The Founding Fathers on the Wise Use of Social Media

As most regular Colonial Quills readers will agree, if we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. In fact, we not only agree, we harp about it here on the CQ blog from time to time. In further fact, many of us who write historical fiction have used themes and lessons from history in the lives of our characters to enlighten modern-day readers about the big "bewares" learned in ages past.

All that said, there are certain lessons we've all come to learn, mostly self-taught through hard experience, when it comes to utilizing social media. We may have responded too quickly and sharply to a post or shared "facts" of unproven origin. Even when it comes to these kinds of media faux pas, there are lessons from the past that might help us alleviate the need to learn them through hard knocks. Let's take a look at a few reminders on using social media, straight from the pens of three of our founding fathers:

George Washington, in a letter to his nephew, gives wise advice on the making of friends, and what we share with our friends and when. (You might also wish to review his entire pamphlet on Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior.)

"It is easy to make acquaintances, but very difficult to shake them off, however irksome and unprofitable they are found after we have once committed ourselves to them; the indiscretions and scrapes which they very often they involuntarily lead one into, proves equally distressing and disgraceful. Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence, true friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." ~George Washington

Benjamin Franklin, known in part for his many wise sayings, lays out in his autobiography his standards for the conduct of his newspaper, something those in journalism (and on social media) might take to heart today.

"In the conduct of my newspaper I carefully excluded all libeling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country. Whenever I was solicited to insert anything of that kind, and the writers pleaded, as they generally did, the liberty of the press, and that a newspaper was like a stage-coach, in which any one who could pay had a right to place, my answer was that i would print the piece separately if desired, and the author might have as many copies as he pleased to distribute himself, but that I would not take upon me to spread his detraction; and that, having contracted with my subscribers to furnish them with what might be either useful or entertaining, I could not fill their papers with private altercation, in which they had no concern, without doing them manifest injustice. Now, many of our printers make no scruple of gratifying the malice of individuals by false accusations of the fairest characters among ourselves, augmenting animosity even to the producing of duels; and are, moreover, so indiscreet as to print scurrilous reflections on the government of neighboring states, and even on the conduct of our best national allies, which may be attended with the most pernicious consequences. These things I mention as a caution to young printers, and that they may be encouraged not to pollute their presses and disgrace their profession by such infamous practices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by my example that such a course of conduct will not, on the whole, be injurious to their interests." ~Benjamin Franklin

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to his nephew, charges him with the honorableness to be found in preserving peace through simple politeness, and how doing so can stifle the rude tongue or ungracious behavior of another. 

"I have mentioned good humor as one of the preservatives of our peace and tranquility. It is among the most effectual and it's effect is so well imitated and aided artificially by politeness, that this also becomes an acquisition of the first rate value. In truth, politeness is artificial good humor, it covers the natural want of it, and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue. It is the practice of sacrificing to those whom we meet in society all the little conveniences and preferences which will gratify them, and deprives us of nothing worth a moment's consideration.; it is the giving a pleasing ad flattering turn to our expressions which will conciliate others, and make them pleased with us as well as themselves. How cheap a price for the good will of another! When this is in return for a rude thing said by another, it brings him to his senses, it mortifies and corrects him in the most salutary way, and places him at the feet of your good nature in the eyes of the company." ~Thomas Jefferson 

Final Thoughts

I fear that, as our modern culture hurtles headlong toward more and more godlessness, we will see ever fewer of these virtues practiced, especially in the media, both social and otherwise, where vitriol is rampant. But, for those of us who take the time to absorb the lessons and wisdom of the past, practicing of them may at least provide us our own peace of mind. And as a final note, we can remember the even higher wisdom and instruction of Scripture which, as we pray, may also guide our thoughts and intent when we use social media:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-4

See you in the funny pages and on all the bookish sites~

Naomi Musch

https://naomimusch.com/

There are just a few days left to get this summer deal!

