Tweet Me Alexander Hamilton!

ally lang @northsidefour

@beernottea what would you dump in the harbor today? #teaparty What would cousin @fairtrialjohnny have to say about all of this? #RNC2016

One of the best things about pulling a new book off the bookshelves in our home is finding what odd scrap of paper I might have stuck in the pages for use as a future book mark. Our books are full of old plane tickets, sweet notes left for one or the other, assorted receipts from city subways , entrance tickets to museums and galleries and zoos, children's drawings, and this gem discovered yesterday.


Last summer the girls, after reading Johnny Tremain, created a list of twitter names for the Sons of Liberty, and other notable Revolutionary War icons. Not knowing just what to do with such a treasure, I stuck it in a book, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, to be found this summer.

How I'd love to tweet John Adams right now; surely that old blowhard has something to say about this madcap election. Can you name these founding fathers? And mothers?


@silvermakinrebel
@paddyh
@nospectacles
@fairtrialjohnny
@iamnotapresident
@getthepoxout
@beernottea
@preznoking

In order:

Paul Revere
Patrick Henry
John Hancock
John Adams*
Alexander Hamilton
Abigail Adams
Samuel Adams
George Washington

Wishful thinking, as if Adams or Hamilton could keep their comments to 140 characters.

*Mary and Kate give me credit for @fairtrialjohnny, entirely possible as I have always respected Adams' sound belief in a fair trial for all, but I don't remember crafting this clever name.

Alexander Hamilton: Before We Rapped We Read

Hamilton with his nemesis Burr

Every year on January 11th, or, if that glorious day falls on a weekend, the nearest weekday, I read just one book to every class at Alexander Hamilton Elementary School, "Duel! Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words", by Chicago author Dennis Brindell Fradin (sadly attempts to lure him to Hamilton School have been unsuccessful). January 11th, Hamilton's birthday, is celebrated with great gusto at his namesake school, in fact the founding father himself has visited almost every year (quite confusing to some younger children who were almost certain that he was dead).

Before there was a healthy school, there were cupcakes for every child, and a school wide birthday sing along lead by the choir or the music teacher or a willing guy with a guitar (thankfully for my children this celebratory task was never assigned to me). My self designated role on the greatest day of the year has always been to read about Hamilton and to talk about his accomplishments and his shortcomings. To remind children that while what he might be most well known for, until recently, was his tragic death, that his list of achievements is long, and often overlooked.

Three things that students are expected to know:

1. He was never, ever a President,
2. But he was the first Secretary of the Treasury, and
3. His face is on the $10 bill; one of only two men to never serve as President honored in this way.

Older students get to listen to me blather on about his leadership in the creation of our system of finance (and his advocacy for reasonable public debt), his want of a strong Federal government, his role in the compromise to unify the states and locate the new capital in northern Virginia, and his mad writing skills, most notably found in that page turner, The Federalist Papers.

We do not discuss his indiscretions, poor decision making skills or Maria Reynolds.

Talking with children about history is fun and interesting. When you create stories, rather than facts, it's engaging. Of course when you create awe inspiring musicals that sing, dance and rap the story it's even better. Teaching children history is important because some day it might be cool to know exactly who this founding father without a father really is; students at Hamilton School already do (I hope).

Kindergarten classes are spared the tragic and sad story of the duel. Conversations with young classes focus on the idea of honor and the long held belief, and hope, that Hamilton shot into the air.

July 11th marks the anniversary of the duel, fought in Weehawken, New Jersey 212 years ago. 

Books We Love to Read

Duel! Burr and Hamilton's Deadly War of Words, Dennis Brindell Fradin and Larry Day
Alexander Hamilton: The Outsider, Jean Fritz
Aaron and Alexander: The Most Famous Duel in American History, Don Brown
The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, Judith St. George

No Need to Apologize, We All Do It

It seems, in recent weeks, that we have become an exceedingly polite society. My Facebook news feed is now littered with posts imploring me to please excuse this friend's need to support the troops, or this friend's need to fly the American flag. Some of my friends go so far as excusing themselves for reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or, now my current favorite, the seasonal "please pardon me for saying Merry Christmas". When did this happen? We need to excuse ourselves for politely offering a seasonal greeting to those we meet during the holiday season? Who, exactly, are you offending?

