertaining them with luxurious dinners and parties. He loved being seen with showgirls, who hung onto him like moss to a rock. Lillian Russell was his favorite date.
His appetite for gourmet food was insatiable, and he gorged himself at restaurants and parties. One night's meal might consist of several crabs, many lobsters and oysters, several meat dishes, and two or more whole fowl. He drank huge amounts of orange juice with his meals. His lifestyle caught up with him, though. Brady first consulted doctors for stomach diseases brought on by his uncontrollable eating habits: diabetes, heart and urinary problems, and high blood pressure. His prostate was swollen beyond belief. His stomach was six times the size of a normal person's stomach. After a new technique at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore helped clean the prostate, Brady went back to New York and lived lavishly for another five years.
But on April 13, 1917, Brady died of complications of his diseases. He left most of his wealth to Johns Hopkins and New York Hospital to help found medical institutes in his name.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Bill Veeck, Jr.
Bill Veeck, Jr.
Summary of the life and baseball career of Bill Veeck, Jr.
William Veeck Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 9, 1914. His father, Bill Veeck Sr. became president of the Chicago Cubs in 1917. During his youth, the younger Veeck met many famous ballplayers and worked as an office boy for the Cubs.
Veeck and former Cubs first base star Charlie Grimm borrowed enough money to buy the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers franchise in 1941. Before World War II, Veeck and Grimm bought and sold players left and right while trying to balance their sparse budget. In 1944, Veeck joined the United States Marines and was sent to the South Pacific where he became seriously injured. Veeck had 10 surgeries that resulted in his right leg being amputated. He was then fitted with an artificial leg. Upon his return to baseball, the Brewers won 3 American Association pennants and erased the club's debt.
Veeck bought the Cleveland Indians in 1946. After only two and a half years under new ownership, they won the American League pennant for the first time in 28 years. The Indians also went on to beat the Boston Braves in the 1948 World Series. In 1947, Veeck signed the American League's first black player, Larry Doby. In 1948, he signed Satchel Paige who, at age 42, was the oldest rookie in major league baseball. These signings upset rival owners but proved to be valuable assets to the 1948 World Championship team. After building the Indians team, Veeck was forced to sell them in 1949 over financial problems.
Veeck purchased the last place St. Louis Browns in 1951. The Browns attendance grew nearly 60% in 1952, however, the team itself showed minimal improvement that year. After the 1952 season, Veeck attempted to move the Browns to Milwaukee but was blocked by the other American League owners. In 1953, a near bankrupt Veeck sold the Browns and a year later the American League allowed the Browns to move to Baltimore.
For 5 years, Veeck stayed away from baseball but in 1959 he returned and bought the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox won their first American League pennant in 40 years at the end of their first season with Veeck. To add excitement to the game, Veeck introduced the first exploding scoreboard that spewed fireworks when the White Sox scored a home run. Veeck was also the first owner to put players' names on the backs of their uniforms, which is commonplace in many sports today. The White Sox doubled their attendance figures under Veeck's guidance. In June of 1961, illness forced Veeck to sell the White Sox.
In the late 1960's, Veeck turned to thoroughbred racing and purchased Suffolk Downs Race Track in Massachusetts. He later sold his racing business. He owned the Chicago White Sox once again from 1976 to 1981. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. Veeck died on January 2, 1986 in Chicago, Illinois. He was cremated and his remains were laid to rest at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.
Summary of the life and baseball career of Bill Veeck, Jr.
William Veeck Jr. was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 9, 1914. His father, Bill Veeck Sr. became president of the Chicago Cubs in 1917. During his youth, the younger Veeck met many famous ballplayers and worked as an office boy for the Cubs.
Veeck and former Cubs first base star Charlie Grimm borrowed enough money to buy the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers franchise in 1941. Before World War II, Veeck and Grimm bought and sold players left and right while trying to balance their sparse budget. In 1944, Veeck joined the United States Marines and was sent to the South Pacific where he became seriously injured. Veeck had 10 surgeries that resulted in his right leg being amputated. He was then fitted with an artificial leg. Upon his return to baseball, the Brewers won 3 American Association pennants and erased the club's debt.
Veeck bought the Cleveland Indians in 1946. After only two and a half years under new ownership, they won the American League pennant for the first time in 28 years. The Indians also went on to beat the Boston Braves in the 1948 World Series. In 1947, Veeck signed the American League's first black player, Larry Doby. In 1948, he signed Satchel Paige who, at age 42, was the oldest rookie in major league baseball. These signings upset rival owners but proved to be valuable assets to the 1948 World Championship team. After building the Indians team, Veeck was forced to sell them in 1949 over financial problems.
Veeck purchased the last place St. Louis Browns in 1951. The Browns attendance grew nearly 60% in 1952, however, the team itself showed minimal improvement that year. After the 1952 season, Veeck attempted to move the Browns to Milwaukee but was blocked by the other American League owners. In 1953, a near bankrupt Veeck sold the Browns and a year later the American League allowed the Browns to move to Baltimore.
For 5 years, Veeck stayed away from baseball but in 1959 he returned and bought the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox won their first American League pennant in 40 years at the end of their first season with Veeck. To add excitement to the game, Veeck introduced the first exploding scoreboard that spewed fireworks when the White Sox scored a home run. Veeck was also the first owner to put players' names on the backs of their uniforms, which is commonplace in many sports today. The White Sox doubled their attendance figures under Veeck's guidance. In June of 1961, illness forced Veeck to sell the White Sox.
In the late 1960's, Veeck turned to thoroughbred racing and purchased Suffolk Downs Race Track in Massachusetts. He later sold his racing business. He owned the Chicago White Sox once again from 1976 to 1981. He was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. Veeck died on January 2, 1986 in Chicago, Illinois. He was cremated and his remains were laid to rest at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie
A brief biography of Agatha Christie. Despite the massive fame of her mystery novels, Agatha Christie was a very private person. But behind the curtain of mystery is the fascinating life story of this famous author. Although an autobiography and several biographies have been published, Agatha Christie valued her privacy and rarely granted interviews. Even today, an air of mystery lingers over her memory and her life. She felt that writers should be judged by their work, not by who they are. While we as a society certainly praise her for her brilliant work, we can't help but be somewhat curious about the woman behind the pages.
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christie Mallowan was born 15 September 1890 at Ashfield, her family's home in the seaside resort of Torquay, Devon. Her parents home-schooled her until the time she left the coziness of her hometown and attended a finishing school in the vibrant city of Paris. There, she exhibited more talent as a singer and pianist, than as a writer.
In 1913, Agatha met Archibald Christie, a young army officer, and they were married on Christmas Eve in 1914. They were separated for most of the war, and eventually divorced. However, prior to the divorce and the tragic death of her mother, both of which occurred in 1928, Agatha spent her time volunteering as a nurse at local hospitals. This is where her knowledge of poisons, as well as her fascination for them, emerged.
After the war, Archie Christie went into business in London, while Agatha stayed at home with their daughter Rosalind, born in 1919. In 1920, Agatha submitted her first novel, 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' featuring the eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, to four publishers. Only one accepted the book, which met with moderate success.
It wasn't however until 1926, upon the publication of “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” that Christie's work first gained major recognition. The publication of this taut mystery novel, with its controversial and wholly unanticipated ending, catapulted Christie into full-fledged literary stardom. She went on to write nearly eighty novels in her career and more than a hundred short stories.
During the early 1950s, Christie's "other" career as a playwright, reached its peak with the production of 'The Mousetrap' and 'Witness for the Prosecution' in London in 1952 and 1953. 'The Mousetrap' has been running continuously in London's West End since opening night in 1952 and has become the world's longest-running play.
After a leg injury in 1971, Christie's health began to fail, and the frequency of her books declined. Her last formal public appearance was in 1974 at the opening of the film 'Murder on the Orient Express', which was attended by Queen Elizabeth and members of the royal family. Agatha Christie died at her home at Wallingford, Berkshire, on January 12, 1976, and was buried in a private ceremony at St. Mary's Churchyard, Cholsey, Berkshire four days later.
Indisputably, the popularity of her books will live on indefinitely. Agatha Christie's books have sold over a billion copies in the English language with another billion in 44 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time in any language, out-sold by only the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 79 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and 6 novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.
A brief biography of Agatha Christie. Despite the massive fame of her mystery novels, Agatha Christie was a very private person. But behind the curtain of mystery is the fascinating life story of this famous author. Although an autobiography and several biographies have been published, Agatha Christie valued her privacy and rarely granted interviews. Even today, an air of mystery lingers over her memory and her life. She felt that writers should be judged by their work, not by who they are. While we as a society certainly praise her for her brilliant work, we can't help but be somewhat curious about the woman behind the pages.
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christie Mallowan was born 15 September 1890 at Ashfield, her family's home in the seaside resort of Torquay, Devon. Her parents home-schooled her until the time she left the coziness of her hometown and attended a finishing school in the vibrant city of Paris. There, she exhibited more talent as a singer and pianist, than as a writer.
In 1913, Agatha met Archibald Christie, a young army officer, and they were married on Christmas Eve in 1914. They were separated for most of the war, and eventually divorced. However, prior to the divorce and the tragic death of her mother, both of which occurred in 1928, Agatha spent her time volunteering as a nurse at local hospitals. This is where her knowledge of poisons, as well as her fascination for them, emerged.
After the war, Archie Christie went into business in London, while Agatha stayed at home with their daughter Rosalind, born in 1919. In 1920, Agatha submitted her first novel, 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' featuring the eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, to four publishers. Only one accepted the book, which met with moderate success.
It wasn't however until 1926, upon the publication of “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” that Christie's work first gained major recognition. The publication of this taut mystery novel, with its controversial and wholly unanticipated ending, catapulted Christie into full-fledged literary stardom. She went on to write nearly eighty novels in her career and more than a hundred short stories.
During the early 1950s, Christie's "other" career as a playwright, reached its peak with the production of 'The Mousetrap' and 'Witness for the Prosecution' in London in 1952 and 1953. 'The Mousetrap' has been running continuously in London's West End since opening night in 1952 and has become the world's longest-running play.
After a leg injury in 1971, Christie's health began to fail, and the frequency of her books declined. Her last formal public appearance was in 1974 at the opening of the film 'Murder on the Orient Express', which was attended by Queen Elizabeth and members of the royal family. Agatha Christie died at her home at Wallingford, Berkshire, on January 12, 1976, and was buried in a private ceremony at St. Mary's Churchyard, Cholsey, Berkshire four days later.
Indisputably, the popularity of her books will live on indefinitely. Agatha Christie's books have sold over a billion copies in the English language with another billion in 44 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time in any language, out-sold by only the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 79 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and 6 novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
John Quicy Adams
John Quicy Adams
John Quincy Adams became the sixth president of the United States in 1825. His vice president was John C. Calhoun. His nichname was old man eloquent and was the only president to name a son George Washington. John Quincy Adams was born in Braintree, Ma on July 11, 1767. He became the sixth president of the United States in 1825, and served until 1829. His vice president was John C. Calhoun.
After the House of Representatives choose John Quincy Adams to be the sixth president in February 1825, Adams' friends gave him some advice. They told him to fire all of Monroe's appointees and name his own people to federal office.
As it turned out, the advice Adams got was good, but he refused to heed it. The new president did not think it would be a good idea, or look right, for him to reward his own followers with powerful political appointments. Instead, his administration remained filled with people who did not wish him well.
Adams was the first president to champion the government's role in making internal improvements for the benefit of trade. Adams wanted the government to take an active role in expanding commerce. The president had earlier adopted the American System, developed by Secretary of State Clay while he was still in the House of Representatives. The point of the American System was to create a self-sufficient national economy.
Clay believed that a factory economy in the North could provide markets for southern cotton as well as western grain and beef. In exchange, the south and west would buy Northern manufactured goods. The congressmen who fought the American System did so for a number of reasons. Some were merely blocking Adams in order to ensure the election of Jackson in 1828. Others worried that the federal government was becoming too powerful.
Ever since the louisiana purchase and the War of 1812, the country's growing size and nationalism had made the role of the federal government ever more important. This development made many states nervous for the same reason Jefferson would have been. They believed that a strong federal government was dangerous because it meant less freedom for the states.
Throughout his presidency, Adams pressed for higher tariffs on imported manufactured goods. During his last year in office, a tarrif bill was finally passed by Congress, but it was not the Bill that adams had proposed.
In an attempt to embarrass the president, the Jackson supporters in Congress had amended Adam's plan so that it raised tariffs on imported raw materials as well. They were sure that New England congressmen, who otherwise supported Adams, would never vote for such a bill because it would raise the prices New England factories paid for their raw materials.
They were wrong! The tariff of 1828 passed and was signed by the president. The new tariff rates dramatically raised the prices of all sorts of goods, which made the public furious. The new law did not embarass Adams, but it did eliminate whatever small chance he might have had at winning re-election. Still, whatever good the tariff did for Andrew Jackson, it also passed along to him crisis in the making.
After, John Quincy Adams lost the 1828 election to Andrew Jackson, most people expected him to retire. Instead, in 1830, the 63 year old Adams ran for a seat in the House of Representatives and won. He thus became the first president to serve in Congress after leaving the White House.
In february 1848, John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke on the floor of the House. The 81 year old former president was carried to a nearby chamber. He died there two days later because doctors considered it too dangerous to move him.
John Quincy Adams became the sixth president of the United States in 1825. His vice president was John C. Calhoun. His nichname was old man eloquent and was the only president to name a son George Washington. John Quincy Adams was born in Braintree, Ma on July 11, 1767. He became the sixth president of the United States in 1825, and served until 1829. His vice president was John C. Calhoun.
After the House of Representatives choose John Quincy Adams to be the sixth president in February 1825, Adams' friends gave him some advice. They told him to fire all of Monroe's appointees and name his own people to federal office.
As it turned out, the advice Adams got was good, but he refused to heed it. The new president did not think it would be a good idea, or look right, for him to reward his own followers with powerful political appointments. Instead, his administration remained filled with people who did not wish him well.
Adams was the first president to champion the government's role in making internal improvements for the benefit of trade. Adams wanted the government to take an active role in expanding commerce. The president had earlier adopted the American System, developed by Secretary of State Clay while he was still in the House of Representatives. The point of the American System was to create a self-sufficient national economy.
Clay believed that a factory economy in the North could provide markets for southern cotton as well as western grain and beef. In exchange, the south and west would buy Northern manufactured goods. The congressmen who fought the American System did so for a number of reasons. Some were merely blocking Adams in order to ensure the election of Jackson in 1828. Others worried that the federal government was becoming too powerful.
Ever since the louisiana purchase and the War of 1812, the country's growing size and nationalism had made the role of the federal government ever more important. This development made many states nervous for the same reason Jefferson would have been. They believed that a strong federal government was dangerous because it meant less freedom for the states.
Throughout his presidency, Adams pressed for higher tariffs on imported manufactured goods. During his last year in office, a tarrif bill was finally passed by Congress, but it was not the Bill that adams had proposed.
In an attempt to embarrass the president, the Jackson supporters in Congress had amended Adam's plan so that it raised tariffs on imported raw materials as well. They were sure that New England congressmen, who otherwise supported Adams, would never vote for such a bill because it would raise the prices New England factories paid for their raw materials.
They were wrong! The tariff of 1828 passed and was signed by the president. The new tariff rates dramatically raised the prices of all sorts of goods, which made the public furious. The new law did not embarass Adams, but it did eliminate whatever small chance he might have had at winning re-election. Still, whatever good the tariff did for Andrew Jackson, it also passed along to him crisis in the making.
After, John Quincy Adams lost the 1828 election to Andrew Jackson, most people expected him to retire. Instead, in 1830, the 63 year old Adams ran for a seat in the House of Representatives and won. He thus became the first president to serve in Congress after leaving the White House.
