"HISTORY SPEAKS" BLOG
The winter of 1777 should’ve been the end of the Great American Revolution.
Everything was going wrong for our patriot forefathers. Throughout the fall of 1777, the British tightened their grip on the colonies. When Philadelphia fell, the war looked finished. It usually is when a capital city is occupied. Our Continental Congress suddenly became fugitives—“wanted men”—forced to flee for their lives.
Fear raced through the colonies as thousands of Americans were captured and thrown onto British “starving ships,” where most died.
It was a dark, desperate season in early America.
On December 12, 1777, the fugitive Congress granted Gen. George Washington “full power” to direct the war. A week later, Washington retreated with 11,000 soldiers to a small Pennsylvania encampment called Valley Forge—to wait for spring, and hopefully, for better days.
Washington’s army included men from ages 12 to 60. Most were Europeans, but free Black people and American Indians also served. By Christmas, the weather turned vicious. Bitter cold and heavy snow proved deadly to man and beast. Horses died by the hundreds. More than 2,500 troops froze, starved, or succumbed to typhoid, pneumonia, or dysentery.
Over 500 women—and countless children—also perished. Families often fought together, and wives kept the army fed, clothed, and nursed. Now they were dying too.
Washington recorded that nearly 2,900 of his men were “unfit for duty.” Many had no shoes; some had barely a shirt. Their footprints literally bled into the snow. Washington confessed that without “some great and capital change,” his army would “starve, dissolve, or disperse.”
If Washington’s army did not survive the winter, the Revolution would be lost.
It became so bleak that Congress even debated replacing Washington as commander-in-chief. Many politicians had lost faith in him. But his men hadn’t. One patriot soldier said Washington’s army was held together by a “spirit of liberty.” They believed in their general. They believed in their cause. “Give me liberty or give me death!” wasn’t just a slogan—it was the heartbeat of Valley Forge.
Washington needed a Christmas miracle.
And once again, this man of devout Christian faith turned to God. In the bitter cold of Valley Forge, Washington walked into the trees, knelt in the snow, and prayed.
This prayer became one of America’s most iconic images.
For nearly 200 years, American children learned how Washington’s prayers at Valley Forge turned the war. Presidents spoke of his prayer. Artists painted it. Sculptors carved it in marble. For generations, it was more recognized than his crossing of the Delaware. You could find Washington praying at Valley Forge in homes, classrooms, churches, courthouses, and public buildings across America.
Washington recalled that terrible winter:
“No history can furnish an instance of an army’s suffering such uncommon hardships…to see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lay on, without shoes—by which their marches might be traced by the blood from their feet—and almost as often without provisions…is a mark of patience and obedience which can scarce be paralleled.”
Washington’s desperate prayers worked.
When Virginia’s fiery governor, Patrick Henry, heard of the suffering, he was outraged and demanded that Congress act. And suddenly, they did. A new quartermaster was appointed, and within days, Washington’s men received clothing, food, blankets, ammunition, and critically needed supplies. In February, a Prussian drillmaster—Baron von Steuben—arrived and transformed Washington’s volunteers into disciplined soldiers. Morale surged.
Throughout that winter—especially at Christmas—a particular carol echoed through the camp. Its opening line proclaimed:
“God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.”
That song reminded weary patriots that God was still in control. He alone brought the “rest.” If God was with them, what did they have to fear?
So they marched beside General Washington—a leader who had already escaped death five times. Horses had been shot from underneath him. Bullets ripped through his clothing. His hat was blown off. Yet not a single shot ever struck his body.
Still, a Lutheran pastor named Henry Muhlenberg was even more impressed by Washington’s spiritual leadership. He wrote:
“General Washington rode around among his army and admonished each to fear God, to put away wickedness…From all appearances General Washington…respects God’s Word, believes in the atonement through Christ, and bears himself in humility and gentleness.”
Muhlenberg concluded:
“Therefore, the Lord God has marvelously preserved [Washington] from harm…and has held him in His hand as a chosen vessel.”