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Early American Artists: Benjamin West

By J. M. Hochstetler

My last post was about John Trumbull, often called the “Painter of the American Revolution.” In my next few posts I’m going to take a look at several of the most important early American artists. Today we’ll focus on Benjamin West, who received great acclaim while living in London as the “American Raphael” and significantly influenced Trumbull and many other American artists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Birthplace of Benjamin West

West was born on October 10, 1738, the tenth child in a Quaker family in Springfield, Pennsylvania, where his parents ran a small inn in a house that is preserved on the Swarthmore College campus. The family later moved to Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, where his father was the proprietor of the Square Tavern, which still stands. Although the simple Quaker life offered little in the way of art, young Benjamin showed artistic talent early on. One day while his mother was out of the house, he found some pots of ink and drew his little sister Sally’s portrait. When his mother returned she exclaimed, “Why, it’s Sally!” and kissed him. In later years he noted, “My mother’s kiss made me a painter.” His memoir, The Life and Studies of Benjamin West (1816, 1820), relates that Indians taught him how to make paint by mixing clay and bear grease. Although he excelled as an artist, he received little education and admitted that even when he was president of the English Royal Academy he could scarcely spell.

Self Portrait, Benjamin West, 1776

In 1756 West moved to Philadelphia to study painting, and by the time he was 20 he was a successful portrait painter. However, his classical painting Death of Socrates, based on an engraving in Rollin’s Ancient History, but with significant differences from the original, soon brought him to the notice of a wider audience. Considered “the most ambitious and interesting painting produced in colonial America,” it attracted wealthy and politically connected patrons, whose numbers grew throughout his career due to his amiable personality and attractive appearance. He was close friends with Benjamin Franklin and not only painted his portrait, but also later made him godfather to his second son.

West’s trip to Italy in 1760 to further his art training was financed by several patrons. In 1763, on his way home to America, he stopped off in London, where he showed his paintings of historical scenes in the new neoclassical style to great public acclaim, including from King George III. His American patrons advised him to stay in London, and he did so, moving into a house in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, and in 1765 marrying Elizabeth Shewell, a fellow American.

Death of General Wolfe

West became best known for his large-scale historical paintings using expressive figures, colors and compositions, which he called “epic representation.” His most famous painting, The Death of General Wolfe (1770) in which the Wolfe is depicted wearing period-correct uniform rather than traditional classical robes, was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1771 and became one of the most frequently reproduced images of the period. As a result of the acclaim and controversy it inspired, West was appointed historical painter to the king in 1772 at an annual fee of £1,000 and was given a residence and studio at Windsor Castle.

West’s personality and good looks continued to make him a favorite in society and held the king’s confidence throughout the turmoil of the American Revolution. The two men were quickly on intimate terms, often discussing the state of art in England and the establishment of a Royal Academy of Arts, which became a reality in 1768, with the famous artist Sir Joshua Reynolds as its first president. Among the many paintings West completed are nine portraits of members of the royal family, including two of the king. He was appointed Surveyor of the King’s Pictures in 1791, a position he held for the rest of his life. On Reynolds’ death in 1792, West was elected president of the Royal Academy of Arts and held that position, except for one year, until his own death at his house in Newman Street, London, on March 11, 1820. He was buried in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Joshua passing the River Jordan
with the Ark of the Covenant, 1800

West maintained that, “Art is the representation of human beauty, ideally perfect in design, graceful and noble in attitude.” Yet his paintings are not the only reason for his important place in American art. He acted as counselor, teacher, and friend to three generations of American artists who came to England to study under him, providing them advice, instruction, food, money and even jobs as studio assistants as needed. His collection of artworks of the old masters and casts of classical sculptures offered a gallery they could study when no comparable public collection existed. Three generations of American artists traveled abroad to study under him, among them John Trumbull, Gilbert Stuart, Charles Willson Peale, and John Singleton Copley. His influence on the development of art in America was extensive, and he was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1791.