An informal poll conducted last week by me, via email to friends who do not celebrate Christmas provided this information: none of them are offended when someone says Merry Christmas to them. Not one. Now, if you were to give them a creche that lights up and plays Silent Night on constant repeat, or a large gold cross to hang on the front door, perhaps that might be offensive, but a simple Merry Christmas, always welcome.

Five of seven days per week I begin my morning by pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States. Not once have I apologized for this reckless behavior. I have not felt guilty, embarrassed, coerced or dirty. One day recently the speaker wasn't working in the fifth grade classroom and we missed the morning announcements. About an hour into our day one of the students remembered and asked if we could stop what we were doing to say the pledge. Four days after the attacks in Paris he suggested we take our moment of silence that follows the pledge to remember the victims in Paris. Our children and our schools are not so bad; why do we keep insisting that they are? When was the last time you pledged allegiance to the flag? I don't need to repost the pledge on Facebook to prove my patriotism. I do so by studying and understanding American history, by showing respect to the president of the United States, by participating in the political process and by not expecting others to believe exactly as I do.

This sign appears in the front window of an Ohio bakery. And the sheriff of Harris County, Georgia posted this message next to the Welcome to Harris County sign: WARNING: Harris County is politically incorrect. We say Merry Christmas, God Bless American and In God We Trust. We salute our troops and our flag. If this offends you...LEAVE!

This Trumpian form of patriotic bullying seems counter to everything good about living in the United States of America. Those who boldly proclaim their patriotism by excluding and offending others seem to be missing the point, which is unfortunate, especially at this time of year.

When did it become politically incorrect to show respect to others?

Eleanor and Lucy

The girls and I met a beagle named Lucy at the coffee shop last week. Eleanor Roosevelt the beagle offered Lucy the obligatory sniff and then sat back, quite uninterested. Lucy, a few years Eleanor's junior, tried again to engage the old gal again but with no luck.

To the kind woman walking Lucy, a few years my senior, I said "well it's really no surprise, given their history. I don't suppose we should expect them to be friends!" and laughed out loud at my own hilarity. The kind woman looked at me as if I were crazy and hastily made her exit.

Jack explained, "of course she didn't understand that. Had I not married you I would not get that joke at all. In fact I think the only other person we know who might find that funny is Jay". Recently we discovered that Jay, like me, has a favorite patriot. That alone convinced Jack that he can now outsource my need to blather on about presidential history. I've yet to run this witticism by Jay. Beagles, presidents, and romance, that is clearly can't miss humour.

I stand with you Eleanor; it certainly wasn't easy to just sit there while Lucy flaunted her younger more girlish self, her energy almost overpowering the patio, blatantly throwing her youth in your now graying long nose. That said, she seemed nice and really, not at all the kind to have a sordid affair. You just never know about people, or dogs, or just how big a geek I can be.

Lucy Mercer Rutherford

Eleanor Roosevelt

A New History

What I didn't want to teach them was anything at all about Martin Luther King, Jr. No celebration, no honoring this day, no mention of his name, because I didn't want them to know that there was ever a need for a person like Dr. King. In the same way that I struggle to explain the retired number 42 hanging at Wrigley, this is not the history I wanted them to learn. For five years I kept them in the dark, and then they went to kindergarten.

Along with discovering McDonalds and Barbies they learned about Martin Luther King Jr. They learned that not so many years ago their class would have looked very different, that many of their teachers and friends would have been at another school for no reason other than the color of their skin. And this, clearly, made no sense to them at all. Frequently I find that explaining things to children helps make them clearer for me but there are very few explanations that make sense when you are trying to help them understand why Rosa Parks was expected to give up her seat. They know that I stand when a pregnant woman gets on the bus, that we always make room for older people on the train, but why in the world would Ms. Parks be expected to move because her skin was brown?