Washington’s steady leadership—and God’s Providence—turned that winter into a turning point.
Valley Forge united, strengthened, and refined the patriot cause. It inspired new enlistments and breathed fresh resolve into the American people.
Washington’s response to God’s provision was powerful. He ordered a “religious day” of fasting, humiliation, and prayer on April 22, 1778. All work was to cease. Every soldier was to attend worship. Washington declared:
“To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to laud the more distinguished Character of Christian.”
America has endured many hard Christmases since Valley Forge—war, depression, crisis, disease, and national uncertainty.
And yet, through it all, Americans still pause to remember the Reason for the Season. We still gather. We still hope. And many still pray.
You don’t need snow, muskets, or a military camp to experience a Valley Forge moment. Every one of us will endure winters of trial and trouble. But Washington showed us a powerful pattern: when the night is coldest, kneel…because dawn is coming.
And maybe that old carol that lifted weary soldiers in 1777 should become our song today:
“God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay.
For Jesus Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.”
In today’s heated political climate, one of the harshest insults is to be labeled a “Nazi,” “fascist,” or “Hitler.”
Depending on who’s talking, it almost sounds like the Third Reich is alive and well in 21st-century America. But is it?
Let’s revisit what actually happened in the 1930s and early 1940s—how Hitler rose to power, how Nazism reshaped Germany, and how an entire nation eliminated its own people. Let’s return to a time when a charismatic man captivated a wounded nation and a new political philosophy emerged: Nazism. Then, when Germany’s borders proved too small for his ambitions, Hitler’s fascist regime plowed across Europe and pulled the world into war.
Defining “Nazi”
“Nazi” is simply shorthand for the National Socialist Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Arbeiterpartei). Despite popular confusion today, the Nazis were open socialists who built a populist political movement. Hitler became their most effective spokesman. Although he initially wanted to remove the word “socialist” from the party name, he compromised to keep the radical leftist support necessary for his election.
Like most fascists, Hitler began in the moderate middle, gradually tightening control once in power. He exploited emerging technologies—especially radio and film—to spread his message, aided by politicians and a friendly state media that concealed Nazi abuses and promoted a radical agenda.
Nazism wasn’t about improving Germany but controlling Germany
Hitler’s propaganda promised hope, change, renewal, revival, and “national rebirth.” In a 1933 speech, he framed his program this way:
“ … the purpose is to restore and revive the strength of the German fatherland, to bring about a national renewal which will free our Volk from the shackles of ruin and humiliation.”
So, how did Hitler “restore and revive” Germany as a socialist leader?
His first significant act as Chancellor was the introduction of socialized health care (1933). Germans initially welcomed affordable access to medical care, but state-run systems are never truly affordable. Historically, every “socialized” institution eventually collapses under the costs of housing, groceries, energy, and industry. That’s why socialism and communism repeatedly fail. When the economy can’t sustain price controls, the only remaining solution is population control.
And Hitler had a particular population in mind.
He envisioned a “master race,” believing other races and certain categories of people were genetically inferior or socially unnecessary. His ability to communicate this sinister idea was crucial. He proved to be a charismatic speaker whose rhetoric stirred enthusiasm, national pride, and eventually fanaticism. Germany had long been a center of intellectual, scientific, and religious thought—home to Hegel, Schopenhauer, Marx, Nietzsche, Einstein, and Luther. Yet many intellectuals and theologians were seduced by Hitler’s winsome rhetoric.
At the heart of Hitler’s delusion was German socialism
As in modern America, many Germans believed government programs could solve every social problem. Socialized health care conditioned the public for further “state solutions.” And because universal health care was expensive, Nazi planners soon decided it was more “practical” to eliminate Germans who weren’t contributing to society.
Hitler’s first targets were the softest: the disabled, elderly, insane, incurable, and demented—people already institutionalized and largely forgotten. Their elimination stirred little resistance; families had already handed them to the state. Under the guise of “social engineering,” the Nazis euthanized these “undesirables.”