Do you think the visual arts are important in culture and society? How and why? Please share your thoughts!

~~~

J. M. Hochstetler is the daughter of Mennonite farmers and a lifelong student of history. She is a professional editor, a publisher, and the author of award-winning historical fiction whose books have been endorsed by bestselling authors such as Lori Benton, Laura Frantz, and Jocelyn Green. Her American Patriot Series is the only comprehensive historical fiction series on the American Revolution. Book 6, Refiner’s Fire, released in 2019. She is also the author of One Holy Night, the Christian Small Publishers 2009 Book of the Year, and co-authored the award-winning Northkill Amish Series with Bob Hostetler.

The Painter of the Revolution

John Trumbull, self-portrait ca. 1802

Before a practical method of photography developed around the mid 1800s, the only way people had of “seeing” the past was through written descriptions and works of art. There’s much that can’t be conveyed in words, however, and we would have no idea of what the Founders of our Republic and the military leaders, battles, and landscapes of the Revolutionary War period actually looked like if it weren’t for contemporary sketches, drawings, paintings, and sculptures. In fact, one artist, a veteran of that war, became famous as the “Painter of the Revolution”. Today we’re greatly indebted to John Trumbull for his vivid and accurate depictions of the people, places, and events of a time so crucial to the existence of our nation.

Trumbull was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, in 1756, the youngest of six children of Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., and Faith Robinson Trumbull, both descendants of Puritans who were early settlers in the colony. His father was governor of Connecticut from 1769 to 1784. Although blinded in the left eye by a childhood accident, Trumbull entered the junior class at Harvard College in 1771 at the age of 15. During that period, he visited John Singleton Copley’s studio and was inspired to become a painter. After graduating in 1773, he taught school but joined the Continental Army when the colonies revolted against the British in 1775.

General George Washington at Trenton
by John Trumbull, 1792

While stationed at Boston, Trumbull provided sketches of both British and American lines and works and was a witness to the Battle of Bunker Hill. He served briefly as aide de camp to General George Washington, and in June 1776 was appointed deputy adjutant general to General Horatio Gates at the rank of colonel. In 1777 he resigned because of a dispute over the dating of his officer’s commission—a common cause of dissention among officers back then.

Deciding on a career in art, he traveled to London in 1780, where Benjamin Franklin introduced him to another American artist, Benjamin West. While studying under him, Trumbull openly supported the American cause, not a wise policy with the war still ongoing! The news of British agent Major John André’s capture and subsequent hanging as a spy by the Americans reached London, evoking public outrage and spurring the government to have him arrested in retaliation since he had been an officer in the Continental Army of similar rank to André. Trumbull was imprisoned for seven months, until West’s intervention secured his release.

Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull, 1819

Trumbull returned to the United States, but when the peace treaty was ratified in 1783, he returned to London to again study under West. Over the next few years he made portrait sketches of French officers in Paris for his painting Surrender of Lord Cornwallis. He also began the early composition of Declaration of Independence, painting small portraits of the signers and copying previous portraits for those who had died, which he later used to piece together the larger painting.

Trumbull was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1791 and served as its president. In 1794 he acted as John Jay’s secretary in London during negotiations for a treaty with Great Britain that settled America’s main boundary with Canada. A couple of years later he was appointed to a commission that mediated the claims of American and British merchants that remained from the war. He married Sarah Hope Harvey, an English amateur painter while there, but his attempts to make a living painting portraits in London had little success, and a studio in New York City met with similar results. Then in 1817 Congress commissioned him to paint four large pictures for the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, where they hang today: General George Washington Resigning His Commission, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, Surrender of General Burgoyne, and Declaration of Independence. He completed the series in 1824, basing it on the small originals of these scenes that he painted years earlier.

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull, 1820

By far the largest single collection of Trumbull’s works is held by Yale University. The collection was originally housed in a neoclassical art gallery he designed on Yale’s Old Campus. Among his portraits are ones of General Washington, George Clinton, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, John Adams, and many others, some at full length. He also completed several self-portraits and was painted by Gilbert Stuart and other well-known artists.

Trumbull published his autobiography in 1841. He died 2 years later, on November 10, 1843, in New York City at the age of 87. He and his wife were interred beneath the Art Gallery at Yale University, which he had designed, but when the collection was moved to Street Hall in 1867, their remains were reinterred on those grounds.