In february 1848, John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke on the floor of the House. The 81 year old former president was carried to a nearby chamber. He died there two days later because doctors considered it too dangerous to move him.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones is a highly talented singer and actress that has been entertaining audiences with her beautiful songbird voice for quite some time. Shirley Jones was born on March 31, 1934, in Smithton, Pennsylvania. She was the only child born to Paul and Marjorie Jones. When Shirley was a young girl, her mother recognized that she had a natural talent in singing. Shirley Jones has never had one voice lesson. She studied drama at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. After school, Shirley performed with the Civic Light Opera Company. As a teenager, Shirley was crowned Miss Pittsburgh, a title that started her on her way to a career in show business.
When she was nineteen years old, Shirley auditioned for the songwriters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Her girl next door appearance and soprano voice impressed the songwriting team. They cast her in a minor role in their Broadway production of "Me and Juliet" in 1953. Because of her exceptional talent, Miss Jones was signed to play the lead on tour. The following year Rodgers and Hammerstein signed Shirley to play the female lead in their film "Oklahoma!" From there, she was cast in the film "Carousel." After that, Miss Jones appeared regularly in films through the 1960’s.
In 1956, Shirley Jones and actor Jack Cassidy were wed. The two had three children together one of which is actor/producer/director Shaun Cassidy. Shirley helped raise Jack’s son, David from a previous marriage. In 1975, the couple was divorced.
In 1970, Miss Jones went from films to television where she was cast in the show "The Partridge Family" which also starred her stepson David Cassidy. After the show was cancelled, Shirley Jones appeared in television movies through the 1980’s.
In 1977, Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels were married after a brief whirlwind courtship. After twenty-one years of marriage, the couple has separated.
In the early 1990’s, Miss Jones went on a musical concert tour, which was quite successful. She has also made special guest appearances on some sitcoms such as "Drew Carey" and other television shows. Miss Jones has appeared in stage plays since the 1990’s as well.
Shirley Jones is a highly talented singer and actress that has been entertaining audiences with her beautiful songbird voice for quite some time. Shirley Jones was born on March 31, 1934, in Smithton, Pennsylvania. She was the only child born to Paul and Marjorie Jones. When Shirley was a young girl, her mother recognized that she had a natural talent in singing. Shirley Jones has never had one voice lesson. She studied drama at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. After school, Shirley performed with the Civic Light Opera Company. As a teenager, Shirley was crowned Miss Pittsburgh, a title that started her on her way to a career in show business.
When she was nineteen years old, Shirley auditioned for the songwriters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Her girl next door appearance and soprano voice impressed the songwriting team. They cast her in a minor role in their Broadway production of "Me and Juliet" in 1953. Because of her exceptional talent, Miss Jones was signed to play the lead on tour. The following year Rodgers and Hammerstein signed Shirley to play the female lead in their film "Oklahoma!" From there, she was cast in the film "Carousel." After that, Miss Jones appeared regularly in films through the 1960’s.
In 1956, Shirley Jones and actor Jack Cassidy were wed. The two had three children together one of which is actor/producer/director Shaun Cassidy. Shirley helped raise Jack’s son, David from a previous marriage. In 1975, the couple was divorced.
In 1970, Miss Jones went from films to television where she was cast in the show "The Partridge Family" which also starred her stepson David Cassidy. After the show was cancelled, Shirley Jones appeared in television movies through the 1980’s.
In 1977, Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels were married after a brief whirlwind courtship. After twenty-one years of marriage, the couple has separated.
In the early 1990’s, Miss Jones went on a musical concert tour, which was quite successful. She has also made special guest appearances on some sitcoms such as "Drew Carey" and other television shows. Miss Jones has appeared in stage plays since the 1990’s as well.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Judy Garland
Judy Garland: Biography
Judy Garland is best known for her role in the film Wizard of Oz. Here is a brief biography of her life as an actress and singer. Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and was the youngest child of three girls.
She started working at two years of age in Vaudeville as Baby Gumm with her two older sisters. Miss Gumm continued working in this medium until thirteen years of age when she signed a contract with MGM. Almost a year after she changed her name to Judy Garland. Her first paycheck was for $100 a week, which increased to $1,000 a week during her seven year contract with MGM. After her contract with MGM was over she also made movies with Warner Brothers and United Artists.
Growing up, Judy tended to be overweight and was pressured by MGM to lose weight. Diet pills were introduced and because of the heavy demand on her work schedule, Judy began abusing the pills to cope. In 1950, because Judy could no longer handle the demanding work schedule that MGM expected of her and with being under constant medical care, Judy and MGM terminated their working relationship. At that time, Judy wrote a letter to her fans, which was published in the magazine "Modern Screen."
Judy was married three times and had two daughters, Liza Minelli and Lorna Luft, both of whom are in show business. During this time her drug addiction and life whirled out of control.
In the span of her career, Judy Garland made thirty-eight movies, five short subject films, sixty television shows, and performed in eleven hundred theatre, nightclub, and concert acts with her most memorable roll being the Wizard of Oz. Her album "Judy at Carnegie Hall" has never been out of print.
Judy Garland passed from this life on June 22, 1969 and is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
Judy Garland is best known for her role in the film Wizard of Oz. Here is a brief biography of her life as an actress and singer. Judy Garland was born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and was the youngest child of three girls.
She started working at two years of age in Vaudeville as Baby Gumm with her two older sisters. Miss Gumm continued working in this medium until thirteen years of age when she signed a contract with MGM. Almost a year after she changed her name to Judy Garland. Her first paycheck was for $100 a week, which increased to $1,000 a week during her seven year contract with MGM. After her contract with MGM was over she also made movies with Warner Brothers and United Artists.
Growing up, Judy tended to be overweight and was pressured by MGM to lose weight. Diet pills were introduced and because of the heavy demand on her work schedule, Judy began abusing the pills to cope. In 1950, because Judy could no longer handle the demanding work schedule that MGM expected of her and with being under constant medical care, Judy and MGM terminated their working relationship. At that time, Judy wrote a letter to her fans, which was published in the magazine "Modern Screen."
Judy was married three times and had two daughters, Liza Minelli and Lorna Luft, both of whom are in show business. During this time her drug addiction and life whirled out of control.
In the span of her career, Judy Garland made thirty-eight movies, five short subject films, sixty television shows, and performed in eleven hundred theatre, nightclub, and concert acts with her most memorable roll being the Wizard of Oz. Her album "Judy at Carnegie Hall" has never been out of print.
Judy Garland passed from this life on June 22, 1969 and is buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Margaret O'Brien
Margaret O'Brien
A brief biography of the life of actress Margaret O'Brien.
Childhood star ôMargaret OÆBrien,ö who was born as Angela Maxine OÆBrien on January 15, 1937 in Los Angeles, California, was one of the most popular movie stars of the 1940Æs. Her mother was a flamenco dancer, and her father, who was in the circus, died before she was born. Margaret knew she wanted to be an actress since the tender age of three, and began her career in the entertainment industry by posing for magazine covers.
MargaretÆs film debut came in 1941 when she earned a bit part role in the movie ôBabes on Broadway.ö Her next movie was ôJourney for Margaret,ö in 1942, and it launched her star movie career. Margaret even chose her stage name from her character in this movie, her first credited part, which was quite popular to do at the time.
Margaret was quickly labeled as a sensation and received a movie contract from M.G.M. studios. A gifted dramatic actress, it was exceedingly hard to find roles for her, as most roles for children did not require such incredible talent, and were very small. Her real stardom came in 1944 when she played ôTootieö in the musical ôMeet Me in St. Louis,ö for which she won an Oscar.
Margaret was voted one of the top ten box office stars two years in a row. She was also named ôBest Actressö twice by the National Board of Review, and received the ôMost Outstanding Child Actressö award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Margaret was so talented that her most famous quote is, ôWhen I cry should I let the tears go all the way down, or should I stop them half way,ö which she innocently asked a director when he asked her to cry for a movie role.
MargaretÆs movie career peaked in 1945 with her role in ôOur Vines Have Tender Grapes.ö Her last starring roles were in ôLittle Womenö as Beth, and ôThe Secret Gardenö as Mary Lennox, both in 1949. By the 1950Æs, her star status had almost completely faded. Like numerous other childhood stars, Margaret was unsuccessful at maturing into adult roles. Margaret still does occasional television appearances, and can often be found signing autographs at classic film festivals.
A brief biography of the life of actress Margaret O'Brien.
Childhood star ôMargaret OÆBrien,ö who was born as Angela Maxine OÆBrien on January 15, 1937 in Los Angeles, California, was one of the most popular movie stars of the 1940Æs. Her mother was a flamenco dancer, and her father, who was in the circus, died before she was born. Margaret knew she wanted to be an actress since the tender age of three, and began her career in the entertainment industry by posing for magazine covers.
MargaretÆs film debut came in 1941 when she earned a bit part role in the movie ôBabes on Broadway.ö Her next movie was ôJourney for Margaret,ö in 1942, and it launched her star movie career. Margaret even chose her stage name from her character in this movie, her first credited part, which was quite popular to do at the time.
Margaret was quickly labeled as a sensation and received a movie contract from M.G.M. studios. A gifted dramatic actress, it was exceedingly hard to find roles for her, as most roles for children did not require such incredible talent, and were very small. Her real stardom came in 1944 when she played ôTootieö in the musical ôMeet Me in St. Louis,ö for which she won an Oscar.
Margaret was voted one of the top ten box office stars two years in a row. She was also named ôBest Actressö twice by the National Board of Review, and received the ôMost Outstanding Child Actressö award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Margaret was so talented that her most famous quote is, ôWhen I cry should I let the tears go all the way down, or should I stop them half way,ö which she innocently asked a director when he asked her to cry for a movie role.
MargaretÆs movie career peaked in 1945 with her role in ôOur Vines Have Tender Grapes.ö Her last starring roles were in ôLittle Womenö as Beth, and ôThe Secret Gardenö as Mary Lennox, both in 1949. By the 1950Æs, her star status had almost completely faded. Like numerous other childhood stars, Margaret was unsuccessful at maturing into adult roles. Margaret still does occasional television appearances, and can often be found signing autographs at classic film festivals.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
John Chambers
John Chambers Biography
John Chambers is CEO of Cisco Systems. Learn how he achieved his position at the internet networking company, his education and his days at IBM.
President and CEO of Cisco Systems, the fastest growing and most highly valued company ever, John Chambers, began working for the networking company in 1991.
As one would expect from a man who has grown the company revenues from $1,2-billion a year to over $17-billion, he has impressive educational qualifications. Graduating from Indiana University with an MBA degree in finance and management, Chambers then opted for the computing world by joining brand-leader IBM with whom he spent six years. During this time, Chambers also managed to squeeze in a B.S./B.A. and J.D. degree from West Virginia University.
After leaving IBM, he was recruited for an eight-year tenure at Wang Laboratories, before he was snapped up by Cisco in 1991. Chambers was offered the position of Senior Vice-President:Worldwide Sales and Operations and was elevated to the CEO position that he currently holds in 1995.
Chambers has received a number of high profile accolades. In 1999 BusinessWeek named Chambers "Mr Internet" and Time Digital recently called him "one of the top ten most influential leaders" driving technology in the current market. Worth magazine named Chambers the 'Number Two' CEO in the USA, a view reinforced by ABC's 20/20 that featured Chambers in it's "Best Boss in America" spotlight.
In the year 2000, Chambers has received further recognition for his achievements. The United States Internet Council awarded him the Internet Industry Leader Award for 2000 and Networking magazine called Chambers the 'most powerful man in the industry'.
The scope of his business profile has also attracted government interest. Chambers has been personally honoured by US President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore, who refered to him as a true leader in the global economy at a White House event last year. He has been solicited by government to serve on President Clinton's Committee for Trade Policy.
Personally, Chambers' character has been praised as much for his obvious entrepreneurial spirit as for his willingness to embrace ideas from even the lowliest of company employees.
Under his leadership, Cisco has blossomed. The company has been rated as the most highly valued and fastest growing computer enterprise ever, reaching a market capitalisation of $500-billion faster than any other in US. In 1998, no less an authority than Forbes ASAP rated Cisco as the most dynamic company in the US.
John Chambers is CEO of Cisco Systems. Learn how he achieved his position at the internet networking company, his education and his days at IBM.
President and CEO of Cisco Systems, the fastest growing and most highly valued company ever, John Chambers, began working for the networking company in 1991.
As one would expect from a man who has grown the company revenues from $1,2-billion a year to over $17-billion, he has impressive educational qualifications. Graduating from Indiana University with an MBA degree in finance and management, Chambers then opted for the computing world by joining brand-leader IBM with whom he spent six years. During this time, Chambers also managed to squeeze in a B.S./B.A. and J.D. degree from West Virginia University.
After leaving IBM, he was recruited for an eight-year tenure at Wang Laboratories, before he was snapped up by Cisco in 1991. Chambers was offered the position of Senior Vice-President:Worldwide Sales and Operations and was elevated to the CEO position that he currently holds in 1995.
Chambers has received a number of high profile accolades. In 1999 BusinessWeek named Chambers "Mr Internet" and Time Digital recently called him "one of the top ten most influential leaders" driving technology in the current market. Worth magazine named Chambers the 'Number Two' CEO in the USA, a view reinforced by ABC's 20/20 that featured Chambers in it's "Best Boss in America" spotlight.
In the year 2000, Chambers has received further recognition for his achievements. The United States Internet Council awarded him the Internet Industry Leader Award for 2000 and Networking magazine called Chambers the 'most powerful man in the industry'.
The scope of his business profile has also attracted government interest. Chambers has been personally honoured by US President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore, who refered to him as a true leader in the global economy at a White House event last year. He has been solicited by government to serve on President Clinton's Committee for Trade Policy.
Personally, Chambers' character has been praised as much for his obvious entrepreneurial spirit as for his willingness to embrace ideas from even the lowliest of company employees.
Under his leadership, Cisco has blossomed. The company has been rated as the most highly valued and fastest growing computer enterprise ever, reaching a market capitalisation of $500-billion faster than any other in US. In 1998, no less an authority than Forbes ASAP rated Cisco as the most dynamic company in the US.
Friday, August 27, 2010
James Madison
James Madison
Our fourth President, James Madison, left his mark on the world as a hard working man whose words changed the world. James Madison was born March 16, 1751, in his grandmother's home in Port Conway, Virginia. Born the first of ten children, James and his family took residence on a family estate in Orange County, Virginia, named "Montpelier."
Baptized and raised in the Anglican faith, Madison's family was active in organized religion. His father served as vestryman, and the entire family made weekly trips to the nearby Brick Church for worship services.
Even though Madison was frail and sickly most his life, he excelled as a student, attending a well-regarded private school in Virginia during his early childhood. Later, Madison would attend Princeton University (then called the College of New Jersey) to study history, government, and law. He graduated with a four-year degree after only two years of study.
At the age of 23, Madison served in the Continental Congress. Known for his knowledge and work ethic, he was quickly voted in as a leader in the Virginia Assembly. During the course of the next several years, Madison participated in the framing of the Virginia Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Madison also helped write the Bill of Rights and enacted the first revenue legislation. Madison was considered the hardest working and most widely respected man of his day.
Serving as President Jefferson's secretary of state, Madison made his mark as a powerful speaker who enjoyed debating national issues. He and Jefferson shared a mutual affection and remained friends throughout their lifetimes. It was with Jefferson that Madison first created the Republican party.
In 1794, while serving in the Congress in Philadelphia, Madison met and married a widow 17 years his junior. Dolley Payne Todd was a Quaker at the time, and would later be expelled for marrying outside her faith. Nicknamed "Lady Madison" and "Her Majesty," Todd was well received by the public for her outstanding beauty and charming personality.
