Presidential Homes Not Immune from Great Recession

Here is a great article from Forbes and MSN about a recent evaluation of famous presidential pads. Special focus is given to the Obama residence in Chicago, the Kennedy compound on Cape Cod and Harry S. Truman's home, among others. It appears that the Great Recession that has been hitting real estate markets hard has also lowered the worth of the private homes of current and past presidents. Don't feel too badly for them though, something tells me Obama and the Kennedy's won't have to worry about keeping their homes.

[Image via lise2cc]

New Presidential History Page!

Ever wondered which president made the first audio recording? Which president starred in the first video with sound recording? You can find out now on the new presidential history page. On this new page at www.ushistorygirl.com you can read important speeches from each president and also enjoy audio and video clips from important political moments in the 20th and 21st centuries. From FDR's fireside chats to Nixon sweating through his first debate with JFK, you will find it all at the new presidential history page.

$50 Dollar Bill Debate

In recent weeks, there has been a call by some Americans to replace the image of Ulysses S. Grant on the $50 bill with the image of Ronald Reagan. Here is an interesting op-ed in the NY Times by historian Sean Wilentz which argues that President Grant deserves to remain on the $50 bill. What do you think?

[Image via Oldpicture]

“...The Better Angels of Our Nature.” - President Lincoln Inaugurated

Imagine you are finally elected to the political office to which you’ve always aspired, only to have half the country secede as a result. This was the case when Abraham Lincoln was elected to the presidency in 1860. The country was in a precarious position when Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, and Lincoln had already confronted the inherent danger personally. He had taken a long train ride from his home in Springfield, Illinois fearing he might never see his friends again. He even broke from his family to make the last part of the journey alone and in secret, as his security team believed he might face attempts on his life while traveling through Maryland. Despite these risks, Lincoln broke from his security advisors in deciding to ride to the capital in an open carriage with President Buchanan on the morning of his inauguration.

Many southern states had already seceded, and Lincoln was trying to hold on to the border states without placating to southern demands. He was in a position that no other president had ever faced in American history. However, rather than appear bitter or angry, his first inaugural address is cloaked in words of reconciliation. “We are not enemies, but friends,” said Lincoln. “We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. “

With his inauguration, Abraham Lincoln was taking on arguably the toughest task every faced by an American president - namely, how to reunite and reconcile a nation that was coming apart at the seams. Rather than vilify southerners as enemies, he emphasized their shared ties to the union, a tone he would recall in his second inaugural when the war was coming to a close.

            To read Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address in its entirety, click here.

[Image via unomaha]

“Do Me A Solid and Don’t Tell Dick Cheney I was Here” – Presidential Video on CFPA

Here is a great video from Funnyordie.com that shows many of the former presidents visiting Barak Obama during the night to argue for the importance of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. You’ll see many past cast members of Saturday Night Live reprising their roles as former presidents along with Jim Carrey, who stars as Ronald Reagan. Enjoy!

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

[Image via Venturebeat]

The Times They Are A-Changin - Bob Dylan At The White House

Earlier this month, Bob Dylan performed “The Times They Are A-Changin” at the White House as part of a celebration of the music of the civil rights movement. Here is his performance at the White House:

Here is Dylan performing the same song in the early years of his career.

Building a Bridge - Nixon in China

From February 21-28, 1972, President Richard Nixon visited China to begin a process of normalizing diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. The two nations had been foes since the end of World War II, when the United States started to create distance between itself and communist nations. American politicians feared the spread of communism across Europe and Asia. Many campaigned on the promise to stop this spread and to eliminate any cooperation between the United States and communist countries.  A young Richard Nixon was one such politician, who became Eisenhower’s vice-presidential nominee in 1952 on a strong anti-communist stance. This background makes Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 all the more remarkable.

            Nixon became the first sitting president to visit China. During his trip, Nixon visited Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai, and was initially greeted by Chairman Mao himself. Supposedly, Mao’s first words to Nixon were “Our common old friend, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek, doesn’t approve of this.”  The United States had previously backed Chiang Kai-Shek’s Chinese government then exiled in Taiwan in the civil struggle between Chiang Kai-Shek’s government and Chairman Mao’s People’s Republic of China. Nixon’s visit marked a shift in this thinking, as the United States planned to back out and let the Chinese settle the dispute themselves.

            The most quoted antic dote from Nixon’s visit has little to do with the substance of Nixon’s meetings with Chinese officials and more to do with Nixon’s sight seeing. When Nixon stood before the Great Wall of China he said, “this truly is a great wall.”

            At the end of his historic visit to China, President Nixon offered his own views on the importance of the visit and its implications for future US-China relations:

This was the week that changed the world, as what we have said in that Communique is not nearly as important as what we will do in the years ahead to build a bridge across 16,000 miles and 22 years of hostilities which have divided us in the past. And what we have said today is that we shall build that bridge.