I love to study the works of artists throughout the ages. In fact, I’d find it hard to write historical novels without having access to such works. How do images created by artists throughout history spark your imagination and enable you to understand and even identify with people, places, and events of previous times? Please share!

A Colonial Mother's Day

On this day after Mother's Day, I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the resources I've used over the years to recreate the day of a colonial woman, specifically a wife and mother, in my stories.

First are three books covering the basics of cooking and herbs, both culinary and medicinal, with tidbits of other historical information sprinkled throughout: The Backcountry Housewife: A Study of Eighteenth-Century Foods (Moss and Hoffman), Revolutionary War Period Cookery (Pelton), and Colonial Spices & Herbs (Mitchell). The other three are much more involved. First pictured is The Way of Duty: A Woman and Her Family in Revolutionary America (Buel & Buel), an account of Connecticut resident Mary Fish Silliman (1736-1818) and her family. Next is Belonging to the Army: Camp Followers and Community during the American Revolution (Mayer), which I drew heavily on while writing my yet-unpublished RevWar story, Loyalty's Cadence, and for a previous article on camp-following wives (see also the excellent article on the same subject by Joan Hochstetler). Third is Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence (Berkin), a fascinating collection of accounts of women spanning patriots and loyalists, enslaved and free, European and native.

 "Mother's Day" as we know it, of course, would not become a thing until 1908 (thank you, Google), but what did a day in the life of a colonial mother look like?

As a wife and mother of a large family myself, I would say one word: BUSY. Running a household in any era is no walk in the park, but pre-technology, the workload was staggering, even if one had help in the way of family members, hired servants, or slaves. The assistance of grandparents and unmarried aunts (or uncles) was both expected and welcomed. Older children learned early to help as well, either in simple chores or with caring for both the very young and very old. The contribution of extended family was necessary to the overall workings of a family, which made westward expansion even more perilous in terms of emotional and physical well-being. Aging adults longed to be useful as long as possible and not mere drains on their family's precious resources.

The question remains whether women were seen as mere drudges to serve their families, or whether there was indeed a mostly unspoken honor to the role of wife and mother. I would say, both were true, depending upon the region and individuals involved. Women's rights were definitely on the radar, even for a "proper" Christian wife like Abigail Adams, as we see in a letter to her husband John:

"I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If particular care and attention is not paid to the Ladies we are determined to foment a Rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation. That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the more tender and endearing one of Friend."

Still, there was recognition in a woman's value in the family, as mother or otherwise, as implied in this quote by Abigail Adams:

If we mean to have Heroes, Statesmen and Philosophers, we should have learned women. The world perhaps would laugh at me, and accuse me of vanity, but you I know have a mind too enlarged and liberal to disregard the Sentiment. If much depends as is allowed upon the early Education of youth and the first principals which are instill'd take the deepest root, great benefit must arise from literary accomplishments in women.

Also there was recognition in the value just of rearing children, as stated in these words attributed to Benjamin Franklin--admittedly one of my favorites, and every bit as applicable to a woman as to a man:

He that raises a large family does, indeed, while he lives to observe them, stand a broader mark for sorrow; but then he stands a broader mark for pleasure too.

Busy a woman might be, subjected to uncertainty and hardship and other trials of this life, but many is the wife, mother, grandmother, sister, or aunt who has enjoyed a deep and lasting relationship with those entrusted to her care. One might argue that a woman's life was no less fulfilling or significant then than it is today.

(A nod to Carla Gade's excellent article from two years ago, Motherhood in Colonial Times.)

The Most Popular Man in Colonial America

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

There were many men of great achievement in Colonial America in the years before the Revolutionary War. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, and the Adams brothers were becoming known for their criticism of taxes. The Wesley brothers preached throughout America and had a great following. Even George Washington had made a name for himself during the French and Indian War. But the most popular man in 1700s America was George Whitefield, the fiery Great Awakening revivalist that changed the colonies forever.

Well known actor of the time, David Garrick said, "I would give a hundred guineas, if I could say 'Oh' like Mr. Whitefield." Newspapers called him the "marvel of the age".  When he preached for the first time in Philadelphia, even the largest churches couldn't hold the crowds of 8,000 people every night. Every city he preached in would bring out crowds larger than the population of the city. He was also one of the first to allow slaves to attend his meetings. It is estimated in his lifetime he preached 18,000 sermons to over ten million people.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the crowd who attended the services in Philadelphia and was greatly impressed. Franklin was a deist and believed God didn't personally interfere in the lives of men. Even though he never converted, he became a lifelong friend of Whitefield's and even handled the publicity for the evangelistic crusades. After one of Whitefield's messages, Franklin wrote, "wonderful... 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."

