#Diary of James K. Polk
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"I had learned this morning that Mr. Buchanan had taken exception to my remark on Saturday last that I should feel that I was deserted by my political family if the members of my Cabinet should call on the President-elect before he called on me. The remark was made because it might have happened that if my Cabinet called on General Taylor he might not afterwards have chosen to call on me at all. As General Taylor belongs to a different political party from myself, and as it was his duty to call on me, if he desired to exchange civilities, I thought it was due to their own self-respect as well as to me that my Cabinet should wait until General Taylor paid his respects to me before they paid their respects to him. In this view all the members of the Cabinet expressed their concurrence on Saturday, except Mr. Buchanan. I learned this morning that Mr. Buchanan had said to a member of the Cabinet that notwithstanding my remark on Saturday he had left the Cabinet-room resolved to call on General Taylor on that day, as General Shields by appointment had called at the State Department to accompany him. He did not, however, do so; but called on General Taylor yesterday, immediately after General Taylor had called on me. Mr. Buchanan is an able man, but is in small matters without judgment and sometimes acts like an old maid."
-- President James K. Polk, on his Secretary of State James Buchanan, shortly before the inauguration of Polk's successor, President-elect Zachary Taylor, in an entry in Polk's remarkable and often immensely petty personal diary (which he religiously updated throughout his Presidency), February 27, 1849.
#History#Presidents#Presidential History#Presidential Quotes#Quotes by Presidents#James K. Polk#President Polk#Polk Administration#James Buchanan#President Buchanan#Zachary Taylor#General Taylor#President Taylor#Inauguration of Zachary Taylor#Presidential Transitions#1848 Election#Politics#Political History#Political Quotes#Political Rivalries#Presidential Rivals#Presidential Rivalries#Presidential Feuds#Presidential Relationships#Diary of James K. Polk#Presidential Diaries#Cabinet of James K. Polk
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obligatory Dallas post as I am annexed by Polk. I think I made him too sunshine. but compared to Polk anyone is 300% sunshine.
why he always look like he got a W(h)ig on
#i recently started reading both of their diaries#they are so different from eachother im 😭#from what ive read they got along#they better have i dont need my headcanons shattered#yeah i think i drew Dallas's hair TOO UNPUFFY#hes a rare case where I need to UNBALD him#PUT MORE HAIR ON THAT THING#unanchored art#ship to history#antebellum#george m dallas#james k polk
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🖤 Black History Month ❤️
💛 Queer Books by Black Authors 💚
[ List Under the Cut ]
🖤 Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender ❤️ Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta 💛 Warrior of the Wind by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 💚 I'm a Wild Seed by Sharon Lee De La Cruz 🖤 Real Life by Brandon Taylor ❤️ Ruthless Pamela Jean by Carol Denise Mitchell 💛 The Unbroken by C.L. Clark 💚 Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova 🖤 Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney ❤️ The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 💛 That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole 💚Work for It by Talia Hibbert
🖤 All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson ❤️ The Deep by Rivers Solomon 💛 How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters 💚 Running With Lions by Julian Winters 🖤 Right Where I Left You by Julian Winters ❤️ This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender 💛 The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum 💚 This Is What It Feels Like by Rebecca Barrow 🖤 Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa ❤️ Black Boy Joy by Kwame Mbalia 💛 Legendborn by Tracy Deonn 💚 The Wicker King by K. Ancrum
🖤 Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ❤️ You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson 💛 Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole 💚 Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron 🖤 Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann ❤️ A Spectral Hue by Craig Laurance Gidney 💛 Power & Magic by Joamette Gil 💚 The Black Veins by Ashia Monet 🖤 Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon ❤️ The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow 💛 Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James 💚 Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
🖤 The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta ❤️ Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee 💛 A Phoenix First Must Burn (edited) by Patrice Caldwell 💚 Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson 🖤 Things We Couldn't Say by Jay Coles ❤️ Black Boy Out of Time by Hari Ziyad 💛 Darling by K. Ancrum 💚 The Secrets of Eden by Brandon Goode 🖤 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ❤️ Off the Record by Camryn Garrett 💛 Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers 💚 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
🖤 How to Dispatch a Human by Stephanie Andrea Allen ❤️ Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans 💛 The Essential June Jordan (edited) by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller 💚 A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark 🖤 A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney ❤️ Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo 💛 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland 💚 Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome 🖤 Masquerade by Anne Shade ❤️ One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite 💛 Soulstar by C.L. Polk 💚 100 Boyfriends by Brontez Purnell
