Unknown America Read online

  * He was also a fierce critic of Thomas Jefferson. He was sharply critical of the foreign policy pursued by both Jefferson and James Madison, particularly their alleged hostility to Great Britain. Believing the War of 1812 to be “unjust, unwise, and mismanaged.”

  * Morris was one of the few delegates at the Convention in Philadelphia to speak openly against slave holding. According to James Madison who took the notes at the Convention, Morris made the case that it was incongruous to say that a slave was both a man and property at the same time.

  * Gouverneur Morris died a most peculiar and rather disgusting death. Morris, who had lifelong medical issues, including an amputated calf, was suffering from a urinary blockage (and some believe a venereal disease). But instead of seeking medical help to alleviate the problem, Morris decided on a home remedy instead. His solution? He attempted to clear the blockage by forcing a piece of whale bone into the urethra of his penis. He had actually performed this procedure on himself successfully before. However this time he lacerated the interior of his “parts” and the wound became infected. Gouverneur Morris died of the infection on the 6th of November 1816 at the age of 64.

  CHAPTER TEN

  UNKNOWN RELIGION

  From the subliminal to the sublime.

  A peek inside worship in the United States

  The First “Legal” Christmas

  The state of Alabama was the first state to recognize Christmas as a legal holiday in 1836.

  So how did this occur? Puritans in the English Parliament eliminated Christmas as a national holiday in 1647, amid widespread anti-Christian sentiment and accusations the celebration was more pagan than Christian. (And considering the days raucous nature – it was mostly a party day – that belief was not entirely without merit).

  But early settlers in New England went even further, outlawing Christmas celebrations entirely 12 years later in 1659. Well into the mid 1800's American's had different views on the date and meaning even between the North and South. Northerners even believing the date was sinful and that Thanksgiving celebrations more appropriate. But the move by Alabama wasn't so much Christian inspired as it was pragmatic. It was more to give “Locals” the day off to celebrate the day as they wished by creating a banking holiday. A date when commerce would be suspended.

  After the Civil War ended, the traditions that were held mainly in the deep South began to spread westward and finally across the newly reunited nation. On June 26, 1870 Christmas was declared an official US holiday by President Ulysses Grant, though not all states recognized the new holiday immediately. It would be 1907 - 37 years later - before Oklahoma, the last holdout, would officially recognize Christmas as a Federal holiday.

  Subliminal Salvation

  Charles Schultz's, A Charlie Brown Christmas, is a holiday classic spanning 5 decades. But did you know it contained subtle, yet very significant religious symbolism? Subliminal symbolism that went pretty much unnoticed by most people for many years!

  During the scene where the “Gang” is practicing for the Christmas play Charlie Brown asks “Isn't their anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” At this point Linus responds with: “Sure Charlie Brown I can tell you what Christmas is all about,” and then he goes on to recite a verse from the Bible, Luke 2:8-14, which reads:

  8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were so afraid. And the angel of the Lord said unto them, fear not (Bold highlight added) for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

  14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)

  At the exact point where Linus says, “fear not,” he drops his security blanket which he is rarely seen not clinging to throughout the decades long cartoon series. It is thought by many that Schultz was reminding us of a clear message from the Gospels; that when we fear not, and put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can shed whatever “security blanket” we ourselves cling to.

  Another poignant scene is at the conclusion of the program when Linus “comforts” the spindly and wilting tree that Charlie had bought by wrapping his blanket around the tree's base as he proclaims “I never thought it was a bad little tree maybe it just needs a little bit of love” and the tree immediately stands strong, upright and shimmering.

  Was Charles Schultz just trying to slide one by? Probably not, the message seems quite clear!

  Mandatory Tithing

  During the colonial period in America, laws in several colonies mandated that everyone attend a house of worship and pay taxes that funded the salaries of ministers and supported the church itself. Whereas today we view the tithe as a practice of Christian faith, in those times it was very much a form of taxation. Rhode Island is an exception, becoming an early outpost of religious freedom. It wasn't until 1777, when Thomas Jefferson drafts the Virginia Bill (Known as: The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom) which established the idea of religious freedom, that things began to change. In it Jefferson advocates the separation of religion and government. Arguing that people must be left to practice whatever faith they choose on their own, and that their civic rights should not depend on their beliefs.

  Both Jefferson and James Madison advocated for the bill throughout the Revolutionary war. It finally became law in 1786. The “Virginia Bill” lays the foundation for the first sentence in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

  Baptism for the dead

  Known as vicarious baptism or proxy baptism, the practice of baptizing a living person on behalf of an individual who is dead, has been practiced since 1840 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints. It is also called temple baptism because it is performed only in dedicated temples.