The oldest Germans were expensive, but the chronically ill and mentally impaired were also costly “eyesores.” The “merciful” solution, they claimed, was euthanasia—putting them down like sick animals “for the good of Germany.”
Thus, Hitler’s government systematically eliminated anyone deemed lebensunwertes Leben—“life unworthy of life.”
The German Liberal Church
These state-sponsored murders drew criticism from Lutheran and Catholic leaders, but it came too late. Liberal Christianity, influenced by thinkers like Friedrich Schleiermacher, had already weakened the German church. Many Germans were far less religious than their ancestors. Apathy, moral confusion, and growing atheism left the nation without a moral compass.
Once euthanasia conditioned able-bodied Germans to accept killing the weak, Hitler expanded his list of “undesirables” to include beggars, criminals, homosexuals, and the homeless. These groups were executed or sterilized to prevent reproduction. As the weak disappeared, the average white, healthy, working German rose in political value. This made it easy to extend Nazi eugenics to non-German ethnicities: Jews, blacks, Slavs, and Roma (gypsies). Thus, the ideology of an Aryan master race took firm hold.
America’s influence on Adolf Hitler
Few realize that early 20th-century America inspired parts of Hitler’s program. The U.S. eugenics movement aimed to engineer a “perfect” human race by restricting who could reproduce. Influenced by Darwinian ideas and prejudices against southern Europeans and Jews, American eugenicists focused on the blind, deaf, diseased, insane, and poor—but also the “feeble-minded.”
In 1927, an 18-year-old named Carrie Buck, said to have a “mental age of nine,” was scheduled for sterilization in Virginia.[i] Her mother was labeled “feeble-minded” as well. When the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Buck v. Bell), the Court ruled 8–1 in favor of forced sterilization “for the protection and health of the state.” Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., delivered the infamous conclusion: “Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”[ii]
A Planned Parenthood
One of America’s most influential eugenicists was Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood. Modern abortion advocates try to distance themselves from her, claiming she used eugenics only for political leverage. Regardless, her writings spoke plainly. She described eugenics—including “planned parenthood” through birth control—as “the process of weeding out the unfit [and] preventing the birth of defectives.”[iii] The obvious question is: Who defines defective? Hitler’s definition was far broader and bloodier, but the philosophical foundation was similar.
American eugenicists like Sanger caught Hitler’s attention.
To build his “master race,” the Führer embraced forced sterilization and mercy killings. Ironically, some of his earliest allies—the Brownshirts, a militant group filled with radical leftists and homosexuals—helped him rise to power. But once they became politically inconvenient, Hitler eliminated them during the “Night of the Long Knives” (June 30–July 2, 1934). Through the 1930s, Hitler’s fascist Third Reich suppressed dissent, silenced critics, and eradicated “undesirables” until German politics became a single-party state.
The Disarming of the German People
Once in power, the Nazis changed the rules to cement control. With total media dominance, the public heard only what the Party approved.
Hitler then moved to disarm ordinary Germans, leaving them defenseless. Resistance became impossible. Many young Germans, indoctrinated through schools and party youth programs, eagerly died for their Führer. That’s when Hitler unleashed his army across Europe, sparking World War II.
Even in America, pockets of German Americans admired Nazism from afar.
Hitler and the German church
Hitler initially appeared friendly to Christianity, but once secure in power he turned hostile, forcing Nazi ideology upon German Christians. He even embraced Islam as a “useful” religious ally for eliminating enemies and inspiring fanatical support.
But not everyone surrendered.
The Confessing Church
A courageous Protestant movement emerged—the Confessing Church—led by figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller. Niemöller later summarized the tragedy of silent complicity:
“In Germany they first came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up.”[iv]
Fascism always undermines freedoms. America requires freedom of speech, assembly, press, and the Second Amendment to preserve liberty. Cancel culture, media censorship, and government suppression are warning signs of potential tyranny.
