Author: TradeBait2

2025.09.23 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 28

With our focus still on New York, we can dig deeper into the system that delivers slaves to be used by the wealthy and globalists which dominate it. As devious and complex as their methods appear to be, they are really simple in concept.

Today the goal is to enslave people in vices of which they hold a natural attraction as well as poverty that leads to total dependence upon a master. The first intends to warp their minds into abnormal and immoral behavior that at first excites and fulfills them, but gradually entraps them. The second is a long utilized method to enslavement. For both they seek to bend the targets and develop an overall sense of hopelessness, that it is pointless to fight against these “natural’ inclinations that become addictions that slowly take control of the mind and soul as well as their physical dependence on the masters to live. This can lead to all sorts of evil thoughts and deeds. Again – think Tyler Robinson for one recent example.

As a personal experience example, I had never heard much about drag queens until I started doing business travel to NYC two decades ago. The business people, primarily investment bankers, we met with were regulars at local clubs where they performed. Some even had photos of some of the “queens” framed and hanging on the walls in their offices. For this hillbilly it was all a bit disconcerting and uncomfortable. They all thought it was good fun and asked me to join them for dinner and to tag along to a show. I passed. To me it was just another culture clash and reason to get out of there. But it taught me a lesson that I never forgot. The people that dress and act like that are perverts and the people who enjoy their shows are birds of a feather to even be interested. That meant they could never be fully trusted in any situation. There were other red flag things they did and said, but that was one that stood out.

Since America was founded under the providence of God, we seem to be in a quandary. The embracing of secularism, communism, socialism, criminality, perversions, humanism and the corresponding march to transhumanism, and so on stands in direct opposition to the Creator and His stated purposes. It is my opinion that it is not found more openly expressed anywhere than on the city streets of the nation’s largest urban center – New York City. It is one shining example of what not to become.

Psalm 49:5

Why should I fear in days of adversity,
When the injustice of those who betray me surrounds me, (NASB)

Yes, they were then as we are today; unnerved by the evil of that day as many are in this day. The worry that resulted then as it does now led to fear, submission and even revolt against oppressors. Things can head downhill in a hurry. Fear changes the minds and hearts of mankind. Survival becomes the modus operandi and accommodation of rulers and taskmasters frequently results. Whatever it takes to get by is the response even when there is a constant drumbeat of dread beating in the subconscious.

Look closely a what happened with the Charlie Kirk assassination details and narratives in the days that followed. Already there are calls to reconcile differences by those who in the days before were calling for his rejection, fighting and violence. There is celebration by the demons on the side that approved and encouraged the deed. It openly demonstrates the insincerity of those posturing after demanding power, cheating elections for power, attempting to assassinate a political opponent (Trump) to retain power, looking the other way while millions of illegals pour across the borders to retain power, and so on.

We learn that their goal is to add slaves to support their goals and ambitions, which are relating to the overthrow the American way of life to take control for themselves.

Admit it, many of you (me included), were worried and concerned during most of the years leading up to the term of #45; the lies, deceptions and crimes endured throughout the term of #46; the anticipation of PDT’s return as #47 while being investigated, charged and enduring attempted incarcerations and assassinations. Even now with the federal judge law fare mutiny there is concern. To some it may have just been unsettling, for most it has been depressing and may have made us bitter.

During the past decade, how many Americans prepped for what seemed to be the end of days of our nation? Looking at gun and ammo sales alone answers that question.

It causes people who are normally kind and helpful to fellow Americans to retreat into preservation mode and hiving. Which is exactly what the evil doers of the past as well as the present desire. The product they seek is disunity into smaller groupings of people they can infect and control, or in the case of MAGA backers, isolate and attack.

Which results in… slavery.

Founders And Slaves

It has become apparent to me that most of us do not really understand that slavery has always been a thing with mankind. Groupings of people have always viewed other groupings of people as lessers throughout history. Whether that be related to skin color, national origin, religions, political beliefs – whatever. It is the figurative Star of David that identifies people as non-human who are to be used, abused and discarded when their usefulness is complete.

Some slave masters exhibit a heart of compassion as the revelation of what they have done opens their minds. We have seen this throughout this study of our Declaration of Independence signers. Some released their slaves to be free. Others retained some due to honest concerns about their wellbeing within a developing society that could be raw and brutal. Still others held on to them for for personal gain. A handful of slaves refused to be free, they liked how they were treated and living. These were generally associated with serving benevolent masters who regarded them more as members of a patriarchal led family.

However, we also know many were seeking to escape as soon as they had the opportunity and were willing to fight and die in the war to have that opportunity. Many joined the British forces as a result.

Which proves the point that all mankind yearns to be free. Even those who remained to serve their masters when given the opportunity to leave, did so willingly. It seems our founding fathers were also on a life journey of discovery of the meaning of what the Declaration of Independence states even as they composed it:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

That statement as the foundation of our new nation was the death knell for physical slavery of people in America going forward. We see similar words about the subject in the Holy Bible where we also learn that all mankind is created equal, which is probably why the founders included it as a principle for America. I sincerely doubt many founders were thinking much about the predicament of the slaves when they composed it. They should have, to not do so was blatantly hypocritical. I am sure that many felt conflicted by it from their own journal entries and correspondence. History has taught us that it took a lot of funerals of the slave holders and their family members over the next century to finally get the principle firmly rooted into our national psyche, but the God fearing freedom lovers got it done.

However, it did not stop those who profit most from having and using slaves from finding other methods of doing so while using their positions of power in government, business, religions, and so forth.

Nowhere has that ever been found to be more openly integrated into its way of life than in New York in my opinion. It started early on with the state leadership’s refusal to approve the Declaration of Independence. They abstained as the other 12 colonies agreed to be independent. So, they kicked the dirt and gave in to not be left out of the spoils that could result. Many of their leaders in those days were loyalists and Tories as our study continues to show, so they wanted to play both sides to keep things the way they were. However, the Average Joe of New York was very patriotic as the numbers who joined the military show. Which is still how it goes in New York today, some 250 years later. The leadership is corrupted and aligned with evil doers to retain power. They maintain control through the imported who came from oppressive circumstances and know nothing better than what they are provided.

There is a solution.

We the People need to change that by first removing all of the illegals in NY since many have been given the right to vote through fake ID’s, fraudulent voter registrations, and crooked judiciary and law enforcement. The #1 problem in NYC is housing availability and affordability per their own representations. Guess what gets largely solved with illegals exiting? Guess what the corrupt government officials will fight tooth and nail as a result? Yup, removing illegals who vote, work, and support criminal leaders; many of whom also receive rental income through properties they and their handlers own.

It is a system and it is as corrupt as Hell. I am personally looking forward to ICE and Homeland Security’s full scale assault on the illegals and citizen criminals who harbor them in NYC. That starts taking bites out of The Big Apple and their plantations.

But most of all it takes a realization of the individual parts played in its continuation. We need to develop an awareness that we are sinners and need to confess and repent. That is the long term solution. Sort of like the converted slave trader turned preacher (John Newton) from centuries ago who wrote the lyrics of this still relevant and treasured song.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Time to move on to the next signer.

William Floyd

William Floyd was born in 1734 in Brookhaven, NY to Nicoll and Tabitha Floyd. William’s great grandfather immigrated to the area in the 1620 time frame. The family was of Welsh descent. He opened a law practice there in 1640. William’s grandfather bought a 4400 acre farm in Brookhaven in 1688. William’s parents built a home on the property in 1723, which is where William was born. His father passed when he was seventeen and left the farm to him. He was successful and ran a profitable farming operation as well as renting land to others. He had no formal education, just practical experience as well as learning from the highly educated and accomplished circle of friends they had in the area. In addition to farming, with the property fronting the Atlantic Ocean, William had business involvements with shipping through dock operations as well as in the fishing business.

He married Hannah Jones in 1760 and they had three children together. His activities in local and provincial politics increased due to his influence on Long Island and in Connecticut. As a result he was an easy selction to represent Suffolk County in the First Continental Congress. After the Battle of Lexington and Concord, he was elected to the Second Continental Congress and nominated to several committees. He faithfully served there throughout the period. He was nominated as Colonel in the Suffolk County regiment. He spent his time split between Congress and securing funding for the Continental Army, handling Indian affairs, handling the treatment of loyalists, and issuance of paper money.

After the Declaration was approved, NY delegates were cleared to sign, which William Floyd did. A very short time later battles were lost on Long Island under General Washington. The British took Long Island and with it, Floyd’s home. Hannah Floyd buried valuable family assets before fleeing with their children and other residents across the harbor to Middletown, CT. Floyd took leave from Congress and Gov. Trumbull authorized an armed party to cross over the sound and retrieve Floyd’s assets from his farm. He then served a short term in the NY Senate before returning to the Continental Congress.

The effects of war were not kind to Hannah and she passed away from illness, fatigue and exposure in 1781. William returned to his farm after the war in 1783 and found everything essentially destroyed. A year later he married Joanna Strong and they had two children. All five of William’s children survived to adulthood and had families. In 1794 William conveyed his farm to his son, Nicoll, and moved to a frontier area of NY in Westernville, purchased land and built a house there. He resided there until his death in 1821. He was a slave owner up to the point of his death. He is buried in the Presbyterian cemetery. Joanna passed away five years later and is buried there.

We give thanks for the efforts of William Floyd to the cause of independence. He was a dedicated American patriot.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.09.16 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 27

Why has New York become so leftist, even communist in its governmental approach? Granted this is directed more toward the urbanites of the Big Apple and surrounding areas, but look at the vote totals each election. Upstate and rural areas are much more normal and patriotic based on my observations and relationships. However, I observed in my business career as well as with extended family who live in the area, (said in my best hillbilly vernacular), a lot of them ain’t right in the head. The absolutely bizarre behavior you see from supposedly “elected” officials and administrators of law there is actually not unusual. It has been their modus operandi for many years. For a people who have benefitted from capitalism and the actions of patriots as much or more than anywhere in America, they sure have a strong inclination to run toward and embrace criminality, communism, and slavery.

A Google provided AI response to the “why” question is below,

New York’s liberal leanings stem from its diverse population, history of progressive movements supported by strong labor unions, and a political system that has historically allowed for influential third-party politics, such as the Working Families Party, which champions policies for working-class families. The state’s large urban centers, particularly New York City, have long been centers of social reform and progressive ideology, attracting and fostering a populace that values social justice and government intervention. 

Key Factors Contributing to New York’s Liberalism:

  • Diverse Population:New York is a melting pot of cultures and experiences, and this diversity has historically fostered progressive and liberal viewpoints. 
  • Strong Labor Movement:A powerful labor history, particularly with unions like those in the garment industry, has supported liberal politicians and policies that benefit working-class families. 
  • Influential Progressive Parties:The state has a history of strong third-party movements that have promoted progressive agendas, like the Working Families Party, focusing on issues like inequality and opportunity for middle- and working-class families. 
  • Urban Centers and Social Reform:New York City and other urban areas have long been hubs for social movements and progressive ideas, creating a political culture that supports policies aimed at social and economic justice. 
  • Historical Liberalism:The Liberal Party, though now defunct, once wielded significant political power, demonstrating the historical presence and success of liberal politics in the state. 

I found the response to be observationally reasonable and justified. As you can tell, none of that screams tradition, patriotism and American exceptionalism. In fact, much of it is misdirection to funnel support away from American traditional values. The very premise of each of the bullet pointed statements assumes America’s historical values are insufficient or wrong headed. There is no emphasis on assimilation in being in a melting pot today. In fact, there is an increased emphasis on polarization and division that is exploited by Democrat Party political leaders as they build their support models and fund raising opportunities. Division and manipulation appear to be the code words. They cobble together coalitions and alliances among the groups listed above and others in their efforts to circumvent the Constitution, laws, regulations and so on for their benefit. If laws, regulations and so on can be made to bend to fit their aspirations, that’s how it goes with no regard or acceptance of the original intent. If a law or regulation covers something they do not like, they ignore it if they are in power.

Simply, they employ “relative truth” as their modus operandi with power and money being their gods. Everything described above by the AI response to the question can demonstrably be proven corrupted – and for a very long period of time in that state. It is not exclusive to NY, but is a dominant feature there.

The overwhelming majority of its urban citizenry are immigrants or children of same who left their homes to relocate to America for good reasons. Primarily, it is because things were not working out in their favor where they previously lived. There may have been really good reasons they were encouraged or forced to leave. Who wants to keep up criminals and other wackos when they can be dumped on America? In the case of the criminal Dems they represent more opportunities to increase their power. Once the immigrants (legal and illegal) arrive they proceed to hive with other people similar to themselves. Which is when the criminal Dems and their minions step in to “help”, frequently through the use of taxpayer dollars to build alliances and coalitions that the colluding politicians eagerly provide.

All of that leads to…

Slavery Of The Masses

Many years ago a friend once told me the sheeple described above were useful idiots. They are allowed to live and be supported as long as they are useful. Since the described activities have been going on for a couple of centuries in America, it is clear they are just modern day slaves.

