Monday, September 18, 2006

History Lesson…

Yes, Katie. The following are ALL from my super-wonderful US history "Quote of the Day" calendar. Stop judging me! I am a self-described “dork”, and have a bizarre fascination with the past. Tattoo a scarlet “D” on my forehead. It is appropriate! Dorks of the world unite! Victory on Jeopardy is assured by virtue of my seemingly uSEless (thank you, Katie) knowledge of historic trivia!

Pop the cork!
Here comes Deals-the-dork!

(Wow. THAT was stupid.)


ANYway...
QUOTES

“When opinions are free, either in matters of government or religion, truth will finally and powerfully prevail.”

- Thomas Paine, “The Age of Reason,” 1796


“It behooves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others.”
- Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to Benjamin Rush, April 21st, 1803


“A monarchy is a merchantman which sails well, but will sometimes strike a rock, and go to the bottom; whilst a republic is a raft which would never sink, but then your feet are always in the water.”
- Fisher Ames, U.S. politician, 1795


“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free…it expects what never was and never will be…Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.”
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, 1816


“Sir, [the American colonists] are a race of convicts, and ought to be thankful for anything we allow them short of hanging.”
- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)


“When the government violates the people’s rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of rights and the most indispensable of duties.”
- Marquis de Lafayette


“The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves…The fate of unborn Millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; this is all we can expect. We have, therefore, to resolve to conquer or die.”
- General George Washington addressing the Continental Army before the Battle of Long Island, August, 27th, 1776


FUN FACTS

“One of the best sources of Revolutionary War statistics is provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). According to DAR, the last surviving veteran of the Revolutionary War was a man named George Fruits, who died in 1876 at the age of 114.”

“The first president, George Washington, was the only president in America’s history to win a unanimous victory in the Electoral College.”

“Revolutionary soldiers were outfitted with many standard clothing items – when they were available, that is. To keep things simple, the soldiers were issued ‘common shoes,’ shoes that were interchangeable between the right and left feet.”

“Soldiers [during the Revolutionary War] expected to receive a standard ration each day, which included a pound of bread, a pound of meat, a gill (about four ounces) of dry beans or peas, and a gill of rum. The bread was so hard that it had to be soaked in water for a day to soften it up.”

“[In 1776] The first submarine, made of six-inch oak timbers coated with tar, was invented by David Bushnell of Connecticut and aptly named the ‘Turtle’.”


Okay, I'm done now...
(does everyone feel edu-maH-cated?)

11 comments:

Deals On Wheels said...

And second!

Haha...glad I'm not the only history-dork out there! :P

Katie said...

History Dork = yes
Spelling/Correct word usage = no

"Victory on Jeopardy is assured by virtue of my seemingly unless knowledge of historic trivia!" You meant useless right?

Deals On Wheels said...

Katie = smart-alecky, blonde dork.

So, THERE! :P

(I’ll go correct the mistake now. Stupid spell check)

Amstaff Mom said...

The unanimous electoral college vote must have made them think that it was worth keeping. I, for one, have never understood it.

I'm not edumacated like Y'ALL though.

I feel proud to be an American reading the quotes. What an inspirational speech by George W! (the other one)

Katie said...

Deals, well since you are morphing into me (I'm older so I get to claim my "me-ness" by years present on this planet) than you too are a "smart-alecky, blonde dork." You know me so well and we've never even met.

Katie said...

wait, how old are you? 25? Unless I waited until the age of FOUR to start thinking, I was first and you have spent your entire life trying to be me. It's ok, lots of people want to be me.

Deals On Wheels said...

Dear Katie:

Please see response to your comment HERE. Thank you. :P

AM: I concur. The Electoral College is bizarre. However, I think it is a good thing, and does make some sense if you really look at it. Those old, white guys knew what they were doing!

The Runt said...

do you work at work??

Katie said...

Ah, but deals I think you missed my response to your response.

Older AND faster.

Tim Rice said...

Loved your quote section. A lot of truths and insights on life in there. Great post.

Deals On Wheels said...

Katie: I've had a birthday since then. Unless I'm able I to stay the same age forever (which, unfortunately, I cannot do).

Plus, I'm so quick that I appear slow. But it is all an illusion.