Even though he was popular, Whitefield did face opposition. Some complained about him allowing slaves at his meetings. Some Calvinists were angry with his close relationship with the Wesley Brothers, strong Armenians. Others felt his emotionalism and appeal for everyone to have a personal relationship with Christ was over the top. When he first started preaching in England, the leaders of the Anglican Church wouldn't even assign him a pulpit. That's when he began preaching in open fields and parks. Through it all, the great response to the Gospel every time Whitefield preached drown out any backlash. Of the opposition, he said, “the more I am opposed, the more joy I feel.”

He was in no way an ordinary Anglican preacher. His messages were powerful. He was said to portray Bible characters in a realistic way. Jonathan Edwards's wife, Sarah, remarked, "He makes less of the doctrines than our American preachers generally do and aims more at affecting the heart. He is a born orator." During the revival service. Once while preaching about eternity, he stopped and said, "Hark! Methinks I hear [the saints] chanting their everlasting hallelujahs, and spending an eternal day in echoing forth triumphant songs of joy. And do you not long, my brethren, to join this heavenly choir?"

The spiritual revival Whitefield ignited, the Great Awakening, became one of the most formative events in American history and forged the spiritual character and unity or the soon to be nation. His last sermon, in 1770 shortly before his death, was given at Boston Commons before 23,000 people, the largest gathering in American history to that point.

The History of the United States Postal Service

Posted by Elaine Marie Cooper

 

On a research trip to Massachusetts a few years ago, I discovered a stone marker on a roadside near Brookfield, Massachusetts. At first I thought it was a grave marker with it’s curved design. It was, in fact, a remnant of the post riders trail from long ago, still telling travelers along the way: “67 miles to Boston, 30 miles to Springfield.”

What a delightful find! An ancient marker—crude but effective—pointing the way for postal riders. Imagine how welcoming those words etched in granite were to weary horsemen.

The history of our postal system in America is older than the country itself.

The Pilgrims had only been in America for 13 years when the first official mail service was begun. The General Court of Massachusetts designated Richard Fairbanks’ tavern in Boston as the exchange point for mail between the colonies and England. This was in keeping with the British tradition of using coffee houses and taverns as the mail drops. 

By 1673, a trail for a post rider was set up between New York and Boston. That trail, called the Old Boston Post Road, is today part of US Route 1.

Pennsylvania was next in setting up a post office ten years later. Then colonies in the south set up their own communication system between plantations, with messages sometimes carried by slaves.

A centralized postal system for all the colonies was not set up until 1691. The delivery system expanded and spread under the guidance of numerous Postmasters General, who were still under British rule.

In 1737, 31-year-old Benjamin Franklin was named Postmaster of Philadelphia. The struggling publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette made numerous improvements in the mail system, including cutting the delivery time between Philadelphia and New York in half by running mail wagons both day and night. He also devised the still-used rate chart based on distance and weight of the parcel—in principle, still used today, although I think the rates have climbed somewhat since the 1700’s.

As we all know, Mr. Franklin—who by now was called the Joint Postmaster General for the Crown—began to be involved in the cause for liberty from England, which did not sit well with his British employers. He was fired in 1774.

But he was not unemployed for too long, as the Continental Congress appointed Franklin to the position of Postmaster General of the United Colonies in 1775. By the time Franklin was sent on his diplomatic assignment to France in 1776, he left behind a greatly improved colonial mail system with routes from Maine to Florida.

In 1790, there were 75 post offices in America. That number grew to 26,615 postal offices in 2015 with over 154 billion pieces of mail handled in that same year. Mr. Franklin would be proud.

There is a postal museum at the Smithsonian.  Here is the link

(This is a reprint that first ran at Colonial Quills a few years ago) 

Colonial Inventions of Benjamin Franklin

by Roseanna M. White

One thing I love about the Colonial and early Federal days is how wide open the world was for discovery. So many gentlemen of our nation's early years--if they had leisure enough--dabbled in invention. And none was so famous for it as Benjamin Franklin.

An inspiration for generations of inventors to come, Franklin never tried to profit from his inventions--he wanted to improve daily life for the common man. And so he brought us a few key inventions...and gets credit for a few he didn't actually make (like daylight savings time. He didn't invent that--he merely made an observation that if people went to bed an hour earlier and rose an hour earlier, it would be like extending their day by an hour). ;-)