Many have been recruited and otherwise lured to our shores with offers and promises contingent upon their performance of certain actions which often requires selling their souls. The slave traders may not be trolling Africa for helpless victims as in the past, however, these modern day counterparts are trafficking in a similar manner. They do not need force and shackles to make the capture, they use promises, false narratives and money. The force comes later if these modern day slaves do not do what is required. The slave traders recruit criminals, terrorists, revolutionaries, and poverty stricken participants with promises of a better life, more money, and freedom. They sell a false image of America that has been created to circumvent the one our patriot founders sacrificed their blood and lives to create.

It is not just confined to NY by any means. Look at Hyundai in Savannah, GA. Same deal.

The criminals are not recruiting people to assimilate into America’s melting pot who can add to society. They are recruiting to tear down our culture, create chaos, and work to achieve their ends. But once here and assigned their tasks, failure to comply with the terms of entry results in harsh punishment, personal death, or deaths of loved ones. I hope readers realize this invasion has not been about paying coyotes to escort invaders across the border and the latter not having responsibilities to fulfill while living here. They are picked up and taken by soldiers of the left (traffickers) to their next destinations where they are given ID, basic supplies and their future assignments. Then they are transported to their handlers, given shelter and put to work. Which should tell all of us that the employers using them are as bad as the slave traders who secure and traffic them.

It is no wonder their children continue that way of life; it is all they know.

You have seen how this all works first hand, you know now. As an example POTUS Trump and patriots compelled the whole nation to watch in real time with Kilmar Abrego Garcia. A MS-13 human trafficker, wife beater, and alleged child porn lover with an outstanding deportation order was caught by the highway patrol in my state, with the officer making the stop recording the event. He radioed in for instructions and his department supervisor was then told by the Brandon administration to send him on his way. They had no interest in sending ICE to arrest the Maryland Man and his traveling illegal companions. Once addressed by ICE with POTUS Trump’s election, Democrat Senators and Representatives have gone insane protecting their boy, making their support of criminals even more obvious.

This was happening in every state in America for years. How much of it did you see in the fake news media? Yup, nothing until President Trump was elected and the Dems needed to find something, anything to try to create disunity within our population.

Knowing this today, we turn our attention to patterns that developed over a couple of centuries in New York (and other colonies turned states) to establish a basis of fact versus fiction. Please read the link below from The New York Historical Society,

https://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/history.htm

Now consider what happened on those slave ships that brought those poor souls to our shores. Don’t pass this one up. The misery they endured is worthy of your time to read it if you value the pursuit of truth. It is not for the faint of heart.

https://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2023/2/22/a-history-of-slavery-in-new-york

We see wealth built and power attained on the backs of the poor and oppressed with total disregard for the person. It is a tale as old as time, similar to what can even be found in the Old Testament that extended into the Roman Empire and New Testament of the Holy Bible. Human beings treated worse than vermin for thousands of years. We just do not like to think about it happening here in America, in a time period of our nation’s founding by people we have been taught and grown to revere for all they gave toward our independence.

Which is exactly what continues today through the trafficking and other forms. It turns out there are many ways to enslave. Some slavery is intended to be permanent, other forms are purpose intended and may have limited periods of service.

My advice is to never be sucked into a belief or argument that equates slavery with skin color. That’s a non-starter. Slaves have been of all skin colors throughout world history. Slavery is achieved through domination of cultures and groupings of people without regard to skin color. Some cultures and people groupings are developed for the purpose of producing slaves. Others devolve into weakness that makes is easier to be dominated. In America the left has been developing its own culture of weak sheeple who serve as their slaves. They are incapable of being able to critically think and analyze. Logic totally escapes them. That is why they resort to violence, sexual perversions, drugs, corruption and more.

They indoctrinate people like Tyler Robinson into being their willing slaves.

What Now?

With what POTUS Trump and patriots are accomplishing in a short period of time with great cooperation from much of the world’s leadership; is there any doubt that the primary role of America First MAGA is to release all mankind from slavery? I really see no legitimate counter to that statement.

So, what is it that the Declaration of Independence was authorized to say 250 years ago, oh yes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The point of government is to serve that end as it further says in the next sentence, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”.

Did you notice that nothing is said about the colonies or any country in particular in those two statements? They are about universal truths and principles for mankind’s existence on this planet. They pointed to the Creator as the author. The vision of the Declaration is far bigger than any one group of people or nation. So why was it viewed acceptable by the people who wrote those words to enslave other people? Did they not view the slaves as people? How about the indentured servants who were viewed as lessers and also frequently abused? Were they really just property to them, like livestock?

That is something to ponder. We will address more of this important issue as we venture on. However, it is now time for another NY Declaration signer.

Francis Lewis

Once again we turn to the motherland to determine the birthplace of Francis Lewis. We are fairly certain he was born in Llandoff, Wales in 1713. However, sources diverge a bit at that point. Most all of them messed up some details and timeline of events, even the Descendants site. So you are receiving the TB best guess interpretation.

😂

Despite its issues I primarily used the Descendants site, which has corroborating statements from other reputable sites. Then I reconstructed a timeline from all sources. This is yet another example of not blindly accepting Wiki as accurate.

Young Francis was the son of Rev. Francis Lewis and wife, Amy Pettingal. His father was Episcopal clergy and his mother was the daughter of clergy. Young Francis was orphaned at age 5. He lived with his wealthy aunt who made sure he received a good education, first in Scotland and later at Westminster School in London.

After graduation he went into the mercantile business. At the age of 21 he sold some property his father left him, purchased merchandise, and shipped out to America. He landed in NY, went to Philadelphia briefy and returned to NY, having set up a mercantile business with Edward Annesley. He next became involved in shipping with trade in Europe and Africa primarily. In 1745 he married the younger sister of his business partner, Elizabeth Annesley. They had seven children, but only three survived to adulthood.

During the French and Indian War, Lewis supplied British forces with clothing. During one period in 1756, the fort where he was located came under attack and its commander killed while standing next to Lewis. The Brits surrendered and were assured safety. However, the Indians were given the opportunity to take 30 from the British side to take captive or kill. Lewis was one of those chosen. Fortunately, he was able to communicate with the Chief due to similarities with the Welsh language of his youth. The Chief liked him and released him back to the French in Montreal with recommendations for his release. Instead, they sent him to France as a prisoner. He was released in 1763 in an exchange of prisoners. To compensate him from his years in captivity, the British authorities gave him 5000 acres of land in NY upon his return.

Apparently, within a two year period he made an absolute fortune. So much that he was believed to have been the fifth wealthiest founding father to sign the Declaration. At the end of the two years he retired at the age of 52. Other than helping a son get established in business, he turned his attention to government and the independence movement, attending the Stamp Act Congress. He is believed to have been one of the leaders in the Sons of Liberty. He joined the NY revolutionary related committees and later helped set up the state government. He had a strong sense of detail and accounting, so he was very valuable in securing supplies and arms for the continental army through the Secret Committee.

He became a member of the Continental Congress. Due to strong Tory influence in the colony, he was instructed to not vote for independence, however, once the Declaration was approved he signed without reservation. Later that same year the British moved on NY. They destroyed his home in Whitestone (aka Flushing today) and took his wife captive. She was later released in an exchange with British wives, however, the hardship cost her health. She passed away from the effects in 1779. Apparently, he remained a staunch ally of George Washington even through the Conway Cabal mischief of Gen. Horatio Gates that was sandwiched around Valley Forge. He was one of 16 Declaration signers who also signed the Articles of Confederation.

With the death of Elizabeth, Francis grieved and took a step back from governmental activities in 1781. After the war he served for three years as a vestryman of Trinity Church (Episcopal). He spent the last 20 years of his life enjoying his children and grandchildren. He passed away in 1802 at the age of 89. He is buried in the Churchyard at Trinity.

Francis is also famous for being the father of son, Morgan Lewis. Morgan was a highly accomplished patriot who graduated from Princeton and served as a Major under Gates. As an aide to Gates he was named the quartermaster-general of the northern Army and had a part in the Gates led victory of the colonists at Saratoga. He returned to law practice after the war, was elected into the assembly and later became a judge. He was elected Governor of the state from 1804-07.

President Madison asked him to serve as Secretary Of War, but he declined as he wanted a more active role in the War of 1812. He was appointed quartermaster-general of the armies instead. He was promoted to major-general a year later and led forces in victories against the British. Afterwards he became a founder of New York University.

We give a big salute to the Lewis family and in particular, Francis, for his commitment to the efforts of patriots. Despite the hardships, he persevered and left a lasting family legacy that benefited America.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.09.09 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 26

We move to neighboring New York to begin the next reveal of the remaining Declaration signers. So let’s open with some famous New Yorkers and NY related songs to get us warmed up. There are Goober Gump sightings in this one.

OK, went back in the time capsule for that one. In fact, I saw him in concert in Vegas a few years previous to this performance. Yes, I’m old.

Let’s go with a more current NY music entertainer, albeit a now older guy who is having his own health issues and stepping back from the limelight.

Well, now that you asked, I also saw this guy in concert in 1973; the year Piano Man came out following the Cold Spring Harbor Tour. He excitedly announced on stage that the song was going to be released in about a month along with a planned album later. The response from the thousands in the crowd after hearing the song was like thunder. As we now know, that song is timeless Americana that will be forever associated with Billy Joel.

Then there was the following New York bred music entertainer, Harry Chapin, that some may know, or barely remember, or may not know at all . Yup, saw him the same year. Hands down one of the best concerts I have ever seen. He held the crowd in his hands with his stories, humor and talent. His brother, Tom, sang the high female voice part. Tom also did a cool Saturday morning children’s TV show called Make A Wish that won an Emmy. He played six instruments in the band. In addition, Harry’s bass player was the baritone voice heard as Mr. Tanner in the song of that name. That song was based on a real person and event with the actual name, location and occupation changed to protect the described person. Years later the person learned about the song and was very happy that Harry had remembered him.

Harry’s life was cut way too short at age 38 in an auto accident on the Long Island Expressway. So, here is one in his memory…

However, as much as I enjoyed and was musically influenced by the NY entertainers above, the following expresses my personal thoughts and feelings about New York itself. That is not a slam to the many fine people who live in the state or some of its more beautiful environment. It is directed at just how far the state in general has strayed from its founding and service to America. That has led to the virtual destruction in the quality of life one should expect. I will address more of my thoughts on that issue in a future part.

Yeah, as he toured the south I saw this Philadelphia area singer songwriter, Jim Croce, who would not be recognized by many as a classically trained music student at Villanova as a young man. Yes, the concert I attended was in that same year. It was held less than two weeks before his plane went down with his bandmates traveling to a concert in Louisiana and he was lost to all of us. What the world did not know at the time was that he was choosing to give up his promising entertainment career to write short stories and movie scripts. While on this last tour he had written his wife a letter describing his decision. It arrived after his passing.

We never know as we wander through life what is in store. Time to get busy.

New York Revolutionary War Militia Involvement

The following in the link below is priceless for historians and genealogists as it was published in 1904 and archived by the State of New York’s Office of the Comptroller. It contains documents and records from the Revolutionary War period in the state that includes names of militia members in every regiment and area of service. I found it interesting, especially the fact that the Comptroller at that time documented the fact that NY provided more than double the number of military members during the Revolutionary War than credited by historians up to that point. The two figures are starkly different at 17.8 K officially versus 43.6 K with this revision. Yet, another proof that history and narratives are frequently wrongly stated. Readers should keep that in mind when trying to learn more and should not take statements of historians as gospel without first personally investigating and consulting numerous sources.

https://archive.org/details/newyorkrevolution01statrich/page/n63/mode/2up?view=theater

So why is this adjustment important? It is hardly surprising that Massachusetts earned the honor of having the most members in our military. But few might know that with this documented revision that New York would be second on the list. It gives readers an indication of the commitment of the residents in each state toward the cause of liberty during the period. You learn that NY’s involvement represented approximately 20% of the total estimated participation of 200,000 men give or take. Even with the information provided there is cause to believe there were a great deal more men involved in the conflict based upon the records of pensions granted to members who were injured in the conflict whose names do not appear in any other records, indicating the original enlistment records were lost. Such is the case with NY.

Included in the first 25 pages or so of text are descriptions of war efforts, battles, conflicts with Indian tribes who were stirred up against the colonists by the Brits/loyalists, pay, rations, service requirements, attire, weapons, training and so forth. This quote was also very interesting – “Quakers, Moravians and United Brethren were enrolled, but exempted from service upon payment of money, which varied in amount as the war progressed until, in 1780, they were obliged to pay £160 per year.”

So some could legally buy their way out of serving. I guess money was tight and patriot lives were cheap for everybody else.

Another interesting quote relates to slaves – All slaves ‘killed in the service were to be paid for. In time of invasion, any slave, not in the military service, found one mile from his master’s abode, without a certificate from his master showing his business, might be ” shot or otherwise destroyed without fear of censure, impeachment or prosecution for the same.” In 1781, it was provided that any slave who should enlist and serve ” for three years, or until discharged,” should be declared a freeman of the State.

That might burst some holier than thou bubbles.

So, even if I am not a big fan of New York today as the state has clearly lost its way for quite some time and still creates millions of slaves of a different sort, I salute the commitment to the patriot cause of its forefathers. We will now turn our attention to one such Declaration signer. As we will learn, the cause of liberty was met with challenges, violence, death and misfortune for many; which included some of our founding fathers who we celebrate and thank today.