The story of Hitler and Nazism is not a distant moral fable.
It can happen again—even in America.
But it won’t, if we open our eyes, tell the truth, and remember real history.
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NOTES:
[i] “Buck v. Bell” (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_v._Bell
[ii] “The Supreme Court Ruling That Led To 70,000 Forced Sterilizations,” NPR interview (March 7, 2016) with Andy Cohen, the author of Imbeciles: The Supreme Court, American Eugenics, and the Sterilization of Carrie Buck. https://www.npr.org/2017/03/24/521360544/the-supreme-court-ruling-that-led-to-70-000-forced-sterilizations
[iii] “Fact Check: Was Planned Parenthood Started To ‘Control’ The Black Population?” by Amita Killy (August 14, 2015): https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/14/432080520/fact-check-was-planned-parenthood-started-to-control-the-black-population
[iv] Martin Niemoller, as quoted: https://www.nehm.org/the-holocaust/
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…the singular interpositions of Providence in our feeble condition were such, as could scarcely escape the attention of the most unobserving, while the unparalleled perseverence of the Armies of the United States, through almost every possible suffering and discouragement, for the space of eight long years, was little short of a standing Miracle.
On November 2, 1783, from his headquarters at Rocky Hill, New Jersey, General George Washington issued his Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States.
It was his final act as commander-in-chief—a quiet close to eight years of war and sacrifice.
The fighting was over, the Treaty of Paris nearly complete, and the soldiers who had carried the Revolution to victory were preparing to return home. Washington’s words combined gratitude, humility, and moral reflection. They were not only a farewell to his troops but a spiritual charge to a young nation about to govern itself.
Washington’s 550-word Farewell to his Revolutionary Army is less well known than his lengthy 6,000-plus-word iconic Farewell Address to the Nation on September 19, 1796, but it still contains choice insights, especially for USAmericans today.
1. Gratitude for Providence and the “Standing Miracle” of Perseverance
Washington began with awe at what the army and nation had achieved. Against overwhelming odds, a citizen militia had defeated one of the greatest empires in history. He refused to claim credit for himself, instead giving thanks to God’s protection and provision and to the endurance of his men.
“The singular interpositions of Providence in our feeble condition were such, as could scarcely escape the attention of the most unobserving… while the unparalleled perseverance of the Armies of the United States… was little short of a standing Miracle.”
The phrase “singular interposition/s of Providence” was a common catchphrase in colonial America, especially to explain historical moments that had no reasonable explanation. John Adams, Ben Franklin, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Lewis and Clark all used the phrase to seek or thank God’s favor. Literally, the phrase meant that God intervened on our behalf, providing and protecting us through a miracle beyond human ability.
To Washington, winning the war was a miracle from God’s own hand. It should never have happened, but God favored the Americans and uniquely blessed them.
2. Unity Among Diversity—A “Patriotic Band of Brothers”
Washington marveled at how a divided people had become one. At the Revolution’s start, regional prejudice, religious preference, and local identity threatened to splinter the cause. Yet hardship had erased those boundaries.
“Men who came from the different parts of the Continent, strongly disposed by the habits of education to despise and quarrel with each other, would instantly become but one patriotic band of Brothers.”
This transformation from discord to unity was, in Washington’s eyes, as miraculous as the victory itself. He reminded his troops that the same spirit of brotherhood must continue beyond the battlefield. The war had proved that unity was not only possible but necessary.
3. The Promise of Peace and the Rewards of Industry
With the war’s end, Washington turned his gaze to the blessings of peace. He envisioned a nation where citizens, including the veterans, would build prosperity through labor, agriculture, and honest trade.
“The pursuits of Commerce and the cultivation of the Soil, will unfold to industry the certain road to competence.”