🖤 Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender ❤️ Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby 💛 Coffee Will Make You Black by April Sinclair 💚 The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi 🖤 If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann ❤️ Sweethand by N.G. Peltier 💛 This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron 💚 Better Off Red by Rebekah Weatherspoon 🖤 Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett ❤️ Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez 💛 Memorial by Bryan Washington 💚 Patsy by Nicole Y. Dennis-Benn
🖤 Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon ❤️ How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole 💛 Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackosn 💚 Mouths of Rain (edited) by Briona Simone Jones 🖤 Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia ❤️ Love's Divine by Ava Freeman 💛 The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr 💚 Odd One Out by Nic Stone 🖤 Symbiosis by Nicky Drayden ❤️ Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas 💛 The Passing Playbook by Isaac Fitzsimons 💚 Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
🖤 Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert ❤️ My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson 💛 Pleasure and Spice by Fiona Zedde 💚 No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull 🖤 The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus ❤️ Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor 💛 The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 💚 Peaces by Helen Oyeyem 🖤 The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk ❤️ Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh 💛 Bingo Love by Tee Franklin, Jenn St-Onge, Joy San 💚 The Heart Does Not Bend by Makeda Silvera
🖤 King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender ❤️ By Any Means Necessary by Candice Montgomery 💛 Busy Ain't the Half of It by Frederick Smith & Chaz Lamar Cruz 💚 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo 🖤 Sin Against the Race by Gar McVey-Russell ❤️ Trumpet by Jackie Kay 💛 Remembrance by Rita Woods 💚 Daughters of Nri by Reni K. Amayo 🖤 You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour ❤️ The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters 💛 Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi 💚 Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyem
#black history month#queer romance#queer books#queer community#queer#book list#book blog#booklr#bookstagram#book lovers#book reader#book reading#books to read#reading#batty about books#battyaboutbooks
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James K Polk’s diary contains an entry where he talks about not wanting to eat the food at a dinner and quietly asking someone to try and find his comfort food.
#I have never related to a long dead president more#okay he didn’t eat it because he didn’t trust it and was already feeling sick but still relatable#james k polk
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History Nugget #13: June 2019
History Nugget #13: June 2019
“Something was said which drew from General Taylor the expression of views which greatly surprised me. They were to the effect that California and Oregon were too distant to become members of the Union, and it would be better for them to be an independent government. He said that our people would inhabit them and repeated that it would be better for them to form an independent government for…
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#Allan Nevins#California#Diary of James K. Polk#James K. Polk#Oregon#Robert Winthrop#W.W. Seaton#Zachary Taylor
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Rally Hill Manor
Rally Hill Manor is a Historic Building situated in downtown Columbia TN. It is perched on 1.5 sections of land of land and incorporates nearby stopping. The property has 14'+ roofs, 15 rooms, 4 full and 1/2 washroom. The property was worked by the Brother-In-Law of President James K. Polk and is planned in Federal and Greek Revival. President Polk remained in the house for quite a while as noted in President Polk's Diary. The property has been redesigned throughout the years and is fit as a fiddle. This property can be utilized for Multi-Purpose Commercial uses including: Weddings and other Event Center, Restaurant, Office, Bed and Breakfast Inn and Retail to give some examples. Situated in Downtown Columbia.
Some Property History:
Rally Hill was worked by James Walker around 1848. He called it Rally Hill since troops had marshaled here before they walked to Louisiana amid the War of 1812. Walker started the principal paper in Columbia in 1810, the Western Chronicle. Afterward, James wedded Jane Maria Polk, little girl of Samuel and Jane Knox Polk, she being just 15 and he 21 years old. There were not many relational unions enlisted in Maury County in 1813, and his marriage was not among them, by and by they were hitched. Their association delivered 11 youngsters, six young men and five young ladies. Walker's business advantages included land, contracting for the War Department to outfit arrangements for the Chickasaws, co-owning of the main bank, an association in a steamboat, a chief of a phase mentor line and mail bearer, proprietor of a general store which got committals of tobacco and cotton to be delivered to New Orleans, and part proprietor of Marion Iron Furnace in Hardin County. He was additionally dynamic politically as verified by his being administrator of the quarterly court from 1824 to 1829; civic chairman of Columbia, 1830 to 1831; on the Board of Trustees of The Female Institute and a functioning supporter of James K. Polk.
Here is the map distance between Plumber in Columbia TN to Maury County Park.