Phillip Livingston

Phillip Livingston was born in Albany, NY in 1716. He was the fourth surviving son of Phillip and Catherine Van Gogh Livingston. His father emigrated from Scotland and mother was Dutch. His father lived in the Albany area in 1673 and later owned a large rural estate as a 2nd Lord of the Manor, some 160,000 acres located along the Hudson River about 40 miles from Albany. He received the estate for his faithful service to the Brits in political appointments such as Secretary of Indian Affairs, in his fur and other trading activities as well as in his close associations with the Dutch due to their family’s background and ability to speak both languages. This established him into the aristocracy of the region and the estate was granted him by the royal governor for his efforts. The manor later became known as Clermont and was held by seven generations of the Livingston family until the year 2000. A photo and link about them and it is below.

https://www.friendsofclermont.org/the-livingstons

Young Phillip spent his time between his father’s Albany townhouse and the estate. He went on to Yale and graduated in 1737 before returning to begin a mercantile apprenticeship under his father. He served in clerkships in the Albany government before moving to New York City to begin a career in the import business trading in the West Indies. He was very successful through the years that followed and became wealthy. He made much money providing British military provisions, slave trading, and privateering. For those who do not know what privateering is; it is a government authorized form of pirating. The privateer was authorized to violently attack shipping interests, usually foreign, to seize the cargo on behalf of the government. They would split the goods and/or profits. In 1740 he married the daughter of a British Colonel, Christina Ten Broeck. They went on to have nine children together.

Phillip gave back to the region with his finances and time. He advocated for the founding of a school that is now Columbia University, for a Professorship of Divinity at Yale, helped in the building of the first meeting house for the Methodist Society of America, and helped organize the New York Public Library. He then entered public service as a New York City alderman. He served three terms on its Provincial Assembly. He was slow to join the independence movement, but over time he saw it as the right way as the oppressive British tax acts began accumulating. He was adamantly opposed to taxation without representation as he still considered himself to be a British citizen accorded all rights of the nation. He would be elected or chosen to positions within the Provincial Assembly only to meet British opposition and removal. Eventually, in 1769, the royal governor dissolved the city’s Assembly.

In response he became a member of the Committee of 51 that chose him as one of five delegates from the state to attend the First Continental Congress in 1775. At the same time he served as President of the New York State Provincial Assembly. He signed the Olive Branch Petition to try one last time to move the King away from his push for more control and taxes in the colonies. The King refused as we know. This led to the Declaration of Independence, which Phillip approved and signed on behalf of the state.

As a person Phillip could be gruff and irritable at times in his political and business dealings. However, he was known to be very kind and loving with family and friends. He was reserved and spent a great deal of time reading. He was a deacon and elder in the Dutch Reformed Church throughout his life.

However, like many wealthy mercantilists during the era he participated heavily in the slave trade and personally owned some for a number of years. There is a report that indicated he was involved in at least 15 shipping transactions of hundreds of slaves that were brought to the NYC area for sale. As another example, in one article there was discussion of him advertising and offering a reward for the return of his property, a slave who had escaped. This bit of history and other slave trading related accounts have often been deleted or glossed over in the many historical accounts of Phillip as well as other northern founding fathers.

I must interject here as I find what has been happening with the rewriting of history to be tragic. This series has been a real eye opener for me. There is no call for this type narrative based rewriting of history that I am seeing repeatedly. In my view it means the rewriters have ulterior and probably nefarious motives to do so. In regards to the subject of slavery, what was an acceptable and legal practice during that period in time is no longer so. Just observe, recognize the truth, and move on. Chalk it up as a wrong that has been righted.

The Livingston extended family were prominently involved throughout New York state and colonial government. Phillip’s first cousin, Robert, was even appointed to Chancellor of New York State, its highest judicial office. He was a framer of the Declaration of Independence and later administered the oath of office to George Washington as President. He served as Minister to France in negotiations for the Louisiana purchase in 1803. We must note that he and the other American negotiators figuratively struck gold on that one. Some twenty Livingston kin of Phillip served as officers in the Continental military. The family was patriot to the core.

Both Colonial and British forces occupied two of his homes in the city at various times, First, Gen. Washington used one as his headquarters before the colonists lost battles around the city, at which time the Brits used it to house military members as well as his second home as a hospital. Phillip and his family fled from the fighting to their home in Kingston, NY. When this happened his slaves escaped and some were thought to have joined the British forces to later earn their freedom. The Brits eventually burned all of the town of Kingston to the ground. The family escaped again back to the safety of their native Albany area.

Phillip was chosen as a state senator while remaining a member of the Continental Congress. In fact, he served up to the actual day of his death while working in the same assembly in 1778. He died from the long term effects of dropsy (edema) at age 62. Members of the Continental Congress attended his funeral and there was an official one month mourning period. He is buried in Prospect Hill Cemetery in York, PA. The prominence and dedication of both Phillip and his cousin, Robert, are noted with several memorials in Washington, DC. With the British destruction he had lost most all of his properties and holdings while still having debts owed from his estate. The sale and repayment took nearly 25 years to resolve. His wife, Christina, remained in the Albany area surrounded and cared for by family for the rest of her life. She lived to the age of 82.

Phillip Livingston gave all he had for his country, family and friends. His family legacy was faithfully served by his efforts as well. We have great appreciation for this patriot founding father.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.09.02 – American Stories: 24 Hours Dealing With The Medical Industry

Time for a break from the usual. I will return with more signers next week.

The following recent event happened a month ago in mid July. This is a discussion on the state of medical treatments for an average Joe, who likely represents thousands of patients nationwide each day. In this specific case it is about a close friend and brother in Christ, so it is personal.

For the record, our family’s approach toward the use of the medical industry has evolved into a belief that they are guilty until proven innocent in their motives. As a result we verify first, trust maybe after a great amount of consultation and prayer.

With the rebuild of the medical industry well underway through the Trump administration, it seemed appropriate to do an authored post about this very recent real life experience of our good friend, who has been sharing some of his story on fakebook. The idea for telling this story at all started with my reading this X post from Secretary Robert Kennedy that was shared by TheseTruths on here a few weeks ago.

Then there is this recent article,

https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-unseen-cost-of-organ-transplants

The Back Story

For this true story I will call our friend “Bud”. Some may figure out he was a source for a BIMD story in that Bud is the same one who is long term friends and a former co-worker with country music superstar Morgan Wallen’s dad. Bud is in his early 50’s, married to the love of his life for 20+ years (his third marriage/her second); has three adult children from his first two marriages along with a step daughter from his wife, most of whom have spouses; has nine grandchildren; and has a growing six employee construction business with three family members working in it. He is nearly the same age as my step daughter, who went to high school with him although they did not know each other well.

I became acquainted with Bud a dozen years or so ago when he was referred to me by a neighbor as a good handyman. At the time Bud had been employed long term in the construction industry as a working supervisor in his speciality. However, he had learned a great deal about all aspects of residential and small commercial construction through the years. He also learned more from his father, who had built his own home as well as worked part time for other builders. Bud has been gifted the ability to figure things out and do them the right way when handling home construction, remodeling and repairs. With his after hours handyman workload picking up, he was faced with a decision, should he continue on his own full time or stay in a decent job that had no upside while continuing to moonlight as a handyman.

Over the next year he did work for us and many others around the area. We got better acquainted and learned each other’s life stories, shared our common faith, got to know each other’s families and friends, and so on. He justified my trust enough that we could leave town on a Fall Frolic or other trip and I could give him jobs to do in our absence and never have the first concern about it. He never had to be concerned about getting paid, beating him down on price, or ignoring his recommendations. We treat each other respectfully and fair, but more importantly, we have developed a bond of friendship well beyond the work. We love them and they love us as family.

One day he stopped by our house because he knew my business and banking background. He asked my opinion if he should go full time into his own business, that he felt led to do so and his wife supported whatever decision he made. Her job was good, stable and could provide health insurance. I told him that if the Lord was putting it on his heart, he had no choice. I confirmed that I had never met a more conscientious builder/home repair guy in all my years of lending into the industry as well as with my own, more limited residential home building and ownership experience. I reaffirmed he had the expertise and work ethic to be successful if he had access to good customers that needed his services at fair prices. We talked it through some more and he called me a week later to say he had pulled the trigger. His mid-life crisis at around age 40 was to start a business. 😀

From that point over the next decade his workload and business grew. He and his company are a rarity in an industry populated by a number of crooks, posers, and wannabes.

All of which leads to this current point in time and the related medical industry story.

Medical Emergency

Bud has been experiencing pains in his gut at infrequent, random times for a couple of years. For background purposes; diverticulitis runs in his family, so he attributed the pain to that. He would go to a GI doc, have blood tests and be scoped – nothing. Last month the pain knocked him for a loop and he headed to the nearest hospital ER fast due to the extreme pain. Bud’s wife works in an administrative office in a competing hospital, but there was not enough time to get there.

For those who are wondering, Bud took just the first jab, did not get the second and had nothing after that. He grew uneasy by what was going on. He has also been a half pack a day cigarette smoker. the periodic gut pains had been going on randomly for ten years, just not as acute.

Things started off well; he was seen quickly, admitted, scans/tests run, provided a room, etc. The nursing staff and on staff resident doc examined and gave him a pain med. They told him an assigned surgeon had read the scans and part of his colon was dead. They also saw another spot of concern at the lower end of his colon. The resection surgery would mean he would have to wear a bag for at least 6 months. He is a hands on builder who also does the electrical and plumbing roles himself, so there would be added financial and scheduling burdens from adding subcontractors for this replacement work as a result. Not good – Bud was worried.

They told him he would need a colonoscopy the following morning, then the surgeon (former military doc) would operate the day after that. Bud said if the man would not come to his room and talk to him personally first that he would not be cutting on him. They told him the surgeon was great, but never saw any patient before surgery. Bud’s wife verified that statement was true with her co-workers at the other hospital. Bud told his wife to have him moved to her hospital and find another doc for a second opinion. The current hospital agreed to release him. Then Bud and wife found out how much they would have to pay out of pocket to both hospitals if they did so. They could not afford it and were stuck.

It was at this point that he texted me from his hospital room to update. He said they were working on alternatives. I told him we were praying for him and that my father had exactly the same problem 60 years ago. His surgeon did a similar procedure without using a bag after giving him antibiotics for a serious infection first. My father recovered quickly after the surgery and lived another 40 years without issue. It lifted Bud’s spirits to learn this.

Bud’s daughter is in nursing in a city a couple hours away. She told them to do nothing that evening; to wait for her to get back with them. She had surgical nurse friends that might know a good alternative. So they bedded down for the night. The colonoscopy guy came in early the next morning and told him it was time to do the procedure. Bud said no it wasn’t, the nursing staff never prepped him for it. The guy was then pizzed at the nursing staff. They told him they thought Bud was leaving and going somewhere else. So they start prepping him only to mess it all up. Prep fluids and fecal matter start flowing out everywhere on Bud, the bed, the floor, etc. 😂 They then had to clean him and the room up. After all of that he was taken to be scoped.

Soon after he was brought back to his room a different surgeon (Doc #2) walked into his room. Doc #2 told him that a friend of Bud’s daughter had contacted his office and asked him to give a second opinion. He asked Bud if that was OK and he responded that he was relieved and appreciative. Doc #2 told him he had reviewed the scans, blood tests and exam notes – he indeed appeared to have a partially dead colon. He was relieved to learn from Doc #2 that all scans and tests showed he was negative for cancer, since idgit doc did not let him know anything. Doc #2 did a quick examination. Bud asked him about the spot they wanted to check with the colonoscopy. He responded that it was just a small amount of fecal matter that showed up in the scans. Bud asked what would happen after the surgery that was scheduled the next day. Doc #2 asked, “What surgery?” Then proceeded to explain there would not be surgery for several months unless his condition worsened if he chose to use his services.

Bud was puzzled at this point. Doc #2 told him he would first prescribe a series of antibiotics to clear the infection that set up in his colon that was causing the pain. Once it was cleared up he would do more scans and know more about its condition before doing any surgery. Bud asked why the idgit surgeon did not diagnose the infection so that antibiotics could be used first? Doc #2 rolled his eyes, but refused to speculate. Bud asked him if he would have to wear a bag after the surgery. Doc #2 said nope, he would remove the dead section and close. He predicted if all went well he would have a recovery time in the hospital of about four days afterwards. Bud decided to press his luck and told Doc #2 that he had a long planned vacation to FL before this happened that was supposed to start in two days. Doc #2 said to go, take the meds, and do no heavy lifting. The couple’s four grandkids who were going with them received the good news and were elated.

Bud called to give me an update after the exam. He thanked us for the prayers. I asked him if they fire hosed him and the room down after the colonoscopy prep. He had a good laugh, so I knew the pain meds were working well.

Sometimes the difference 24 hours can make is mind boggling. God is so good. All we have to do is to learn to wait and pay attention.