Bifocals

As so many of us encounter as we age, Ben had an issue with his sight. But the glasses he needed for reading didn't help for distance, and vice versa. So he decided that, rather than switch one pair for another, he would put both lenses into a single frame, creating the first bifocal.

The Franklin Stove

One of the most practical and life-changing of Franklin's inventions is the stove named after him. Up until then, fireplaces were a home's sole means of heat. The stove Franklin created could instead stand in the middle of a room, radiating heat in all directions. It used less wood to create more heat, got better airflow, and didn't create the smoke of a fireplace.

Lightning Rod

What school child doesn't know the story of good ol' Ben, flying the kite with a key attached? Of course, we can't say he invented electricity--he also didn't exactly discover it. But what he did do was verify that lightning is indeed electricity, and come to understand what kind it is. As he experimented with electricity, Franklin had to coin words to go along with his discoveries. You might recognize a few:

battery charge condensor

conductor plus minus

positively negatively armature

His new understanding led him to another very practical invention. The lightning rod was a simple mechanism--a metal pole reaching above a house, with a direct line into the ground. If lightning were to strike, it would be channeled harmlessly down to the earth, rather than damaging and destroying the house. This one saved a lot of lives and property!

But what I found very intriguing to learn was that, in his own house, it didn't stop there. He had his own lightning rod connected to devices within his home that would whirl and spin and play music. So thunder storms were quite an event in the Franklin abode!

Chart of the Gulf Stream

During his many voyages across the Atlantic, Franklin also noticed that it was quicker to travel eastward than westward. As he wondered why, he took notes on the currents and created the first ever map of the Gulf Stream.

These aren't all of Franklin's contributions--and certainly not all the inventions of the era. But it's a fair sampling of his dedication to discovery and to making life a little more understandable--and bearable--for the rest of mankind.

~*~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t homeschooling her small kids and writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband.

7 Wise Sayings from Benjamin Franklin

I've posted some quotes from Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac before, but one post cannot contain his wealth of advice. ;-) So I thought today, on this chilly January morn when my thermometer has dipped into the negatives, I'd warm everyone up with some of Ben's wisdom.

Buy what thou hast no need of; and e’er long thou shalt sell thy necessities.

I don't know about you, but my brain is often wired to this life of excess we tend to live today. When I see someone choosing to live simply, it always gives me a check. This year, I'm making an attempt to cut back and focus on the important things, not the many things. And though Franklin was by all accounts wealthy and lacking for nothing, I greatly appreciate that his inventions were meant to make life easier for the common man.

Don’t value a man for the quality he is of, but for the qualities he possesses.

Yes, we all judge books by their covers. But when it comes to people, we definitely need to remember that the exterior, be it circumstances or looks, is not what matters.

Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure.

Oh so often I complain of having no time to do what I need to do...but how often is that because I fail to prioritize my time wisely?

Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.

I think we often fall into the trap of thinking we have a right to be angry. But do we? Or do we merely have an excuse to be?

An old young man will be a young old man.

I love this one. =) My father-in-law said back when I was a teenager just dating my now-hubby that I was the oldest young person he ever met. I took it as a compliment. And I hope that the same something that made me weigh things carefully as a young person will make me appreciate and enjoy life all the more as I age. 

Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.

This is one I try to tell myself often. I'm an eternal optimist, but I have to be careful not to hope in what is not in the Lord's plan for me. The trick, of course, is determining what that is.

By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable.

Sometimes the tasks put before seem so very daunting--but with faith, nothing is beyond us that we are called to do.

~*~
Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband. www.roseannawhite.com

Some Wit from Ben (Franklin, that is)

When I began research for my first colonial, I got my hands on Poor Richard's Almanack -- a collection of adages that Benjamin Franklin published, and which were all the rage in the 18th century. As I read through them, integrating quite a few into Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland thanks to a Ben-loving housekeeper and working a few into my new Ring of Secrets as well, I got many a laugh from the sharp-tuned wit of this founding father. And was amazed at a few that have become so well-known that we often think they must have come from the Bible.

And so, some wit and wisdom to carry you through your week, courtesy of Ol' Ben.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

What is serving God?

Tis doing good to man.

God helps those who help themselves.

The poor have little,

Beggars none;

The rich too much,

Enough not one.

After crosses and losses, men grow humbler and wiser.

