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AMERICANPATRIOT VIEW IN
FULLSCREENCLICK ABOVEFEBRUARY 11, 2010
A HISTORY OFPRESIDENTS’DAY
THE CHARM OFCHARLESTONFIFTY-FOUR FORTYOR FIGHT!
AMERICANPATRIOT
THE HISTORY OFPRESIDENT’SDAY
46
THE CHARM OFCHARLESTON
8GREAT AMERICAN ACTORSPAUL NEWMAN
14
Contents
54°40’ OR FIGHT!
1012
THIS WEEKIN AMERICANHISTORY
JAMES NAISMITHTHE MAN WHOINVENTED BASKETBALL
QUOTE OFTHE WEEK14
16 17
OLYMPIAN OHNOHEADS TO VANCOUVER
4 AMERICAN PATRIOT
THE HISTORY OF
PRESIDENTS’ DAYGEORGE WASHINGTON WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 22, 1732.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS BORN ON FEBRUARY 12, 1809.
Thus America found itself with two presidential birthdays, worthy
of celebration, falling within a short timeframe. For years, both
days were celebrated as public holidays, Washington everywhere
and Lincoln in most states.
FAST FORWARD TO 1968.Congress was enlisted to create a uniform system of federal Monday holidays and
voted to shift Washington’s birthday celebration to the third Monday in February. A
draft of the Uniform Holidays Bill sought to rename the holiday Presidents’ Day to
honor both Washington and Lincoln, but this proposal failed in committee. But in the
commonsense way Americans have, the concept and phrase “Presidents’ Day” took
hold in the popular mind and has become part of the everyday vernacular to denote
the birthdays of both great leaders.
AMERICAN PATRIOT 5
Interestingly, Presidents’ Day is still not an
all-inclusive term. Massachusetts officially
celebrates “Washington's Birthday,” but
state law also prescribes that the governor
issue an annual Presidents’ Day proclamation
honoring all the presidents that have come
from Massachusetts. Alabama uniquely ob-
serves the day as "Washington and Jefferson
Day", even though Jefferson's birthday was
in April. And in New Jersey, Connecticut,
Missouri and Illinois, Washington's Birthday
is treated as a federal holiday, and Lincoln's
birthday is treated as a state holiday.
There are asmany different ways to celebrate
Presidents’ Day, as there are names for it.
Many communities continue to observe
the original holidays by staging pageants
and reenactments of important milestones
in the lives of Washington and Lincoln.
The National Park Service features a number
of historic sites and memorials to honor
the lives of the two presidents, and many
of the birthday activities and events are
held at the George Washington Birthplace
National Monument in Westmoreland VA,
the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National
Historic Site in Hodgenville KY, the Lincoln
Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City
IN, and the Lincoln Home National Historic
Site in Springfield IL. Mount Vernon also
honors Washington’s birthday with a cele-
bration weekend, which draws between
10,000 and 20,000 visitors. Other traditions
include the longest running George Wash-
ington Birthday parade in Alexandria VA,
and an annual “George Fest” in Eustis FL.
6 AMERICAN PATRIOT
Charleston, SC is a city rich in history, tradition and Southern culture, with areputation for outstanding accommodations, entertainment and cuisine. Namedafter King Charles II, it was established in 1670 and is located just south of themid-point of South Carolina’s coastline, at the confluence of the Ashley andCooper Rivers. Charleston’s nickname is The Holy City due to the prominenceof churches and steeples on the low-rise cityscape and the fact that it was oneof the few cities in the original thirteen colonies to extend religious toleranceto theFrenchHuguenot Church. Charlestonwas also one of the first colonial citiesto allow Jews to practice their faith without restriction.
THE CHARM OF CHARLESTON
Charleston is well-known across the United States
and beyond for its unique culture, which blends
traditional southern American with English, French,
and West African elements. All are visible in
Charleston’s “Low Country” cuisine. Two of the
most celebrated dishes are shrimp and grits and
she-crab soup. There are also a number of differ-
ent breweries offering the authentic taste of
homemade Charleston Beer.