I talked with Bud again a few days afterwards as he was laying under a canopy at the hotel pool. His wife drove them down, he was feeling much better, the antibiotics seemed to be helping. His pain was minimal. It had dawned on him fully that the Lord still has plans for him springing from this crisis in his life.

God’s Provision

Bud’s father came to the Christian faith later in life at around age 40. He had lived rough up to that point. He was a former hard living Vietnam vet and factory worker. When he accepted Christ he changed dramatically and made a positive impact on the lives of his wife and children. This eventually led to him becoming a pastor in a small church in a poverty stricken community in his time off from his factory job. The church flourished and became a light to the community. Lives were changed. He retired recently at age 70. He is one of the finest men I have ever met.

During his father’s first visit that evening with Bud in the hospital he pointed out that God did not want him to go to the other hospital or it would have been an open door with the right surgeon provided and nothing would be getting in his way. He urged Bud to be patient and wait on God to provide what was best. The next day it all changed for the better.

I initially brought this story because of the ridiculous handing of the medical diagnosis and treatment of my friend. He was at a very vulnerable point and the medical system was set up against him. Had Bud and his wife not stood their ground he may have been butchered or given a death sentence by this grievous error. Had his daughter not solicited help for a second opinion from a reputable, competent surgeon they may have given in and had it done when all he needed immediately was antibiotics and rest. He should have been given options on treatment and surgery. The idgit surgeon had to know it was an option to try to heal the infection before any surgery, but refused to speak with the patient and was going to cut him open anyway. The untreated infection could have easily caused the surgery to be a failure. It also could have led to more of his colon being removed than was necessary as well. This would have affected Bud’s quality of life. Idgit’s actions were malpractice with what could be considered as malicious intent in my opinion

I shudder to think about what COULD have been if they had not delayed the decision and sought a second opinion under God’s guidance. There was potential for a tragic loss to loved ones, employees, customers, church and community.

In truth, at some point Bud could have been reduced to an organ donor by simply going to a hospital to be healed of something that has commonly been treated successfully in the manner that Doc #2 is using just as my own father’s situation was handled sixty years ago. Which makes me wonder about how many other people go through experiences similar to these throughout the nation on a daily basis.

As I finish this story, I need to relay a more recent conversation with Bud. He went to a scheduled appointment with Doc #2. After exam and tests he determined that the infection is being handled well. It is now time to start the pre-surgery preparation, which will be in early October as compared to the Idgit’s desires. It will be robotic with a laparoscopic incision to reduce chances for infection and improve healing time. Idgit planned traditional surgery with the bag. I doubt he would have even been capable of doing what Doc #2 is planning, who is obviously much more qualified. Bud also learned Idgit was planing to leave on a two week vacation the next day after the scheduled surgery. Hard to believe, but true.

Once again the lesson is to wait on the Lord.

In preparation Doc #2 wants Bud to do a one mile fitness walk every day to build his core stronger and ready for the surgery. The couple live on top of a hill and the road has a steep incline, so building his core should not be a problem. His wife is also using it as an opportunity to improve her health as they walk together in the evenings. A revised diet has started with no red meat, no desserts, more water, less caffeine, soft foods, etc. The third thing was addressed with him eye to eye – Doc #2 ordered him to quit smoking if he wanted to live. He wants all of the nicotine and stuff out of his system over the next two months to improve his chances for a full recovery. Bud is on board with it and began immediately.

Doc #2 plans to have him out of the hospital in four days post surgery as predicted previously. He will be under a no lifting restriction for three months to keep the bag away. Needless to say, Bud has no problem with complying and has employees who can handle the heavy lifting.

He is in an introspective, more joyful state of mind now. He is thinking things through and waiting on the Lord to give him clarity about how to proceed with his life from here. Selfishly and from the cheap seats, I would tell him to keep doing what he is doing. He just needs to take more time to decompress and enjoy the blessings in his life. So many people need the presence of this man until the Lord calls him home.

If you get a spare moment, please pray for Bud’s healing. Then take time to let others you care about know what they mean to you. If you need a medical provider, keep your eyes and options open. As we see in this story; there are sincere, competent professionals you can trust. There are also money hungry losers with no concern for you. Take nothing at face value, ask questions, consult with others you trust, and spend time with the Lord to gain clarity. Do not allow yourself to be set up to be a potential organ donor.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.08.26 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 25

Today we conclude the Pennsylvania signers as well as third part of the B. Franklin, Printer and George Whitefield relationship that charted a path that had a lasting effect on America.

Out of all of the sources the more enlightening on this subject has been the book, The Faith and Vision of Benjamin Franklin by Eddie L. Hyatt. I downloaded an inexpensive digital copy from Amazon to reference. The book is concisely written with many well known, legitimate sources. Below there is also a list of some of the less mainline sources other than Wiki, Descendants, historical societies, etc.; that provided bits of interesting information to add to this.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/constitutionalconvention-september17.htm

https://www.learnreligions.com/christian-quotes-of-the-founding-fathers-700789

https://benjaminfranklin.net

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/signers-factsheet

https://mycharisma.com/culture/why-benjamin-franklin-wanted-to-partner-with-great-awakening-preacher-george-whitefield

https://believersweb.org/george-whitefield-1714-1770-english-evangelist

1739 Revival in London

B’s Vision For The People

Besides sponsoring regular events at Penn for Whitefield to use the facilities and facilitating other venues for appearances, B had a vision of what life should be like in the colonies.

It all started formulating in his mind due to the following. From B’s autobiography;

“In 1739 there arrived among us from Ireland the Reverend Mr. Whitfield who made himself remarkable there as an itinerant preacher. He was at first permitted to preach in some of our churches, but the clergy, taking a dislike to him, soon refused him their pulpits, and he was obliged to preach in the fields. The multitudes of all sects and denominations that attended his sermons were enormous, and it was a matter of speculation to me, who was one of the number, to observe the extraordinary influence of his oratory on his hearers. It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seemed as if all the world were growing religious so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.”

The quote below is from Eddie Hyatt out of his book: The Faith & Vision of Benjamin Franklin: How the Skeptical Printer of Philadelphia Returned to His Puritan Roots & the Puritan Vision of a Christian America. Kindle Edition;

Whitefield emphasized that church membership, good works, family pedigree, and position in life were of no value in making one acceptable to God. He pointed out that these were “faulty foundations” upon which many had put their trust. What was necessary, Whitefield preached, was a new birth through faith in Jesus Christ. Although accounts of his meetings often describe the multitudes as standing and listening in rapt silence, accounts also reveal intense emotional responses experienced at times to his preaching, as well as spiritual manifestations, such as weeping, falling and crying aloud to God. On one occasion, after preaching to a huge throng gathered outdoors, Whitfield surveyed the crowd and noted the amazing response.

That statement echoes the words of Jesus Christ in various scriptures. However, just as it did with the Pharisees and Sadducees in the times of Christ, the religious authorities became angry and rejected attempts for Whitefield to preach in “their” churches. That did not deter him as the great outdoors awaited. More from Hyatt’s book;

On one occasion, after preaching to a huge throng gathered outdoors, Whitefield surveyed the crowd and noted the amazing response.

“Look where I would, most were drowned in tears. Some were struck pale as death, others wringing their hands, others lying on the ground, others sinking into the arms of their friends and most lifting up their eyes to heaven and crying out to God.“

That right there would be what we hillbillies call sending the Holy Ghost on down…

B was eight years older than Whitefield, but they hit it off as good buddies. George would stay at B’s home when visiting Philadelphia over the next 31 years until George died. He counted on B to assist him with printing his sermons and devotionals along with business matters. He asked advice about the orphanage he wanted to build in Georgia. B would not hear of it, he wanted it built in Philadelphia. Whitefield would not relent and kept preaching to raise money for the purpose. So B said he would not get any money from him.

B told the story that one night his curiosity got the better of him and he slipped in the back of an outdoor event and heard George’s pitch for donations for the planned orphanage. He said he resolved to give him nothing. As Whitefield preached on he wilted under the pressure. Per Hyatt’s book B stated;

“I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the copper. Another stroke of his oratory made me ashamed of that, and determined me to give the silver; and he finished so admirably that I emptied my pocket wholly into the collector’s dish, gold and all.”

😂

B got Holy Ghosted.

Ohio Vision

B had a vision for what life in America could be that included Christianity at its core. He proposed to Whitefield that they partner to establish a new colony in Ohio that would adhere to Christian values and be an example for all of the colonies by honoring God throughout its culture. From his letter to Whitefield,

“I imagine we could do it effectually and without putting the nation at too much expense. What a glorious thing it would be, to settle in that fine country a large strong body of religious and industrious people! What a security to the other colonies; and advantage to Britain, by increasing her people, territory, strength and commerce. Might it not greatly facilitate the introduction of pure religion among the heathen, if we could, by such a colony, show them a better sample of Christians than they commonly see in our Indian traders, the most vicious and abandoned wretches of our nation?“

Whitefield had obviously moved B back to his Puritan roots, which would mirror what most of the early settlers in the colonies would have desired. Franklin demonstrated repeatedly that he saw no conflict between faith and public affairs, in fact he stated throughout his life that he viewed it important and preferable for them to operate hand in glove. With the proposed venture with Whitefield, B wanted to finish his life on this final high note, that it would bring him pleasure and he felt certain God would bless it.

It did not happen as desired by B due to distances and complications in the lives of both men before Whitefield passed away in 1770. It also seems God had bigger plans for B over the ensuing two plus decades after George’s death. It was a period when the lessons learned and the inspiration gained from his friendship with Whitefield built a base of understanding to reference that moved him to do extraordinary things on behalf of God and our nation that changed world history forever.

So maybe B’s vision did happen; just on a much grander, God determined scale that began in His timing.

😉

Let’s move on to our last Pennsylvania signer.

John Morton

John Morton was born in 1724 or 1725 in Ridley County, PA of John Sr. and wife Mary (Archer). Both sides of his family originated from the Sweden/Finland area. His father died the year he was born. His mother later married John Sketchley, who was a strong influence on young John’s life as a child. He educated and raised him to be intelligent and moral as he was very involved in the Episcopal church. As an adult he oversaw books and maps as well as surveyed. He married Ann Justis of Chester County and through the years they had three sons and five daughters.

In 1756 Morton was elected as a representative of the Pennsylvania Assembly. After the local sheriff died a decade later, he served in the role for a couple of years before being reelected as a representative. Through the years there he served as a justice of the peace, sheriff, judge in several courts, and associate justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He was well noted for his common sense in all of his roles.

He was voted to represent the state in the First and Second Continental Congresses. It was his final vote that decided in favor of independence for Pennsylvania and he proudly signed the Declaration. He remained active in the Congress in 1776 and 1777 and later worked with an assigned committee on the formation of the Articles of Confederation. Throughout all of it he remained faithful in attendance and with his actions as a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where he is buried. He passed away after falling ill on his farm in April of 1777. Several months later his widow, Ann, fled the area after the British won the Battle of Brandywine. In her haste to reach safety in New Jersey, many of Morgan’s important papers, documents and artifacts were left behind. The British burned them all and destroyed their home, so records were lost that could have added to his story.

John Morton was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence to pass away. His contributions to the independence movement are noteworthy as his vote in support decided the position of one the most influential states in the future republic. He worked tirelessly to bring about organization, common sense, and fairness to the process of governance. He will always be noted for promoting the theme of natural law into our founding documents. We give thanks today for this great American patriot.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.08.19 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 24

In the next two parts we take a walk back in time to the first half of the 1700’s in England and then back across the pond to the colonies. We need to establish the influence one fiery preacher of the Gospels had in both England and the colonies as well as on one B. Franklin, Printer among millions of others who heard the preaching. Yes – millions. Per numerous historical accounts George Whitefield preached to over 10 million people during his years on the planet. It is believed over 2 million people accepted Christ from his efforts during this time with most of that number within America’s population.

This discussion of Whitefield will help us better understand not only B and his personal beliefs, but establish why he and that preacher friend of his was so important to our independence and success as a nation. If you are unaware of the history and the seeds that were planted leading up to the patriot movement’s acts of rebellion, you may not grasp the full importance of what the Declaration of Independence states. Despite the anti-Christian recency bias we find today, America would not be America without Christianity. It is a cornerstone of our foundation as a nation. From the pilgrims forward it has guided our principles and approach to relations domestically as well as with the rest of the world.

George Whitefield was born in 1713 in Gloucester, England. His parents kept an inn there and he was the fifth of seven children. His father died when he was two years old. As he aged he helped his mother with the inn. Also as he grew older he discovered he had a passion for acting. However, the family had no money for him to continue his education. So he became a servitor to be able to attend the University of Oxford. This involved him becoming a servant doing simple basic living chores for staff and students there in exchange for free tuition.

George wanted to do good works and obey God, but had not yet fully understood the salvation offered by acceptance of Christ. That all changed when he read the book, The Life of God in the Soul of Man. Finally realizing he could not earn God’s favor by doing good works, he accepted Christ as his personal savior and was converted. He realized that all mankind has sinned against God’s will for us and that he needed God’s grace in the person of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. He accepted that this righteousness of Christ was then imputed to all who believed and accepted, thereby creating a new heart and nature that willingly desired to serve God.

We hillbillies call it taking off the old coat and putting on the new. Hi there, Wolf!