View the map location https://goo.gl/maps/U33AFKF3NyCAKRkG8
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The Washington Union walked a very thin line as the party standard-bearer, promoting Pierce as “The Man for the Times”—a man for all sections—singing his praises with vague generalities and countering Whig accusations. French did a good deal of singing and countering. Indeed, French played a key role throughout the campaign, even helping to secure Pierce’s nomination. As he explained in his diary, his “whole soul was in the matter.”... ...French’s last victory on that count was a vital one. In a remarkable twist of fate, he got Henry Wise, Pierce’s former drinking buddy, to commit the Virginia delegation. As mercurial in his politics as in his temperament, Wise had started his career as a Democrat, bucked his party and become a Whig in Congress, and now had returned to the states’ rights Democratic fold with the rise of the slavery crisis. To get Wise’s support, French had to confront the event that had kept Wise and Pierce at odds for fourteen years: the death of Jonathan Cilley. Pierce hadn’t exchanged a friendly word with Wise since 1838, refusing even to shake his hand. Did Wise bear a grudge? French asked. Wise didn’t; he understood Pierce’s feelings on losing his friend. In the final push, Virginia led the way to Pierce’s nomination. “I do as sincerely believe that I brought about that nomination as I believe I am alive!” French crowed. Wise gave French due credit in a letter to Pierce, adding that it was “singular” that in 1844 Wise had promoted another man for president who had previously given him the cold shoulder—James K. Polk. (Wise also told Pierce that in response to questions about Pierce’s drinking problem, he had regaled delegates with the story of their drunken romp in 1836, declaring it the one and only time that he had seen Pierce drunk. A few months later, while stump-speaking for Pierce, Wise got involved in a scuffle on the podium. Having Wise on your side was a mixed blessing.)
The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War by Joanne B Freeman
Henry Wise, at it again.
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my 2018 reading list/challenge:
beneath the cut it’s long
(these are all options in each section; i won’t read every book in each section. if anyone has recs for which book i should read tho that would be appreciated!!)
a book made into a movie you’ve already seen
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Misery by Stephen King
Holes by Lois Sachar
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
true crime
No Place Safe by Kim Reid
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
the next book in a series you started
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas
Fearless by Cornelia Funke
Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi
UnSouled by Neal Shusterman
a book involving a heist
White Cat by Holly Black
American Gods by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
nordic noir
October is the Coldest Month by Christoffer Carlsson
a novel based on a real person
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
a book set in a country that fascinates you
Ogniem i Mieczem by Henryk Sienkiewicz
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
a book with the time of day in the title
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
The Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson
a book about a villain or antihero
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
Feast of Souls by C.S. Friedman
a book about death or grief
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Sanctum by Sarah Fine
The Everafter by Amy Huntley
Ferryman by Claire McFall
Beauty of the Broken by Tawni Waters
a book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree
a book with an LGBT protagonist
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
a book that is also a stage play or musical
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Elliot
a book by an author of a different ethnicity than you
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler (Black)
Fledgeling by Octavia E. Butler (Black)
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Black)
Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler (Black)
The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu (Chinese-American)
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older (Afro-Latino)
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Japanese-American)
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alaire Saenz (Latino)
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (Latino)
The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Silvera (Latina)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Black)
a book about feminism
Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
a book about mental health
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher
a book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
Accessible Gardening for People with Disabilities: A Guide to Methods, Tools, and Plants by Janeen R. Adil
Women of Valor: Polish Resisters to the Third Reich by Joanne D. Gilbert
Tarot: Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis
Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Poles in Wisconsin by Susan Gibson Mikos
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks
a book by two authors:
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
a book about or involving a sport
Wing Jones by Katherine Webber
Openly Straight by Bill Koningsberg
Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice by Karen Chen
a book by a local author
The Girl who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
a book with your favorite color in the title
The Red Chamber by Pauline A. Chen
Redheart by Jackie Gamber
Silvered by Tanya Huff
Green by Jay Larke
Red Branch by Morgan Llywelyn
Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga
The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky
The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring by Ruth Sanderson
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
a book with alliteration in the title
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Tiger Burning Bright by Marion Zimmer Bradley
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman
Stray Souls by Kate Griffin
Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson
Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat
a book about time travel
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
The False Princess by Ellis O’Neal
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
a book with a weather element in the title
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Frostfire by Amanda Hocking
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
a book set at sea
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
Above World by Jenn Reese
a book with an animal in the title