Founded by the British as a “great port towne”
during the colonial period, mid-18th century
Charleston became a major trade center, the hub
of Atlantic trade for the southern colonies, and
the largest city south of Philadelphia. A focal point
during the Revolutionary war, the city became ex-
tremely prosperous in the post-Revolutionary years
through trade and a plantation-dominated econ-
omy. Devoted to the concept of States Rights, South
Carolina seceded from the Union and the first shots
of the Civil War came in Charleston harbor, and the
Confederate soldiers took control of Fort Sumter.
Charleston languished for decades, but has seen an
economic renaissance in the past three decades.
Charleston’s museums offer a glimpse into the
city’s history. The city is home to the Charleston
Museum, America’s oldest, as well Shem Creek
Maritime Museum, which pays tribute to historical
maritime Charleston, and the Karpeles Manuscript
Museum, with the largest collection of significant
historical manuscripts in the world. Charleston’s
rich military history is on display at Ft. Sumter and
Ft. Moutrie. The Avery Institute of Afro-American
History and Culture collects and preserves the
unique historical and cultural heritage of African-
Americans in the South Carolina Low Country.
And standing in remembrance of a dark moment
in Charleston’s history are its historic plantations,
now open to the public, where slaves once labored.
In 1995 Marjabelle Young Stewart, an etiquette
expert recognized Charleston as the “best-man-
nered” city in the US, clearly exemplified by the
friendliness of its population. A visit to Charleston
offers the delights of modern city life and the tra-
ditions of a time past.
AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
WATCH A VIDEO OFCHARLESTON HIGHLIGHTS
SITES TO SEE
GIBBES MUSEUM OF ARTEstablished in 1905, the Gibbesilluminates Charleston’s historywith stories of the South Carolina LowCountry as seen through painting,sculpture and photographs.
SPOLETO FESTIVAL USAFounded in 1977, Spoleto is oneof the world’s major performing artsfestivals, and features establishedand emerging artists.
KIAWAH ISLANDNamed for an Indian tribe from the1600s, the island 10 miles ofbeaches and five world-renowned golfcourses just 15 miles from the city. FORT SUMTER
The first shots of the bloody Civil War tookplace here in 1861, and the fort remains apowerful symbol of union and disunion.
BOONE HALL PLANTATIONAn antebellum plantation, which includes apost-civil war farmhouse, original slave cabins,several flowering gardens and the historic“Avenue of Oaks.”
GREAT AMERICAN ACTORS
PAUL NEWMAN
Born in 1925 in Cleveland OH,
Newman showed an early interest
in the theater. After serving in WWII
and receiving his undergraduate
degree at Kenyon College, he mar-
ried actress Jacqueline Witte and
took over the family sporting goods
store. But Newman grew restless
and subsequently enrolled at the
Yale School of Drama. While there,
he travelled to New York City where
he won a role in the CBS series The
Aldrich Family. In 1953 Newman
made his Broadway debut in Picnic
where he was spotted by Warner
Bros. executives, who offered him
a contract.
PaulNewmanwas asmuch a hero off-screen ason. A blue-eyed idol whose career successfullyspanned five decades, he was also a prominentsocial activist, a proponent of actors’ creativerights, and a noted philanthropist.
Though Newman’s early films were disasters,
his third film, Somebody Up There Likes Me,
was a success, with rave reviews for his per-
formance. In 1958, he starred in The Long Hot
Summer and met his second wife, Joanne
Woodward. The couple continued to team on-
screen throughout their careers. When he
appeared in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opposite
Elizabeth Taylor, Newman scored his first Acad-
emy Award nomination. He was one of the few
actors to successfully make the transition
from 1950s cinema to that of the 1960s and
70s. His rebellious nature recommended him
to the new generation and he received a sec-
ond, third and fourth Oscar nomination. On
his sixth attempt, Newman won the Oscar for
Best Actor for The Color of Money. He contin-
ued making movies until 2002, and in 2007
announced he would retire because he could
no longer act at the level he wanted to.
Newman’s efforts off-screen were equally
prolific. In 1968 he and Woodward made
headlines by campaigning full time for
Democratic candidate Eugene McCarthy
and for their strong opposition to
the war in Vietnam. With Barbara
Streisand and Steve McQueen,
Newman founded First Artists, a production
company created to offer performers the
opportunity to produce their own projects.