Thomas Jefferson ran for president and lost narrowly to John Adams in 1796. President Adams offered Madison a mission to France, but Madison declined and instead left the House of Representatives and retired to Montpelier with his wife and her son (by a previous marriage).
In 1801, Jefferson won the Presidential election and took his seat as president with Madison serving as secretary of state. Madison was elected the United States' 4th president in 1808. He served through the War of 1812, the burning of the White House, and the creation of the Second National Bank.
Stepping down from the presidency in 1817, Madison remained active in retirement, serving as a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention, serving as president of the American Colonization Society, and openly participating in statewide debates.
James Madison died on June 28, 1836, leaving his wife in virtual poverty. Following her death in 1849, she was nicknamed the "first lady." She was the first presidential spouse given this honor. James Madison is still known today as the "Father of our Constitution."
James Madison was born in Port Conway Va, on March 16,1751. He became the fourth president of the United States in 1809, and served two terms. His vice presidents were George Clinton and Elbridge Gerry. He was called the Father of the Constitution, and he was the first president to wear trousers regularly, instead of knee breeches.
In 1809, when James Madison became president, he inherited a country in crisis. The Embargo Act had been repealed, but the effect on the economy was still being felt. Madison's task was to find a way to protect U.S. ships without reducing trade. Madison tried a variety of strategies, nothing seemed to work. Britain and France paid no attention, and trade suffered. So Madison tried a somewhat different approach. In 1810, he signed into Law Macon's Bill Number Two, which offered a new deal to Britain and France. If one of them would agree to respect U.S. neutrality, trade would be cut off with the other. Napoleon was the first to agree to these terms on behalf of France, so Madison reimposed the trade embargo on Britain.
A cautious man, Madison moved slowly with regard to the British. But the rest of the country had little patience for Madison's seemingly endless waiting. During the midterm electons of 1810, nearly half the members of Congress were thrown out of office. The voters wanted change, so they elected a group of much younger politicians. These new Congressmen were known as the War Hawks, because they promised if elected, to declare war on Britain. Madison held against the War Hawks for more than a year. But, in June 1812, he could fight them no longer, he reluctantly asked Congress for a Declaration of War against Great Britain.
Everyone knew the reasons for war: the pressuring of sailors, the lack of respect for U.S. neutrality and the continuing British agitation of Indian tribes along the Northwestern frontier. The opposition to the war came principally from the Federalists of New England, who were quite vocal in their opposition to what they called, "Mr. Madison's war." New England merchants wanted nothing to do with a war that would halt trade with their biggest customer, Great Britain. Some New England merchants even flirted with treason, as they became wealthy selling supplies to both sides.
The campaign of 1812 was the first ever held during a war. Despite the success of the War Hawks in 1810, opposition to the war of 1812 was strong, especially in New England. Madison ran for reelection against former New York city Mayor Dewitt Clinton, who was also a Democratic-Republican but was running independently of the party. Clinton won four New England states, in addition to Deleware, New York, New Jersey and five of Maryland's eleven votes. But Madison took the rest, winning 128 electoral votes to Clinton's 89.
As James Madison took the oath of office at his second inauguaral in March 1813, the country was in the midst of its greatest crisis since the American Revolution. Madison's invasion of Canada had failed miserably, and now the British were on the offensive. During the summer of 1814, British forces swept past the weak U.S. defenses in the Chesapeake Bay and marched on Washington, burning the nation's capital on August 24,1814.
In the meantime, the British minister had informed Madison in January 1814 that his government was prepared to discuss terms of peace. Madison accepted the offer of peace talks immediately. The British ministers immediately presented a number of demands. John Quincey Adams was one of the U.S. Peace Commissioners. Adams was shocked by the British demands. Henry Clay was less experienced in diplomacy than Adams, but he was a better poker player. He thought the British were bluffing and that they would be willing to accept less. The British held firm for months, but eventually they began to reduce their demands. When the Treaty was finally signed in December 1814, neither side gained or lost any territory.
The War of 1812 did have a lasting effect, Britain showed a great deal more respect for the United States, that it had ever shown before.
Our fourth President, James Madison, left his mark on the world as a hard working man whose words changed the world. James Madison was born March 16, 1751, in his grandmother's home in Port Conway, Virginia. Born the first of ten children, James and his family took residence on a family estate in Orange County, Virginia, named "Montpelier."
Baptized and raised in the Anglican faith, Madison's family was active in organized religion. His father served as vestryman, and the entire family made weekly trips to the nearby Brick Church for worship services.
Even though Madison was frail and sickly most his life, he excelled as a student, attending a well-regarded private school in Virginia during his early childhood. Later, Madison would attend Princeton University (then called the College of New Jersey) to study history, government, and law. He graduated with a four-year degree after only two years of study.
At the age of 23, Madison served in the Continental Congress. Known for his knowledge and work ethic, he was quickly voted in as a leader in the Virginia Assembly. During the course of the next several years, Madison participated in the framing of the Virginia Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Madison also helped write the Bill of Rights and enacted the first revenue legislation. Madison was considered the hardest working and most widely respected man of his day.
Serving as President Jefferson's secretary of state, Madison made his mark as a powerful speaker who enjoyed debating national issues. He and Jefferson shared a mutual affection and remained friends throughout their lifetimes. It was with Jefferson that Madison first created the Republican party.
In 1794, while serving in the Congress in Philadelphia, Madison met and married a widow 17 years his junior. Dolley Payne Todd was a Quaker at the time, and would later be expelled for marrying outside her faith. Nicknamed "Lady Madison" and "Her Majesty," Todd was well received by the public for her outstanding beauty and charming personality.
Thomas Jefferson ran for president and lost narrowly to John Adams in 1796. President Adams offered Madison a mission to France, but Madison declined and instead left the House of Representatives and retired to Montpelier with his wife and her son (by a previous marriage).
In 1801, Jefferson won the Presidential election and took his seat as president with Madison serving as secretary of state. Madison was elected the United States' 4th president in 1808. He served through the War of 1812, the burning of the White House, and the creation of the Second National Bank.
Stepping down from the presidency in 1817, Madison remained active in retirement, serving as a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention, serving as president of the American Colonization Society, and openly participating in statewide debates.
James Madison died on June 28, 1836, leaving his wife in virtual poverty. Following her death in 1849, she was nicknamed the "first lady." She was the first presidential spouse given this honor. James Madison is still known today as the "Father of our Constitution."
James Madison was born in Port Conway Va, on March 16,1751. He became the fourth president of the United States in 1809, and served two terms. His vice presidents were George Clinton and Elbridge Gerry. He was called the Father of the Constitution, and he was the first president to wear trousers regularly, instead of knee breeches.
In 1809, when James Madison became president, he inherited a country in crisis. The Embargo Act had been repealed, but the effect on the economy was still being felt. Madison's task was to find a way to protect U.S. ships without reducing trade. Madison tried a variety of strategies, nothing seemed to work. Britain and France paid no attention, and trade suffered. So Madison tried a somewhat different approach. In 1810, he signed into Law Macon's Bill Number Two, which offered a new deal to Britain and France. If one of them would agree to respect U.S. neutrality, trade would be cut off with the other. Napoleon was the first to agree to these terms on behalf of France, so Madison reimposed the trade embargo on Britain.
A cautious man, Madison moved slowly with regard to the British. But the rest of the country had little patience for Madison's seemingly endless waiting. During the midterm electons of 1810, nearly half the members of Congress were thrown out of office. The voters wanted change, so they elected a group of much younger politicians. These new Congressmen were known as the War Hawks, because they promised if elected, to declare war on Britain. Madison held against the War Hawks for more than a year. But, in June 1812, he could fight them no longer, he reluctantly asked Congress for a Declaration of War against Great Britain.
Everyone knew the reasons for war: the pressuring of sailors, the lack of respect for U.S. neutrality and the continuing British agitation of Indian tribes along the Northwestern frontier. The opposition to the war came principally from the Federalists of New England, who were quite vocal in their opposition to what they called, "Mr. Madison's war." New England merchants wanted nothing to do with a war that would halt trade with their biggest customer, Great Britain. Some New England merchants even flirted with treason, as they became wealthy selling supplies to both sides.
The campaign of 1812 was the first ever held during a war. Despite the success of the War Hawks in 1810, opposition to the war of 1812 was strong, especially in New England. Madison ran for reelection against former New York city Mayor Dewitt Clinton, who was also a Democratic-Republican but was running independently of the party. Clinton won four New England states, in addition to Deleware, New York, New Jersey and five of Maryland's eleven votes. But Madison took the rest, winning 128 electoral votes to Clinton's 89.
As James Madison took the oath of office at his second inauguaral in March 1813, the country was in the midst of its greatest crisis since the American Revolution. Madison's invasion of Canada had failed miserably, and now the British were on the offensive. During the summer of 1814, British forces swept past the weak U.S. defenses in the Chesapeake Bay and marched on Washington, burning the nation's capital on August 24,1814.
In the meantime, the British minister had informed Madison in January 1814 that his government was prepared to discuss terms of peace. Madison accepted the offer of peace talks immediately. The British ministers immediately presented a number of demands. John Quincey Adams was one of the U.S. Peace Commissioners. Adams was shocked by the British demands. Henry Clay was less experienced in diplomacy than Adams, but he was a better poker player. He thought the British were bluffing and that they would be willing to accept less. The British held firm for months, but eventually they began to reduce their demands. When the Treaty was finally signed in December 1814, neither side gained or lost any territory.
The War of 1812 did have a lasting effect, Britain showed a great deal more respect for the United States, that it had ever shown before.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson:Biography
Andrew Jackson was the seventh United States president. He became president in 1829 and served until 1837. He was president for two terms, his vice presidents were John C. Calhoun and Martin Van Buren. Andrew Jackson was born in Waxhaw, S.C. on March 15, 1767. He became the seventh president in 1829 and served until 1837. His vice presidents were John C. Calhoun and Martin Van Buren. General Andrew Jackson started his second campaign for the presidency soon after he lost his first. During the 1828 electon, the Democratic-Republican party split into two camps. The Jackson supporters called themselves Democrats. The Adams forces called themselves National Republicans.
Andrew Jackson's victory in 1828 marked a new era in U.S. Politics. He was the first common man elected president. All six presidents before him had come from priveleged, lauded families, but Jackson was a self-made man, a poor orphan who had made a career for himself in the law and the army.
Immediately upon taking office, he fired nearly one thousand of the ten thousand people on the federal payroll and replaced them with his own supporters.
Jackson believed the president spoke with the voice of the people because he was the only government official, other than the vice president, elected by all the people. Because Jackson ran as their candidate, the people celebrated his inauguration as no inauguration had been celebrated before. A mob of twenty thousand well wishers followed Jackson's carriage all the way from the Capitol to the White House.
The most important legislation of Jackson's first term was the Indian Removal Act of 1830. For a number of years, the state of Georgia had been trying to confiscate and sell lands rightfully owned by the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee Indians were among five tribes that had adopted the white mans way's in order to live peacefully among whites.
But neither the government nor president Jackson cared. Jackson was not an Indian lover, but rather he was known for being an Indian hater. The Indian Removal Act gave him the power to remove Indians from the south to land west of the Mississippi River. The Cherokee asked the Supreme Court for help, arguing that the tribe was essentially a foreign nation. Chief Justice John Marshall denied their petition. Marshall did point out, however, that only the federal government had sovereighty over the Cherokee. Therefore, the state laws of Georgia did not apply to them, and no whites could settle Cherokee land without Cherokee permission. But Georgia ignored the decision and Jackson refused to enforce it, so the forced removals continued.
President Jackson hated the Tarriff of Abominations as much as the public did, John Calhoun hated it even more. In 1832, Congress finally passed a new law reducing tariff rates, but Calhoun was not satisfied. Instead he resigned the Vice Presidency and accepted a seat in the Senate.
Jackson turned his attention to the Second Bank of the United States. The future of the bank had been the most important issue during his 1832 campaign against Clay. Jackson had always hated banks, and the Second Bank in particular. The Second Bank was based in Philadelphia with branches all over the country.
Jackson ordered Treasury Secretary Louis McLane to withdraw all the Federal deposits from the Second Bank and place them instead, in state banks. When McLane refused, Jackson dismissed him and appointed William Duane, who also refused and was fired.
After a frustrating search, Jackson finally found someone who would follow his orders, Attorney General Roger B. Taney. In September 1833, Taney ordered the withdrawal of the deposits. In response to Jackson's move, Nicholas Biddle, called in his bank's outstanding loans. Biddle wanted to pressure Jackson to change his mind. By calling in the Second Bank's loans, Biddle limited the availability of credit and brought the country to the brink of financial panic.
In the end Biddle relented, and the near panic turned into a land boom. The state banks began lending money from the new federal deposits at bargain rates and this in turn led to a new round of land speculation in the west.
One of Jackson's last actions before leaving office was to issue the Specie Circular in July 1836. The Specie Circular declared that buyers could no longer use paper money to purchase federal land. Instead, they would have to use gold or silver. He was worried that all the new credit offered by the state banks was making the economy unstable.
Jackson's drastic policy reversal, from easy credit to no credit, sent land prices plunging, which in turn led to Bankruptcies. By the time Jackson left office, businesses all over the country were closing their doors, and with the government still refusing paper money, the panic spread.
Andrew Jackson was the seventh United States president. He became president in 1829 and served until 1837. He was president for two terms, his vice presidents were John C. Calhoun and Martin Van Buren. Andrew Jackson was born in Waxhaw, S.C. on March 15, 1767. He became the seventh president in 1829 and served until 1837. His vice presidents were John C. Calhoun and Martin Van Buren. General Andrew Jackson started his second campaign for the presidency soon after he lost his first. During the 1828 electon, the Democratic-Republican party split into two camps. The Jackson supporters called themselves Democrats. The Adams forces called themselves National Republicans.
Andrew Jackson's victory in 1828 marked a new era in U.S. Politics. He was the first common man elected president. All six presidents before him had come from priveleged, lauded families, but Jackson was a self-made man, a poor orphan who had made a career for himself in the law and the army.
Immediately upon taking office, he fired nearly one thousand of the ten thousand people on the federal payroll and replaced them with his own supporters.
Jackson believed the president spoke with the voice of the people because he was the only government official, other than the vice president, elected by all the people. Because Jackson ran as their candidate, the people celebrated his inauguration as no inauguration had been celebrated before. A mob of twenty thousand well wishers followed Jackson's carriage all the way from the Capitol to the White House.
The most important legislation of Jackson's first term was the Indian Removal Act of 1830. For a number of years, the state of Georgia had been trying to confiscate and sell lands rightfully owned by the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee Indians were among five tribes that had adopted the white mans way's in order to live peacefully among whites.
But neither the government nor president Jackson cared. Jackson was not an Indian lover, but rather he was known for being an Indian hater. The Indian Removal Act gave him the power to remove Indians from the south to land west of the Mississippi River. The Cherokee asked the Supreme Court for help, arguing that the tribe was essentially a foreign nation. Chief Justice John Marshall denied their petition. Marshall did point out, however, that only the federal government had sovereighty over the Cherokee. Therefore, the state laws of Georgia did not apply to them, and no whites could settle Cherokee land without Cherokee permission. But Georgia ignored the decision and Jackson refused to enforce it, so the forced removals continued.
President Jackson hated the Tarriff of Abominations as much as the public did, John Calhoun hated it even more. In 1832, Congress finally passed a new law reducing tariff rates, but Calhoun was not satisfied. Instead he resigned the Vice Presidency and accepted a seat in the Senate.
Jackson turned his attention to the Second Bank of the United States. The future of the bank had been the most important issue during his 1832 campaign against Clay. Jackson had always hated banks, and the Second Bank in particular. The Second Bank was based in Philadelphia with branches all over the country.
