At about this time in 1951, a hero engages in an action that would earn him the Medal of Honor. Pfc. Mack Jordan was just 22 years old when his “unflinching courage” stunned his fellow soldiers. He’d then been serving in Korea for just a few months. The Korean War has been called “the Forgotten War.” Many Americans are used to hearing about World War II and the Vietnam War, but they know very little about the conflict sandwiched in the middle. The heroes of that war thus rece

On this day in 1789, George Washington returns from his first presidential tour. Our first President thought it important to visit every part of the country during his time in office. Surely a visit from the much-loved President would help unify the country under its new government and its new Constitution. Washington left New York City on October 15, 1789, not too long after the first Congress adjourned on September 29. This first trip would weave its way through New Englan

On this day in 1751, Revolutionary War patriot Margaret Cochran Corbin is born. Margaret is one of the patriotic women behind the folk hero “Molly Pitcher.”   “[Molly Pitcher] has held a revered place in the patriotic lore of the American Revolution,” one National Archives article concludes, “right next to Betsy Ross.” Yet no one is sure if one woman inspired the legend or if “Molly Pitcher is merely a persona created from numerous sources.”   Whether she was the true inspira

On this day in 1787, Federalist Paper No. 5 is published. In this paper, “Publius” was John Jay. It’s the last essay that Jay will write for a while. Instead, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton will take over most of the rest of the series. Remember: Eventually, there were 85 papers. They were lengthy articles, by modern standards. (Federalist Paper No. 5, for instance, is about twice the length of an average newspaper editorial today.) Moreover, the essays were well-organi

On this day in 1943, a former Detroit Lion engages in an action that would earn him the Medal of Honor. Yet Maurice “Footsie” Britt earned more than just a Medal. He was also the first American to earn the four highest U.S. Army combat decorations for valor, all during a single war.   Even better, he lived to tell his stories.   Britt had been an athlete in college, of course, but he’d also joined the Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corps during his time at the University of

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “Cato” writes his fourth contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. Cato worries that the new office of President has been given too much power, particularly when combined with a long four-year-term in office. He reminds his readers that the philosopher Montesquieu warned about limiting the terms of magistrates in

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “Centinel” writes his third contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. Some of you will be interested to hear that Centinel begins this essay by citing two Bible verses! John 3:20 and Luke 12:2-3: “‘For every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved,’” he

On this day in 1787, Federalist Paper No. 4 was published. It was another in the series of essays defending the Constitution to the American people, who were then considering whether to adopt it. The first 14 Federalist Papers can sound VERY pro-national government—perhaps surprisingly so! The Founders were supposed to be in favor of a restrained national government, so what, exactly, is the deal with these papers? It is important to remember the overall layout of the Federal

On this day in 2000, an American presidential election ends in uncharacteristic uncertainty. Who would be President-elect, George W. Bush or Al Gore? More than a month of legal wrangling would follow . But did you ever think about this? The uncertainty could have been avoided if roughly 8,000 people had stayed in their voting lines. They didn’t, though. They listened to the media, got discouraged, and went home. Why did so many people fail to vote, when they’d intended to? Th

On this day in 1918, a United States Army Air Service pilot engages in an action that would earn him a Distinguished Service Cross. William “Bill” Vail was then flying a Spad fighter plane over the skies of France.   His action was one of the final aerial battles of World War I.   What must it have been like for those early pilots, flying in open-air biplanes, even as they fought off German fighters?   First Lt. Vail was on patrol with another pilot that day. He and Lt. Josia

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “John DeWitt” writes his third contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. The Federal Convention has claimed one thing, but presented another, as far as DeWitt is concerned. “[The proceedings of the Federal Convention] are presented as a Frame of Government purely Republican, and perfectly consistent with the indiv

On this day in 1781, George Washington’s stepson passes away. It had been less than three weeks since Washington’s victory over British General Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown. What an odd mixture of emotions? Washington had been celebrating America’s miraculous victory after a long, brutal war. Now he was mourning the death of his only stepson. George Washington never had any children of his own. Historians speculate that an early case of smallpox, apparently followed by tub

On this day in 1864, the future Anita Newcomb McGee is born. She’s been called the “Founder of the Army Nurse Corps” because of her work in establishing military nursing at the turn of the century.   McGee was Anita Rosalie Newcomb at birth, the daughter of two respected academics. Her parents both valued education and ensured that Anita got the best schooling available to a young girl in that day and age.   She even studied abroad at one point.   Anita was a researcher, a wr

On this day in 1787, Federalist Paper No. 3 was published. Eventually, 85 papers would be written in defense of the new Constitution . . . 85 essays! Just think about that. The American people were so interested and so involved in the creation of their new government that there was an audience for 85 long essays in the newspapers of the time. Modern Americans really seem to have a relatively short attention span, comparatively speaking. This Federalist Paper was written by Jo

On this day in 1944, a hero engages in an action that would earn him the Medal of Honor.  Charles E. Mower was a Wisconsin native and the son of a World War I veteran.   He’d been a football coach before joining the Army and could have gone back to such a life, but “since God has seen fit to change those plans,” Mower’s high school classmate James Theirl concluded, “we know that what Chuck did on that final day was his greatest work.”   That “final day” was November 3, 1944,

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “Brutus” writes his second contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. Brutus notes the importance of the task facing Americans. After all, the Constitution under consideration is to govern not only this generation, but also “generations yet unborn.” Brutus begins with observations about the nature of civil governme

On this day in 1938, the “race of the century” is held at Pimlico Race Course. The contest between two thoroughbred racing horses—Seabiscuit and War Admiral—gripped the nation in a way that might surprise modern Americans. The country was then in the midst of the Great Depression, and horse racing was a welcome distraction. Moreover, this particular race featured a faceoff between the old, Eastern establishment and the newer thoroughbred community in the West. Would the esta

On this day in 1787, the second in a series of essays defending the Constitution was published in New York’s Independent Journal. Ultimately, 85 of these Federalist Papers would be written: They have been called “the most important work in political science that has ever been written, or is likely ever to be written, in the United States.” Federalist Paper no. 2 was written by John Jay, a prominent lawyer of the time who had helped to draft the New York Constitution of 1777.

On this day in 1732, a baby boy is born. While that boy was born into slavery, he would go on to become a free man and a hero of our American Revolution.   Relatively little is known about Jordan Freeman’s early life, but we do know that he was born into the household of Richard Lord of Old Lyme, Connecticut. At some point, Jordan was sold to Groton merchant John Ledyard. John, in turn, gave Jordan to his son William to be his “man-servant.”   The two became friends, and Will

On this day in 1944, a soldier engages in an action that would earn him the Medal of Honor. Private George “Joe” Sakato would not receive his Medal until nearly 56 years after his action.  Even then, he was stunned.   “I couldn’t believe they were going to give me the Medal of Honor,” he said, noting that he only ever saw 90 days of combat. “I was just a recruit. I was just a raw private.”   But it was even more than that. When Sakato joined the Army, he was short and somewha