Productions included The Sting, which won the
1973 Oscar for Best Picture. With writer AE
Hotchner, Newman founded Newman’s Own,
a line of food products whose proceeds would
be donated to charity. Newman also began
his own charities, the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang
Camp, a residential summer camp for seriously
ill children, and the Scott Newman Foundation,
started after the drug-related death of his
son. He was also an avid racecar driver and
raced frequently in major races including Le
Mans and the Can-Am and Trans-Am series.
In 2008, Newman was diagnosed with lung
cancer and died soon thereafter in his beloved
town of Westport CT. Father of six children,
he died surrounded by friends and family.
CLICK HERE TOSEE A MONTAGEOF SOME OF PAULNEWMAN’S GREATESTMOVIE MOMENTS
US01-1452_8.5x11_Layout 1 11/30/09 10:28 AM Page 2
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54°40’ OR FIGHT!
AMERICAN PATRIOT 11
The story is this. In the early 19th Century,the U.S. and British Canada had establisheda joint claim over the Oregon territory, whichcovered lands west of the Rockies and allthe up to the border with Alaska. When jointgovernance caused friction, however, theparties decided to divide the territory.
Enter James K. Polk (pictured above) who,as the 1844 Democratic presidential candi-date, ran on a platform of taking control overthe entire territory. His campaign popular-ized the slogan, "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!"(that was the line of latitude serving as the
northern boundary of the territory). Polkthreatened to go to war unless the U.S. wasgranted the entire territory, and he won theelection by soundly defeating a less bellicoseHenry Clay of the Whig Party.
After the election, calmer heads prevailed.Polk, eyeing expansion in Texas and Mexico,did not want a second war on his hands.When the British Ambassador, proposed acompromise — to use the 49th parallel asa border to divide the territory but loopsouthward around Vancouver Island so theBritish could keep the island intact — bothsides backed down and war was averted.The Treaty of Oregon, signed in 1846, is stillthe law today and the border, which nowseparates Washington State and BritishColumbia, still stands.
During the negotiations in 1845, magazineeditor John O’Sullivan wrote an article stat-ing that the U.S. had a “manifest destinyto overspread the whole of the Continentwhich Providence has given us for the devel-opment of the great experiment of liberty.”The term — Manifest Destiny — became apopular term for the inevitable expansion ofthe country from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
With Canada and America sharing the longest peaceful border in the world,and the Olympics ensconced in British Columbia, it is strange to think that waronce almost broke out over the exact location of the border in the great North-west where the U.S., Canada and then-Russian Alaska met. Strange but true.
< MAP SHOWING PROPOSED BOUNDARIES RELATING TO OREGON QUESTION.From Political History of Oregon by James Henry Brown, copyright W.B. Allen 1892.
12 AMERICAN PATRIOT
OLYMPIAN
OHNOHEADS TO
VANCOUVER
AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
Ohno grew up in Seattle WA, the child of anAmerican mother and Japanese father. Aftertheir bitter divorce, his father raised him. Whenhe was 12 years old, Ohno became interestedin short track speedskating, and at the earlyage of 13 he was admitted to the Lake PlacidOlympic Training Center. As the youngestskater ever to be accepted, he had some earlysetbacks, but eventually he emerged withseveral major victories including the WorldJunior Champion in 1999, a U.S. Seniornational championship — the first of ten —and his first World Cup overall title in 2001.
Then began his Olympic successes. Ohnowas a medalist in three events in the 2002Games and two more in the 2006 games.
Despite the victories, many of his races wereembroiled in controversy. For example, in2002, he was accused of allowing a team-mate and friend finish in front of him in race,in effect throwing the Gold medal to a friend.In 2006, he won a gold in the 500 meter, butmany accused him of a false start that gainedhim an advantage. In both cases, sportingpanels reviewing the events vindicated him.
While continuing to skate competitivelybetween Olympics, Ohno took some time off in2007, and had a star turn on the ABC DancingWith The Stars Show. With dancing partnerJulianne Hough, he won the finale after hav-ing performed the paso doble, rumba, hiphop and samba routines to near perfection.