Jackson ordered Treasury Secretary Louis McLane to withdraw all the Federal deposits from the Second Bank and place them instead, in state banks. When McLane refused, Jackson dismissed him and appointed William Duane, who also refused and was fired.
After a frustrating search, Jackson finally found someone who would follow his orders, Attorney General Roger B. Taney. In September 1833, Taney ordered the withdrawal of the deposits. In response to Jackson's move, Nicholas Biddle, called in his bank's outstanding loans. Biddle wanted to pressure Jackson to change his mind. By calling in the Second Bank's loans, Biddle limited the availability of credit and brought the country to the brink of financial panic.
In the end Biddle relented, and the near panic turned into a land boom. The state banks began lending money from the new federal deposits at bargain rates and this in turn led to a new round of land speculation in the west.
One of Jackson's last actions before leaving office was to issue the Specie Circular in July 1836. The Specie Circular declared that buyers could no longer use paper money to purchase federal land. Instead, they would have to use gold or silver. He was worried that all the new credit offered by the state banks was making the economy unstable.
Jackson's drastic policy reversal, from easy credit to no credit, sent land prices plunging, which in turn led to Bankruptcies. By the time Jackson left office, businesses all over the country were closing their doors, and with the government still refusing paper money, the panic spread.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton is the author of over a dozen best selling novels and has directed several films. He has also successfully created television shows.
Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942. After high school he attended Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1969 but never became a licensed practitioner of medicine. He paid his tuition by writing thrillers under pseudonyms. "A Case of Need" won an Edgar Award and "The Andromedia Strain" became a bestseller. Eventually this novel was sold in Hollywood for a screenplay.
Crichton has received numerous awards over the years including: Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award, 1968, Association of American Medical Writers Award, 1970 , Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Technical Achievement Award, 1995 , George Foster Peabody Award , Writer's Guild of America Award, Best Long Form Television Script of 1995 , Emmy, Best Dramatic Series, 1996.
Micheal Crichton’s novels and nonfiction writing include: Odds On – 1966, Scratch One – 1967, Easy Go – 1968, The Venom Business – 1969, Zero Cool –1969, Grave Descend – 1970, Drug of Choice – 1970, Binary – 1972, A Case of Need - 1968, reissued in 1993, Dealing (or the "Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues") – 1971, The Andromeda Strain – 1969, The Terminal Man – 1972, The Great Train Robbery – 1975, Eaters of the Dead – 1976, Congo – 1980, Sphere – 1987, Jurassic Park – 1990, Rising Sun – 1992, Disclosure – 1993, The Lost World – 1995, Airframe – 1996, Timeline – 1999, Five Patients – 1970, Jasper Johns – 1977, Electronic Life – 1983, Travels – 1988, Jasper Johns (revised edition) – 1996.
Several of these novels display an intimate knowledge of the science involved as a tool to building intrigue and suspense. Primatology, international economics, Nordic history, neurobiology, biophysics and genetics are artfully explained through Crichton’s knowledge and research of each subject. These bestselling novels have been translated into over 20 languages, worldwide.
Michael has also directed several movies, including "Westworld", "Coma", and "The Great Train Robbery", and is the creator of the television series "ER".
Michael Crichton is the author of over a dozen best selling novels and has directed several films. He has also successfully created television shows.
Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942. After high school he attended Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1969 but never became a licensed practitioner of medicine. He paid his tuition by writing thrillers under pseudonyms. "A Case of Need" won an Edgar Award and "The Andromedia Strain" became a bestseller. Eventually this novel was sold in Hollywood for a screenplay.
Crichton has received numerous awards over the years including: Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award, 1968, Association of American Medical Writers Award, 1970 , Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Technical Achievement Award, 1995 , George Foster Peabody Award , Writer's Guild of America Award, Best Long Form Television Script of 1995 , Emmy, Best Dramatic Series, 1996.
Micheal Crichton’s novels and nonfiction writing include: Odds On – 1966, Scratch One – 1967, Easy Go – 1968, The Venom Business – 1969, Zero Cool –1969, Grave Descend – 1970, Drug of Choice – 1970, Binary – 1972, A Case of Need - 1968, reissued in 1993, Dealing (or the "Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues") – 1971, The Andromeda Strain – 1969, The Terminal Man – 1972, The Great Train Robbery – 1975, Eaters of the Dead – 1976, Congo – 1980, Sphere – 1987, Jurassic Park – 1990, Rising Sun – 1992, Disclosure – 1993, The Lost World – 1995, Airframe – 1996, Timeline – 1999, Five Patients – 1970, Jasper Johns – 1977, Electronic Life – 1983, Travels – 1988, Jasper Johns (revised edition) – 1996.
Several of these novels display an intimate knowledge of the science involved as a tool to building intrigue and suspense. Primatology, international economics, Nordic history, neurobiology, biophysics and genetics are artfully explained through Crichton’s knowledge and research of each subject. These bestselling novels have been translated into over 20 languages, worldwide.
Michael has also directed several movies, including "Westworld", "Coma", and "The Great Train Robbery", and is the creator of the television series "ER".
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Nina Simone
Nina Simone
The "High Priestess of Soul" known as Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina. She was the sixth of eight children in a poor family. As a child prodigy she began playing the piano at the age of four. Years later her music teacher set up the "Eunice Waymon Fund" to help her continue her education. Through these efforts she was able to study piano at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute.
She began singing in a nightclub in Atlantic City where she had been hired as an accompanist. She was told she needed to sing to remain there. She changed her name to Nina Simone and soon began to gain widespread attention. Weaving the elements of blues, gospel, and soul music, Simone has enjoyed success as a prolific singer, pianist, and composer. Her songs have been heard in such movies as POINT OF NO RETURN, GHOSTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI, and STEALING BEAUTY.
Simone's works have an activist edge to them as evidenced by the song "Mississippi Goddam." She wrote this song in protest after four black children were killed in a church bombing in Birmingham. She renounced her U.S. Citizenship in 1969 because of the racism in her homeland and traveled the world until she settled in France in 1993. In 1978 she protested the Vietnam War by withholding taxes. She was arrested but was soon released. Recently, she has returned to the U.S. to perform at various locations on her Millennium Tour.
CHRONOLOGY
The "High Priestess of Soul" known as Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina. She was the sixth of eight children in a poor family. As a child prodigy she began playing the piano at the age of four. Years later her music teacher set up the "Eunice Waymon Fund" to help her continue her education. Through these efforts she was able to study piano at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute.
She began singing in a nightclub in Atlantic City where she had been hired as an accompanist. She was told she needed to sing to remain there. She changed her name to Nina Simone and soon began to gain widespread attention. Weaving the elements of blues, gospel, and soul music, Simone has enjoyed success as a prolific singer, pianist, and composer. Her songs have been heard in such movies as POINT OF NO RETURN, GHOSTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI, and STEALING BEAUTY.
Simone's works have an activist edge to them as evidenced by the song "Mississippi Goddam." She wrote this song in protest after four black children were killed in a church bombing in Birmingham. She renounced her U.S. Citizenship in 1969 because of the racism in her homeland and traveled the world until she settled in France in 1993. In 1978 she protested the Vietnam War by withholding taxes. She was arrested but was soon released. Recently, she has returned to the U.S. to perform at various locations on her Millennium Tour.
CHRONOLOGY
- 1933 She was born in Tryon, North Carolina.
- 1939 She began her first piano lessons.
- 1943 She gave her first piano recital at the town library.
- 1950 She began studying at the Juilliard School of Music.
- 1954 She started working as an accompanist at the Midtown Bar and Grill in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
- 1958 Her first album, JAZZ AS PLAYED IN AN EXCLUSIVE SIDE STREET CLUB (later known as LITTLE GIRL BLUE) was recorded.; She married Don Ross.
- 1959 She signed with Colpix, Columbia Pictures Records.; She divorced Don Ross.
- 1961 She married Andy Stroud. (December 4)
- 1962 Her daughter, Lisa Celeste Stroud, was born. (September 12)
- 1963 She wrote "Mississippi Goddam."
- 1964 She began collaborating with Phillips, a Mercury subsidiary.
- 1966 She wrote "Four Women."; She began recording with RCA.
- 1967 She recorded HIGH PRIESTESS OF SOUL.
- 1969 She renounced the United States because of the widespread racism in the country.
- 1970 She recorded BLACK SHROUD.
- 1971 She divorced Andy Stroud.
- 1978 She recorded BALTIMORE.; She was arrested for withholding taxes in protest of the U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam war.
- 1982 She recorded FODDER ON MY WINGS.
- 1985 She recorded NINA'S BACK and LIVE AND KICKIN.
- 1988 She recorded "My Baby Just Cares For Me."
- 1991 Her autobiography, I PUT A SPELL ON YOU, was published.
- 1993 A SINGLE WOMAN was released.; She moved to Bouc-Bel-Air in France.
- 1998 She was a special guest at Nelson Mandela's 80th birthday party. (July 24)
- 1999 She received a Lifetime Achievement in Music Award in Dublin. (October 7)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Pie Traynor
Pie Traynor
Pie Traynor, aka Harold Joseph Traynor, his life and baseball accomplishments.
Harold Joseph Traynor was born on November 11, 1899 in Framingham, Massachusetts. Traynor's love of baseball developed early. When Traynor was 8, he used to retrieve foul balls for a team that played near his home. The catcher would reward him by sending him up to his father's grocery store to have something he wanted "on the house." Traynor always asked for a slice of pie and thus earned his nickname of "Pie." By age 10, he was playing sandlot baseball on Boston Commons.
Traynor got a chance to play professional baseball with Portsmouth of the Virginia League in 1920 and was an immediate standout. He secured the position of starting shortstop and averaged at least one hit per game for the 104 games of his first season. The major league scouts began to take note and came to see him play. The Pittsburgh Pirates outbid several other clubs and signed Traynor in August of 1920. Traynor played shortstop in 17 games for the Pirates near the end of the 1920 season. He made 11 hits but also made 12 errors in the field. The Pirates felt Traynor needed more practice so they sent him to Birmingham in the Southern League for the 1921 season. In 131 games there, Traynor batted an impressive .336 but also had 64 errors at shortstop. When the Pirates called Traynor up for 7 games at the end of the 1921 season, they shifted him to third base and made it his regular position. Traynor was an excellent third baseman with a strong arm. He led the league 7 times for putouts, 4 times for double plays, and 3 times for assists.
In his first full season as a Pirate, Traynor drove in 81 runs and batted .282. The next year, he made all-star status with 12 home runs, 101 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, and a batting average of .338. Traynor helped the Pirates win the National League pennant in 1925 by driving in 106 runs and again in 1927. Traynor batted .346 in the 1925 World Series Championship to assist the Pirates in beating the Washington Senators.
Traynor's batting average never dipped below .317 from 1926 until 1930. His best average of .366 came in 1930. He was well known for his skill at handling the bat and never struck out more than 28 times in 17 seasons. Traynor was named manager of the Pirates in 1934 and also played that year. He broke his arm in 1934 and retired earlier than expected. In 1935, he only played in 57 games and by 1937 he quit playing. He served as manager until 1939 and then became a scout for the Pirates.
Traynor was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948. He was named the major league's outstanding baseman by The Sporting News seven times. He also finished in the top ten for Most Valuable Player voting six times between 1925 and 1933. Traynor is only 1 of 8 Pittsburgh Pirates players to have his number retired.
During his retirement, Traynor ran a sporting goods store with Honus Wagner, coached a while at Duquesne and was an active sportscaster for 33 years. He died on March 16, 1972 and is buried at Homewood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pie Traynor, aka Harold Joseph Traynor, his life and baseball accomplishments.
Harold Joseph Traynor was born on November 11, 1899 in Framingham, Massachusetts. Traynor's love of baseball developed early. When Traynor was 8, he used to retrieve foul balls for a team that played near his home. The catcher would reward him by sending him up to his father's grocery store to have something he wanted "on the house." Traynor always asked for a slice of pie and thus earned his nickname of "Pie." By age 10, he was playing sandlot baseball on Boston Commons.
Traynor got a chance to play professional baseball with Portsmouth of the Virginia League in 1920 and was an immediate standout. He secured the position of starting shortstop and averaged at least one hit per game for the 104 games of his first season. The major league scouts began to take note and came to see him play. The Pittsburgh Pirates outbid several other clubs and signed Traynor in August of 1920. Traynor played shortstop in 17 games for the Pirates near the end of the 1920 season. He made 11 hits but also made 12 errors in the field. The Pirates felt Traynor needed more practice so they sent him to Birmingham in the Southern League for the 1921 season. In 131 games there, Traynor batted an impressive .336 but also had 64 errors at shortstop. When the Pirates called Traynor up for 7 games at the end of the 1921 season, they shifted him to third base and made it his regular position. Traynor was an excellent third baseman with a strong arm. He led the league 7 times for putouts, 4 times for double plays, and 3 times for assists.
In his first full season as a Pirate, Traynor drove in 81 runs and batted .282. The next year, he made all-star status with 12 home runs, 101 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, and a batting average of .338. Traynor helped the Pirates win the National League pennant in 1925 by driving in 106 runs and again in 1927. Traynor batted .346 in the 1925 World Series Championship to assist the Pirates in beating the Washington Senators.
Traynor's batting average never dipped below .317 from 1926 until 1930. His best average of .366 came in 1930. He was well known for his skill at handling the bat and never struck out more than 28 times in 17 seasons. Traynor was named manager of the Pirates in 1934 and also played that year. He broke his arm in 1934 and retired earlier than expected. In 1935, he only played in 57 games and by 1937 he quit playing. He served as manager until 1939 and then became a scout for the Pirates.
Traynor was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948. He was named the major league's outstanding baseman by The Sporting News seven times. He also finished in the top ten for Most Valuable Player voting six times between 1925 and 1933. Traynor is only 1 of 8 Pittsburgh Pirates players to have his number retired.
During his retirement, Traynor ran a sporting goods store with Honus Wagner, coached a while at Duquesne and was an active sportscaster for 33 years. He died on March 16, 1972 and is buried at Homewood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Queen Eleanor
Queen Eleanor Of Aquitaine'S Court Of Love
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, that formidable woman of 12th century England and France, set up a court of love to instruct men on the nature of love, chivalry, and romance. In the late 12th century, around 1180 a.d., there lived a great queen with a courageous spirit and a brilliant energy. She was Eleanor of Aquitaine. Married to the King Henry II of England and mother to ten children, Eleanor was an anomaly in her age: independently titled, wealthy, cunning, and wise. Frustrated with her husband in England, Eleanor returned to her castle in present-day France to escape the boredom and problems of his rainy, feudal kingdom. So, in the city of Poitiers, Eleanor, the Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of England, established a “court of love” at her lively castle.
The purpose of the court was to instruct men in the burgeoning art of chivalry. Along with her ladies-in-waiting, most notably her grown daughter Marie, Countess of Champagne, Eleanor sought to elevate the status of women by educating men on the nature of love, chivalry, and romance. This court heard “cases” brought forward by knights and noblemen who presented their love problems to the jury of women--and only women--in search of answers. The ladies, sometimes 60-strong, then passed judgement on how the men were to dress, speak, and act while in the presence of women. Eleanor and her gracious ladies were tired of raunchy, undisciplined men who swaggered in from bar brawls and swordfights expecting their attentions, so they encouraged the men to write poetry, play music, and be romantic.
Eleanor and Marie used a reference book for their court. It was written by the male cleric Andrea Capellanus. The “Treatise on Love and the Remedies of Love” contained thirty-one articles which the court followed when passing judgements.
Women were, at best, second-rate citizens in medieval society. At the castle in Aquitaine, however, women were teachers and facilitators. The court was not so much a service to the menfolk as a demonstration of women’s intellectual prowess and potential. The idea of the court was so outrageous, so novel, that it became fashionable and was copied in other castles and kingdoms. The notion that women could command over men, even in such a trivial way, was so subversive that it attained cult status.