After Whitefield’s conversion the Bishop of Gloucester ordained him a Deacon in the Church Of England. He began preaching one week after his ordination. He soon took to preaching the Word of God wherever the people were since the Church of England did not give him a church. He was disappointed, but it did not deter him and as a result he went to the parks and fields to reach the people who did not go to church.

Soon, America and Great Britain would never be the same again. However, there was a friend/foe relationship with another major evangelical contemporary of that period who was educated in the same university in the same general time frame as George.

John Wesley and George Whitefield

Rather than summarize this relationship, I am going to post a link below to a short story about the two. In this part I would prefer to avoid a discussion about the issue that divided them – Calvinism versus Arminianism. The truth is that I personally believe elements of both of these Christian doctrines. At that time it was an extremely divisive issue within the clergy. It drove a wedge in the relationship of Wesley and Whitefield. There are letters to each other available for review online that are heart-wrenching. One I read from Whitefield to Wesley sounds like Paul’s reproach of Peter that we read in his letter in scripture. Just know that the two reconciled late in life, basically agreeing to disagree, as should all of us who allow a dividing doctrine to infest our hearts.

https://myrealchurch.org/disputable-matters-john-wesley-and-george-whitefield

The common theme of the two was that they went to the people in both England and the colonies with the intent to bring the message of salvation in Christ as well as providing for the least of these. Both were active in ministry in England prior to going to the colonies. Both were religious until experiencing a time when they found their personal hearts strangely warmed by Christ, a situation and understanding that many believers would call being born again. Both sought for all the experience of seeking Christian perfection as a life long worthy endeavor.

Being “born again” is a real thing. It happened to me.

The Fields Were Ripe For Harvest

By 1738, Whitefield felt the call to go to Georgia in the colonies to minister to orphans there after an unsuccessful, despondent Wesley returned to England at the same time. George began preaching at Christ Church in Savannah, which had been founded by Wesley previously. The Wesley brothers (John and Charles) were not all that pleased with their own results in that colony as they were met with much resistance. Whitefield felt the opposite. He embraced the people and the mission. His passion for the orphans was legendary. He solicited funds and opened three schools, one of which was for girls. He spent every available moment preaching the Word throughout the region. His bullhorn like voice could be heard a mile away, so he was very effective with outdoor assemblies where thousands would attend each time.

Seven months later he decided to return to England and arrived there months later after a very perilous voyage. Not long after arrival he was ordained a priest in the Church of England. After all he was willing to do and had accomplished he believed churches would be opened for him to preach, but the opposite was true. As a man of the people growing up in a lower status he was not welcomed in the pulpits of establishment churches. He made the best of it, preaching wherever he was welcomed. His presence was greatly appreciated when he preached in coal country where 10,000 people at a time would come to hear him speak. What an amazing sight and sound it would have been there to witness thousands standing to sing hymns and praise the Lord during the times he spoke. It was said that the singing could be heard some two miles away.

His largest successes in reaching the people came when preaching in a large, open tract of land known as the Moorfields. He set no schedule for doing so, but no matter whether he preached in the early morning or at night, thousands would come to listen and participate. One morning 20,000 came and later that evening the same day some 35,000 were there to hear him. Not all appreciated what he had to say. He once said, “I was honored with having stones, dirt, rotten eggs and pieces of dead cats thrown at me.”  😂 During one event, 80,000 people came to hear him preach 1.5 hours.

Yet, he was only 25 years old during those days. Wow.

Unfortunately his popularity with the masses disappointed the establishment and his bishop denounced him by August 1739. So, he headed back to the colonies with donations for his planned orphanages. He arrived in Philadelphia in late October and began preaching there. During the short time he was there he preached to tens of thousands of colonists at at time. It was during one of those times he first met B. Franklin, Printer.

His intent was always to return to Georgia and establish the orphan ministry there, but his next stop was New York where there was a similar response to his preaching. He stayed a short time before preaching his way down the Atlantic coast, traveling by horseback, until he finally arrived in Savannah in January 1740. He then went about building the orphanage. By September he was sailing back north to the New England area to begin preaching there. It was in this period that historians state our country’s first “great awakening” occurred.

The great American evangelist,Jonathon Edwards, had been preparing the area for revival for some time before Whitefield. When George arrived, it all broke loose. He was invited to speak by colonial governors and colleges such as Harvard. The places would become so crowded they had to turn people away. This revival lasted 1.5 years before Whitefield returned to England again. The Christian seeds had been planted that would eventually lead to our founding as a nation.

Whether you the reader personally believe in Christianity or not; this historical truth cannot be altered by those seeking to rewrite history or introduce counter narratives. The changes in mind and hearts of We the People in those days flowed into our founding documents that have governed our nation for 250 years. Within those documents We the People acknowledge God’s providence. The law itself is largely in alignment with Biblical principles. We the People of those days cut a forever deal with the Almighty. As has been proven in our nation’s history, any turning from it by leaders or We the People will result in great angst and even violence as discipline. We just need to stop being the prodigal son as a nation and start doing God’s will. Back to Whitefield…

Upon his arrival in England he learned that his friend John Wesley had turned from the Calvinistic Methodism that both embraced as younger preachers. As a result they went their separate ways. Whitefield’s base of preaching moved back to the Moorfields and a tabernacle was built, however, he traveled throughout Great Britain preaching as requested. While in Wales he met his future wife, Elizabeth, a widow. They married and had one son in 1743, who passed away as a four month old baby.

He made seven trips in total to America before passing away in Massachusetts some two hours after preaching before thousands in 1770. His words and presence always sparked an emotional response from those who heard him. Again, the response would be negative at times. There was one occasion he was beaten badly with a cane by a deranged man and other times when he was stoned both in England and in the colonies. Throughout it all he never lost his fervor for bringing God’s Word.

At this point we will conclude until next time with some of his interactions with B, a key founding father with whom he never lost contact and cared deeply about. It is now time to discuss another signer from Pennsylvania.

James Wilson

With James Wilson we have another brilliant attorney and associate justice to the Supreme Court as a founding father who served nobly only to fall victim to seeking riches in land speculation with excessive debt at the end of his life. It sounds like a familiar story with decisions and a similar fate that awaited another previous discussed founder, James Morris.

James Wilson was born in Fife, Scotland in 1742, the middle child of seven in a hard working farming family of the Presbyterian faith. His father rented the land he farmed. At age 15 he entered, studied and graduated from the University of St. Andrews. He followed that with studies at Edinburgh and Glasgow without graduating. In 1765 he emigrated to the colonies at New York in the middle of the Stamp Act controversy and soon moved to Philadelphia. He brought with him letters of introduction that enabled him to receive a job tutoring and teaching at the College of Philadelphia (Penn). While there he proceeded to study law under highly respected John Dickinson. For his work at the school he received an honorary Masters of Arts and later in life, a LL.D. Two years after arrival in 1767 he earned admission to the bar and established a law practice in Reading, PA, where he became very successful. In 1771 he married Rachel Byrd and they had six children together.

The aftermath of the Stamp Act encouraged him to deeply study the legal relationship between Great Britain and the colonies. Taxation without representation was a deal killer as far as Wilson was concerned, so he published his position on the subject. As he continued to research he concluded there was very little basis for the cause of independence for the colonists, yet, there was a recognition that all colonists were citizens of Great Britain with equal rights as residents. As a result in his view the acts Parliament took that related to the colonies were illegal due to the colonists lack of equal representation in governance in the same manner as citizens located in Great Britain.

This legal approach was utilized when the Declaration of Independence was drafted. It called out the King for misconduct as a result as we can see from the wording in the document. Wilson published this legal interpretation in 1774. What happened next is best described by this quote from the Descendants site;

Wilson’s language adopting the doctrine of popular sovereignty and natural rights foreshadowed the content of the Declaration of Independence two years later, as indicated by an early paragraph:

All men are, by nature, equal and free: no one has a right to any authority over another without his consent: all lawful government is founded on the consent of those who are subject to it: such consent was given with a view to endure and to increase the happiness of the governed, above what they could enjoy in an independent and unconnected state of nature. The consequence is that the happiness of the society is the first law of every government.

Seems we have seen that content phrased into our Declaration of Independence. But who knew James Wilson was the primary source? Not this guy.

Later in 1774, Wilson was made head of the committee of correspondence at Carlisle and was elected to the first Provincial Conference at Philadelphia. In January 1775, he was a member of the Convention of the Province and in May joined the Continental Congress. A year later in June 1776 as the Congress contemplated Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence, Wilson sensed the Congressional members were not yet ready for an affirmative vote as the states were split seven for and five against at that point. He voted for a delay with other key members. After more spirited discussions, three weeks later the vote was held. He, John Morton, and our boy B voted for it, which put Pennsylvania in the for independence column by a vote of 3-2.

After approval and signatures, they quickly moved toward the establishment of state constitutions. Wilson found himself on the wrong side of the issues in Pennsylvania, so he was removed from Congress in 1777. In addition to his return to the law practice, from which he assisted many loyalists, he became an advocate general for France for a handful of years. He was also involved in the formation of the Bank of North America with Robert Morris in 1780 that we addressed in that part. This bank formation provided a much needed funding source for our young nation’s treasury.

Wilson returned to Congress when conservatives assumed more power over state affairs in 1782. He served in it until 1787 when it came time for the Constitutional Convention. His wife had passed away the previous year, so all of his efforts went toward the work.

While at the Convention he played a major role as a framer of the document and was considered by many to be the most knowledgeable lawyer in the group. He was a prominent speaker in the assembly. He continued stressing his emphasis on natural rights within the proposed law. With groups opposing each other regarding election of the President by popular vote (Wilson supported) or legislative vote, Wilson proposed the Electoral College that is now used. At first the idea was rejected in favor of a legislative vote, however, those supporters could not agree on the terms. With James Madison and Gouverneur Morris as strong supporters of Wilson’s proposal, a compromise was reached in the committee incorporating an acceptable version of the Electoral College into the Constitution.

After this work Wilson was selected by Washington to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court in 1789. He served until his death from a stroke brought on by malaria in 1798. In 1790 he also became the first law professor in the history of the College of Philadelphia/Penn. In 1793 he married Hannah Gray. They had a child together who passed away at age three. Although Wilson claimed to be anti-slavery, he had a slave for most of his adult life. Hannah requested the man’s release and in 1794 he did so.

However, this last decade of Wilson’s life was tumultuous. He fell victim to the same temptation of Robert Morris through excessive land speculation. He owed hundreds of thousands of dollars on land deals, but would not stop buying more until he became insolvent. He was briefly jailed in debtor’s prison in New Jersey before his son paid the related debt off. He spent the last year of his life running away from other creditors and ended up dying in Edenton, NC in poverty. He was initially interred there before his remains were removed and brought back to the Christ Churchyard in Philadelphia where other founders are interred.

James Wilson as a founding father is another man who is not typically discussed. However, he left a long lasting positive imprint on our nation through his law career and particularly with the Constitution. We remain greatly appreciative of his patriotic service to our country.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.08.12 Daily Thread – American Stories: Trust Trump…And Big Beautiful Tariffs

As our Kal continues to accurately say and which has become a code statement on here, “Trust Trump”. Today’s opener is dedicated to the economic reasons of why we should do that. We will be back next week to resume the Declaration signers.

Many of you may be like me. I only trust the Lord completely, then wifey, and down the line. The first two have earned my complete trust; I go down with the ship with them. As for the topic of trusting Trump, observations and experience have taught me that he is outstanding and fully trustworthy in many specific areas. None of us are perfect and everybody will have their own opinions on any weaknesses President Trump has demonstrated he has in the past. This latter point is not the purpose of this opener. This is about how we finally have a POTUS who is executing a plan that will take the rest of the world off our backs.

My first piece of advice is to ignore anything the main stream pundits say as well as many politicians who are stuck in the past. There is no modern day reference on which to base their antiquated analysis that will adequately explain what is happening. Which is exactly why they are astounded they are so wrong and POTUS Trump has been so right about his economic plans including the use of tariffs. President Trump has not only beat them at the game, he changed the rules to it without them grasping he was doing it. The following article summarizes it well.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/08/05/breitbart-business-digest-why-trump-won-the-trade-war-before-the-first-shot-was-fired

In my opinion we should Trust Trump in many areas in addition to economic matters. There is also his leadership with the illegals invasion, strategic military actions, world peace, law and order, real estate usage, natural resources, world leadership, jobs, education, political endorsements… well, most things relating to being POTUS of the greatest country on earth.

Brave New Economic World

We can see that the pundits and pseudo economists proved they did not know didly about what they were opining about. But Diddley knows,

The Alpha is back in charge in America. You know it is true. 😀

As you can see there is a major reason why The Lion said “tariffs” may be his favorite word. By the time this opener posts, he will have negotiated nearly $20 trillion of investment commitments into America. The results from it all will be incredible. With it he is authorizing and EPA is fast tracking approval of electrical power plant generation on site of the projects that need it that are built and owned by the investing company. Do you fully realize what that does? It means power generation for many manufacturing companies will gravitate to being off the primary national electricity grid not only with new plants of new investments, but also with existing large industrial consumers of power that will undoubtedly be permitted to do likewise. In addition these new generators of power will be able to sell excess power to other customers and the existing grid’s suppliers. All of it makes the grid safer in the event of attack or natural disaster. This innovative approach will spread worldwide and create another major industry for American interests. The very methods being used will stabilize energy costs and diversify the sources of fuel that are utilized. All of which America has ample supply and access.