If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worthy reading,
Or do things worth the writing

Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards. (LOL)

Work as if you were to live a hundred years,
Pray as if you were to die tomorrow.  

One good Husband is worth two good Wives; for the scarcer things are, the more they're valued. (LOL again)

Creditors have better memories than debtors.

Death takes no bribes.

A good example is the best sermon.

All would live long, but none would be old.

A long life may not be good enough, but a good life is long enough. 

Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.

Beware of him who is slow to anger; he is angry for something, and will not be pleased for nothing.

(In other words, don't make Roseanna mad! ;-)

Danger is sauce for prayers.

Bad commentators spoil the best of books.

(for all you writers out there)

Approve not of him who commends all you say.

Clean your finger, before you point at my spots.

 

Given that this book is in the public domain, you can read more of Ben's wit and wisdom online from Google Books!

~*~

Roseanna M. White pens her novels under the Betsy Ross flag hanging above her desk, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When she isn’t writing fiction, she’s editing it for WhiteFire Publishing or reviewing it for the Christian Review of Books, both of which she co-founded with her husband. www.roseannawhite.com

Swift Couriers On Their Appointed Rounds

Posted by Elaine Marie Cooper

On a research trip to Massachusetts a year ago, I discovered a stone marker on a roadside near Brookfield, Massachusetts. At first I thought it was a grave marker with its curved design. It was, in fact, a remnant of the post riders trail from long ago, still telling travelers along the way: “67 miles to Boston, 30 miles to Springfield.”

What a delightful find! An ancient marker—crude but effective—pointing the way for postal riders. Imagine how welcoming those words etched in granite were to weary horsemen.

The history of our postal system in the United States is older than the country itself.

The Pilgrims had only been in America for 13 years when the first official postal service was begun. The General Court of Massachusetts designated Richard Fairbanks’ tavern in Boston as the exchange point for mail between the colonies and England. This was in keeping with the British tradition of using coffee houses and taverns as the mail drops. I rather like this idea, personally…go to Starbucks, sit and read my mail…but I digress…

By 1673, a trail for a post rider was set up between New York and Boston. That trail, called the Old Boston Post Road, is today part of US Route 1.

Pennsylvania was next in setting up a post office ten years later. Then colonies in the south set up their own message system between plantations, with messages sometimes carried by slaves.

 A centralized postal system for all the colonies was not set up until 1691. The delivery system expanded and spread under the guidance of numerous Postmasters General, who were still under British rule.

 In 1737, 31-year-old Benjamin Franklin was named Postmaster of Philadelphia. The struggling publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette made numerous improvements in the mail system, including cutting the delivery time between Philadelphia and New York in half by running mail wagons both day and night. He also devised the still-used rate chart based on distance and weight of the parcel—in principle, still used today, although I think the rates have climbed somewhat since the 1700’s.

As we all know, Mr. Franklin—who by now was called the Joint Postmaster General for the Crown—began to be involved in the cause for liberty from England, which did not sit well with his British employers. He was fired in 1774.

But he was not unemployed for too long, as the Continental Congress appointed Franklin to the position of Postmaster General of the United Colonies in 1775. By the time Franklin was sent on his diplomatic assignment to France in 1776, he left behind a greatly improved colonial mail system with routes from Maine to Florida.

Today the United States Postal System has over 40,000 post offices and they deliver 212 billion pieces of mail each year, according to this link. Mr. Franklin would be proud.

 "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Herodotus, 503 BC (Inscribed on the General Post Office facility on 33rd St. and 8th Ave., New York City

John Adams: A Moral and Religious People

"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

John Adams

"And the LORD commanded us to do all these statues, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us."

Deuteronomy 6:24-25

If righteousness does not reign in the hearts of a country's citizens, justice will not be maintained. But man cannot be righteous of his own merit. Mankind cannot execute perfect justice because each individual is consumed with the needs and desires of his own flesh.

Ideologies rise up in opposition to each other, neither looking to the absolute truth found in God's Word, the Bible. Division follows leading to the abandonment of the remarkable fundamental principles upon which our Founding Fathers intended for us to govern. Reduced to mere words, the constitution becomes open to personal interpretation. Personal interpretation generally follows the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.

"From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
"Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."

James 4:1-3

We cannot resolve our differences, because we examine our situations from our finite minds and our finite lives. In the end, our focus centers upon our own human comforts in this present time, and not to our children's and grandchildren's comfort, nor do we anticipate eternity. In essence, we can't see past the end of our noses.

