#george-washington

#george-washington

On March 10, 1778, Gotthold Frederick Enslin became the first soldier to be tried, convicted, and expelled from the Continental Army for "Infamous Crimes" with another serviceman. Commander in Chief George Washington personally approved the court-martial decision. Whether Washington signed the discharge order because Enslin had been found guilty of intimate relations with a private, or because Enslin had been discovered socializing with someone below his rank, which was equally forbidden and scandalous, or because Enslin had lied about the matter to a superior officer,

The American Revolutionary War is one of the most studied conflicts, as well as one of the most celebrated times in U.S. history. Despite this, many of its basic facts have faded from memory. Many of us have forgotten the crucial battles and iconic people involved, alongside the motivations that drove the colonies to rebellion. However, understanding these events is necessary to understanding our country.

Stuart, a Rhode Island native, hatched a plan to paint Washington for a simple reason: He needed to pay off debts incurred during a decade in Europe. His profligacy had even briefly landed him in a Dublin debtors prison. "I expect to make a fortune by Washington alone," Stuart wrote to a friend, J.D. Herbert, whose writings memorialize the extravagant dinners Stuart threw in Dublin, featuring a French cook.

Something about living under those bright lights and napping in 20-minute increments appears to warp even the most ordinary cravings. Over the centuries, commanders-in-chief have often clung to comfort food with a kind of desperate loyalty - odd sandwiches whipped up in the dead of night, condiments used with such abandon they veer into performance art, or entire meals consumed with the single-minded fervor of a man attempting to outrun his own briefings.

Today in history: On Nov. 26, 1973, President Richard Nixon's personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, told a federal court she'd accidentally caused part of the 18 1/2-minute erasure of a key Watergate tape. The gap was in a 1972 recording of a conversation between Nixon and his chief of staff. Also on this date: In 1791, President George Washington held his first full cabinet meeting; in attendance were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox

In retirement, General Washington is even greater than he was during the Revolution. His decision to relinquish command in 1783 shocked the world.

In 1911, the children of Brooklyn took home to read from the Public Library a million and a half books, indicating a strong engagement with library resources.

Is that ... George Washington? wondered one commuter or tourist after another as the flatbed truck beeped into position.