Sadly, the idea was also fashionably short-lived when Eleanor’s unromantic and reactionary husband disbanded the court and sent the ladies packing. Andrea Capellanus later denied any involvement in writing the book and lambasted Eleanor and Marie for their heretical ideas. The second-tier status and plight of women remained for centuries thereafter, but the seedling for women’s equality may have been established by Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, that formidable woman of 12th century England and France, set up a court of love to instruct men on the nature of love, chivalry, and romance. In the late 12th century, around 1180 a.d., there lived a great queen with a courageous spirit and a brilliant energy. She was Eleanor of Aquitaine. Married to the King Henry II of England and mother to ten children, Eleanor was an anomaly in her age: independently titled, wealthy, cunning, and wise. Frustrated with her husband in England, Eleanor returned to her castle in present-day France to escape the boredom and problems of his rainy, feudal kingdom. So, in the city of Poitiers, Eleanor, the Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of England, established a “court of love” at her lively castle.
The purpose of the court was to instruct men in the burgeoning art of chivalry. Along with her ladies-in-waiting, most notably her grown daughter Marie, Countess of Champagne, Eleanor sought to elevate the status of women by educating men on the nature of love, chivalry, and romance. This court heard “cases” brought forward by knights and noblemen who presented their love problems to the jury of women--and only women--in search of answers. The ladies, sometimes 60-strong, then passed judgement on how the men were to dress, speak, and act while in the presence of women. Eleanor and her gracious ladies were tired of raunchy, undisciplined men who swaggered in from bar brawls and swordfights expecting their attentions, so they encouraged the men to write poetry, play music, and be romantic.
Eleanor and Marie used a reference book for their court. It was written by the male cleric Andrea Capellanus. The “Treatise on Love and the Remedies of Love” contained thirty-one articles which the court followed when passing judgements.
Women were, at best, second-rate citizens in medieval society. At the castle in Aquitaine, however, women were teachers and facilitators. The court was not so much a service to the menfolk as a demonstration of women’s intellectual prowess and potential. The idea of the court was so outrageous, so novel, that it became fashionable and was copied in other castles and kingdoms. The notion that women could command over men, even in such a trivial way, was so subversive that it attained cult status.
Sadly, the idea was also fashionably short-lived when Eleanor’s unromantic and reactionary husband disbanded the court and sent the ladies packing. Andrea Capellanus later denied any involvement in writing the book and lambasted Eleanor and Marie for their heretical ideas. The second-tier status and plight of women remained for centuries thereafter, but the seedling for women’s equality may have been established by Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
T.S. Eliot
T.S. Eliot
T.S. Eliot, writer and poet, wanted his readers to focus more on the stories and less on the characters. His unusual method of writing lead to some amazing work. Paving the way for new styles of writing, and inventing a method of entertainment all his own, T.S. Eliot steps out as one of the world's most influential and creative authors. Born in the United States and raised in England, Eliot was given all the best educational opportunities as a young man.
He could have chosen to pursue a career in anything, having been accepted into Harvard, Oxford, and the University of Paris, but he decided to become one of the world’s most memorable writers. T.S. Eliot, a modern marvel of poetry, plays, and literary criticism, exhibits his unique talent for using underdeveloped, lifeless characters to entertain and amuse audiences in his currently unmatched accomplishment, Sweeny Agnostics.
Over two decades after his birth to Henry and Charlotte Ware in September of 1888, Eliot displayed his exceptional talent for writing while still a student at the University of Paris. He went on to write over one hundred articles and literary critiques to a number of newspapers and magazines, while completing an additional year at Oxford studying philosophy. A year out of college, Eliot became literary editor of a “feminist little magazine” called The Egoist, which provided a chance for young, previously unpublished authors to display their work. With the help of his wife, Ezra Pound, he also found time to send in anonymous essays and reviews to the London Times.
“If you write a play in verse, then the verse ought to be a medium to look through and not a pretty decoration to look at.” Eliot writes in a letter to his wife entitled “5 Points on Dramatic Writing”. Eliot strongly believed in creating low profile characters whom the audience could develop their own opinions about, rather than giving that characters defined, structured personalities right from the start. The majority of his characters, such as the ones in his play, Sweeny Agnostics, were “basically flat and stylized, not fully developed but with enough individuality to be living and believable”. While most authors chose to have their characters be the life of their work, Eliot prefers to keep the living members of his work “subordinate to idea and poetry”. Often criticized for his cold, uncaring creations, T.S. Eliot actually keeps his characters somewhat empty to show what they truly represent.
Acclaimed multiple times for his marvelous poetry, plays, and literary criticism, T.S. Eliot will always be remembered for his exceptional talent, lifeless, underdeveloped characters, and his amazing ability to entertain audiences worldwide. Eliot’s blood and passion for living springs from generations of upstanding, respected gentlemen. His family tree traces back to show that he is related to prominent clergymen and educators, a past President of Harvard University, and three past Presidents of the United States of America. Continuing the timeless tradition of holding a high place in society just like his ancestors, Eliot’s works of literary art will be enjoyed by generations of readers to come.
T.S. Eliot, writer and poet, wanted his readers to focus more on the stories and less on the characters. His unusual method of writing lead to some amazing work. Paving the way for new styles of writing, and inventing a method of entertainment all his own, T.S. Eliot steps out as one of the world's most influential and creative authors. Born in the United States and raised in England, Eliot was given all the best educational opportunities as a young man.
He could have chosen to pursue a career in anything, having been accepted into Harvard, Oxford, and the University of Paris, but he decided to become one of the world’s most memorable writers. T.S. Eliot, a modern marvel of poetry, plays, and literary criticism, exhibits his unique talent for using underdeveloped, lifeless characters to entertain and amuse audiences in his currently unmatched accomplishment, Sweeny Agnostics.
Over two decades after his birth to Henry and Charlotte Ware in September of 1888, Eliot displayed his exceptional talent for writing while still a student at the University of Paris. He went on to write over one hundred articles and literary critiques to a number of newspapers and magazines, while completing an additional year at Oxford studying philosophy. A year out of college, Eliot became literary editor of a “feminist little magazine” called The Egoist, which provided a chance for young, previously unpublished authors to display their work. With the help of his wife, Ezra Pound, he also found time to send in anonymous essays and reviews to the London Times.
“If you write a play in verse, then the verse ought to be a medium to look through and not a pretty decoration to look at.” Eliot writes in a letter to his wife entitled “5 Points on Dramatic Writing”. Eliot strongly believed in creating low profile characters whom the audience could develop their own opinions about, rather than giving that characters defined, structured personalities right from the start. The majority of his characters, such as the ones in his play, Sweeny Agnostics, were “basically flat and stylized, not fully developed but with enough individuality to be living and believable”. While most authors chose to have their characters be the life of their work, Eliot prefers to keep the living members of his work “subordinate to idea and poetry”. Often criticized for his cold, uncaring creations, T.S. Eliot actually keeps his characters somewhat empty to show what they truly represent.
Acclaimed multiple times for his marvelous poetry, plays, and literary criticism, T.S. Eliot will always be remembered for his exceptional talent, lifeless, underdeveloped characters, and his amazing ability to entertain audiences worldwide. Eliot’s blood and passion for living springs from generations of upstanding, respected gentlemen. His family tree traces back to show that he is related to prominent clergymen and educators, a past President of Harvard University, and three past Presidents of the United States of America. Continuing the timeless tradition of holding a high place in society just like his ancestors, Eliot’s works of literary art will be enjoyed by generations of readers to come.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Diana Gabaldon
Diana Gabaldon
Diana Gabaldon wrote her first novel, Outlander, a 600-page historical saga set in the 18th century Highlands, in 1988. Since its publication in 1991, she has become one of America’s most popular fiction writers.
Her novels in this popular book series, beginning with Outlander, revolve around her main characters, the 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his time-travelling wife, Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser. They are set in 18th century Scotland and pre-revolutionary America. The novels can be described as rooted in history but with a very strong element of fantasy and romance.
Gabaldon was born and raised in Arizona where she lives today with her husband and daughters. Even though she writes of Scotland, fans find it curious that she has no Scottish heritage. Diana’s father was from New Mexico and her mother’s heritage is from Yorkshire and Germany. She has simply taken on the Scottish culture as her own in order to write fiction that is grounded in the history of the period.
Diana has degrees in zoology and marine biology and a Ph.D. in behavioral ecology. Early in her professional career as a scientist, Gabaldon worked with analytical software for research purposes. This lead to acquiring skills on the Internet. She found her first agent by publishing excerpts of her book on CompuServe. These books have become so popular that she can no longer answer all of her fan mail and has resorted to posting information on the Internet in response to her fans questions. Over the years she has maintained several websites devoted to her novels such as her second book, Dragonfly in Amber, and her fourth novel, Drums of Autumn. Countless fans post questions to her on these websites about her writings and her future works.
As anyone who has read a Gabaldon novel will tell you, pick one up and read a few pages and it’s a good bet you won’t be able to put it down again!
Diana Gabaldon wrote her first novel, Outlander, a 600-page historical saga set in the 18th century Highlands, in 1988. Since its publication in 1991, she has become one of America’s most popular fiction writers.
Her novels in this popular book series, beginning with Outlander, revolve around her main characters, the 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his time-travelling wife, Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser. They are set in 18th century Scotland and pre-revolutionary America. The novels can be described as rooted in history but with a very strong element of fantasy and romance.
Gabaldon was born and raised in Arizona where she lives today with her husband and daughters. Even though she writes of Scotland, fans find it curious that she has no Scottish heritage. Diana’s father was from New Mexico and her mother’s heritage is from Yorkshire and Germany. She has simply taken on the Scottish culture as her own in order to write fiction that is grounded in the history of the period.
Diana has degrees in zoology and marine biology and a Ph.D. in behavioral ecology. Early in her professional career as a scientist, Gabaldon worked with analytical software for research purposes. This lead to acquiring skills on the Internet. She found her first agent by publishing excerpts of her book on CompuServe. These books have become so popular that she can no longer answer all of her fan mail and has resorted to posting information on the Internet in response to her fans questions. Over the years she has maintained several websites devoted to her novels such as her second book, Dragonfly in Amber, and her fourth novel, Drums of Autumn. Countless fans post questions to her on these websites about her writings and her future works.
As anyone who has read a Gabaldon novel will tell you, pick one up and read a few pages and it’s a good bet you won’t be able to put it down again!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Emma Goldman
Emma Goldman Biography
Emma Goldman - Firebrand who dared to aim for the brave new world. A true pioneer. EMMA GOLDMAN, SOCIAL PIONEER (1869-1940)
Early Life
A Lithuanian by birth, Emma Goldman was born in Kovno on June 27, 1869. At age twelve, her family moved to St. Petersburg, and four years later, in 1881, they arrived in the U.S. They settled in Rochester, New York. Emma became a factory worker and earned $2.50 a week for sewing ulsters ten and half hours a day.
Rebellion
As she passed into her twenties, Goldman began rebelling against the "system." She became an advocate of free love. This brought her into conflict with a mainly repressive, puritanical society. Added to this, she supported the rioters in Chicago’s Haymarket Square in 1886 and through this she met Alexander Berkman, with whom she fell in love. In 1889, she went to New York City where she came under the influence of Johann Most, a radical editor. Thus, the direction of her life was firmly established as one of radicalism. This was shown in the Homestead Steel Plant Strike of 1892.
On July 6, a battle broke out at the steel plant in Pittsburgh between the strikers and the strikebreaker Pinkerton organization. Three detectives and ten workers were killed. Berkman decided to assassinate the plant owner, Frick. He did not want Emma to join him on his mission. However, she decided to earn money to buy a gun to aid her lover. She chose to get the money as a streetwalker. Fortunately for her, one of the potential clients took pity on her, gave her enough money, and sent her home untouched. For his part, Berkman did shoot Frick but failed to kill him. He was sentenced to twenty two years in prison. Goldman’s part in the attempt could not be proven; however, she wrote many articles in praise of Berkman as the avenger of the workers killed at the Homestead Plant. This brought her to the attention of the police. So much so that when she addressed a rally in Union Square in August of 1893, she was arrested and sentenced to one year on Blackwell’s Island.
Travels
After her release, Goldman travelled to Vienna to study midwifery and nursing. Due to the generosity of Herman Miller and Carl Stone, Goldman was able to study medicine. While there, she became involved with rallies against the Boer War and fell in love with a Czech student, Hippolyte Havel. Miller and Stone were taken aback by these activities and informed her that they were unacceptable. She responded by writing, "E.G. the woman and her ideas are inseparable. She does not exist for the amusement of upstarts, nor will she permit anybody to dictate to her. Keep your money."
Return to the U.S.
Goldman was not a person to be told how to behave. She returned to the U.S. and conducted a lecture tour. One of these lectures, in Chicago, was attended by Leon Czolgosz. On September 6, 1901, Leon shot President McKinley, and he died eight years later. The police attempted to concoct a conspiracy that involved Goldman in the assassination. Prosecutors even doctored testimony but still failed to make the charge stick. However, Goldman did not help her case by publicly defending Czolgosz as a demented, unfortunate person who deserved, at the very least, a fair trial. The media had a field day and if the courts could not prosecute, the press made sure that her guilt was publicly assumed.
Red Scare
The 1903 law concerning the deportation of alien anarchists would eventually lead to Goldman leaving the States for good. Goldman organized the Free Speech League to fight legislation she saw as repressive. This enhanced her notoriety so much that many liberals would not associate with her unless she referred to herself as E.G. Smith. However, Goldman went on to champion causes such as birth control and also modern drama. However, because of her fight against the draft in 1917, Goldman was jailed for two years and deported to Russia.
Goldman in Russia
While in Russia, Goldman was very critical of Lenin’s Bolsheviks and their authoritarian Worker’s Paradise. She wrote a damning critique of Lenin’s Russia called "My Disillusionment in Russia." This book brought her enemies on both sides. U.S. customs saw it as subversive, and it was seized and burnt. Leftists threatened to silence her by force. Despite this criticism, Goldman promoted the Catolonian anarchists’ cause during the Spanish Civil War by establishing, along with others, the Anti-Fascist Solidarity Group.
Death
After a stroke in Toronto on May 14, 1940, Emma Goldman died. Her grave is in Chicago’s Forest Home Cemetery. She is buried along side her Haymarket comrades.
Emma Goldman - Firebrand who dared to aim for the brave new world. A true pioneer. EMMA GOLDMAN, SOCIAL PIONEER (1869-1940)
Early Life
A Lithuanian by birth, Emma Goldman was born in Kovno on June 27, 1869. At age twelve, her family moved to St. Petersburg, and four years later, in 1881, they arrived in the U.S. They settled in Rochester, New York. Emma became a factory worker and earned $2.50 a week for sewing ulsters ten and half hours a day.
Rebellion
As she passed into her twenties, Goldman began rebelling against the "system." She became an advocate of free love. This brought her into conflict with a mainly repressive, puritanical society. Added to this, she supported the rioters in Chicago’s Haymarket Square in 1886 and through this she met Alexander Berkman, with whom she fell in love. In 1889, she went to New York City where she came under the influence of Johann Most, a radical editor. Thus, the direction of her life was firmly established as one of radicalism. This was shown in the Homestead Steel Plant Strike of 1892.
