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

On this day in 1776, George Washington’s army loses the Battle of White Plains, but it is one of those losses that doesn’t feel like a defeat: General Sir William Howe missed his chance to completely crush the American army. And, on a humorous note, he’d perhaps learned a thing or two about the tenacity of the upstart colonists who now took on the powerful British Army. The Battle of White Plains came not long after Washington’s men had been forced out of first Brooklyn, then

On this day in 1787, “Publius” publishes an essay defending the Constitution in several New York newspapers. Publius?! Publius who? Most modern Americans have never heard of him. How unfortunate. The collection of works written by Publius was critical to the establishment of our Constitution. We’ve been living with our Constitution for so long that it can be easy to forget what things were like before. Perhaps you know that the Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia during

On this day in 1952, a Marine engages in an action that would earn him the Medal of Honor. George O’Brien was surely an unlikely hero. The Texas native had been a “self-described problem child,” a Department of Defense summary explains. As a young boy, he was apparently a bit of a handful in class, which left him constantly changing schools. In the end, he worked as a Merchant Marine during World War II. Perhaps that experience settled him down? After the war, he went to Te

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “John DeWitt” writes his second contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. Dewitt is worried about the permanency of the decision that is about to be made. He reminds his readers that the newly proposed Constitution is not a “mere revision and amendment of our first Confederation.” Instead, it is a “compleat System

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “Cato” writes his third contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. Can the proposed Constitution “answer the ends for which it is said to be offered to you, and for which all men engage in political society, to wit, the mutual preservation of their lives, liberties, and estates”? Cato thinks it is impossible, due t

On this day in 1942, the Battle for Henderson Field begins. Marines in the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines stand as the last line of defense between the Japanese and an all-important airfield on Guadalcanal. Company C took the brunt of the attack that night, but our Marines staunchly held on. As the Japanese retreated, someone reportedly hoisted a flag made from an old, white parachute. It bore a skull and crossbones and the words “Suicide Charley, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.”

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “Centinel” writes his second contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. Centinel emphasizes the need for a free press. “As long as the liberty of the press continues unviolated,” he writes, “and the people have the right of expressing… and publishing their sentiments upon every public measure, it is next to impossi

On this day in 1781, George Washington’s aide-de-camp continues a multi-day ride from Yorktown to Philadelphia. You might know about Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, but do you know about Tench Tilghman’s? Paul Revere’s service earned him a poem, and he’s endured in American memory ever since. By contrast, Tilghman’s ride has gone mostly unnoticed—but the effort took so much out of him that he was sick for days afterwards. Tilghman didn’t mind. He’d been entrusted with the

On this day in 1787, an author writing under the pseudonym “John DeWitt” writes his first contribution to the anti-Federalist Papers. These papers argued against the new Constitution, then being considered for ratification by the states. DeWitt’s points are simple. First, he wants everyone to slow down! The newly proposed Constitution should be considered carefully. Why, he wonders, does everyone feel the need to go so fast? “I am a stranger to the necessity for all this hast

On this day in 1746, Esther de Berdt Reed is born. Some say that she worked so hard to support the Revolution that she literally worked herself into an early grave. She was just shy of 34 years old when she passed away. Esther was the wife of Joseph Reed, the military secretary to George Washington. Esther had moved to America with her new husband only a few years before the war began. You can imagine that she initially felt torn between loyalty to the country of her birth an