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Tiger Burning Bright by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Lions of Al-Rasson by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Shark God by Charles Montgomery
Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
The Bees by Laline Paull
Reindeer Moon by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
Dov Arising by Karen Bao
White Cat by Holly Black
Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring by Ruth Sanderson
Ferrets (Barron’s Complete Pet Owner’s Manuals) by E. Lynn Fox Morton
The Ferret: An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet by Mary R. Shefferman
Black Canary #1 by Brennden Fletcher
Lumberjanes, Vol.1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson
a book set on a different planet
Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald
Coyote by Alan Steele
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Salvage by Alexandra Duncan
Dove Arising by Karen Bao
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
a book with song lyrics in the title
Don’t Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin
Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin
a book about or set on Halloween
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
a book with characters who are twins
Nightfall by Jake Halpern
Affinity by Sarah Waters
a book mentioned in another book
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
a book from a celebrity book club
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
He, She, and It by Marge Piercy
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
a childhood classic you’ve never read
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Winter of Fire by Sherryl Jordan
a book that’s published in 2018
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch
Reign of the Fallen by Sara Glenn Marsh
The Apocalypse Guard by Brandon Sanderson
The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie
Witchmark by C.L. Polk
Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender
Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller
a past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A Work in Progress by Connor Franta
a book set in the decade you were born
The Miseducation of Cameron post by Emily M. Danforth
A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar
a book you meant to read in 2017 but didn’t get to
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan LeFanu
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
a book with an ugly cover
Poison by Chris Wooding
Starters by Lissa Price
a book that involves a bookstore or library
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 reading challenges
Explorer: The Mystery Boxes by Kazu Kibuishi
Watchmen by Alan Moore
Lumberjanes, Vol.1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson
Habibi by Craig Thompson
Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
Fearless by Cornelia Funke
Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra
The Boy at the End of the World by Greg Van Eekhout
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Advanced:
a bestseller from the year you graduated high school
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Dewey: the Small-town Library Cat who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
a cyberpunk book
Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Vurt by Jeff Noon
Moxyland by Lauren Beukes
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress
a book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
lol i don’t like ... even go to public places; if anyone’s reading this do u wanna help me out
a book tied to your ancestry
Polish Roots by Rosemary A. Chorzempa
Women of Valor: Polish Resisters to the Third Reich by Joanne D. Gilbert
Poles in Wisconsin by Susan Gibson Mikos
a book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
an allegory
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Carcia Marquez
Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
a book by an author with the same first or last name as you
A Dirty Rose by Nannah Marnie-Claire
[censored] sorry
a microhistory
Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Dorris Pilkington
Earth Then and Now: Amazing Images of our Changing World by Fred Pearce
Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of Heterosexualty by Hanne Blank
a book about a problem facing society today
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
UnDivided by Neal Shusterman
a book recommended by someone else taking the reading challenge
anyone wanna help me out???
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Trusts And Estates, Presidents’ Day Edition
Dated July 9, 1799, President George Washington’s last will and testament reads: “In the name of God amen I George Washington of Mount Vernon—a citizen of the United States, and lately President of the same, do make, ordain and declare this Instrument; which is written with my own hand and every page thereof subscribed with my name, to be my Last Will & Testament, revoking all others.”
Presidents die with the same concerns as regular citizens. In the trusts and estates world, this means they pass with or without a will, testate or intestate. Besides real property, monetary assets, and general tchotchkes, presidents, in establishing an estate plan, must decide how their legacy will be managed and to whom their presidential papers and diaries will be distributed . Often, they are bequeathed to presidential libraries and foundations. Their beneficiaries are spouses, children, and even fellow presidential buddies.
It is told that immediately prior to his December 14, 1799, death at Mt. Vernon, Virginia, the first president summoned his wife, Martha Washington, for two versions of his last will and testament. Seriously ill, he reviewed both and threw one in the fire. Having appropriately destroyed one will, the remaining document became his last will and testament which was later probated in the local Virginia court.
President Washington, a wealthy landowner, bequeathed his entire estate to his wife, Martha Washington. Charitably inclined, Washington left money to establish a school to educate the disadvantaged in addition to bequeathing stock to create a university. He also requested that all of their slaves (numbered in the hundreds) be freed. Similarly, President Thomas Jefferson freed his slaves under his last will and testament. Jefferson, in a codicil, also left his friend, President James Madison, his gold-mounted walking staff.
The last will and testament of President James K. Polk greatly focused on his bequests to his wife, Sarah, in addition to his Tennessee home, Polk Place. The Polks and their estates have been the subject of much litigation in the State of Tennessee and the president’s will was even submitted as an exhibit in the civil case John Doe ex. Demise Sarah Polk v. William Best upon the First Lady’s passing. President Polk and his wife have been interred in three different places since their deaths as a result of various lawsuits.