On July 6, a battle broke out at the steel plant in Pittsburgh between the strikers and the strikebreaker Pinkerton organization. Three detectives and ten workers were killed. Berkman decided to assassinate the plant owner, Frick. He did not want Emma to join him on his mission. However, she decided to earn money to buy a gun to aid her lover. She chose to get the money as a streetwalker. Fortunately for her, one of the potential clients took pity on her, gave her enough money, and sent her home untouched. For his part, Berkman did shoot Frick but failed to kill him. He was sentenced to twenty two years in prison. Goldman’s part in the attempt could not be proven; however, she wrote many articles in praise of Berkman as the avenger of the workers killed at the Homestead Plant. This brought her to the attention of the police. So much so that when she addressed a rally in Union Square in August of 1893, she was arrested and sentenced to one year on Blackwell’s Island.
Travels
After her release, Goldman travelled to Vienna to study midwifery and nursing. Due to the generosity of Herman Miller and Carl Stone, Goldman was able to study medicine. While there, she became involved with rallies against the Boer War and fell in love with a Czech student, Hippolyte Havel. Miller and Stone were taken aback by these activities and informed her that they were unacceptable. She responded by writing, "E.G. the woman and her ideas are inseparable. She does not exist for the amusement of upstarts, nor will she permit anybody to dictate to her. Keep your money."
Return to the U.S.
Goldman was not a person to be told how to behave. She returned to the U.S. and conducted a lecture tour. One of these lectures, in Chicago, was attended by Leon Czolgosz. On September 6, 1901, Leon shot President McKinley, and he died eight years later. The police attempted to concoct a conspiracy that involved Goldman in the assassination. Prosecutors even doctored testimony but still failed to make the charge stick. However, Goldman did not help her case by publicly defending Czolgosz as a demented, unfortunate person who deserved, at the very least, a fair trial. The media had a field day and if the courts could not prosecute, the press made sure that her guilt was publicly assumed.
Red Scare
The 1903 law concerning the deportation of alien anarchists would eventually lead to Goldman leaving the States for good. Goldman organized the Free Speech League to fight legislation she saw as repressive. This enhanced her notoriety so much that many liberals would not associate with her unless she referred to herself as E.G. Smith. However, Goldman went on to champion causes such as birth control and also modern drama. However, because of her fight against the draft in 1917, Goldman was jailed for two years and deported to Russia.
Goldman in Russia
While in Russia, Goldman was very critical of Lenin’s Bolsheviks and their authoritarian Worker’s Paradise. She wrote a damning critique of Lenin’s Russia called "My Disillusionment in Russia." This book brought her enemies on both sides. U.S. customs saw it as subversive, and it was seized and burnt. Leftists threatened to silence her by force. Despite this criticism, Goldman promoted the Catolonian anarchists’ cause during the Spanish Civil War by establishing, along with others, the Anti-Fascist Solidarity Group.
Death
After a stroke in Toronto on May 14, 1940, Emma Goldman died. Her grave is in Chicago’s Forest Home Cemetery. She is buried along side her Haymarket comrades.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
John Wayne
John Wayne: Biography
John Wayne, an American Legend has brought up many hours of entertainment with 198 movies. He was also politically involved in conservation issues.
Marion Michael Morrison came into this world on May 26, 1907 in a small town in Iowa. When he was five years old, he moved with both of his parents and brother to California where he grew up and went to school. It was during his childhood years that he acquired the nickname Little Duke because he was always seen in the presence of a large dog with the name of Duke.
After high school, the Duke attended The University of Southern California on a football scholarship after his goal to obtain an appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland was squelched.
Mr. Wayne’s first paycheck brought him $35 a week where he worked changing props on movie sets in addition to being a stuntman. The first movie he worked in was "Mother Machree" in 1928 where he was an unbilled extra. His next film, "Hangman’s House" also in 1928, was where he received his first billing and his new name of John Wayne. His last acting role was in 1976 in "The Shootist" where he played a dying gunfighter while battling with cancer himself. During his lifetime John Wayne was in 198 films and only 31 of which were Westerns. During this time he evolved into an American Legend.
During World War II John Wayne was honored by having his handprints immortalized in cement outside the Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California which was the height of his popularity as an actor. Mr. Wayne was also politically involved in conservation issues, which did not seem to harm his acting career. John Wayne left this life on June 12, 1979 from cancer with his legend still alive today.
Other than the Mann’s Chinese Theatre, John Wayne has been immortalized at The Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Movieland Wax Museum, The Warner Brothers Museum, The Hollywood Wax Museum, The Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Wax Museum, and two Planet Hollywood locations - South Coast Plaza and Beverly Hills. There are two statues, one on Wilshire Boulevard and one at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California that also boast John Wayne’s immortality.
John Wayne, an American Legend has brought up many hours of entertainment with 198 movies. He was also politically involved in conservation issues.
Marion Michael Morrison came into this world on May 26, 1907 in a small town in Iowa. When he was five years old, he moved with both of his parents and brother to California where he grew up and went to school. It was during his childhood years that he acquired the nickname Little Duke because he was always seen in the presence of a large dog with the name of Duke.
After high school, the Duke attended The University of Southern California on a football scholarship after his goal to obtain an appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland was squelched.
Mr. Wayne’s first paycheck brought him $35 a week where he worked changing props on movie sets in addition to being a stuntman. The first movie he worked in was "Mother Machree" in 1928 where he was an unbilled extra. His next film, "Hangman’s House" also in 1928, was where he received his first billing and his new name of John Wayne. His last acting role was in 1976 in "The Shootist" where he played a dying gunfighter while battling with cancer himself. During his lifetime John Wayne was in 198 films and only 31 of which were Westerns. During this time he evolved into an American Legend.
During World War II John Wayne was honored by having his handprints immortalized in cement outside the Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California which was the height of his popularity as an actor. Mr. Wayne was also politically involved in conservation issues, which did not seem to harm his acting career. John Wayne left this life on June 12, 1979 from cancer with his legend still alive today.
Other than the Mann’s Chinese Theatre, John Wayne has been immortalized at The Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Movieland Wax Museum, The Warner Brothers Museum, The Hollywood Wax Museum, The Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Wax Museum, and two Planet Hollywood locations - South Coast Plaza and Beverly Hills. There are two statues, one on Wilshire Boulevard and one at the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California that also boast John Wayne’s immortality.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Marie De France
Marie De France: Christian Metaphors
As a medieval abbess Marie de France condemns adultery in all her Lais, except Yonec. In Yonec she uses adultery as a metaphor for humanities relationship with a loving diety.
Marie de France begins her Lais by giving free reign to the reader to "gloss the letter / and supply its significance from their own wisdom." The following interpretation of her text makes use of the Burgess and Busby translation printed by Penguin USA in 1999. The following interpretation of this text is not the only one I see, but it is complete and coherent.
The Lais are curious because if looked at on a surface level, they seem to take an almost schizophrenic moral view of adultery: in some stories it is acceptable and in others it is abhorrent. All of the stories about adultery openly condemn it, with the exception of Yonec, which seems to condone it. A reader of the Lais might try to use Yonec to argue that Marie does not entirely disapprove of adultery, but what separates Yonec from the stories in which adultery is unacceptable are the very nature and telling of the story.
First, there can be no doubt that Marie disapproves of adultery. Abbess and part of a monastic order, both the times she lived in and the space she occupied within her religious society, make it highly unlikely that she could approve of an outright forbidden act. In Equítan, Marie comes down hard on the adulterous king and seneschal's wife: their love begets an evil plot to murder the seneschal, but it backfires and they both end up the victims of their trap. She states that he who plans evil for another can expect to have the evil double back on him. To take that a level further, let us assume that whoever actually does evil against another can also have that rebound on him, and will suffer Marie's strict censure.
Likewise, in Laüstic, Marie attacks the pair of adulterous lovers exchanging longing looks through the bedroom window. Having been caught at the window, the lady makes an excuse to her husband as to why she is at the window. She says nothing in the world gives her more joy than to listen to nightingales. (83-84) In repines, her husband catches the nightingale and viciously kills it when the lady asks him not to, saying "he will never again awaken you." (110). Marie punishes this pair of secretive lovers with the husband's discovery. Though he has only killed the bird, he makes it clear to his lady that he knows what "the nightingale" really meant, and it must end now.
In the final lay, Eliduc, Eliduc's initial adultery causes Gualadun to almost die, and everyone great grief. Eventually, all this is forgiven by Eliduc's first wife who takes the veil to allow his marriage to Gualadun, and entirely reverses when both Gualadun and Eliduc renounce their marriage and join the monastic system themselves. However, before their renunciation, all three are punished. Gualadun on the way back to Eliduc's country, when a storm brews up and almost kills everyone going back. One of the sailors shouts out that Eliduc's adultery is causing the storm, and going to get them all killed. He announced that Eliduc already has one faithful wife and is still trying to have another, "in defiance of God and the law / of right and of faith" (832-838) As a voice of the author, the sailor could not be more disapproving of the relationship Eliduc has begun with this woman. Nature acts as the hand of God, rising up because Eliduc has done something violating His law. Gualadun effectively dies as a result of both the storm and the revelation.
All of this shows that Marie never approves of adultery, and considers it, as would be expected in her time, unnatural and in violation of the laws of God and humanity. This fits perfectly with a general view of a heavily religious catholic society: adultery stands in violation of one of the ten commandments, and the ten commandments are the words of God to His people.
In Yonec, Marie takes an entirely different stand on the matter of adultery. The initial husband-wife relationship is deficient in many ways that Marie tacitly and thematically condemns throughout her Lais: the husband will not allow his wife to go to Church, or have contact with other people, even women, and there are no children. An argument could be made that Marie approves of adultery in Yonec because the marriage itself is deficient and unnatural or perhaps because the lady asks God himself to send her a lover, and does not choose one for herself or find one on the street.
However, Marie has made no bones about condemning other adulterous relationships born from unnatural marriages, such as the marriage of the unnamed lady to the old man in the castle by the sea in Guigemar. This marriage shares many characteristics with Yonec: the husband is extremely jealous, and old, and keeps his lady locked away from the world in a tower, watched over by a female relative of her husband day and night. The husband in Guigemar is so jealous that he has a man who is not only a priest, but also ancient and castrated keep the key to his wife's chamber. (255-258) The husband in this story is so pathological as to make sure that the people guarding his wife are completely loyal to him and unable to aid his wife in any kind of adultery. His niece is not only female and thus unable to cuckold him, but also a blood relative of his, who he can thus depend on to make sure no one else cuckolds him either. Despite all of this bizarre treatment of the wife, Marie still condemns the adulterous relationship between her and Guigemar.
Marie interjects into the story of the two lovers that, "Fortune, who never forgets her duty" (538) caused them to be discovered suddenly. She uses the word "duty" here, implying that Fortune does not bring the lovers down on a whim, but because she is obligated to do so. Her obligation stems from the fact that she gave Guigemar and his lover their time together, but because their love is adulterous and a secret, the time must come when they are found out and the illusion of peace is shattered.
In Yonec, Muldamarec and his lover suffer the same fate as Guigemar and his: they are discovered. However, their discovery is not put in terms of fortune remembering her "duty." To the contrary of tolerating their love as a momentary mistake on the part of the wheel of life, Marie throws words of encouragement at this pair: "God, let their joy endure!" (224) and when the husband and his sister are setting the stage to catch the lovers at play, Marie throws in remarks of sympathy for the them. (254-265)
Finally, as the husband and sister prepare the trap for Muldamarec, Marie asides to the reader: "God, he [Muldamarec] doesn't know what treachery / the villains are preparing." (295-296)
In these three asides, the issue of what is going on in Yonec is thoroughly confused. On it's surface, the premise of Yonec seems to be the story of a woman, who doesn't like her jealous husband, cheating on him with her young magical lover. Marie's very language undermines this: firstly she asks God to help the adulterous couple make their affair last, and in the second two passages above, she sets up the husband and sister as "villains," though they are trying to do what is within the husband's right (both legal and moral, one would suppose) to stop the wife in her adultery. Thus, through her language, Marie communicates to the reader that the people doing wrong in Yonec are not the lovers, but the husband.
Marie's attitude toward adultery in the other stories cannot just be made to vanish, it is too solid and firm: yet Yonec is exempt from their order and judgment. The only explanation to make sense of this is that Yonec cannot be about adultery, or even feature adultery as one of its themes. The husband and wife cannot be a husband and wife, and the hawk-lover cannot be a lover.
The husband, like the husband in Guigemar, locks his wife in a tower where she sees no one and is alone, and waits for death. He allows no one alive near her except his own sister, as ancient as he is, and he has no children with her. The wife says: "He'll never die" (86) He has no name, and neither does his wife. The young wife, "would have preferred death to take her quickly" (49-50) to the fate she suffers locked in the tower with the husband. Their marriage is not a normal human marriage -- normal husbands, even the most jealous, do not lock their wives away even from the church and mass (75-76) and all human company.
During her marriage, the beautiful young wife bears no children despite spending nights with her husband, and her beauty fades to the point of nonexistence. A suicidal urge looms up on her, and she ignored the care of her own body, wishing it would rot away. (47-50) The loss of beauty is set as a metaphor for a slow death, by the arrangement of Marie's words. If the loss of beauty and death are the same thing, the young wife has been slowly dying in her husband's tower, and her husband can be construed as death itself: the old man who keeps a young woman locked in a tower as she slowly dies. The relationship between this husband and wife models the relationship any single human has with their own death: from the moment a person is born (or a story begins, in this case), they are doomed to a die slowly over the course of their life, and to do it alone, without hope of being able to escape.
If the lady is a representative member of humanity, meant to stand for the whole, and the husband is death, who has entrapped her from the beginning, the bird-lover is her rescuer. The lady directly asks God to send her a lover (104), and immediately, a lover appears in the form of a bird. This construction of a lover appearing as a bird has a parallel construction to the story of the Annunciation, in which the Holy Spirit comes to the Virgin Mary as a dove, and thus already has a quality of goodness.
Muldamarec's appearance in hawk form already sets this story in juxtaposition with the story of the conception of Christ, but his opening speech cements his alignment with the Christian God (particularly in the form of Christ), who loves all people but cannot make them love him. He says to his lady that he has loved her a long time and never any woman but her, but that he could not come join her and be her lover without her permission, without her desire for him. (127-133)
Since the lady already represents the human race in her relation with death, she can also represent it in her relations with God: Marie believes that God has loved humanity always, and never any other creature in the same way, but cannot make humanity choose him.
The lady and knight are eventually caught because the knight's love for her has brought her beauty back (215-216). Since the fading beauty was set up as a metaphor for a slow death earlier, the return of beauty here can be read as a return of life. The old man notices that the lady has suddenly come back to life and frantically goes about trying to find out why and how. Discovering that Muldamarec comes in the form of the hawk, the old man sets a trap of death (his specialty) for him, and the trap does its work, killing Muldamarec.
To this point, Muldamarec has acted out the roll of a God who saves from death (e.g., Christ), and at this point he finishes enacting this role by actually dying. However, unlike Christ, he does not come back. Instead before leaving he tells his lover that grief is useless but that she is pregnant with his child who she should name Yonec, and who would someday avenge both of them on their enemy, her husband (325-332).
Muldamarec gives the lady a son who eventually beheads his stepfather -- killing Death. The role of Christ transfers from father to son, also mirroring the natural cycle of life, in which individuals do not live forever, but people have children who account for the continued existence of the human race. Not Muldamarec and the lady, who both die, but their child overcomes death. When his mother and father are both dead, Yonec must become representative of both the lover-God and the human race in the same body. By combining these two aspects, as well as by having the role of the child, Yonec overcomes death and literally slays him.
Based on the moralism of her other stories, Marie would not have written any story that condoned adultery. However, based on her strong faith and unique view of the human relationship with death and how God intervenes and fits in with it, she could write a story phrased in terms of an adulterous relationship that was, for once, good.
As a medieval abbess Marie de France condemns adultery in all her Lais, except Yonec. In Yonec she uses adultery as a metaphor for humanities relationship with a loving diety.
