Entries by Our Lost Founding

Benjamin Franklin: Letters and Liberty

On this day in 1775, the Second Continental Congress establishes the U.S. postal system, per the recommendations of a committee chaired by Benjamin Franklin, including Samuel Adams and others. As one could imagine, the effective conveyance of letters and intelligence was vital to the cause of liberty. Postmaster Franklin had been postmaster of Philadelphia as well as joint postmaster general of the colonies. However, the British fired Franklin in 1774 as a result of the Hutchinson […]

Remembering Barbara Bush: “faith, family and friends”

A distant relative to the 14th president, Franklin Pierce, here are some wise words from former first lady Barbara Bush: “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a children, or a parent.” “[W]hen all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, […]

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Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and the “shirt” heard around the world

On this day in 1775, the famous ride of American patriots Paul Revere and William Dawes helps Samuel Adams and John Hancock evade capture by British troops. British troops marched out of Boston on a mission to confiscate American weapons and gunpowder at Concord. They are also determined to capture Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock at Lexington. So, Paul Revere and William Dawes set out on horseback from Boston to warn Adams and Hancock. […]

Benjamin Franklin and the Stamp Act: “Is there a power on earth… ?”

On this day in 1766, the British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act forced the colonists to buy a British stamp for every official document they obtained. Of course, this led to intense opposition as it was a clear example taxation without representation, one of the major causes of the Revolution. After months of protest, and an appeal by Benjamin Franklin before the British House of Commons, Parliament finally repeals the Act. Here are […]

Franklin D. Roosevelt: International. Good. Faith.

On this day 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs his Lend-Lease program. Lend-Lease gave Roosevelt the power to “sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of” military resources as he deemed necessary in defense of the United States. Primarily, the program was a means of aiding Great Britain in its war effort against Hitler’s Germany. Fittingly, Roosevelt used this simply illustration: “Suppose my neighbor’s home catches fire, and I have a length of […]

Babe Ruth : The Babe and The “Boss”

On this day in 1935, Babe Ruth retires after 22 seasons Major League Baseball. Ruth was on ten World Series champion teams and hit a record-setting 714 home runs. The following year he was one of the first five players inducted into baseball’s hall of fame. Babe Ruth died of throat cancer in 1948. However, in his final message, with the help of a couple friends, the “Sultan of Swat” wrote: I doubt if any appeal could have […]

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Alexander Hamilton on Opportunity

“Hamilton” is back in the news regarding decorum for political rivalry. So, that presents an opportunity. In fact, a “double opportunity” to share Our two posts regarding Alexander Hamilton’s duel with his political rival Aaron Burr. First, here a few portions of Alexander Hamilton’s Statement on Impending Duel with Aaron Burr from 1804: “I am conscious of no ill-will to Col Burr, distinct from political opposition, which, as I trust, has proceeded from pure and upright motives. […]

Thanksgiving Proclamation Offer

In grateful anticipation of Thanksgiving Day, we are pleased to extend this offer to you! It includes Our shirts inspired by quotes from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. After all, President Washington issued the first Thanksgiving Proclamation. Then, President Lincoln made it a federal holiday with his 1863 Proclamation, which invited American citizens to “set apart… the last Thursday of November… as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in […]

Patriot Day 2016

In the United States, September 11 is Patriot Day, and is observed as the National Day of Service and Remembrance. The bill to designate September 11 of each year as Patriot Day was introduced on October 25, 2001 with 22 co-sponsors: eleven Democrats and eleven Republicans. Here are portions of today’s Presidential Proclamation — Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, 2016: “[T]he acts of terror of September 11, 2001, sought to do more than hurt […]

Kap’n America

Although it’s Labor Day and we bid unofficial farewell to summer, I won’t be writing on the origins of the federal holiday, labor unions, or President Grover Cleveland’s politics of appeasement which failed to get him reelected. Instead, I’ll be writing a bit of a personal post as I bid farewell to a bewildering month of August. In short, we lost our pre-born daughter after seven months in the womb; one week later we embarked […]

Star-Spangled Medals; Star-Spangled Motto

Star-Spangled Medals The best part of the Olympics? For Our Lost Founding, it was hearing our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, forty-six times. That’s nineteen more times than we heard the anthem of the country with the second most gold medals. Star-Spangled Motto Winning gold is a lofty goal, and we still have the lofty goal of 60 pre-orders for our “Star-Spangled Motto” t-shirt by September 14th. That’s the day in 1814 that Francis Scott […]