In honor of Independence Day, we present an all-American edition of “Own Words.” “It is wholly fitting that we should celebrate July 4th, 1776. It is the day when the rest of the world’s nations dropped their playthings and said, ‘Uh-oh, Dad’s home.’” -George S. Patton, 1943 “America is a train. A train that...
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• On December 22, 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes gave a speech in Philadelphia during which he extolled, at great length, the health values of vinegar. The speech rambled on for some 45 minutes, well beyond its allotted time, and made it vividly clear that Hayes consumed nearly a quart of malt vinegar each...
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“I am not going to lie to you, men. The odds we face are grim. We are outnumbered and outgunned. Our supplies dwindle. Our ammunition will not last. The enemy is well rested, well positioned, and very angry about the fact that I called King George the son of a motherless goat. It is...
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• On July 1, 1891, New York state passed the Youth Labor Act, a significant victory for the child labor movement. The law was considered a benchmark of the time, setting strict standards: “Child laborers shall not work more than 85 hours in a given week, and no more than 19 hours in a...
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• On March 17, 1813, Colonel Thaddeus McKitrick mounted the War of 1812′s famed St. Patrick’s Day defense of Sacket’s Harbor. The harbor, north of Syracuse, was vital for supplying American troops in the Northeast. Alerted to British forces advancing from Canada, McKitrick dug in to meet the charge. His defenses were tactically sound...
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• On January 1, 1813, Colonel Thaddeus McKitrick led the War of 1812′s famed ‘New Year’s Day Charge.’ McKitrick had been ordered by Winfield Scott to advance upon British troops camped on a ridge southwest of Ottawa, and sought the element of surprise by marching around to the ridge’s far side. Winter conditions made...
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