Marie de France begins her Lais by giving free reign to the reader to "gloss the letter / and supply its significance from their own wisdom." The following interpretation of her text makes use of the Burgess and Busby translation printed by Penguin USA in 1999. The following interpretation of this text is not the only one I see, but it is complete and coherent.
The Lais are curious because if looked at on a surface level, they seem to take an almost schizophrenic moral view of adultery: in some stories it is acceptable and in others it is abhorrent. All of the stories about adultery openly condemn it, with the exception of Yonec, which seems to condone it. A reader of the Lais might try to use Yonec to argue that Marie does not entirely disapprove of adultery, but what separates Yonec from the stories in which adultery is unacceptable are the very nature and telling of the story.
First, there can be no doubt that Marie disapproves of adultery. Abbess and part of a monastic order, both the times she lived in and the space she occupied within her religious society, make it highly unlikely that she could approve of an outright forbidden act. In Equítan, Marie comes down hard on the adulterous king and seneschal's wife: their love begets an evil plot to murder the seneschal, but it backfires and they both end up the victims of their trap. She states that he who plans evil for another can expect to have the evil double back on him. To take that a level further, let us assume that whoever actually does evil against another can also have that rebound on him, and will suffer Marie's strict censure.
Likewise, in Laüstic, Marie attacks the pair of adulterous lovers exchanging longing looks through the bedroom window. Having been caught at the window, the lady makes an excuse to her husband as to why she is at the window. She says nothing in the world gives her more joy than to listen to nightingales. (83-84) In repines, her husband catches the nightingale and viciously kills it when the lady asks him not to, saying "he will never again awaken you." (110). Marie punishes this pair of secretive lovers with the husband's discovery. Though he has only killed the bird, he makes it clear to his lady that he knows what "the nightingale" really meant, and it must end now.
In the final lay, Eliduc, Eliduc's initial adultery causes Gualadun to almost die, and everyone great grief. Eventually, all this is forgiven by Eliduc's first wife who takes the veil to allow his marriage to Gualadun, and entirely reverses when both Gualadun and Eliduc renounce their marriage and join the monastic system themselves. However, before their renunciation, all three are punished. Gualadun on the way back to Eliduc's country, when a storm brews up and almost kills everyone going back. One of the sailors shouts out that Eliduc's adultery is causing the storm, and going to get them all killed. He announced that Eliduc already has one faithful wife and is still trying to have another, "in defiance of God and the law / of right and of faith" (832-838) As a voice of the author, the sailor could not be more disapproving of the relationship Eliduc has begun with this woman. Nature acts as the hand of God, rising up because Eliduc has done something violating His law. Gualadun effectively dies as a result of both the storm and the revelation.
All of this shows that Marie never approves of adultery, and considers it, as would be expected in her time, unnatural and in violation of the laws of God and humanity. This fits perfectly with a general view of a heavily religious catholic society: adultery stands in violation of one of the ten commandments, and the ten commandments are the words of God to His people.
In Yonec, Marie takes an entirely different stand on the matter of adultery. The initial husband-wife relationship is deficient in many ways that Marie tacitly and thematically condemns throughout her Lais: the husband will not allow his wife to go to Church, or have contact with other people, even women, and there are no children. An argument could be made that Marie approves of adultery in Yonec because the marriage itself is deficient and unnatural or perhaps because the lady asks God himself to send her a lover, and does not choose one for herself or find one on the street.
However, Marie has made no bones about condemning other adulterous relationships born from unnatural marriages, such as the marriage of the unnamed lady to the old man in the castle by the sea in Guigemar. This marriage shares many characteristics with Yonec: the husband is extremely jealous, and old, and keeps his lady locked away from the world in a tower, watched over by a female relative of her husband day and night. The husband in Guigemar is so jealous that he has a man who is not only a priest, but also ancient and castrated keep the key to his wife's chamber. (255-258) The husband in this story is so pathological as to make sure that the people guarding his wife are completely loyal to him and unable to aid his wife in any kind of adultery. His niece is not only female and thus unable to cuckold him, but also a blood relative of his, who he can thus depend on to make sure no one else cuckolds him either. Despite all of this bizarre treatment of the wife, Marie still condemns the adulterous relationship between her and Guigemar.
Marie interjects into the story of the two lovers that, "Fortune, who never forgets her duty" (538) caused them to be discovered suddenly. She uses the word "duty" here, implying that Fortune does not bring the lovers down on a whim, but because she is obligated to do so. Her obligation stems from the fact that she gave Guigemar and his lover their time together, but because their love is adulterous and a secret, the time must come when they are found out and the illusion of peace is shattered.
In Yonec, Muldamarec and his lover suffer the same fate as Guigemar and his: they are discovered. However, their discovery is not put in terms of fortune remembering her "duty." To the contrary of tolerating their love as a momentary mistake on the part of the wheel of life, Marie throws words of encouragement at this pair: "God, let their joy endure!" (224) and when the husband and his sister are setting the stage to catch the lovers at play, Marie throws in remarks of sympathy for the them. (254-265)
Finally, as the husband and sister prepare the trap for Muldamarec, Marie asides to the reader: "God, he [Muldamarec] doesn't know what treachery / the villains are preparing." (295-296)
In these three asides, the issue of what is going on in Yonec is thoroughly confused. On it's surface, the premise of Yonec seems to be the story of a woman, who doesn't like her jealous husband, cheating on him with her young magical lover. Marie's very language undermines this: firstly she asks God to help the adulterous couple make their affair last, and in the second two passages above, she sets up the husband and sister as "villains," though they are trying to do what is within the husband's right (both legal and moral, one would suppose) to stop the wife in her adultery. Thus, through her language, Marie communicates to the reader that the people doing wrong in Yonec are not the lovers, but the husband.
Marie's attitude toward adultery in the other stories cannot just be made to vanish, it is too solid and firm: yet Yonec is exempt from their order and judgment. The only explanation to make sense of this is that Yonec cannot be about adultery, or even feature adultery as one of its themes. The husband and wife cannot be a husband and wife, and the hawk-lover cannot be a lover.
The husband, like the husband in Guigemar, locks his wife in a tower where she sees no one and is alone, and waits for death. He allows no one alive near her except his own sister, as ancient as he is, and he has no children with her. The wife says: "He'll never die" (86) He has no name, and neither does his wife. The young wife, "would have preferred death to take her quickly" (49-50) to the fate she suffers locked in the tower with the husband. Their marriage is not a normal human marriage -- normal husbands, even the most jealous, do not lock their wives away even from the church and mass (75-76) and all human company.
During her marriage, the beautiful young wife bears no children despite spending nights with her husband, and her beauty fades to the point of nonexistence. A suicidal urge looms up on her, and she ignored the care of her own body, wishing it would rot away. (47-50) The loss of beauty is set as a metaphor for a slow death, by the arrangement of Marie's words. If the loss of beauty and death are the same thing, the young wife has been slowly dying in her husband's tower, and her husband can be construed as death itself: the old man who keeps a young woman locked in a tower as she slowly dies. The relationship between this husband and wife models the relationship any single human has with their own death: from the moment a person is born (or a story begins, in this case), they are doomed to a die slowly over the course of their life, and to do it alone, without hope of being able to escape.
If the lady is a representative member of humanity, meant to stand for the whole, and the husband is death, who has entrapped her from the beginning, the bird-lover is her rescuer. The lady directly asks God to send her a lover (104), and immediately, a lover appears in the form of a bird. This construction of a lover appearing as a bird has a parallel construction to the story of the Annunciation, in which the Holy Spirit comes to the Virgin Mary as a dove, and thus already has a quality of goodness.
Muldamarec's appearance in hawk form already sets this story in juxtaposition with the story of the conception of Christ, but his opening speech cements his alignment with the Christian God (particularly in the form of Christ), who loves all people but cannot make them love him. He says to his lady that he has loved her a long time and never any woman but her, but that he could not come join her and be her lover without her permission, without her desire for him. (127-133)
Since the lady already represents the human race in her relation with death, she can also represent it in her relations with God: Marie believes that God has loved humanity always, and never any other creature in the same way, but cannot make humanity choose him.
The lady and knight are eventually caught because the knight's love for her has brought her beauty back (215-216). Since the fading beauty was set up as a metaphor for a slow death earlier, the return of beauty here can be read as a return of life. The old man notices that the lady has suddenly come back to life and frantically goes about trying to find out why and how. Discovering that Muldamarec comes in the form of the hawk, the old man sets a trap of death (his specialty) for him, and the trap does its work, killing Muldamarec.
To this point, Muldamarec has acted out the roll of a God who saves from death (e.g., Christ), and at this point he finishes enacting this role by actually dying. However, unlike Christ, he does not come back. Instead before leaving he tells his lover that grief is useless but that she is pregnant with his child who she should name Yonec, and who would someday avenge both of them on their enemy, her husband (325-332).
Muldamarec gives the lady a son who eventually beheads his stepfather -- killing Death. The role of Christ transfers from father to son, also mirroring the natural cycle of life, in which individuals do not live forever, but people have children who account for the continued existence of the human race. Not Muldamarec and the lady, who both die, but their child overcomes death. When his mother and father are both dead, Yonec must become representative of both the lover-God and the human race in the same body. By combining these two aspects, as well as by having the role of the child, Yonec overcomes death and literally slays him.
Based on the moralism of her other stories, Marie would not have written any story that condoned adultery. However, based on her strong faith and unique view of the human relationship with death and how God intervenes and fits in with it, she could write a story phrased in terms of an adulterous relationship that was, for once, good.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Albert Schweitzer
Dr. Albert Schweitzer Biography
Albert Schweitzer became famous as a writer and musician. Serving sick people was his aim and he studied medicine and went to Africa to help sick people there.
Have you heard about Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who was a famous doctor from Germany?
Even as a small boy, he loved all living beings .He loved animals and human beings so much that he did not want to see any animal or person hurt .He would not allow even his friends to hurt living beings.
Once he was walking with a friend near the fields .His friend was about to use a slingshot (a strip of leather held in the hand and used in olden days for throwing stones) to shoot at some bird sitting in the field. Young Albert who saw this ran out to the field and shooed away all the birds sitting in the field before his friend hit any of them .This young boy grew up in later years to be a very famous man.
Albert Schweitzer first became famous as a writer and musician. But, he was always faced with a problem about the purpose of his life .He often asked himself what he could do to help people the most. After serious thinking, he decided to study medicine so that he could make sick people well and keep them free from pain. But at that time there were several doctors in America and Europe. He came to know that Africa was one place that had many sick people but few doctors So after his studies Dr. Schweitzer went to Africa to help these sick people get well.
At that time medicines were not available in Africa. Facilities for travel to Africa and within the country were inadequate. To tide over these difficulties, the doctor took big boxes of medicines with him and traveled in a canoe (a light boat moved by one or more paddles), on dangerous rivers through thick , green jungles. He saw huge snakes hanging down from the branches of trees. He could hear wild animals crashing through the forests and birds chattering loudly.
The people in Africa were a peculiar type. They did not want to change. They wanted to keep on living in the way they always had lived. So, in the beginning, they were afraid of the new white man who came there as a doctor .But, with the help extended by him to the local people, they soon realized that he was their friend. The doctor wanted to build a hospital for them. The local people helped him to build his first hospital on the banks of a river. Some sick people walked into his hospital, traveling through the jungle paths. Some others came in boats made of logs. Children with big sores all over their bodies were brought to the hospital. People who had been bitten by snakes or big poisonous spiders also came for treatment.
Helping the poor people of Africa, Dr. Schweitzer worked all day every day and many nights. As time went on , the efforts of Dr. Schweitzer were known to the outside world and several other doctors and many nurses came to help him.
At times when he ran out of money and needed more medicines and hospital supplies, the doctor would go back to Europe to give lectures and play organ recitals, for collecting money. Then he would return to Africa. Later he built a bigger hospital there. He spent most of his life in Africa, not only helping the sick but also teaching the people to help each other.
By Raman Pillai Purushothaman.
Albert Schweitzer became famous as a writer and musician. Serving sick people was his aim and he studied medicine and went to Africa to help sick people there.
Have you heard about Dr. Albert Schweitzer, who was a famous doctor from Germany?
Even as a small boy, he loved all living beings .He loved animals and human beings so much that he did not want to see any animal or person hurt .He would not allow even his friends to hurt living beings.
Once he was walking with a friend near the fields .His friend was about to use a slingshot (a strip of leather held in the hand and used in olden days for throwing stones) to shoot at some bird sitting in the field. Young Albert who saw this ran out to the field and shooed away all the birds sitting in the field before his friend hit any of them .This young boy grew up in later years to be a very famous man.
Albert Schweitzer first became famous as a writer and musician. But, he was always faced with a problem about the purpose of his life .He often asked himself what he could do to help people the most. After serious thinking, he decided to study medicine so that he could make sick people well and keep them free from pain. But at that time there were several doctors in America and Europe. He came to know that Africa was one place that had many sick people but few doctors So after his studies Dr. Schweitzer went to Africa to help these sick people get well.
At that time medicines were not available in Africa. Facilities for travel to Africa and within the country were inadequate. To tide over these difficulties, the doctor took big boxes of medicines with him and traveled in a canoe (a light boat moved by one or more paddles), on dangerous rivers through thick , green jungles. He saw huge snakes hanging down from the branches of trees. He could hear wild animals crashing through the forests and birds chattering loudly.
The people in Africa were a peculiar type. They did not want to change. They wanted to keep on living in the way they always had lived. So, in the beginning, they were afraid of the new white man who came there as a doctor .But, with the help extended by him to the local people, they soon realized that he was their friend. The doctor wanted to build a hospital for them. The local people helped him to build his first hospital on the banks of a river. Some sick people walked into his hospital, traveling through the jungle paths. Some others came in boats made of logs. Children with big sores all over their bodies were brought to the hospital. People who had been bitten by snakes or big poisonous spiders also came for treatment.
Helping the poor people of Africa, Dr. Schweitzer worked all day every day and many nights. As time went on , the efforts of Dr. Schweitzer were known to the outside world and several other doctors and many nurses came to help him.
At times when he ran out of money and needed more medicines and hospital supplies, the doctor would go back to Europe to give lectures and play organ recitals, for collecting money. Then he would return to Africa. Later he built a bigger hospital there. He spent most of his life in Africa, not only helping the sick but also teaching the people to help each other.
By Raman Pillai Purushothaman.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Victoria Claflin Woodhull
Victoria Claflin Woodhull: Lost Suffragette
Victoria Claflin Woodhull was as famous in her day as Susan B. Anthony, but Woodhull's wild politics and eccentric lifestyle landed her in court and into obscurity. When people think of the Women's Suffrage Movement, they think of respectable matrons and young women, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, enduring outdated prejudices, while wearing bloomers and stern expressions.
Victoria Claflin Woodhull wanted women's rights, but in a very different way than her more famous contemporaries. She was born in 1838 with an immediate headstart on eccentricity. Her family was highly invested in the supernatural, practicing spiritualism and faith-healing. The family was nomadic, moving from place to place holding seances, selling "magical potions," and practicing faith healing. By the time she was 16, Victoria had married Dr. Canning Woodhull. (He was only a doctor in name, by virtue of a small amount of medical training.) He joined the Claflin family in traveling the country to sell his "elixir of life."
Victoria's marriage ended in divorce before 1868, leaving her free to travel with her life-long companion, her younger sister Tennessee Claflin (or Tennie C). While they were in Ohio, the sisters ran into a decrepit, ailing, but still rich Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The business tycoon was so impressed with the beautiful young women's faith-healing and clairvoyant skills that he sent them to New York City, and set them up in their own business on Wall Street. Vanderbilt didn't see any potential for the women as spiritualists, nor did he fund their magic tricks. Instead, he offered them the chance to be stockbrokers. The sisters prospered in business dealings with a delighted, but also surprised Wall Street. They were beautiful, well-to-do and extremely unconventional. After only a few weeks, they earned the nickname the "Bewitching Brokers."