He urged his soldiers to return to civilian life as men of virtue, not bitterness. In the new Republic, their courage in war must be matched by integrity in peace. The “Field of Agriculture,” he said, now awaited those who had fought in the “Field of War.” He called for fairness, insisting that the nation owed its soldiers both gratitude and compensation. They had secured independence; they deserved to share its fruits.
Washington’s vision was profoundly moral. Independence was not an invitation to ease or luxury but a summons to productive, principled living. Through diligence and virtue, citizens would secure “the enlarged prospect of happiness” that liberty made possible.
4. The Duty to Preserve the Union and Strengthen the Federal Government
Even in 1783, Washington foresaw the dangers that might threaten the fragile Republic. Washington warned that if Americans failed to support the federal government or allowed sectional jealousy to divide them, they would lose everything they had fought for.
“Unless the principles of the Federal Government were properly supported, and the Powers of the Union encreased, the honor, dignity, and justice of the Nation would be lost for ever.”
This appeal for unity anticipated the great themes of his Farewell Address thirteen years later. Washington believed independence would endure only if citizens placed the common good above local or personal interests. He called upon his officers to carry into civil life “the most conciliating dispositions.” Washington desired his men to remain virtuous and valuable citizens.
“Let it be remembered that the unbiased voice of the Free Citizens of the United States has promised the just reward… under the persuasion that the private virtues of economy, prudence and industry will not be less amiable in civil life, than the more splendid qualities of valour, perseverance and enterprise, were in the Field.”
In this passage, Washington linked personal morality to national survival. The Republic’s political strength, he insisted, rested on the private virtues of its people.
5. Thanksgiving, Benediction, and Retirement from Public Life
In the final section of his address, Washington’s tone turned deeply personal. He thanked his officers “for their counsel on many interesting occasions,” his staff for “alacrity and exactness,” and his soldiers for “extraordinary patience in suffering, as well as invincible fortitude in action.” He spoke not as a distant commander but as a comrade bidding farewell to friends.
“May the choicest of Heaven’s favors both here and hereafter attend those, who under the divine auspices have secured innumerable blessings for others.”
This closing benediction, offered “to the God of Armies,” was Washington’s final act as commander. He announced that “the Curtain of separation will soon be drawn—and the Military Scene to him will be closed for ever.” With these words, he surrendered military power and retired to private life—a gesture that astonished the world.
At a time when victorious generals elsewhere crowned themselves rulers, Washington chose the humility of retirement. His voluntary resignation affirmed the principle that military authority must always yield to civil government. This single act did more to establish republican virtue than any battlefield triumph.
Legacy of the Farewell to the Army
Washington’s Farewell Orders remain one of the most moving statements of the Revolutionary generation. They fused gratitude, faith, and moral duty intoa single vision for the new nation. He reminded his soldiers—and by extension, all Americans—that the Revolution’s success was not measured solely by victory over Britain but by the character of the republic they would now build.
The general who had commanded through scarcity and despair ended his career in humility and peace. He placed the future of the nation in the hands of Providence and in the virtue of its citizens. His farewell was both prayer and prophecy: that liberty, sustained by faith and unity, would endure so long as the people remained just, industrious, and grateful.
Washington’s words continue to echo across the centuries, to this very day. They teach that independence is not self-sustaining, that freedom without virtue collapses, and that unity is a choice renewed in every generation. His vision—rooted in gratitude to God, respect for fellow citizens, and devotion to the common good—became the moral compass of the American experiment.
In November 1783, as the last soldiers of the Revolution prepared to go home, George Washington laid down his sword and lifted his voice in blessing. His final prayer for his men was, in truth, a benediction for the nation itself:
“May ample justice be done them here; and may the choicest of Heaven’s favors both here and hereafter attend those, who under the divine auspices have secured innumerable blessings for others.”
The late summer of 1814 was one of America’s darkest moments.
The British-American War of 1812 raged into its third year.
On July 25 the Battle of Lundy’s Lane near Niagara Falls proved a bloodbath victory for the British. On August 12 the USS Somers and Ontario warships were captured. Two weeks later Washington D.C was torched, including America’s Capitol, the White House and several federal buildings.