Next, add in the opening of federally controlled lands for fuels and minerals production. Then add in all the suppliers, manufacturing support, distribution, and service companies who will be integral to the new manufacturing and utility operations. Then, add in the housing, schools, retail, professionals, etc. needed to support the communities whose populations will be affected by this growth.

Mind blown…

To better understand and for the uninitiated into the world of macro economics and finance – what PDT and supporters are doing with tariffs and trade deals is world defining change. The trade efforts are bringing peace to many contested parts of the world. Paradigm shift does not even come close to describing it. He is having fun like a kid in a candy store doing it.

There is no way to turn this economic ship of positive change around and head back to port; it has irreversibly sailed for the brave new world. The trillions are coming to our home to roost. When the Euros bent the knee and the deal was announced, the death rattle sounded for the future of the existing operations of the cabal. To be sure they will morph into something else that operates on the fringe. But they no longer hold the cards.

To use TradeBait vernacular – PDT got other people to invest their and other people’s money into America to the ultimate benefit of We the People. They pay us for the privilege of doing business with us while hiring and training us for the related highly compensated jobs. The numbers made better sense to do that than to pay the higher tariffs PDT imposed. Yet, they are still paying some level of tariffs as well as taxes along with some investing cash into the Trump/Bessent controlled version of a public investment fund like Trump’s buddies use in SA.

Meanwhile, his handpicked cabinet related to national security is running off or deporting the Dem’s illegal, under the table slave labor and traffickers who have undercut wages, jobs, elections, and lives of We the People. Next on the agenda is to go hard on the cartels and take them out before they even smell our borders.

Cool.

What The Founders Thought

However, much of the economic might being exerted is not a new concept. It has been developed and staged over the past 250 years to be rolled out when ready and as needed. Again, here is the archived letter from Alexander Hamilton to Robert Morris that I posted in American Stories.- Part 21 a couple of weeks ago.

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-02-02-1167

Many know that Hamilton was our original “tariffs” guru. Fewer understand the depth of what those two genius founders understood of the interrelating factors. If you want to know more about the tariffs subject, Alexander Hamilton’s official activities, and the politics at that time; please take time to read the linked informative analysis.

https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w9943/w9943.pdf

Just like in those days, once again we find ourselves in a similar position today. This time around PDT has the majority support of Congress and the authority as POTUS that Hamilton did not fully have.

What was already known and then expanded upon by our founding fathers has been noted, researched, and chronicled over all of the years that followed; particularly in the areas of economics, military, and the law. A base of economic knowledge relating to worldwide activities has been built. Economic strategies have been developed for dealing with a myriad of situations, conditions, nations, and leaders.

President Trump, applicable cabinet, and economists have studied it all and are using the most current methods and technology in coordination with the best and brightest America has to offer. Then his team negotiates trade deals with the best sharks in the world handling it from our side while he acts in the closer role. Nobody does it better than us because our guys and gals think outside of the box and are always well prepared. What is different is the peace deals he negotiates between former enemies frequently have trade deals attached to America and our interests. So, America wins on trade with both parties as they learn to be friends instead of enemies without the deep state creating mischief and pitting them against each other. That takes them out of the cabal’s clutches and adds more valuable information and data in addition to the trade.

The historical downside has always been that nobody ignores the advantages created more than us as well. We get fat, happy and lazy; then fall asleep behind the wheel. Sometimes it happens intentionally due to political and business corruption. As a result we know what our kryptonite has been.

Donald J. Trump has got this. The America First MAGA movement, the white hats, and many other nations in the world now have his back. Most importantly God spared President Trump’s life to be His servant for a time such as this. The Donald himself knows that to be true and openly states it. We have a deep, growing bench of America First MAGA leaders and supporters in important roles. There is zero doubt in my mind that the Hillbilly Middie can take it to the next level when #47 is done. Even lil Marco has proven his commitment and done an exceptional job at State.

Current Situation

As Americans we have been enticed to buy lower cost stuff because the Chi-coms do not care about human rights and 401-k plans. We are a nation conditioned to consuming mass quantities of products of all types. However, the purchases perpetuate their scheme and actual power. They use controlled and slave labor to produce the stuff at lower costs. International business conglomerates design products and use the Chi-coms to produce them at those lower costs, then resell to the consumers worldwide who fall for the fake promotions, sponsored media reports, and ads. Add in the politicians that the people elect who believe it is good business in their states to establish relations with the godless communists and offer special deals using tax payer money for locating businesses to their states; for personal gain of course. I

n essence the international corporate piranha that use Chyna and other totalitarian regimes operate irrespective of nations. Their sole goals are to survive, provide enough products the customers want, make good profits, and grow even more tentacles by whatever means necessary.

That has been the picture in America for decades pre-Donald J. Trump as #45 and #47. That is what is changing so dramatically. As an example, some reading this may still pay or remember paying a cover charge at a club or entertainment venue. The charge went to covering the costs of the entertainment. The venue had something of value you wanted to see, so you paid to get in and then paid some more for the food and libations. That is what President Trump and team are doing with other nations and corporate conglomerates. There is a charge for doing business here because we have something of great value they want – capable workers, more than adequate natural resources and infrastructure, quality products/services, and many paying customers. They can choose to pay a larger cover charge with the tariffs to access our markets, or, they can pay a smaller one or even none under stated conditions along with providing financial and manufacturing investment into America. Most are opting for the latter. They know their investments are safe here and over time their costs will be lower as America leads from the front with AI and technology. With the lower taxes locked in long term from the BBB and a lower cost of energy that reduces production as well as transportation costs – foreign investors are jumping at the opportunity provided them.

So naysayers have to ask themselves; what do these very intelligent, wealthy, and established leaders from around the world know that entices them to do what PDT is dictating, that they do not know?

The cost to produce those products will be controlled in America because for the first time in a very long time the tariffs are leveling the playing field and American leadership is reducing the costs and red tape to corporations to invest big and do business here. Distribution costs will be lower than shipping here from other parts of the world. Our officials are also providing the things that are critically necessary relating to ample access to electricity, water, land, transportation, a competent workforce with training support, reduced regulatory requirements and so on. As we assert ourselves in the domestic energy sector, production costs drop in relation to revenues received. This leads to greater profits and rising stock valuations.

Since robotics and AI are going to drive modern production lines, there is a reduced need for massive numbers of employees that would necessitate an aggressive worker visa program for the purpose. American citizens win as a result.

All of it leads to a much larger, financially stronger middle class in this country. America wins big time when that happens.

Conclusion

To get to the roots of who has been behind the grand scheme of the soon vanquished cabal, please read the works of our Gail Combs. Just know that anytime a politician has ever wanted to attract investment or business relations with the Chi-coms, they are openly stating whose team they are on and it is not America First MAGA.

I have a comment to make to each and every single one of those azzhats.

Game over, bitches. You gotta pay to play now.

Going forward, critical thinking and strategic actions will be rewarded. If you were duped or were beat down and just did not care any more with the past long running fake economy, this is your shot at redemption. All you have to do is communicate support for America First MAGA to folks. Let them know that you appreciate what is being done by President Trump and supporters. If you see something sinister relating to election integrity or with illegals, say something to authorities.

That’s it.

Then invest your work ethic and assets into MAGA. Celebrate each day that we are a SAFE nation that is no longer being taken advantage of and used by the rest of the world. When you no longer have to pay income taxes in the future and see the increased wealth in your retirement plans and investments it will become even more personal and appreciated. That day is coming…

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.08.05 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 23

The rewriting of history to fit narratives of those with nefarious motives is as common as noses on faces today. It frequently seems that presenting facts and truth are exceptions to the rule in media and many publications. Truthfully, I am sure I have presented questionable information here from what I have summarized from the works of others. It is with that understanding that I bring you a discussion on the spiritual condition of our old friend, B. Franklin, Printer; along with further discussion later about his relationship with the famous Christian evangelist George Whitefield from the Great Awakening period in the 1700’s. There is so much content and relevance that this will be a three parter and will also complete the Pennsylvania signers.

Most all biographical and historical text I studied downplay the Christian faith of B. Most all point to his early days as a Christian in the Puritan faith of his family before undergoing some kind of transformation into becoming a deist leading up to and during his embracement of the Enlightenment period in Europe. For those who are less informed on deism, please review the link below. It is concise and easy to follow. It is kind of a big deal as it informs the world view of some leaders in every walk of life even today.

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/cults-and-other-religions/what-is-deism-what-are-deism-beliefs.html

I am sure you noticed B and Thomas Jefferson mentioned in that piece. I inferred in B’s dedicated American Story, Part 19, that this transformation to deism may have been the case. After more review of additional information outside of the above linked article and other utilized sources, I am rescinding that inference. Nobody knows the truth of the condition of the human heart but God. As observers all we can do is consider the evidence from their lives and suggest that it indicates something of note. I see that the same Christian faith B personally struggled with still exists in Christianity today and probably will until Jesus returns. He grew spiritually as he worked out his faith, just as the Apostle Paul indicates we should in Philippians 2:12. Salvation is a gift of God, which involves a process of growth and maturing in one’s spiritual life. It was always on B’s mind even when he questioned and had doubts. It informed his person and his perpectives.

As I have continued on a deeper dive of B’s words and compared them to actions he took throughout his life, I see a man who had accepted Christ as a young Puritan and attempted to live out his faith through good works to others throughout much of his life. What he rejected was organized religion without what he considered to be substance. He read and exhibited a great understanding the Bible along with participating in Lent all of his life. A committed deist generally does not do those things in that manner.

Like most all of us B had flaws, made missteps, and had serious errors in judgment at times. Sometimes he trusted in his own intellect over God’s wisdom for example. However, when it came time to stand on one side or the other during critical events and periods, he had a compass that pointed directly toward God and His instructions. B did not hesitate to voice his thoughts and heart, which led to actions that reflected an active faith in God that is reflective of Christianity. He truly cared about people and wanted what was good.

Some Evidence

There are many examples of his thoughts through his storied life. Using his own words, I will start first with his doubts and aversion to organized religion for himself while finding it beneficial for society as a whole.

“My Parents had early given me religious Impressions, and brought me through my Childhood piously in the Dissenting Way. But I was scarce 15 when, after doubting by turns of several Points as I found them disputed in the different Books I read, I began to doubt of Revelation itself.”

This was a very bold admission during that time and place. Yet, he even gives the reason why he had doubts – the books he read influenced him. That admission indicates his willingness to consider all points of view and use reason. At that time in his life he just chose to believe in his own reasoning instead of God’s.

“Tho’ I seldom attended any Public Worship, I had still an Opinion of its Propriety, and of its Utility when rightly conducted, and I regularly paid my annual Subscription for the Support of the only Presbyterian Minister or Meeting we had in Philadelphia.“

He might as well have said,” You won’t see me darken the door of a church, but I understand and agree about the value the church has for society. So I will write a check to make sure it continues.” 😂

“[God] ought to be worshiped by Adoration, Prayer and Thanksgiving. But that the most acceptable Service of God is doing Good to Man. […] And that God will certainly reward Virtue and punish Vice either here or hereafter.“

Per this prayer of B’s, he indicates there are consequences on earth and post death in other realms of God concerning the actions of people. It seems good works toward others is a desired way to serve God per B, which is a traditional Christian belief. In Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus tells His followers, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” and that it is the greatest commandment. He then follows in 22:39 with loving our neighbors (others) as ourselves. Next Jesus follows that in 22:40 with, “Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Why bother doing the second commandment at all if you do not believe the first since Jesus said doing so is the most important? Nobody that I can find really questioned B about his knowledge of the Bible. B was also noted far and wide for regularly doing the second commandment. That indicates he also believed in doing the first. He referenced and based his decisions on God often. None of that has anything to do with attending church services as a requirement for being good.

“It was wonderful to see the Change soon made in the Manners of our Inhabitants; from being thoughtless or indifferent about Religion, it seem’d as if all the World were growing Religious; so that one could not walk thro’ the Town in an Evening without Hearing Psalms sung in different Families of every Street.“

B saw the miracle happening all around him as hearts were changed and the Lord worshipped without regard to organized religion. Witnessing it lifted his heart and made him joyful. It represented his vision for how life should be for Americans.

As discussed, B’s journey to a stronger faith was greatly impacted by George Whitefield. The effects of their relationship became much more pronounced as he aged and participated in the birth of our nation. It seemed to need to percolate in his mind and heart for a couple of decades. Below are two examples where he left little doubt about the condition of his soul in my opinion. The first had long lasting, major effects on our nation.