In 1870, Victoria and Tennessee expanded their business and began to publish their own news magazine called Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly. The paper was ostensibly about social and political reform, though it collected an odd lot of different things and put them together. The contents combined news of interest to their Wall Street clients, their Spiritualist family, their feminist friends and any local anarchists. Prostitution, socialism, communism, sex, free love, birth control and stock prices were always among the weekly topics.
Considering Victoria Woodhull's personality, politics and profession, it seems impossible that she would ever be in league with Susan B. Anthony and her suffragette following. Woodhull was a breed apart, believing that a single standard of morality should apply to both men and women, and that standard ought to be the one more often applied to men. Many suffragettes were also involved in temperance and human aid movements and wanted men to treat them with respect and be more like them. The Claflin sisters wanted to be more like the offensive men: having many lovers, wild business affairs, and in general living the fast life.
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone (three of the most important suffragettes) wanted to be legally allowed to do all the things respectable men did out in the open: voting, owning property, contesting issues in courts of law. Victoria and Tennessee wanted to completely change what was considered scandalous for men and women.
Though there were differences, there were also similarities. Victoria did want to start by "freeing" women from their assigned position in life and law, and she made an effort to do so. In 1871, Victoria arranged a hearing before a Congressional committee. She prepared a speech and gave it to a captivated audience of senators. Susan B. Anthony was in Washington, DC, that day, and she read in her morning paper that Victoria Woodhull would be addressing the committee. She decided to attend the meeting herself. When Victoria finished giving a well-thought-out, reasonable, and resolved speech, the senators asked Susan to make an impromptu speech for the same cause.
Susan was so impressed with Victoria's speech and speaking ability that she invited her to speak at the upcoming Suffrage Convention. Victoria agreed and began her involvement with the National Women's Suffrage Association. She wrote and delivered speeches on women's rights for the next several months.
However, Victoria Woodhull was unlike the other suffragettes. Her personal life was anything but respectable. It was well-known around New York City that Victoria, her ex-husband Dr. Canning Woodhull and her new husband Colonel C. H. Blood and Tennessee all lived in the same house and it was suspected that Victoria might be involved with both her former and current husbands, and her younger sister might as well. An unpaired New York, clinging to its history, was scandalized by these rumors.
Lucy Stone considered Victoria's shameful personal behavior a liability to the women's movement, and wanted nothing to do with her. But Lucy Stone's feminist organization had already split off from Susan B. Anthony's, due to other disagreements. Unlike Lucy, Susan's initial response to Victoria's scandalous life was to say, "I would welcome all the infamous women in New York if they would give speeches for freedom."
In the fall of 1871, Susan went on one of her long lecture tours out west, leaving the National Women's Suffrage Association on its own for a season. Meanwhile, Victoria's plans were getting grander and stranger by the moment. Shortly after a seance, Victoria announced that Demosthenes, a 4th century senator and speaker had informed her that would become president of the United States. Never one to look in the mouth of a friendly spirit, she had every intention of carrying through on the prophecy.
While Susan was lecturing in the west, Victoria convinced her second in command, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to merge the National Woman's Suffrage Association with a new political party she was creating and help support her as a candidate for the presidency.
This was beyond revolutionary; the revolution was trying to secure women equal rights and the vote, but Victoria Woodhull was reaching for even more. She wanted a full-fledged political party, running women for the highest public office in the land. She managed to convince Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the rest of the suffragettes to support her political party and nominate her for president, with Frederick Douglas as her running mate.
Sadly, the idea was doomed to fail from its inception. The women who supported the campaign couldn't even vote yet, and there was a very, very slim chance Victoria was going to find any men willing to vote for her. She was not only a woman, but an infamous, scandalous woman. Frederick Douglas had never even heard of the party when he was nominated for vice president, and when he found out he respectfully declined the offer, having no interest in running for political office.
A few months later, in January 1872, Susan got word of what was happening back east, by looking at a newspaper one morning. The most shocking thing for her was seeing her signature on a document from the Equal Rights Party, nominating Victoria and Frederick Douglas for president and vice president. She had not seen the document, much less signed it, and suddenly she had had it with Victoria Claflin Woodhull. She immediately returned to New York City to dissuade her friends and associates from following Victoria Woodhull.
Victoria was not actually responsible for Susan's forged signature. Victoria never would have bothered, as she didn't see the need to have Susan's signature, real or fake. The actual perpetrator was Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Susan may never have discovered this, because she persuaded all the women from the National Women's Suffrage Association to withdraw their support of Victoria, but she did not break off her relationship with her long-time friend Stanton.
The suffragettes abandoned Victoria at Susan's insistence, but Victoria continued her campaign for presidency, with her own following backing her. Despite her avid following, the campaign was still destined to meet with failure, which came later in 1872, when Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly, selling poorly and in need of a hot scoop, published Victoria's account of the love affair. It was no ordinary scandal. Supposedly, famed abolitionist preacher Henry Ward Beecher was committing adultery with Mrs. Elizabeth Tilton, a well-known feminist and the wife of Theodore Tilton, a liberal editor and lecturer. All the New York journalists had known of the affair, but were afraid to touch it in their publications. Once Victoria published the story, every other magazine, journal and newspaper followed suit.
Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly had a unique angle on the story. Victoria praised the participants for their bravery, and the entire world for the progress it had made, demonstrated by the fact that upstanding citizens like Mrs. Tilton and Reverend Beecher could have a love life despite their marital status. Victoria was a bit quick in praising the world: no one else shared her view of the incident, including the participants. But someone must have been interested, as the story did sell amazing well, copies of the Nov. 2, 1872, paper sold for as much as $40 each.
Victoria paid a high price for her story. She alienated Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the last of her suffragette supporters, who had learned of the affair, either from Susan, who was a personal friend of many of the involved parties, or directly from Mr. Tilton. Prior to the article's publication, Elizabeth told the gory details to Victoria in confidence, which Victoria disregarded. When the story was published, Elizabeth sided with most of the world in thinking it was scandalous, and not something anyone would or should be proud of.
Opponents of the National Woman's Suffrage Association, and of women's rights in general, used the incident against the movement as proof that these women and what they stood for was immoral. Meanwhile, Mr. Tilton sued Victoria for libel, bringing her political campaigning to an end. She was jailed, but since the story was completely true, the charges were inevitably cleared. The election was over by then, and Victoria had lost most of her support.
After her campaign failed, she gave up on her "destiny," but continued to lecture on it, even claiming she had been Theodore Tilton's lover. Eventually, she married a rich Englishman and moved to England with him and her sister, and perhaps her two ex-husbands came along as well. Not much is known about her after she left the United States. She died in 1927, almost 90 years old, forgotten by the feminist movement.
Victoria's ideas were ahead of even the suffragettes, and she suffered criticism from them and everyone else. Her vision was of a free world where people did what they'd always been doing behind each other's backs out in the open.
The suffragettes eventually achieved their goal of the vote and many other rights for women. Victoria's ideas looked ahead even farther, to a myriad of social revolutions of the 20th century, and the sexual revolution of the 1960's. Many of her ideas are still just dreams, but the dream of being able to live like a man, in addition to having equal legal rights, has become common to many women.
Victoria Claflin Woodhull was as famous in her day as Susan B. Anthony, but Woodhull's wild politics and eccentric lifestyle landed her in court and into obscurity. When people think of the Women's Suffrage Movement, they think of respectable matrons and young women, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, enduring outdated prejudices, while wearing bloomers and stern expressions.
Victoria Claflin Woodhull wanted women's rights, but in a very different way than her more famous contemporaries. She was born in 1838 with an immediate headstart on eccentricity. Her family was highly invested in the supernatural, practicing spiritualism and faith-healing. The family was nomadic, moving from place to place holding seances, selling "magical potions," and practicing faith healing. By the time she was 16, Victoria had married Dr. Canning Woodhull. (He was only a doctor in name, by virtue of a small amount of medical training.) He joined the Claflin family in traveling the country to sell his "elixir of life."
Victoria's marriage ended in divorce before 1868, leaving her free to travel with her life-long companion, her younger sister Tennessee Claflin (or Tennie C). While they were in Ohio, the sisters ran into a decrepit, ailing, but still rich Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The business tycoon was so impressed with the beautiful young women's faith-healing and clairvoyant skills that he sent them to New York City, and set them up in their own business on Wall Street. Vanderbilt didn't see any potential for the women as spiritualists, nor did he fund their magic tricks. Instead, he offered them the chance to be stockbrokers. The sisters prospered in business dealings with a delighted, but also surprised Wall Street. They were beautiful, well-to-do and extremely unconventional. After only a few weeks, they earned the nickname the "Bewitching Brokers."
In 1870, Victoria and Tennessee expanded their business and began to publish their own news magazine called Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly. The paper was ostensibly about social and political reform, though it collected an odd lot of different things and put them together. The contents combined news of interest to their Wall Street clients, their Spiritualist family, their feminist friends and any local anarchists. Prostitution, socialism, communism, sex, free love, birth control and stock prices were always among the weekly topics.
Considering Victoria Woodhull's personality, politics and profession, it seems impossible that she would ever be in league with Susan B. Anthony and her suffragette following. Woodhull was a breed apart, believing that a single standard of morality should apply to both men and women, and that standard ought to be the one more often applied to men. Many suffragettes were also involved in temperance and human aid movements and wanted men to treat them with respect and be more like them. The Claflin sisters wanted to be more like the offensive men: having many lovers, wild business affairs, and in general living the fast life.
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone (three of the most important suffragettes) wanted to be legally allowed to do all the things respectable men did out in the open: voting, owning property, contesting issues in courts of law. Victoria and Tennessee wanted to completely change what was considered scandalous for men and women.
Though there were differences, there were also similarities. Victoria did want to start by "freeing" women from their assigned position in life and law, and she made an effort to do so. In 1871, Victoria arranged a hearing before a Congressional committee. She prepared a speech and gave it to a captivated audience of senators. Susan B. Anthony was in Washington, DC, that day, and she read in her morning paper that Victoria Woodhull would be addressing the committee. She decided to attend the meeting herself. When Victoria finished giving a well-thought-out, reasonable, and resolved speech, the senators asked Susan to make an impromptu speech for the same cause.
Susan was so impressed with Victoria's speech and speaking ability that she invited her to speak at the upcoming Suffrage Convention. Victoria agreed and began her involvement with the National Women's Suffrage Association. She wrote and delivered speeches on women's rights for the next several months.
However, Victoria Woodhull was unlike the other suffragettes. Her personal life was anything but respectable. It was well-known around New York City that Victoria, her ex-husband Dr. Canning Woodhull and her new husband Colonel C. H. Blood and Tennessee all lived in the same house and it was suspected that Victoria might be involved with both her former and current husbands, and her younger sister might as well. An unpaired New York, clinging to its history, was scandalized by these rumors.
Lucy Stone considered Victoria's shameful personal behavior a liability to the women's movement, and wanted nothing to do with her. But Lucy Stone's feminist organization had already split off from Susan B. Anthony's, due to other disagreements. Unlike Lucy, Susan's initial response to Victoria's scandalous life was to say, "I would welcome all the infamous women in New York if they would give speeches for freedom."
In the fall of 1871, Susan went on one of her long lecture tours out west, leaving the National Women's Suffrage Association on its own for a season. Meanwhile, Victoria's plans were getting grander and stranger by the moment. Shortly after a seance, Victoria announced that Demosthenes, a 4th century senator and speaker had informed her that would become president of the United States. Never one to look in the mouth of a friendly spirit, she had every intention of carrying through on the prophecy.
While Susan was lecturing in the west, Victoria convinced her second in command, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, to merge the National Woman's Suffrage Association with a new political party she was creating and help support her as a candidate for the presidency.
This was beyond revolutionary; the revolution was trying to secure women equal rights and the vote, but Victoria Woodhull was reaching for even more. She wanted a full-fledged political party, running women for the highest public office in the land. She managed to convince Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the rest of the suffragettes to support her political party and nominate her for president, with Frederick Douglas as her running mate.
Sadly, the idea was doomed to fail from its inception. The women who supported the campaign couldn't even vote yet, and there was a very, very slim chance Victoria was going to find any men willing to vote for her. She was not only a woman, but an infamous, scandalous woman. Frederick Douglas had never even heard of the party when he was nominated for vice president, and when he found out he respectfully declined the offer, having no interest in running for political office.
A few months later, in January 1872, Susan got word of what was happening back east, by looking at a newspaper one morning. The most shocking thing for her was seeing her signature on a document from the Equal Rights Party, nominating Victoria and Frederick Douglas for president and vice president. She had not seen the document, much less signed it, and suddenly she had had it with Victoria Claflin Woodhull. She immediately returned to New York City to dissuade her friends and associates from following Victoria Woodhull.
Victoria was not actually responsible for Susan's forged signature. Victoria never would have bothered, as she didn't see the need to have Susan's signature, real or fake. The actual perpetrator was Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Susan may never have discovered this, because she persuaded all the women from the National Women's Suffrage Association to withdraw their support of Victoria, but she did not break off her relationship with her long-time friend Stanton.
The suffragettes abandoned Victoria at Susan's insistence, but Victoria continued her campaign for presidency, with her own following backing her. Despite her avid following, the campaign was still destined to meet with failure, which came later in 1872, when Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly, selling poorly and in need of a hot scoop, published Victoria's account of the love affair. It was no ordinary scandal. Supposedly, famed abolitionist preacher Henry Ward Beecher was committing adultery with Mrs. Elizabeth Tilton, a well-known feminist and the wife of Theodore Tilton, a liberal editor and lecturer. All the New York journalists had known of the affair, but were afraid to touch it in their publications. Once Victoria published the story, every other magazine, journal and newspaper followed suit.
Woodhull and Claflin's Weekly had a unique angle on the story. Victoria praised the participants for their bravery, and the entire world for the progress it had made, demonstrated by the fact that upstanding citizens like Mrs. Tilton and Reverend Beecher could have a love life despite their marital status. Victoria was a bit quick in praising the world: no one else shared her view of the incident, including the participants. But someone must have been interested, as the story did sell amazing well, copies of the Nov. 2, 1872, paper sold for as much as $40 each.
Victoria paid a high price for her story. She alienated Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the last of her suffragette supporters, who had learned of the affair, either from Susan, who was a personal friend of many of the involved parties, or directly from Mr. Tilton. Prior to the article's publication, Elizabeth told the gory details to Victoria in confidence, which Victoria disregarded. When the story was published, Elizabeth sided with most of the world in thinking it was scandalous, and not something anyone would or should be proud of.
Opponents of the National Woman's Suffrage Association, and of women's rights in general, used the incident against the movement as proof that these women and what they stood for was immoral. Meanwhile, Mr. Tilton sued Victoria for libel, bringing her political campaigning to an end. She was jailed, but since the story was completely true, the charges were inevitably cleared. The election was over by then, and Victoria had lost most of her support.
After her campaign failed, she gave up on her "destiny," but continued to lecture on it, even claiming she had been Theodore Tilton's lover. Eventually, she married a rich Englishman and moved to England with him and her sister, and perhaps her two ex-husbands came along as well. Not much is known about her after she left the United States. She died in 1927, almost 90 years old, forgotten by the feminist movement.
Victoria's ideas were ahead of even the suffragettes, and she suffered criticism from them and everyone else. Her vision was of a free world where people did what they'd always been doing behind each other's backs out in the open.
The suffragettes eventually achieved their goal of the vote and many other rights for women. Victoria's ideas looked ahead even farther, to a myriad of social revolutions of the 20th century, and the sexual revolution of the 1960's. Many of her ideas are still just dreams, but the dream of being able to live like a man, in addition to having equal legal rights, has become common to many women.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)