The war-weary Americans were hardly finished. And their Faith remained strong.
At the genesis of the War of 1812, President James Madison issued a National Day of Prayer to “acknowledge transgressions” and “seek [God’s] merciful forgiveness.” A year later, on July 23, 1813, Madison issued a second prayer decree. The entire United States, still less than a quarter century old, stopped to pray.
The Revolutionary Generation relied upon Divine Providence.
In early September of 1814 the British set their sights on Baltimore.
To house and feed their troops the Red Coat armies often occupied American homes, seeking to intercept American intelligence. On one such occasion, British operatives met Dr. William Beanes. Initially the elderly physician cooperated with the British. He obviously said too much, as the British soon suspected the good doctor of spying. Beanes was arrested and jailed on the British H.M.S. Tonant. He was likely headed for a noose.
But Dr. Beanes had friends in high places.
A group of Maryland friends, including a certain 33-year-old ambitious lawyer named Francis Scott Key, came to his defense. Key, using his connections to Madison, sought a prisoner exchange for Beanes. On a predetermined day, he and a military exchange agent named Col. John Skinner met the British on the Tonant. And while the negotiations were successful, a new problem emerged. The British planned to attack Baltimore that night. And now the Red Coats felt Key and Skinner could foil that plan. Consequently, the young lawyer, along with Col. Skinner and old Doc Beanes, were sequestered to a British ship–ironically called the H.M.S. Surprise–anchored outside Baltimore.
For the next 25 hours the British military bombarded Fort McHenry.
The detained Americans watched helplessly from the ship’s bow.
They witnessed the full power of the British navy, as nearly two thousand rockets, mortar shells and cannon balls rained down on their beloved Baltimore. When night fell, the locals snuffed every flame, to create utter darkness. Only in the black of night did the British struggled to aim their guns.
If Fort McHenry and Baltimore were to survive, it would take a miracle.
As always, the Americans turned to prayer for protection. And this part of the story is often missed…because God answered those prayers with a miracle.
During the night a violent early fall thunderstorm rumbled through Maryland. The lightning was particularly fierce, initially favoring the blind British firing into the dark. However, the torrential rain soon helped the Americans even more. Cannonballs are designed to “skip” and travel a distance (creating as much damage as possible). However, the pounding rain softened the Maryland ground, causing these heavy iron balls to sink, harmlessly, in the mud upon impact. Unless there was a direct hit, little damage was done.
Between the British bombardment and the terrible thunderstorm, it was one long night for the citizens of Baltimore.
It was even longer for Key, Doc Beans and Col. Skinner. Only when the faint light of dawn broke into the eastern sky did the tired Americans finally see the truth.
They leaned against the railings of the Surprise, and searched the horizon for signs Fort McHenry and Baltimore survived the terrible bombing. Was the fort and Baltimore still standing? Would a British flag fly over the great fort? Would Baltimore be captured and occupied?
It was September 14, 1814.
That’s when Francis Scott Key, a devout Christian, pulled out his journal and began to write a poem.
O say, can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there
Key penned four stanzas that day, and buried in the final verse was a Divinely Providential line that became America’s national motto:
O thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation;
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven-rescued land,
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just;
And this be our motto ‘In God is our Trust!’
And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
Over the land of the free and the home of the brave!
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In God We Trust. It was the only path to freedom for a young American nation. The Americans battled the greatest army in the world and faced terrible odds. They endured horrific losses and needed an Anchor for the dark night of the soul. The patriots needed God’s Provision and Protection.
Key would later write: “Nothing but Christianity will give you the victory. Until a man believes in his heart that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Master… his course through life will be neither safe nor pleasant. My only regret is that I was so long blinded by my pleasures, my vices and pursuits, and the examples of others that I was kept from seeing, admiring, and adoring the marvelous light of the gospel.”