Building up the Games, Ohno’s performanceshave been spotty. He won the 2008 overallWorld Cup title and swept the U.S. Olympictrials in the fall — winning all three distances,500 meters, 1,000 meters and 1,500meters — but had mixed success in thisseason’s World Cup races. Expectations arelow for the U.S. speedskaters but Ohnocontends that he and the team are peakingjust in time for the competition.
SEE OHNO TAKE GOLD IN 2006
The only Olympian ever to win five speed skatingmedals— not tomentionABC's Dancing With the Stars Competition — is Apolo Anton Ohno. Heheads to Vancouver as one the best known personalities on the USWinterOlympic Team. The Games begin this week in Vancouver, British Columbia.Ohno is entered in four events and experts say he has a good chance ofbecoming themost decorated AmericanWinter Olympic athlete of all time.
14AMERICAN PATRIOT
The man who invented basketball, Dr. James
Naismith was born in 1861 in Canada. He always
attributed the notion of basketball as arising from
a schoolboy game involving rock tossing that he
had played outside his one-room schoolhouse.
Naismith grew up to attend McGill University
in Montreal and, after serving as the university’s
Athletic Director, he moved on to the YMCA
Training School in Springfield MA in 1891. In
snowy western Massachusetts, Naismith was
faced with finding a sport suitable for play inside
during the winter for the students at the School
for Christian Workers. Naismith wanted to create
a game of skill for the students, and one that
could be played indoors in a relatively small
space. The first version of his invention was
played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets
used as goals. Players tried to throw the ball
into the elevated peach baskets.
JAMESNAISMITHTHE MAN WHO INVENTED
BASKETBALLWhen you think of the fast, flashy and popular spectacle of basketballtoday, it is hard to remember that that game was not invented all that longago and was intended as a quiet game of indoor skill for students.
PICTURED TOP LEFT:The 1899 University of Kansas basketball team,with Dr. James Naismith at the back, right.
PICTURED BOTTOM LEFT:The first basketball court at Springfield College.
The first official game was played in the YMCA
gymnasium in January 1892 with nine players.
The game ended at 1-0; the single score was
made from 25 feet, on a court just half the size
of a present-day standard court. By 1897, teams
of five became standard and, with the help and
missionary zeal of the YMCA movement, the
game spread quickly throughout the country.
The sport caught on and evolved quickly. Peach
baskets, used until 1906, were replaced by
metal hoops with backboards and nets. Baskets,
originally nailed to the mezzanine balcony of
the playing court, were often interfered with by
spectators. The solution: a backboard was intro-
duced to prevent interference and had the addi-
tional effect of allowing rebound shots. While
the “Y” eventually discouraged the sport for its
rowdiness, other clubs, colleges, and professional
clubs filled the void. The first pro league, the
National Basketball League, was formed in 1898
to protect players from exploitation and to promote
a less rough game. The rest, as they say, is history.
As for Naismith, he joined the University of
Kansas faculty in 1898, teaching physical edu-
cation and as chaplain. In addition to creating
the game of basketball, James Naismith gradu-
ated as a medical doctor, primarily interested in
sports physiology and what we would today call
sports science and as Presbyterian minister,
with a keen interest in clean living. Naismith
watched the sport spread to many nations and
to the Berlin Olympics in 1936, where he was
an honored guest. He died in 1939 and, posthu-
mously, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield
is named in his honor.
AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
BASKETBALL GAMES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS’ ALLEN FIELDHOUSE TAKE PLACE ON THE JAMES NAISMITH COURT.
PLAN YOUR TRIP TO THE NAISMITH MEMORIALBASKETBALL HALL OF FAME IN MASSACHUSETTS
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“A wise girl kisses but doesn’t love, listens butdoesn’t believe, and leaves before she is left.”— MARILYN MONROE
ACTRESS, SINGER AND SEX SYMBOL OF THE 1950S AND 1960S
16 AMERICAN PATRIOT
WATCH A MARILYN MONROE TRIBUTE
THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY
AMERICAN PATRIOT 17
1848.PhotographerMathewBrady, seen here, took the first photographyof a sitting U.S. President, James K. Polk. Brady later became famous forthis Civil War photography and portraits of Abraham Lincoln.
VIEW BRADY’S WORK HERE
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