The United States of America strayed away from God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) by removing Him from its schools, its courts, its government, and its culture. We are no longer a moral and religious people in the sense meant by John Adams, and we are beginning to experience the consequences.

So where does this leave us?

Benjamin Franklin said:

"Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety."

For those of us who are born again believers, our liberty is in Christ. Our faith is our righteousness and our actions are our religion, both of which reflect our morality. Have we given up our liberty in Christ for fear of persecution? For fear that someone (determined to be enslaved by the lusts of his own flesh and eyes and by his pride of life) might call us hateful bigots, religious zealots, and racists because we are standing on Biblical truths--not on man's interpretation of those truths but God's interpretation?

Have we given up our liberty because we are reluctant to suffer as Christ did for our faith? Or will we stand like Peter and John who stood before the religious leaders and said:

"...Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19-20

Or do we shrink away from the freedom of speech our ancestors fought for?

I put to you, our country will continue to shrink in power and greatness if we continue to shrink away from our Christian faith in the Almighty God, Lord and Saviour of our lives, and the precepts and principles taught from Scripture.

For those of you who know God's Word, let me ask you, where is North America mentioned in the prophecies of what is yet to come? I would much rather North America be diminished because so many are raptured by Christ than because we've experienced judgement for our sins.

What should we do? There is still hope. The people of Nineveh were told they would be destroyed by God. The people repented and pleaded for God's mercy. God saw that they turned from their evil way, and He turned from destroying them.

We may or may not be able to save our country, but we can bring God glory by proclaiming His good works, His Gospel to each person willing to listen. We can bring God glory by standing on God's Word and on the Blood of Jesus Christ shed for our sins, and when we no longer shrink from those who wish to malign us and tread upon our faith. We do not need to be antagonistic nor do we need to cower. We stand by peacefully proclaiming God's truth and not fearing what man will do to us.

I am thankful for those senators and congressmen who stand up for our faith at cost to themselves. And I will pray for them as I also pray for our country. I will pray that we will once again become a moral and religious people.

"And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." 

Jeremiah 24:7

(Note, the above verse was written for Judah, but it shows the heart of God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and calls for even the Gentiles to repent, call upon the name of Jesus, and follow Him)

Not All Knowledge Is Created Equal

"An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest." Benjamin Franklin

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7

"For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6

Knowledge is sought after like gold. Yet today, many who think they have found it have only found fool's gold. 

Many people seek knowledge via science or mysticism or Eastern religions and philosophies, etc. Some of modern science holds humanity in low esteem, equating our value to that of creation when God created us in His image and crowned us with honor and glory, giving us dominion over His creation. Mysticism subjects humans to constant evaluation of experiences without any absolutes. Eastern religions and philosophies deny God, our Creator, the only true Existing One. Their philosophies focusing on human accomplishments. The knowledge gained via science, mysticism, Eastern religions and philosophies (and other sources) cannot gain you eternal life nor true peace. They are limited by man's perceptions and by the eighty plus or minus years we have here on earth.

Only the knowledge that begins by being in awe of and having reverence for God (fearing the LORD) can give you the most 'interest' for your investment. Only when we humble ourselves and understand who we are in light of who God is can we begin to understand this life and all things included in it. Through knowledge of God we gain a perspective that is eternal. God is the one true source we can turn to for all our needs, for all that we need to know.

The greatest knowledge you can invest in (the one that will give you true returns) is the knowledge that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again so that you may have eternal life. All that we need to know in order to survive this world can be found in the Bible. In every situation we face, we can find the answers in God's Word because it points us to Him who is the Creator, the Almighty, the Sovereign One. Some of Scripture we may not like, because it requires us to give up our pride or lustful pleasures. However, if we are willing to submit today to Him thus loving Him than we will receive our rewards in Heaven.

Benjamin Franklin has been considered one of the greatest thinkers of all times, and yet his statement falls short of truth, because he didn't acknowledge where perfect knowledge must originate. Praise God we do not have to rely on mankind to find knowledge. We can turn to the One who created it.

"I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation....Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way." Psalm 119:99,104