As for Key’s poem about the bombardment of Fort McHenry, it was eventually set to music. The tune, ironically, was by a British composer named John Stafford Smith. The Navy first played the song in 1889. Twenty-seven years later Woodrow Wilson officially used Key’s song as president. But it was baseball’s 1918 World Series that gave the song popular appeal.
On March 3, 1931, Congress made the song our national anthem.
Meanwhile, Key’s use of the phrase “In God We Trust” first found traction during the Civil War by Union soldiers. That’s when a two-cent coin carried first carried the motto. Nearly a century later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation making “In God We Trust” our national motto and printed on all U.S. currency.
And to think both the National Anthem and motto came from the same story and the same source. It was born from a miracle thunderstorm in a dark night of bombing.
One final fact: it’s the only national anthem that ends with a question mark.
Oh say can you see?
…In God is our trust.
It’s often said that Rome wasn’t built in a day… and that’s true. But it also didn’t collapse in a day. The reasons for its fall were influenced by certain political decisions, unavoidable events, and socio-cultural shifts.
THE FIVE FACTORS THAT ERODED ANCIENT ROME
1. UNEXPECTED PLAGUES. Between 165 and 252 AD, millions of Romans died from deadly viruses, including three of their emperors. One of the plagues wiped out a third of the Roman population.
2. UNRESTRAINED AND OPEN BORDERS. While the Chinese were building their “Great Wall,” Rome allowed refugees and immigrants to enter freely and overwhelmed their system. The historian Will Durant commented: “if [Rome] had occasionally closed her gates to let assimilation catch up with infiltration, she might have gained new racial and literary vitality from the infusion, and might have remained a Roman Rome, the voice and citadel of the West.”
3. LOSS OF NATIONAL CULTURE AND LANGUAGE. Initially, immigrants into the Roman Empire adopted the Latin language, but eventually, newcomers kept their own native tongues. This forced Romans to learn immigrant dialects and to adopt foreign customs, holidays, and traditions. The idea of being “Roman” and living “Roman” was eventually lost.
4. ENTITLEMENTS AND WELFARE. In the early second century AD, Roman politicians distributed free grain, wine, bread, and hosted public circuses to gain political favor. The violence of these circuses desensitized the populace, distracted the ignorant, and placated the self-absorbed, concealing the leaders’ true political intentions. Eventually, entitled Romans surrendered their freedoms in exchange for food and entertainment.
5. LOSS OF VIRTUE AND INCREASE IN VICE. As the Roman Empire aged, its culture deteriorated into theft, greed, violence, deceit, sexual immorality, gluttony, injustice, and infidelity. The 5th-century historian Salvian observed: “What hope can there be for the Romans when the barbarians are more pure than they?”
WHEN IN ROME…
With these factors at play, additional vices further bankrupted the Roman Empire, including sex trafficking, slavery, pornography, homosexuality, and divorce. As a result, Roman families had fewer children, crime skyrocketed, and litigation became commonplace in Roman culture.
As Roman cities declined, land ownership shrank, benefiting the wealthy at the expense of the poor. Debt and taxes soared to fund welfare and construction, deepening inequality. Imports overtook exports, devaluing currency and triggering inflation.
The Catholic Church became more isolated, reducing its role in government and culture as corruption rose. Politicians ignored the constitution for personal gain, while continual warfare distracted people from Rome’s internal issues.
Roman patriotism waned over decades, as new generations became less willing to defend the empire. Durant wrote: “The new generation, having inherited world mastery, had no time or inclination to defend it; that readiness for war which had characterized the Roman landowner disappeared.”
As Rome’s military weakened, attacks increased inside and outside Italy. In the mid-5th century, Attila the Hun killed millions across Europe, Africa, and Persia, but failed to seize Rome.
NO PLACE LIKE ROME…OR AMERICA.
Rome was sacked twice—by the Visigoths in 410 AD and the Vandals in 455 AD. Its final fall on September 4, 476 AD marked the end of a great empire, offering a lasting lesson to future societies.