Nixon’s visit to China has been written about in scores of books, but here is an example of a different interpretation. Here is a clip from an opera entitled “Nixon in China” by American composer John Adams.

           

[Images via Cbertel and Northwestern]

Let Presidents’ Week Continue! - Interesting Talk on Lessons We Can Learn From Past Presidents

TED is a small nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading. It initially started as a yearly conference that brought together people from the worlds of technology, entertainment and design to share ideas. Since then, it has grown in scope and breadth. In 2008, Doris Kearns Goodwin attended a TED conference to speak about what we all might learn from the lessons of past presidents. Here is her talk in its entirety:

[Image via nzedge] 

Happy Presidents’ Day!

The history of Presidents’ Day goes back to 1880, when Washington’s Birthday, February 22^nd, was celebrated as a federal holiday within the District of Columbia. Washington Day was the first holiday created to honor an American in United States history. The holiday spread to all federal offices nationwide in 1885. On January 1, 1971, the holiday shifted from February 22^nd to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This made the “Washington’s Birthday” holiday somewhat of a fraud as it was no longer celebrated on Washington’s actual birthday. Attempts to officially change the name of the holiday to “Presidents’ Day” initially stalled, but after advertisers began to recognize the day as “Presidents’ Day,” most states followed suit. The day shifted from a holiday in which Americans might pay tribute to Washington, to a day that pays tribute to the presidency itself. Most states interpret the holiday to honor two of our greatest presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, as their birthdays both fall in February (Lincoln’s birthday is February 12^th).

            Interestingly, because the states have been left to acknowledge the holiday in their own way, it is celebrated differently across the country. For example, Alabama honors both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson on Presidents’s Day (even though Jefferson’s birthday is in April). Massachusetts also honors other presidents besides Washington, namely those with ties to the state including John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Calvin Coolidge and John F. Kennedy. In New Jersey, Illinois, Missouri and Connecticut, Lincoln’s birthday is still celebrated as a state holiday in addition to the federal holiday of Washington’s birthday.

            We might just think of Presidents’ Day as a day off of work or school (if you’re lucky), however, it really is a day to honor the presidency and all those in public service. To that end, here are some recipes to help you celebrate. I may attempt the Lincoln log, and I’ll get back to you on how that goes…

            Until then….Happy Presidents’ Day!

            To learn more about our nation’s presidents, visit the White House’s presidential database.

           

Lincoln Log Cake

1/2 c. flour

¼ c. unflavored cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs, room temperature

¾ c/ sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

Whipped cream

Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat at high speed until thick and light; approximately 10 minutes. Fold in dry ingredients. Bake in a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan lined with wax paper and greased at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and loosen sides of pan.

Turn out onto clean towel sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Peel off wax paper - trim edges and cool 5 minutes. Roll up cake in towel for at least 1 hour. Unroll and spread with whipped cream. Roll up again. Place on serving dish. Frost with chocolate frosting. Run tines of fork length of log for bark effect. Cut in crosswise slices.

           

George Washington Recipe

Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 sticks butter or margarine

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

maraschino cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the vanilla, butter, egg yolks and brown sugar until creamy. Add the flour and salt and mix well.

Have the children roll the dough into 1" balls and place them on greased cookie sheets. Have the children make a thumbprint in each ball and then place a maraschino cherry in each thumbprint. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. (Makes about 3 dozen cookies)

[Image via Presidentsresort]

Roosevelt, Bankruptcy and the Scary Side of Preservation

The NY Times recently published an article about the ongoing battle to secure the papers of one of FDR’s last secretaries, Grace Tully, for the Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Grace Tully began working for Roosevelt in 1929 when he was governor of New York, and served as his personal secretary from 1941 until his death in 1945. Her papers, which include photographs, official correspondence and handwritten notes, was left to her estate upon her death. Conrad M. Black, now serving time in a Florida prison for a fraud, bought the papers from her estate in 2001. His company, which at the time owned The Chicago-Sun Times, bought the papers from a rare-book dealer for an estimated $8 million. He was collecting the largest amount of FDR papers still in private hands for an FDR biography he planned to write. (“Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom,” published in 2003).

