Reflections: How about some patriotic trivia for Independence Day?

Junk mail is amazing stuff. Most of us, when receiving it each day, just throw it away without even looking it over. As for me, however, I always look it over – you never know what you might find.

In terms of junk mail mining, combining our home mailbox and the Little White School Museum’s P.O. Box is the Mother Lode. So, just in time for Independence Day, here ere are a few patriotic nuggets I might have missed if I hadn’t opened ALL my junk mail each and every day:

Maybe we should get back to basics. During the 1860 Presidential campaign, Abraham Lincoln never left Springfield. If all the candidates just stayed home these days, I think it would be a lot easier on all of us, don’t you?

Speaking of President Lincoln, did you know that only one president has been born in Illinois – and it wasn’t Lincoln? Instead, it was Ronald Reagan, born in Tampico, located just south of Sterling in western Illinois. Lincoln was born in Kentucky – the first President to be born outside the original 13 colonies, while Illinois-connected U.S. Grant was born in Ohio. The other president with deep Illinois roots is, of course, Barack Obama.

While only 1 percent of the male citizens of the U.S. have red hair, 10 of the 46 men who’ve served as President – 22% – have been redheads: Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Van Buren, Pierce, Grant, Hayes, Coolidge, Eisenhower and Kennedy.

Alexander Hamilton’s parents were never married, which was a severe social problem for him to overcome. His father abandoned his mother and her two sons, and his mother died leaving the two boys orphans. Hamilton, of course, died as the result of his famous duel with Aaron Burr. Strangely enough, Hamilton’s son also died in a duel a few years before his father.

You may not realize that Paul Revere didn’t make his famous ride. Which is to say he was captured by the British shortly after starting out. The ride was completed by his companion William Dawes. Both men were sent in case one was caught – which Revere was. Unfortunately, Longfellow’s famous poem immortalized the wrong guy.

The only president of the U.S. who never cast a ballot in any election was Zachary Taylor. The old soldier served in the War of 1812, various Indian wars, and the Mexican War of I846. He never stayed in one place long enough to register, apparently.

If you suffer from triskaidekaphobia (fear of the number 13), you might have trouble being a consumer of U.S. history. The history of the U.S. is stuffed with 13s: ’76 (as in 1776) adds up to 13, we started with 13 colonies, and we originally had a 13 letter slogan: E Pluribus Unum. The Great Seal of the U.S. has 13 stars, 13 stripes, 13 arrows, and 13 leaves. The official eagle in the seal has 13 feathers in each wing. Old Glory, of course, has 13 stripes, and started with 13 stars. Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13; George Washington was elected on April 13; and Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner” on Sept. 13.

Quick, which state has the longest name? The official name of Rhode Island, up until 2020 was “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” It’s now been shortened to just plain old “The State of Rhode Island.” And where did the name Rhode Island come from in the first place? Like so much of our very early history, no one knows for sure, although early explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano reportedly wrote it reminded him of the Greek Island of Rhodes when he sailed past it in 1524.

During the Kennedy years, we heard about the “Massachusetts Mafia” people often referred to President Jimmy Carter’s “Georgia Mafia” and Ronald Reagan’s “California Mafia” But how about the “Virginia Mafia?” Of the first 12 U.S. Presidents, seven were from Virginia: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, William Henry Harrison, Tyler and Taylor. An interesting group when you think about it.

Who was the first left-handed President? If you answered Gerald Ford, you are wrong. It was Civil War veteran James A. Garfield.

Despite what you hear to the contrary, there are not 50 states in the Union. The U.S. consists of 46 states and four commonwealths: Virginia, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. And what, you may ask, is the difference? There isn’t one. They apparently just like the nice feeling “commonwealth” gives them.

Republicans used to be known as upright folks who frowned on most things that were wild and free. For instance, I recall that during the 1960s, most Republicans were dead set against long hair and beards. It is therefore ironic that all five U.S. Presidents who have had beards have been Republicans.

When we celebrate Independence Day on July 4, we are really doing sort of the wrong thing. On July 2, Congress adopted the Resolution of Independence officially severing ties with England, which members of the Continental Congress thought would become a future national holiday. Instead, on July 4, Congress adopted Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, which merely laid out the reasoning behind the July 2 resolution.

Only two future Presidents signed the Declaration of Independence: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Ironically, both died the very same day, July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of Jefferson’s noble work.

The “Star Spangled Banner” is the only national anthem in the world that both begins and ends with a question.

Thought for the day: During the debate for defense expenditures in 1906, one economy-minded Congressman shouted, “Why all this talk about airplanes – the Army already has one, hasn’t it?”

Finally, if you want your son or daughter to be president, see that he or she isn’t born in September – only one president has ever been born in the ninth month, William Howard Taft. The best months are October and November, each having produced six presidents.

Looking for more local history?

Visit http://historyonthefox.wordpress.com/