John Tyler was the first president who ascended to the presidency without being elected. He became President upon the death of William Henry Harrison, who served 6 weeks in office.

Unlike other Founders, Benjamin Franklin's fortune increased rather than decreased during the American Revolution.

Nassaue Hall The College of New Jersey (Princeton University) would close in 1776 when the war reached Princeton. The British would occupy the college and burn its fine library. Many of the books in this library were brought to Princeton from Scotland by Reverend Witherspoon. Witherspoon would attempt to restore the library but would die before it was completed. His own personal papers were destroyed as well. The college would reopen in November of 1778.

Annis Stockton, the wife of NJ Declaration Signer Richard Stockton was a well-read and educated woman of her time, who would write and publish poetry. She would be the only woman member of the American Society. One of the pieces she wrote was called Welcome, Might Chief, Once More, which celebrates the capture of Lord Cornwallis: BRING now ye Muses from th' Aonian grove, The wreath of victory which the sisters wove, Wove and laid up in Mars' most awful fane, To crown our Hero

Abraham Clark, NJ Signer of the Declaration of Independence, had two sons, Aaron and Thomas, who were captured by the British. The British offered to release Clark’s sons if he would renounce the American cause, but he refused. He also didn’t inform Congress about their capture, and when Congress eventually found out, they stepped in to have him freed from the ship’s dungeons and returned to the general population. Unfortunately, they still weren’t released right away. Now th

The Legacy of Richard Sherman Richard Sherman stands out in American history. He is the only Founding Father to sign all five major founding documents. These documents include the Declaration and Resolves (1774), Articles of Association (1774), Declaration of Independence (1776), Articles of Confederation (1777/78), and the Constitution (1787). His contributions were pivotal in shaping the nation. Early Life and Influences Sherman's early life laid the groundwork for his futu

More of a morbid fact of the day, but James Wilson, a Pennsylvania Signer of the Declaration of Independence, died in 1789 after being thrown in a debtor's prison twice, once while he was a Supreme Court Justice. He was buried in an unmarked grave to prevent creditors from trying to claim the body, thereby forcing the family to pay off his debts to get his body returned. Creditors would often do this to be repaid the money they were owed.

George Taylor was the only former indentured servant to sign the Declaration of Independence. He had been indentured to Samuel Savage Jr., an iron master at Coventry Forge near Philadelphia. Savage had paid for Taylor’s passage to America.

M&M's were initially made for the US military after Forrest Mars Sr. (the son of Mars founder Franklin Clarence Mars) traveled in Europe during the Spanish Civil War and observed soldiers eating chocolate pellets covered in a sugar shell. He returned to the States and perfected it by 1941 before selling it to the US military. By 1947, it was commercially available to the public and has been popular ever since then.

Ulysses S. Grant was actually born as Hiram Ulysses Grant and used that name for the first 17 years of his life until a clerical error occurred at West Point. Grant was nominated by Ohio Congressman Thomas Hamer to West Point in 1839, who accidentally wrote Grant’s name in the application as “Ulysses S. Grant.” The confusion stemmed from the fact that Grant often went by Ulysses, rather than Hiram.

Samuel Adams was born wealthy but squandered most of it while he worked to free the colonies from Britain's rule. As a young man he did not do well in some jobs and finally his father put him to work at his brewery where he was known as “Sam the Maltster” because he hauled bags of malt up and down the street for his father’s business. He was in his twenties but still dependent on his father for an income.

Edward Rutledge, SC Signer of the Declaration, married Henrietta Middleton who was the sister of Arthur Middleton. Arthur was also a SC Signer of the Declaration. John Adams worked closely with Rutledge but did not like him. Adams later described him as "Young Ned Rutledge a peacock who wasted time upon points of little consequence.”

Dr. Benjamin Rush's mother, Susanna Hall Rush, owned her own grocery and provision store after his father passed away in 1751. It was named Blazing Star. She would marry once more, but would be widowed again. She was a source of strength and help to him in his early years, teaching him the importance of industry in success! She died in 1793 of yellow fever during the pandemic that swept Philadelphia that year. Parents make the difference in children's lives - they learn fro

Six of the seven Virginia Signers of the Declaration of Independence were related to each other either through Robert "King" Carter*, one of the wealthiest men in Virginia, or one of the other Founding Families of Virginia. Carter Braxton and Benjamin Harrison were first cousins. Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee were brothers and 2nd cousins to Thomas Jefferson Thomas Nelson, Jr was a cousin to Braxton, Harrison, the Lee Brothers, and Thomas Jefferson George Wyth

Seven things that came out of World War I that are used daily in today's world but were not previously used before the Great War: Wristwatches: Before the war, only women wore them because men used pocketwatches. Pilates: Joseph Pilates invented this when he was at an internment camp on the Isle of Man to help those confined to their beds. He eventually opened a studio in New York City in 1925. Trench Coats: Were developed for British officers to keep them warm and dry in

Original Capitol Tram In 1909, a subway was installed under the Capitol for Senators and Congressmen to travel between the Capitol and their offices. Initially, the train only went to the Russell Senate Office Building. It is a monorail-type system that uses cars resembling an amusement park tram, and there are six stations in total.

Sumptuary Laws The Colonial Laws of Massachusetts in 1651 included Sumptuary laws, which regulated what individuals could wear based on their social class. Sumptuary Laws facilitated the identification of social status. Even those who had lost their wealth were still permitted to wear clothing that symbolized their former wealth. This concept aligns with the belief that once you are part of the elect, you remain so, regardless of any fall in status. This indicates that while

The shortest Inaugural Address by a President was just 135 words and delivered by George Washington during his second inauguration, while the longest one was given by William Henry Harrison. It was 8,445 words and lasted about three hours.