In recent years, Black attempted to auction the papers off at Christies but was stopped when the government accused Black of selling documents which belonged to the National Archives. (The National Archives oversees Presidential Libraries) Still with me?  Since then, the papers have been stored at the Roosevelt Presidential Library, which all parties seem to think will be their eventual home. However, since the ownership of the papers is still being worked out, archivists and researchers have been forbidden to open the sealed boxes to explore what appraisers have called “very, very valuable papers.” I’m not sure how Cynthia Koch, the head of the Roosevelt Presidential Library, can stand having those priceless items so close and yet so far. If it were me, I’d be in there in the middle of the night with a flashlight Watergate style dying to find out what the secretary’s papers could tell us about such an extraordinary time in our nation’s history. Real nerd stuff. Maybe there are revelations in that collection which could confound, complicate, or confirm our understanding of FDR. Who knows? Only time will tell…

Suspicious Minds: The King in the People’s House

Today marks the anniversary of one of the strangest meetings ever held in the White House. On December 21, 1970, Elvis Presley met with President Richard Nixon. The meeting was the result of a letter written by Elvis Presley to President Nixon in which he suggested he be made a “Federal Agent-at-Large” in order to help fight the drug culture and “Hippy Element” in American society. The irony of Elvis offering to help fight a war on drugs is easily seen in light of the nature of his demise (I say this as a fan).

In his meeting with Nixon, Elvis presented the president with a Colt 45 pistol and pictures of his family. According to accounts of the meeting produced by staffers shortly after the visit, Elvis told Nixon that he wanted to infiltrate youth culture and combat some of the anti-American sentiment that he felt was on the rise. He stated that he believed that the Beatles were responsible for much of the anti-American sentiment. At the end of the meeting, he hugged Nixon and told him he supported him. Oddly enough, of all the photocopy and reproduction requests received by the National Archives each year, the photo of President Nixon and Elvis’ meeting receives the most requests. That is, more people request a copy of this photo than reproductions of either the Bill of Rights or the Constitution.

Visit the National Archives site to check out Elvis’ letter to the president, as well as photos of their meeting and other related documents.

[Image via tvland]

If Only I was Named after a President...

Cool NY Times photography project on people (men) who share names of former presidents. The namesakes are posed in famous presidential poses to very cool results. Check it out.

President Obama Pardons Turkey

Today, in the tradition of numerous presidents before him, President Obama pardoned two turkeys. They will act as marshals at tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day parade in Disneyland. President George H. W. Bush was the first to officially pardon turkeys before Thanksgiving. Prior presidents were also given turkeys, but as President Obama mentions, many chose to eat their turkeys rather than to pardon them.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

I want to wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!

[Image via ttthunts]

"I have to worry because I could be defeated" - President Kennedy on the 1960 Presidential Election

Tonight on NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams introduced a never before heard audio clip of President Kennedy in the oval office discussing a possible coup in Vietnam just as United States involvement in the war was escalating. I wasn’t able to find that clip to share, but I did find another Kennedy clip which is more appropriate to share on the eve of elections across the country. On January 5, 1960, then Senator Kennedy and his wife attended a dinner party at the home of friends. After dinner, the host pulled out a tape recorder and asked Kennedy if they could talk about his entry into politics, his own feelings about the 1960 presidential election, and his health. As a result, we have this gem of a recording, which shows Kennedy as a vulnerable candidate unsure of his chances in the presidential election. He even worries how he will start over at the age of 45 should he lose (granted he had a trust fund, but everyone still needs a purpose). Enjoy this audio clip! If you listen closely, you can even hear Kennedy clip his cigar.

Happy almost election day everyone! Get out and vote!

[Image via Independent]

He Liked It So He Put a Ring On It – John Adams Marries Abigail Smith

On October 25, 1764, future President John Adams married Abigail Smith. Abigail was the daughter of a parson who had nurtured an active mind through reading. John Adams was taken with her intellect and her willingness to debate him on any issue. The two entered into one of the most famous marriages in American history, made famous by the publication of their letters to one another in the 1840s.

Their marriage coincided with the increased hostilities between England and the colonies, the ensuing revolution and the beginning of the United States. One can imagine how tough it was on both John and Abigail to be separated at such trying times when no one’s safety was guaranteed. It was during one of these separations in 1774 that Abigail wrote one of her most famous letters to John exhorting him to “remember the ladies” when he and the other members of the Continental Congress got around to writing the laws of the new nation.

Abigail remained one of John’s closest political allies, particularly after the founding of the new nation. John Adams was our nation’s first Vice-President, which left him without much recourse to influence policy. Upon being elected to the Vice-Presidency he reflected, “My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.” After serving two terms as Vice-President, John Adams was elected to the presidency in 1797. Their union must have been a special comfort to John Adams after suffering defeat in his bid for re-election in 1800 at the hands of his former friend turned political rival, Thomas Jefferson. Adams retired to private life with Abigail at their home, Peacefield. Abigail passed away in 1818 due to typhoid fever. Abigail and John had been married for 54 years, and her passing at the age of 73 devastated John Adams. After her passing, he wrote about his grief to his son John Quincy Adams:

The bitterness of Death is past. The grim Specter so terrible to human Nature has no sting left for me.

My consolations are more than I can number. The Separation cannot be so long as twenty Separations heretofore. The Pangs and the Anguish have not been so great as when you and I embarked for France in 1778.