  In the practice, a living person, acting as proxy, is baptized by immersion on behalf of a deceased person of the same gender.

  The baptism ritual is as follows: after calling the living proxy by name, the person performing the baptism says, “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you for and in behalf of [full name of deceased person], who is dead, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.”

  The proxy is then immersed briefly in water. Baptism for the dead is a distinctive ordinance of the church and is based on the belief that baptism is a required ordinance for entry into the Kingdom of God.

  A Christian Princess?

  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first animated movie made by Disney. And it is the only Disney movie to feature an openly Christian princess. Halfway through the film there’s a scene where Snow White is shown praying. With head bowed and hands clasped together, she asks God to bless the seven little men who have been so kind to her. It’s a short, but nonetheless poignant display of faith that is absent from most modern day animated features.

  Cyber Witnessing

  In a typical week, about 20% of Americans share their faith online.

  About the same percentage tune in to religious talk radio, watch religious TV programs or listen to Christian rock and Gospel music.

  Politics in Religion

  How often Americans attend church remains a strong predictor of how people will vote in elections. For example: in the 2014 midterm elections, exit polls showed that those who attend worship services at least once a week voted for Republicans over Democrats for the House of Representatives by a 58% to 40% margin. Meanwhile, those who never attend services leaned heavily toward Democrats (62% vs. 36%).

  Separation of Church and State, Not!

  One of, if not the most misunderstood myths of the US Constitution, is th
e belief by many that the phrase “Separation of church and state” appears in the Constitution. Although I would hope the majority of people reading this would understand the true history behind the phrase, far to many do not, and even worse, far too many that do, exploit this ignorance. The phrase “wall of separation between the church and the state” was originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists, in Danbury Connecticut on January 1, 1802. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury Baptists, and so he told them that this theoretical “wall” had been established to protect them. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not to keep the church out of the state's business. To make the issue even more clear, Jefferson was not even referring

  to the US Constitution but that of the state of Connecticut.

  The US Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Both the free exercise clause and the establishment clause place restrictions on the government establishing any law that would interfere with any religious practice. No restrictions are placed on religions except perhaps that a single religious belief or denomination cannot become the state sanctioned religion like the Founders were faced with in England where the Anglican Church was the official faith of the state.

  ...But in the Colonies? Well yes!

  Eight of the original thirteen colonies had official, or “established,” churches, and in those colonies dissenters who sought to practice or proselytize a different version of Christianity or a non-Christian faith were sometimes persecuted.

  The not so pure Puritans

  The settlers of New England, credited with the first Thanksgiving, (Although this claim has been disputed) are most often portrayed as pious, strict, and rather devoid of any pleasures, especially of the flesh.

  But the image of the pristine almost sinless Puritan, those first to arrive from Europe, is actually false. According to Mary Beth Norton, a professor of American history at Cornell University, “The Puritans were typical people of their time in that they enjoyed the pleasures of the 17th century.” They liked to drink. They liked to sit and talk. They liked to eat well and they enjoyed sex. They also liked to play games, one was like an early version of shuffleboard.

  Pilgrims and Puritans alike promoted sex as a gift and duty from God, but only within the confines of marriage. One peculiar practice was that of having young couples that were courting actually sleep together before marriage to “get to know each other.” Of course the purpose was not for sex but to test compatibility. However close proximity often gave way to other ideas and frequently lead to pregnant brides.

  But the bottom line is, as history would like to paint the Puritans as pious and pure, in the end they were just like most people that is, human.

  No oath for office

  The no religious test clause of the US Constitution is a clause within Article VI, that states no federal office holder or employee can be required to adhere to or accept any particular religion as a prerequisite to holding a federal office or a federal government job. This clause contains the only explicit reference to religion in the original seven articles of the US Constitution. Of course the word religion also appears in the first Amendment.

  Although hotly debated as to why the Framers added this to the original document, the true purpose of the religious test clause dates back to the Corporation Act of 1661. This was the first of three test acts which were implemented in England. Under these acts no one could hold office in England unless he swore an oath of fealty to the doctrines of the Church of England rather than God. This was the kind of religious test which the founders sought to avoid. They did not object to biblical qualifications. What they objected to was the requirement that all government officials be forced to swear allegiance to the codified doctrines of an established state church.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  UNKNOWN POLITICS

  VOTE

  HERE

  A different kind of College

  Until the Presidential election of 2016, most Americans did not realize that Presidential candidates must undergo two different votes to gain the Oval Office. One of course the popular vote where American Citizens cast their vote, and the second, the vote of the Electoral College which has the final say and does not occur until mid December when the electors meet in their respective state capitals.

