The Truth Behind Some Facts

First American born child of English settlers – Virginia Dare 1587.

Pilgrims 1st Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock – no turkey.

Manhattan Island bought from Indians for $24  (Peter Minuit – Manhattoe tribe)  trinkets & cloth valued at 60 guilders.

Bellevue is oldest general hospital – 1736 original plan.  1816 larger space – construction started on Bellevue Farm.

Slaves brought 1619 on Dutch ship to English Colony in VA
4 million freed after Civil War.   Approximately 15 million were brought over.

Liberty Bells – 2.    1st cast in England 1752 for PA state house.  2nd cast in Philadelphia – cracked July 8th 1835 as it tolled the passing Chief Justice John Marshall.

Betsy Ross did not design American Flag – Francis Hopkinson.  No record of Betsy sewing flag?

American Revolution – 4500 died in battle,  6000 wounded.    At Valley Forge illness claimed 3,000 lives.

Females on US currency – (3)  Martha Washington-  1886 & 1891 $1 silver certificates and on reverse of 1896 silver certificate,   Pocahontas on back of 1875 $20 bill and Susan B. Anthony 1979 $1 coin.

Pony express last 18 months April 1860 to October 1861 – distance of 1800 miles.    The completion of the telegraph system brought the pony express to an end.

Robert E. Lee was offered command of both Union & Confederate forces.  He opposed slavery and secession and believed the South could not win.  His loyalty to his home state of Virginia led him to accept the Confederate command. 

Lincoln’s Gettysburg address – November 19, 1863   - 5,000 attended. 

Andersonville military prison – 13,000 Union prisoners died.  Mostly of neglect.  Capt. Henry Wirz was only Civil War soldier executed for war crimes.

Gilded Age – 1869-1871.   Materialism & political corruption.    Novel was written by Mark Twain with Charles Dudley Warner.

Great Chicago Fire 1871 – not started by a cow  - reporter made it up.  Fire lasted 27 hours killing 250 people destroying 17,450 buildings.

1913 with sixteenth amendment – government permitted to tax citizens.

Hatfield’s & McCoy’s     McCoy’s lived in Pike County KY & Hatfield’s  Logan County, West VA.  1882-1910

Star spangled banner – Francis Scott Key wrote lyrics in 1814 melody from British Composer John Stafford Smith.  Not a theme until 1931.

Pledge of allegiance – Francis Bellamy September 8th, 1892- originally in children’s magazine to commemorate Columbus Day. 

Pearl Harbor   December 7, 1941.  Roosevelt.  3,000 died.  There was a warning intercepted hours lapsed until Roosevelt received and dispatched.  Hawaii’s receiver not working.  Message received 3 hours after.

Vietnam over 1975.    58,135 killed and 153,303 wounded.

Windy Cities.  Chicago actually 16th.       Number 1 is Great Falls, MT,  Oklahoma, Ok- Boston, MA – Cheyenne, WY  -  Wichita, KS

Dangerous waste sites – NJ most with 96 then NY with 63, PA 61, MI 58, CA 48.

Tallest Bldg.  Sears Tower, World Trade Center, Empire State Bldg.

Barrow, AK is northernmost point of US

US borders – Mexico – 1,933 and Canada 3,987

Highest Elevation  - Mt. McKinley, AK and lowest Death Valley, CA

 

by - Unknown

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