This incredible speech is one for the ages,

“How has it happened, sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly appealing to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible to danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciously answered. I have lived, sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I therefore beg leave to move that, henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning before we proceed to business”

These are the words of B, some 17(?!) years after the death of George Whitefield. They were stated in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention at a critical juncture. The proceedings had grown contentious and fear was rising that the assembly would soon disband while accomplishing nothing of substance. At 81 years of age B rose and addressed George Washington and the assembly with those words. Perhaps you recognize his use of scripture from Psalms and the Gospels within the statement. Maybe you noticed that he said they were “sacred” in his statement. Folks, that is what we Christians call giving a witness, a personal testimony to the greatness of God and the recognition that our nation exists only through His providence.

Just picturing this elderly man who was revered internationally as he awesomely rose to address his contemporaries with that statement brings chills to my spine. This is the stuff that needs taught in our public education system, not the awful woke and rewritten false narratives of the leftists. Out of all of the great accomplishments and quotes of B, this is the one that sets a benchmark for our nation to follow forever.

B’s specific proposal was not accepted, however, his words brought a spirit of reconciliation to all in attendance from that point on due to their respect for him and the providence of God that was clearly present in their successful drive to establish good government for the young nation. The unimportant grudges held against each other along with special interests were laid aside. At last they began to make significant progress toward completion of our nation’s Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Only God knows if B was acting as His servant or as an instrument for accomplishing His will for America. One thing for sure, those words are not of a worldly salesman, politician, or self-serving manipulator. They are grounded in a strong understanding of scripture and how things work best in God’s world.

Late in life B’s belief in Christianity as a necessary moral force in society is why he rejected a manuscript from the well-known deist and fellow Pennsylvanian, Thomas Paine, in which Paine attacked orthodox Christianity. B strongly urged Paine not to print the book or allow anyone else to even see it. He wrote,

“I would advise you, therefore … to burn this piece before it is seen by any other person; whereby you will save yourself a great deal of mortification by the enemies it may raise against you, and perhaps a good deal of regret and repentance. If men are so wicked with religion [Christianity], what would they be if without it?”

Paine did not listen and Part 1 of the Age of Reason was printed (not by B) in 1794. The full text was completed with the publishing of Part 3 in 1807. To understand how right B was and how misguided Thomas Paine was, we only need to read the latter’s tortured words that were spoken from his deathbed,

“I would give worlds, if I had them, if The Age of Reason had never been published. O Lord, help me! Christ, help me! Stay with me! It is hell to be left alone.”

But in the interest of fairness, there is a counter argument about B’s faith experiences that should be presented. Read the quote below.

“As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, is the best the world ever saw, or is likely to see;

“But I apprehend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequence, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and more observed; especially as I do not perceive, that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in his government of the world with any peculiar marks of his displeasure.”
–Benjamin Franklin wrote this in a letter to Ezra Stiles, President of Yale University on March 9, 1790.

If we trust Jesus for our eternal salvation from sin and death for eternity, we trust not in our own efforts and good works. We realize we are depraved and cannot be good enough. Once we accept Christ and are born again, as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, what is required of us has been done. Good works then spring from our new birth, not for the purposes to buy our way into God’s good graces. Only God knows if B sincerely did that at some point in his life.

Since scripture clearly states God’s desire for none to be lost, I suggest that He uses many methods and ways to bring people to a saving knowledge of His grace. However, the central truth is that one must accept the atonement of Christ to receive it.

In the next two parts of this story I will devote more time to B’s relationship with Whitefield, a man he dearly loved and respected. He was the man who brought a traditional and even evangelical understanding of Christ to B, which helped complete the reversal of the appeal of deism from his younger years that had been driven by intellectual curiosity and the rejection of his Puritan upbringing. B openly stated that he strongly regretted that he influenced many younger people with that intellectual pursuit of deism during those days.

Regardless of the final outcome of B’s soul, we have him and Whitefield to thank for the America we experience today. What would we be as a people without The Great Awakening, George Whitefield, and B. Franklin, Printer?

It is now time to discuss yet another signer of the Declaration from the Keystone state.

George Taylor

It appears that George Taylor was born around 1713-1716 (subject to source) near Ulster, Northern Ireland. He emigrated to the colonies at Philadelphia twenty or so years later, apparently around 1736. He appeared to be the son of Protestant clergyman in Scotland. He was indentured to Samuel Savage, Jr. of French Creek Iron Works foundry there to pay for the voyage.

Per a seemingly legit Irish source provided below this happened because he ran away from home. 😂 His family was educating him to be a physician and he did not like it. So he ran away, found a ship headed for the colonies, signed up to be an indentured servant to pay for it, and never returned.

https://libraryireland.com/biography/GeorgeTaylor.php

Dang, that’s desperate to get out of there! He did not want to be a doc really badly. Wish some current day lock step jab pushing docs in America had done likewise, but I digress.

Recognizing his good educational background, employer ironmaster Samuel Nutt moved him from labor to clerical roles. A year later in 1739 Nutt passed away, leaving control of the works to Savage and his mother. With the settlement of Nutt’s will, his widow (Anna) and sons from a previous marriage constructed a new foundry, Warwick Furnace, a year later. Taylor went to work for them. Savage then died in 1741, so Taylor took over management of that foundry and a year later married his widow, Ann, whose maiden name also happened to be Taylor. The foundry became very successful under George Taylor’s leadership.

Ann Taylor’s grandfather had arrived in the colonies back in 1684 and he was thought to have been responsible for surveying over a third of the Pennsylvania colony. They were prominent Quakers. With Ann’s marriage to Savage, she had been disowned due to leaving the faith.

In 1747 Taylor entered public service when he was appointed as Captain in a militia that had been formed by B to contain frontier violence. Five years later his step-son took over management of the foundry as planned and George exited the business. Ann gave up her interest to her son per the estate requirements and retained a life estate to two farms of the family. Ann and George had two children during the period; a daughter who died young and a son (James) who lived into adulthood and became an attorney, but who died in 1775.

In 1753, Taylor and a partner leased the Durham Iron Works. During the next years it provided cannon shot for the Provincial Pennsylvania government for the French and Indian War. In this period he was commissioned a justice of the peace and served in his church, Red Hill Presbyterian. His interest in politics grew and he was elected to the Provincial Assembly from 1764-1769 while continuing to serve as a justice of the peace. In 1767 he had purchased a 331 acre property some 15 miles from Easton on which he built a beautiful two story stone house overlooking the Lehigh River called Manor of Chawton. The home still still stands today and is known as the George Taylor Mansion.

Unfortunately, his wife Ann passed away soon after it was built in 1768. A few years later he leased the property and moved in with his son in Allentown. In 1774 he returned and leased the Durham Iron Works again. It was there that he once again produced cannonballs, this time for the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety, as well as making other iron products. A month after the Battle of Bunker Hill he was commissioned as a Colonel of the militia’s 3rd Battalion. In October 1775 he was sent to the Pennsylvania assembly to help issue instructions to Continental Congress representatives to not separate from Great Britain when they met to vote. However, by June 1776 that sentiment had changed dramatically. When John Dickinson and four other PA representatives declined to vote for independence they were replaced by the Assembly on July 20. Their replacements were Taylor, Dr. Benjamin Rush, George Ross, George Clymer, and James Smith – all of whom signed the document and cemented their places in American history forever.

Taylor served the Congress for a few months and returned home to serve as a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, but became ill and soon retired. He continued to operate the Durham Iron Works for two more years of its remaining lease before moving back to Easton in 1780. By February 1781 he passed away and was laid to rest in Easton. At the point of his death his estate had been largely spent.

Normally that would end this discussion, but there is something else to note. Along the way and after the death of Ann, George fathered five additional children with the couple’s housekeeper, Naomi Smith. There appears to be no evidence they formally married. Nothing much is known about them other than the first of their children was born in 1770 with other children being born throughout that decade. George provided for each in his will, however, nothing was left to distribute to them.

The George Taylor Mansion shown below is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned by the Lehigh County Historical Society, is fully restored, and is open to the public.

Although not as prominent as many of the other signers, George Taylor was highly valued by his peers for his common sense and fearless approach in public service. He faithfully performed his duties whenever called. We remain grateful and honor his dedicated service to our country.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.07.29 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 22

We continue with our Pennsylvania signers of the Declaration of Independence today. We must first address some massively important questions relating to Pennsylvania before moving on as they have seismic implications. I want your input in response to these important questions in the comments.

First,

Which chain eatery has the best Philly Cheesesteak sandwich?

We all know the locals would trump the chains, but not many of us get the opportunity to partake of the offerings of the locals. That is why this question relates to the chains. What we do know is that there are too many choices and personal likes and dislikes to promote one style over the other. However, that does not stop me from giving my view since I am the author of this story. 😂

That said, I do think ribeye makes for the best taste. I also think the Firehouse Subs version is #1(a) and Jersey Mike’s Big Kahuna is #1(b) for the best chain provider of the ones I have tried. The later uses white American cheese versus provolone with the former. For what it is worth Charleys Philly Steaks wins the #1 pick with nearly all of the reviewers who have tried them. There are just no Charleys anywhere around where I could try one.

So, the next question is which Pennsylvania professional sports team is the most popular?

We know most Pennsylvanians love their sports, especially the professional teams. To answer this I picked one measure which would be to see which had the most web searches conducted on them. The results as provided by a gaming site that did the research a few years ago by checking google searches was as follows (in order): Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL), Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Pittsburg Penguins (NHL), Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB), Philadelphia Phillies (MLB).

After the Eagles’ Super Bowl appearance in 2024, I suspected that order may have changed with the top two when also considering TV ratings. The margin narrowed, but even based on TV ratings the order remains the same. Perhaps the Eagles victory in the last SB may have put them over the top subject to more current data that I could not find. One thing we can determine with certainty, it appears that Steeler fans and Eagles fans do not cross their self imposed red lines of fandoms.

It was interesting to note that the wretched Pirates, or Rats as MLB Central Division competitor fans call them, as a bad team of late had nearly double the searches over the Phillies organization that made it all the way to the World Series the year the data and article was published. It is also telling that the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers did not even make the Top 10. So much for the NBA. It died when Michael Jordan retired in my home anyway.

https://www.pennstakes.com/info/pennsylvanias-most-popular-sports-teams

https://www.thesportsgeek.com/blog/nfl-most-watched-2024

Next, what are the Top 15 attractions for visitors in Pennsylvania?

For this one I went to Tripadvisor, which seems like a logical source since people love to talk about and rate where they visit. From the TA site: “…we consider traveler reviews, ratings, number of page views, and user location.” The results were surprising to say the least.

In order: Eastern State Penitentiary (😂), Longwood Gardens (botanical), Independence Hall, Sight & Sound Theaters (Biblical dramatizations), Duquesne Incline (cable car ride), Knoebels Amusement Resort, Reading Terminal Market (food), Gettysburg National Military Park, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Park, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Fallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright home/nature), The Amish Farm and House, PNC Park (Pirates), Presque Isle State Park, Strip District (eateries, bars, shops).

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28959-Activities-Pennsylvania.html

A visit to Eastern State Penitentiary sounds like the most Philadelphia thing evah. Visitors are treated to the former accommodations of Al Capone and death row in a medieval looking, architecturally wondrous House of Pain. Yeah! Now if they could convert it to Pennsylvania’s version of Alligator Alcatraz and permit MAGA supporters to attend departure ceremonies with open viewing of illegals being jettisoned we might be on to something. Many of us would pay reasonable admission fees to attend.

I am going to avoid the currently most popular Pennsylvania celebrity with the next question as it creates recency bias. Besides that I cannot stand Taylor Swift. The question I pose is who are the Top Fifteen greatest Pennsylvanians of all time?

Even Swift was relegated to #100 in the linked listing below. The authors seemed to take their approach a tiny bit more seriously, but alas, also very woke. It is hard to take a list of greats seriously that has Fred Rogers at #3 out of 100, but you know what is said about opinions and azzholes, everybody has one.

My version from the list would go: William Penn, Benjamin Franklin, Dwight Eisenhower, Benjamin Rush, Betsy Ross, John Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe, Jimmy Stewart, George Westinghouse, George C. Marshall, Milton Hershey, Billie Holiday, Jim Thorpe, Wilt Chamberlain, John Coltrane, Stephen Foster, Johnny Unitas, Arnold Palmer, and… welp, I guess I cannot stop at fifteen. Pretty amazing list of people. I could list nearly fifteen patriots from the independence movement alone. Guess it is time to move on. I left out Andrew Carnegie due to what we know about how his Foundation’s funds were used to weaponize against the interests of We the People.

https://www.pennlive.com/life/2018/06/100_greatest_pennsylvanians.html

Finally, what is the religious composition of Pennsylvania residents?

Short answer – about 7 in 10 are Christians.

https://www.studycountry.com/wiki/what-is-the-most-common-religion-in-pennsylvania

Enough with the fluff, time to move on to the another PA signer of the Declaration.

George Ross, Jr.

The next founding father is often overlooked in the discussions about Declaration signers. A son of Anglican clergy Rev. George Ross, Sr. who had emigrated from Scotland in 1679, George Ross was born in 1730 in New Castle, DE as one of sixteen children of his father who had two wives. The Ross family had a long history in Scotland dating back to the year 1173 with the naming of an ancestor as the Earl of Ross in 1226 as he had great battle victories under King Alexander II. George’s sister, Gertrude, married the son of a prominent judge and politician. Upon the man’s death she married Declaration signer, George Read. Ross Jr. was also the uncle of the man who married Betsy Griscom in 1773. Perhaps you have heard of Betsy Ross?