  What actually occurs on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, is a vote to determine how the electoral votes will be distributed. This system has lead to much debate and sometimes harsh criticism, but was intended by the Framers to keep the large population centers from having unbalanced and/or excessive influence when it comes to selecting the President. When the electors meet they do not vote for a ticket but two ballots are cast, one for President and one for the Vice President.

  Some states are “winner-take-all” based on the popular vote count of that state and some choose to distribute their votes based on popular vote percentages for each candidate. Each state is granted one vote for each of its Congressional districts plus two more for its Senators.

  It's is for this reason that the United States is not a “Democracy” in the purest sense but rather a Representative Republic. The electors representing the majority of voters wishes in their respective states. At least in theory. (Many have called for an abandonment of this system but to date no suitable or workable alternative has been presented)

  The “Above Ground” Railroad

  Although President James Buchanan believed that slavery was protected by the Constitution, and he looked down on some of the actions that abolitionists took that were usually in the form of open protest and strong oratory, Buchanan, the 15th President, would personally purchase slaves and then free them in his home state of Pennsylvania.

  No Second in Command

  Millard Fillmore, John Tyler, Andrew Johnson and Chester Arthur, had no second-in-command for the entirety of their terms. Each began as Vice President and ascended to the Presidency due to the death of the sitting President. During their respective times in the Oval office there was no Constitutional provision for filling the vacated office of the VP. In this situation the office remained vacant during the new Presidents term in office.

  Unelected POTUS

  John Tyler (1841-1845), Millard Fillmore (1850-1853), Andrew Johnson (1865-1869), Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885) and Gerald Ford (1974-1977), all share another unique distinction. None were elected to office. They either ascended to office by way of their predecessors assassination, death from illness or as in the case of Gerald Ford... Richard Nixon.

  MYTH BUSTER ALERT!

  The tale of “Smuggling Joe”

  One of the most enduring American myths is that Joe Kennedy, father of our 35th President, built the family’s fortune by smuggling and selling illegal liquor during the Prohibition years. Several historians and biographers, including author Daniel Okrent, have spent countless hours searching for credible proof to support the allegations that Daddy Joe made a killing moving booze during America's on the wagon era. However these searches have always proven fruitless.

  What is known is that in 1934, the year after Prohibition ended, Joe Kennedy founded Somerset Limited, a liquor import company. Around that time, probably before the official repeal, Kennedy traveled to Europe with FDR's son James, who helped him obtain importing contracts for Dewar’s, Gordon’s Gin, and Haig & Haig. Somerset had obtained permits to sell medicinal whiskey which allowed Kennedy to sign the importation agreements legally. Prohibition was repealed soon after returning to the US, leaving him in excellent shape to supply a very thirsty America with high quality liquor from the UK.

  Additionally the founding of Somerset was not the Kennedy family's first foray into the spirits biz. Before Prohibition, Joe Kennedy’s father imported whiskey to Boston where he also owned saloons. This likely fueled the allegations against Joe since the Kennedy family was k
nown to be in the booze business.

  Although Joe was not a drinker, he had access to his fathers extensive Pre-Prohibition “stash” and was known to sell liquor to friends and associates for parties. Contrary to popular belief, consuming liquor during Prohibition was not illegal. Only the manufacturing, distribution and sale was unlawful. The then commonly known story of Joe selling to friends may be the impetus for this enduring myth.

  In 1946, Joe Kennedy sold this legal business to former East Coast bootleggers Joe Reinfeld and Abner “Longy” Zwillman. Doing business with these two known hoodlums gave rise to rumors that Joe himself was a mobster. The bootlegging/smuggling myth helped along when these two bragged about their relationship with ole Joe and with some self serving embellishments. (Mobsters never stretch the truth now do they?)

  The myth of the Kennedy's as bootlegging smugglers seems to have been cemented in history during the 1960 Presidential campaign by an anti JFK press. With many sections of the country being dry, Joe Kennedy was depicted by a virulent press as a wealthy bootlegger in an attempt to discredit his son's Presidential campaign.

  Was there a darker side to Joseph Kennedy? Certainly. But this is one part of his reputation that is simply inconsistent with reality.