President John F. Kennedy, despite his demise at a young age, was well prepared with a revocable living trust and “pour over” last will and testament. Given the Kennedy family’s wealth and fame, it is unsurprising that he would choose a trust as his primary vehicle for transferring his assets upon his passing. This kind of trust is not filed in the probate courts, thus preserving a quietness for the family as to the inventory of his assets. As is the case with any revocable trust, all assets not held in the trust were transferred via the pour over will into the trust following JFK’s passing.
Only four presidents have died intestate, without a will. Abraham Lincoln was only 56 years old when he was assassinated and he did not have a will. At his family’s behest, Supreme Court Justice David Davis was appointed administrator of President Lincoln’s estate by the judge of the Sangamon County Court, in Illinois. The estate was reportedly worth about $85,000 at the time and his next-of-kin, the beneficiaries by law, included his wife, Mary, and his two living sons, Robert and Thomas. Lincoln was an attorney, making his lack of estate planning less excusable, but unfortunately not uncommon. Other presidents who died intestate include Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, and James A. Garfield.
The shortest presidential will is attributed to President Calvin Coolidge who in one line manages to distribute his entire estate and disinherit his son. It reads: “Not unmindful of my son John, I give all my estate both real and personal to my wife Grace Coolidge, in fee.” With all due respect to the presidential testator, it is likely advisable to flesh out one’s final requests a bit more, maybe by writing at least a paragraph to ensure that all concerns are addressed and at a minimum that an executor of your choosing is appointed.
Cori A. Robinson is a solo practitioner having founded Cori A. Robinson PLLC, a New York and New Jersey law firm, in 2017. For more than a decade Cori has focused her law practice on trusts and estates and elder law including estate and Medicaid planning, probate and administration, estate litigation, and guardianships. She can be reached at [email protected].
Trusts And Estates, Presidents’ Day Edition republished via Above the Law
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Have you ever seen the diaries of Rutherford B. Hayes? There's so many of them
Yes, well, he kept a diary for nearly 60 years. I'm so appreciative of the Presidents who kept diaries during their lives because they are priceless historical resources, particularly those of John Quincy Adams, James K. Polk (who kept a fascinating, often bitchy diary throughout all four years of his Presidency), and Hayes. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan kept diaries during their Presidencies, too, and Reagan's is surprisingly good because he was a much better writer than most people would think.
The Hayes diaries are a valuable resource, but not as easy to read as those of JQA or Polk without the help of annotations from a good editor.
#Presidents#Presidential Diaries#Rutherford B. Hayes#President Hayes#John Quincy Adams#JQA#President Adams#James K. Polk#President Polk#Jimmy Carter#President Carter#Ronald Reagan#President Reagan#Books by Presidents#Presidential Writings#History
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It is perfectly manifest that General Taylor is very hostile to the administration and seeks a cause to quarrel with it. This he shall not have unless he places himself wholly in the wrong, as indeed he has already done. He is evidently a weak man and has been made giddy with the idea of the Presidency. He is most ungrateful, for I have promoted him, as I now think beyond his deserts, and without reference to his politics. I am now satisfied that he is a narrow-minded, bigoted partisan without resources and wholly unqualified for the command he holds...I am now satisfied that anybody would do better than Taylor. Taylor is no doubt brave and will fight, but is not fit for a higher command than that of a Regiment. I have no prejudice against him, but think he has acted with great weakness and folly.
-- President James K. Polk, on General Zachary Taylor, commander of U.S. troops during the Mexican-American War, in a personal diary entry, November 21, 1846.
General Taylor's military success in Mexico had raised his profile nationally and made him a popular potential candidate for political office, which bothered President Polk, despite the fact that Polk only intended to serve a single, four-year term in the White House. As Taylor became more popular, President Polk worked to sideline him and eventually replaced him as commander with General Winfield Scott (who had political ambitions of his own). Much to Polk's chagrin, Taylor was easily elected President in 1848 and succeeded the retiring Polk, who died just over 100 days later in June 1849. President Taylor barely outlasted Polk, and died in office in July 1850.
#History#Presidents#Presidential History#Presidential Rivals#Presidential Relationships#Presidential Quotes#Quotes About Presidents#James K. Polk#President Polk#Polk Administration#Zachary Taylor#General Taylor#President Taylor#Mexican-American War#Presidents and the Military#Presidential Diaries#Presidential Writings#Presidency#Winfield Scott#General Scott#1848 Election#Politics#Presidential Politics
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