John Adams died famously on the July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

To read transcripts of letters written by John and Abigail Adams throughout their marriage, visit the Massachusetts Historical Society Collection here.

[Image via Vassar]

“I Am Not A Crook” – Richard Nixon – Nixon turns over the Watergate Tapes

On October 23, 1973 President Richard Nixon agreed to turn over White House tape recordings requested by the Watergate special prosecutor to Judge John J. Sirica. Excerpts of these tapes were played in open court in U.S. v. Mitchell and U.S. v. Connally. Many of the conversations on these tapes indicate Nixon’s knowledge of the Watergate break in and the following cover-up. For this reason, they are often referred to as the “Smoking Gun” tapes. To read transcripts of different recorded conversations and to listen to the tapes themselves, visit the Nixon Library site here.

[Image via Suzieqq]

You Can Shoot Him, But You Can’t Kill Him – Teddy Roosevelt Shot on the Campaign Trail – October 14, 1912

In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt was engaged in the political fight of his life, and on October 14th it briefly turned into a fight for his life itself. While campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the presidential candidate for the Progressive “Bull Moose” Party, Teddy Roosevelt was shot at close range by saloonkeeper John Schrank. Roosevelt was greeting a crowd in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel before a speech when Schrank aimed his gun at Roosevelt’s heart and fired a .32-caliber bullet. What kept the bullet from killing Roosevelt were the contents of his breast pocket; a glasses case and a folded speech that he planned to deliver that evening. As a result of the obstructions, Roosevelt received only a flesh wound rather than a mortal wound. In true “Rough Rider” spirit, Teddy Roosevelt insisted on giving his speech as planned saying “You see, it takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose.” After finishing the speech, Roosevelt was rushed to the hospital. One can only hope that Roosevelt said “Bully” at some point.

Nothing says devotion on the campaign trail like being willing to deliver a speech even after being shot. This makes it all the more tragic that Roosevelt did not go on to win the election. Even though he served as president from 1901 to 1909, Roosevelt lost the election to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Shrank, meanwhile, was ruled insane and spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital.

[Image via Wikipedia and answers]

Save the Date – Thanksgiving Day

Today in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. Prior to the federal appointment of a day of thanksgiving, the holiday was celebrated by different states on different days. It is believed that Secretary of State William Seward actually composed the proclamation designating an official Thanksgiving Day. The manuscript of the proclamation was later sold to benefit Union troops. To read the proclamation in its entirety, click here.

[Image via UAkron]

Anniversary of the Warren Commission Report

On September 27, 1964 the Warren Commission concluded that there was no conspiracy to assassinate John F. Kennedy, and that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. The Commission consisted of Earl Warren, Richard Russel, Jr., John Sherman Cooper, Hale Boggs, Gerald Ford, Allen Welsh Dulles and John J. McCloy. The Commission’s findings have been thought of as controversial ever since they were made available to the public three days after they were presented to President Johnson on the 24^th. Many still believe that President Kennedy was killed as a result of a conspiracy and by more than one shooter (ie the shooters on the grassy knoll theory). In his posthumous memoir, Teddy Kennedy stated that he accepted the findings of the Warren Commission, but his brother Robert was notably cynical about the commission’s findings for the remainder of his life.

For a pop culture investigation into the Warren Commission’s findings, check out Oliver Stone’s JFK. This film follows New Orleans’ District Attorney Jim Garrison’s investigation into the assassination, which reveals an elaborate conspiracy. For any conspiracy nuts out there, even if your strain of conspiracy isn’t specific to the Kennedy assassination, you may want to check out this film. I’ve heard that Stone footnoted the screenplay to emphasize that his claims could be supported by facts, but I’ve never seen a copy of it. Has anyone heard of this?

[Image via PBS]

“I wish I could give you a lot of advice, based on my experience of winning political debates. But I don’t have that experience." - Richard Nixon

On September 24, 1960, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy took part in the first televised presidential debate. The two candidates appeared in front of an estimated audience of 60 million viewers for the first of four debates. The candidates took different approaches to their debate preparation. Kennedy rested beforehand and allowed the television crew to apply make- up to his skin before taping. This allowed him to appear relaxed and tan. Nixon, on the other hand, did not rest much before the taping. He had also been ill shortly before the debate, so he appeared underweight, pale and uncomfortable. In a storied political flub, Nixon did not wear any make up for the cameras before the debate. This made him appear pale and tired when standing beside a composed Kennedy. Those who listened to the debate on the radio believed Nixon to be the winner. Those who watched it on television thought the winner to be Kennedy. This speaks to the power of the televised image that would be cultivated by every other presidential candidate since the 1960 election. Nixon would wear make-up for the next three televised debates, but by then, fewer people were watching. Here is their first debate in two parts courtesy of www.archive.org.






[Image via smh.com.au]