More difficult, I suppose, would be trying to explicate our day to day life had it not been for Dr. King and the other brave souls who stood up and said, with the clear wisdom of a five year old, this makes no sense. That is worth celebrating, sharing and honoring. And that makes it easier to explain; Dr. King was an intelligent man who worked hard to help people get along, a brave person who spent his life helping other people. It's a lesson in changing your world, and working for what you believe to be right.

Independence Day

Beyond fireworks, which I love, and corn on the cob, my children are learning that Independence Day is celebrated, not just because it is a wonderful mid summer holiday that keeps Dad at home and brings the Uncles to Chicago, but as the day that the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.

But then originally those wild souls thought that future picnics, fireworks and parades would all take place on July 2nd, the day that they voted to approve a resolution of independence. My personal favorite patriot, John Adams, wrote to his wife Abigail,

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
Incredibly bright, well read, and rude to the French, he was off a few days; the games and guns and bonfires now happen on the fourth of July, although we all know that it is a holiday weekend and the fun lasts more than one day. In recent years it seems that any acknowledgement of the holiday beyond Roman Candles has been a reenactment of Memorial Day. Barack Obama, in a holiday email, reminds us to "honor the men and women in our armed forces whose immeasurable bravery and sacrifice have made our country what it is today".

Yes, but let us not forget the traitors who risked certain death at the hands of King George to establish the country that we live in today. In this time of flag waving American bravado, when an entire political movement honors in name a rebellion aimed at protesting taxation without representation, and yet two thirds of Americans cannot name one Supreme Court justice, it is important to remember the vital role that history plays in our understanding of the American political system, the players and the principals on which it it based.

The dog is named Eleanor Roosevelt, noted, but read John, Paul, George and Ben
to your children. History can be fun, especially when written by Lane Smith in an engaging and silly way. And remember, it was not the British that were coming, it was the Redcoats, so said Paul Revere.

How much do you know about the American Revolution? Find out here.


And why is John Adams my favorite patriot? He had an amazing wife, whose opinion he valued, and he defended the British soldiers following the Boston Massacre. John Adams knew that everyone deserved a fair trial, following a personal code of conduct before the Sixth Amendment made it law. John Adams would not have parked his horse in a handicap spot, I am certain.

History Lesson

Because their banker father was home last Monday, Mary and Kate knew it was a holiday. We're honoring the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. was not enough, who was he, what did he do, was he a President?


Mary and Kate don't know Cinderella, they don't know Barney and they don't know racism. Teaching them about MLK opens a door to something they don't know exists. Growing up in a diverse urban neighborhood they are very aware of differences in appearance; Melvin has dark brown skin, Balbina has light brown skin, and they have white skin, but they have no idea that those simple differences create a deep divide amongst many. Variations in skin color are a way to describe one's appearance, nothing more. When they told me there was a new boy in their class with brown skin it was simply telling me what the new student looked like. Overheard, a comment like that, sadly, could be misconstrued, years of assumption outweighing four years of observation.

We celebrated on inauguration day, not for the historical significance of the day, but with great excitement and joy at the transfer of power to a new and young President. They don't know that President Obama is the first person with non white skin to be President, nor do the care. Much in the way that I hate to tell them that women were not allowed to vote less than 100 years ago, I hate for them to know that electing this man as President is monumental beyond his qualifications.

Someday they will learn about Cinderella, that there are women who wait for their prince to come, and someday they will learn that Martin Luther King was more than a great man who inspired people, but for now they live with the wonderful naivete that skin color is really just that, the color of ones skin.

"Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a 2-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps. End of list." Denis Leary

Then And Now

What amazes me, really, is that in my lifetime, which I prefer to think of as still rather short, we have moved from the struggle of Martin Luther King Jr. to the victory of Barack Obama. Generally I tend to think that so much of this madness happened long before there was me but that is simply not true. How grateful I am to be in the middle of my young life watching all that unfolds. Tomorrow will certainly be a day beyond what we can imagine while today remains an important day to remember all that happened before.