Just in prominent family relationships alone we see George Ross, George Read and Betsy Ross. There is more acknowledgement of his importance in the patriot past with George Ross, George Washington and Robert Morris being featured on a 3 cent US stamp commemorating Betsy Ross back in 1952.

Ross received a classical education at home through the efforts of his father. He went on to read law at the office of his attorney older brother, John. At the age of 20 he was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar and opened his practice in Lancaster, PA in 1750. He married Ann Lawler in 1751 and they went on to have three children together; two sons and a daughter. They were of the Episcopal faith and he was a vestryman in St. James Episcopal Church there. They met when she was 19 after she sought his legal advice and she became one of his first clients. It was an unusual event for a young woman to need legal advice in those days, but it appears none of her family were still living. It is possible his expertise was needed as she owned properties there that had probably been passed to her from her deceased father. With their marriage they had considerable combined wealth. She was considered quite beautiful by the town’s residents as were their children. One portrait of her follows,

During those days Ross was a Tory and was appointed as a Crown prosecutor for 12 years in Carlisle until elected into the PA provincial legislature in 1768. Although late to the cause of independence, through his experiences he began to see the difficulties caused by Parliament’s actions against the colonies. He became consumed with support for the independence movement and continued to progress in politics, representing PA in various roles and as a delegate in the General Congress in 1774. Just prior to that his wife passed away unexpectedly in 1773 at the age of 42 . George chose not to remarry.

He became a member of the Committee of Safety the next year in 1775 before being elected into the Continental Congress in 1776. He also served as a Colonel in the Continental Army. Being a benevolent person at heart he was soon tasked with improving relationships and negotiating a peace treaty, the Fort Pitt Treaty, with the northwestern PA located Indians.

Ross was not a member of the Continental Congress when the Declaration was approved. However, he had become one for the state prior to its signing and executed the document. He assisted with procurement and inspection of military supplies until his health turned poor and had to resign. In 1777 he was appointed a judge in the state’s Court of Admiralty (maritime related). He was a strong states’ rights advocate in the law before it became a controversial subject. He returned to serve once again in the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1778.

In 1779 he passed away from the effects of gout at the age of 49. He is buried with other founders in the Christ Church cemetery. Although Ross did not fight in the war due to his health, both of the couple’s sons served with distinction and led exemplary lives along with their sister. Ann, one son (George), and their daughter (Mary) are buried in St. James Episcopal Church Cemetery in Lancaster with other family members.

George Ross, Jr. went about his duties to God, country and family resolutely and well. We salute him as an important founding patriot of our great nation.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!

2025.07.22 Daily Thread – American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 21

We continue our review of Pennsylvania’s signers of the Declaration of Independence. First, let’s ask a couple of questions like which would be the better city to be called the “cradle of liberty” – Boston or Philadelphia?

A better question is what the heck happened to Philadelphia over the nearly 250 years since that point? The “city of brotherly love” has been anything but that for a very long time. However, in the development of our nation leading up to and immediately after the Revolutionary War, it really could be considered a cradle of liberty as well as the city of brotherly love. However, that is not the focus of this section.

To lead off today’s part I am giving my top five things I find interesting about Philly in no certain order.

Obviously in a series like this one we go first with Philly’s iconic symbol for freedom – the Liberty Bell.

The following link gives the history,

https://www.ushistory.org/LibertyBell/index.html

Second, there another famous, important center and museum; the National Constitution Center.

The Declaration and Constitution are why we are here in this great country. The center is complete with a theater that shows Freedom Rising, life size statues of its signers, all sorts of multimedia exhibits as well as period artifacts. Cool place. Below is info about the center,

https://constitutioncenter.org

Third we have the home of famous trans swimmer, Lia Thomas. The University of Pennsylvania of Ivy League fame had origins as the College of Philadelphia during the incubation of the Independence movement as we know from past stories about other signers. Its founder and first president was B. Franklin, Printer. B had a new building completed for the Philadelphia Academy, the precursor school that eventually became Penn. He also put it to use for evangelical preacher George Whitefield to conduct revivals, focusing on the young people and students in the area.

Now, it is known internationally for encouraging women sports to be infested with sexual deviants and perverts. In the attempt they had their azzes handed to them by POTUS Trump; one of the school’s most famous alums as a 1968 graduate of their Wharton School with a B. S. in Economics, along with other members of his immediate family. Going woke has consequences. The patriot founding fathers that attended the school are probably trying to dig out of their graves and handle the restoration of Penn the same way they handled the Brits.

Could not resist using the mug shot.

😂

Fourth, we watch the most iconic modern day Philly scene ever!

For what it is worth, the building in the background is the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Below is a good primer if you ever decide to visit.

https://www.thegeographicalcure.com/post/guide-to-the-philadelphia-museum-of-art

Finally, the most important culinary gift Philly has given to America is shown below.

B approves…

Enough with the preliminaries, it is on with the show. We focus on one of the “big dogs” (like B) of the patriot founding fathers.

Robert Morris

We need to spend some time digging into the life of the founding father who is referenced as the “Financier of the American Revolution”, Robert Morris. He is one of the few who signed the Declaration, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. However, this story will be like a roller coaster ride at times and I am only hitting some of the primary information and events. Readers may want to look at any number of articles on the web that provide more detail as he was involved in so many activities that it would take too long to summarize them all here.

Morris was born in 1734 and raised for his first thirteen years in Liverpool, England. He was the child of Robert Morris, Sr. and mother, Elizabeth. Elizabeth died when he was two years old. He was raised by his maternal grandmother and his father immigrated to America in 1738 to work as a tobacco sales agent. At age fourteen, young Robert left to join his father in America in Oxford, MD. Morris, Sr. became very successful and was the author of a tobacco inspection law to reduce fraud that passed against strong opposition. He was known to be the first to keep his accounts in money as compared to the usual gallons, pounds, etc.

Upon young Morris’ arrival in 1748, he was tutored for a year by local minister, William Gordon. He soon left to live with a friend of his father’s in Philadelphia where he apprenticed in the merchant shipping business of wealthy Charles Willing as a clerk. When his father died in 1750, he was alone with no family in America at the age of sixteen. The death of his father was bizarre as described below from the Descendants site:

“In 1750 Robert Morris, Sr. gave a dinner party on board one of the ships of the company. As he left the ship in a small boat, a farewell salute was fired from the ship and wadding from the shot burst through the side of the boat and severely injured him. As a result of the accident, he died of blood poisoning on July 12, 1750.“

Young Robert continued his work there and was promoted up the ranks until becoming a full partner in 1757 with Charles Willing’s son, Thomas. Through the years Morris became wealthy and one of the most respected citizens in Philly. In 1769 at age 35 he married 20 year old Mary White, the daughter of a wealthy lawyer and land owner. They soon had the first of seven children together, which included future Congressman Thomas Morris. They worshipped at Anglican Christ Church in Philly with Benjamin Franklin. However, that did not prevent Robert from fathering a daughter, Polly, out of wedlock in 1763. However, he provided for her well into adulthood as he did a young son of his father’s, a half brother.

He served with Benjamin Franklin in the Pennsylvania State Assembly in 1775. He was then chosen to be a representative to the Continental Congress and as a member in the Secret Committee, which was assigned to procure weapons and munitions. He also served on the Committee of Secret Correspondence, which attempted to secure alliances with foreign nations. His shipping company was used frequently by the Congress. It is interesting to note that Morris was not in favor of independence until forced to making a decision AFTER its approval to sign the document. He did not vote at all. He feared the result may be anarchy and preferred reconciliation with Great Britain if they would back down from their oppressive tax acts. After Declaration approval he chose to sign and from that point on gave all of his support to the cause for independence.

He left public service in 1779 after accusations of misconduct only to return at the request of Congress to be the nation’s Superintendent of Finance, a role he held from 1781 to 1784. After the non-founded accusations, he had two demands that needed to be met for him to return and take the role. The first was he was to be given unilateral authority to dismiss any treasury employee. The second was he would be able to maintain his merchant relationships while in service to the country. His value was affirmed when Congress agreed to both conditions. In the same time frame he was made Agent of Marine, which gave him control of the Continental Navy.

He then set sights on doing what needed to be done to improve the finances of the developing nation that was hamstrung by debts of war. He informed Washington that he would do all he could to make sure the funding was available. His optimism was met by reluctant state governments. He was able to get all but Rhode Island to agree to taxation. Under the rules of the Articles of Confederation he needed all states to agree to his request, so the effort died.

As a result he focused his efforts on creating a national bank to help address the lack of funds. He was able to get Congress to agree in 1781 and he opened it in 1782. It was a privately owned bank, funded by subscribers, and regulated by investors. It provided a means to use the invested capital to improve access to funding government debt. He sought a national mint for a central currency, but that was postponed by Congress.

It was Robert Morris who recommended to Washington that Alexander Hamilton take the role over the treasury when he was ready to leave. It was Hamilton who went on to establish the national bank and mint that Morris promoted years before. The respect between the two was awesome, but even that was not more than the incredible intelligence and analytical abilities with regards to the Treasury and the situation with the young nation. Below is a letter written from Hamilton to Morris in 1781. It is long, detailed, and covers a myriad of subjects that interrelate with the Treasury role from the period. If you really want to understand the depth of intelligence and commitment within these founding fathers as well as many others, read it.

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-02-02-1167

The valediction of the letter describes the mentoring and advising relationship well in my opinion.

“I have spun out this letter to a much greater lenght than I intended. To develope the whole connection of my ideas on the subject and place my plan in the clearest light I have indulged myself in many observations which might have been omitted. I shall not longer intrude upon you[r] patience than to assure you of the sincere sentiments of esteem with which I have the honor to be   Sir   Your most Obedient   and humble servant

Alx Hamilton

April 30th. 81″

In his time Morris totally reorganized the treasury. He appointed tax collectors for each state who would prepare monthly financial reports and publish them in the newspapers for the public to see and keep pressure on the state governments. All of his work also helped build trust with foreign allies and those who provided products and services to the government during the war period.

Despite all of his good works for America, however, he began to make unwise decisions with his personal investment choices. While still in his treasury role in 1782 he began speculating on land purchases with John Nicholson, the comptroller of the state along with James Greenleaf, the former American consul to the Dutch Republic. They purchased millions of acres without any buyers or plans to repay loans. Over the years the debts increased while Morris also chose to build an opulent mansion for he and his family in Philly in the 1790’s. It was never completed and the cost contributed to his insolvency. The locals called it “Morris’s folly” as a representation of his downfall. His businesses and excessive land deals all began failing at the same time. It was like dominoes falling for years.

By 1798 patriot Declaration signer, Robert Morris, was sentenced to debtor’s prison. A fall from grace brought on primarily by pride, greed, and extravagance. Two years later a modified bankruptcy law was passed through the efforts of Thomas Jefferson and supporters. Morris was released and tried to return to business ventures without success as his reputation had been ruined.

In 1806 he passed away, a shell of his former self and in poverty. He is buried in the Christ Church cemetery. His wife lived until 1827 and survived on an annuity that had been provided to her through the efforts of Gouverneur Morris from a land sale.

Conclusion

Robert never went to school and was only tutored for one year, but his devotion to the education of citizens earned him the honor of having three elementary schools, a college, and a university named after him. His statue is located not only in DC at the mall, but near the Second National Bank in Philly. He and Mary’s friendship was so important to George and Martha Washington that they were frequently honored guests of theirs through the years. John Adams had the following to say about Robert’s time in the Continental Congress,

“I think he has a masterly understanding, an open temper, and an honest heart…He has vast designs in the mercantile way. And no doubt pursues mercantile ends, which are always gain, but he is an excellent member of the body.”

Again, the Robert Morris story goes far beyond what is provided here and there are many life lessons for all of us. There was his ownership of slaves for a time that led to his opposition to slavery as he aged; his contribution of ships to the Naval efforts and the named ships in his honor over the years that followed; how his enemies helped cause his debt downfall after he left public office that traced back to his work for the patriot cause in the Secret Committee; and so on.

It is a story of the highest highs and lowest lows. Of being feted by the first couple Washingtons to being drug through the muck by personal enemies and into poverty. He was praised and honored and then later in life labeled a fool by some of the very people who partially owed their independence to his personal efforts. He adhered to Christianity, yet fell to temptation outside the bounds of marriage. When faced with the result he did the honorable thing as well as when he took care of his much younger half brother when his father died. He held great position, status in society for a time, and was very successful in business; but it was not enough as he foolishly sought even more riches using huge sums of debt well beyond his capacity to repay. This caused great hardship and damaged his reputation as well as the futures of his wife and children.

None of the negative events and challenges he faced changes the truth that Robert Morris was a faithful patriot that provided great things to the Independence and establishment of our nation. Today, we proudly celebrate him as a founding father of America.

Please remember Wolf’s rules for our community. In general that means to be respectful to each other and to pull no shenanigans that your mom might find offensive or otherwise cause jail time. That said, free speech is honored here.

Be blessed and go make something good happen!