At 249 years old, America is a young nation. The 20th century, known as “the American century,” showcased our influence in war, economics, arts, and culture, inspiring global democratic shifts and the collapse of communism.
However, following Rome’s path may lead to a similar downfall. Enemies have long sought to undermine the “American experiment”—a democratic republic with biblical foundations. Historically, Islam has stood as a major rival to Christianity.
The 9/11 attacks dramatically changed America by targeting its economic and military centers. In the last 25 years, the country’s moral and spiritual base has weakened, replaced by division and lost shared values. Younger generations are largely unfamiliar with the nation’s former identity.
Christianity, once integral to American society, is now ridiculed. Schools and media promote partisan views, and calls to “reimagine” America often lead to further division. Although the atmosphere is less divisive than during the peak of the Biden administration’s ‘cancel culture,’ strong forces still attempt to erase national history.
NINE CULTURAL LOSSES THAT HAVE WEAKENED AMERICA
Like Rome, America seems vulnerable and in decline, with each decade since World War II bringing notable cultural losses.
1940s: the LOSS OF TRUST. From the secrecy surrounding the atomic bombs to the arrival of new technology that brought the world into our living rooms—television—America’s trust began to crack.
1950s: the LOSS OF INNOCENCE. The decade of Ike was relatively uneventful until new, dark, and surprisingly welcomed influences emerged—from Playboy magazine to rock ‘n’ roll music to James Dean’s “Rebel Without a Cause.” It became clear that America was not as innocent as “Father Knows Best” suggested.
1960s: the LOSS OF AUTHORITY. Elvis’s lip curl and growl kicked off a decade of rock ‘n’ roll rebellion targeting America’s core institutions—schools, churches, homes, capitalism, and the military. Authority was mocked, and society fought against norms, religion, politics, and family hypocrisy. Police were called pigs, schools faced protests, and draft cards and bras were burned. Slogans like “Turn on, tune in, drop out,” “Get high,” and “Make Love Not War” swept the era.
1970s: the LOSS OF MORALITY. The attack on America’s institutions created a moral vacuum, leading to the ME Decade. Stadium rock, disco, and punk flourished, epitomized by KISS, Elton John, and the Sex Pistols. The Sexual Revolution brought gays and lesbians out, abortion was legalized, and designer drugs trended.
1980s: the LOSS OF FAITH. The Reagan era brought optimism for many, but underlying issues surfaced. The aftermath of the 60s and 70s free love ushered in AIDS, while drug epidemics spurred the ‘Just Say No’ campaign. MTV and cable introduced explicit content to homes. Megachurches and televangelism, later tainted by scandals, fostered isolation among Christians. Many Americans turned to new diverse spiritual paths, from New Age and Wicca to Buddhism, agnosticism, and atheism.
1990s: the LOSS OF RESPECT. In the ’90s, President Clinton’s affair and denial made the Oval Office a late-night joke. Music genres like hip hop, rap, grunge, and heavy metal highlighted rebellion and disrespect. NC-17 ratings, sagging jeans, backward caps, tattoos, piercings, and frequent profanity on TV became symbols of the era’s disregard for traditional respect.
2000s: the LOSS OF SECURITY. April 20, 1999: Columbine High School—16 dead, 23 injured. Two years later, terrorists struck on September 11, 2001, killing 2,977 at the Twin Towers and Pentagon. This led to America’s longest war, the War on Terror. Sometimes terror was different: Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 killed 1,392 people, and the Great Recession (2007-2009) caused millions of Americans to lose their jobs, homes, and retirement savings—everything once considered secure.
2010s: the LOSS OF TRUTH. By the time Barack Obama took office in 2008, smartphones and the rise of social media like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube made reliable information harder to discern—anyone could say anything, and many believed it. Obama’s presidency marked the Age of the Echo Chamber: Americans consumed only media that reinforced their beliefs, dismissing others as fake news. By 2020, COVID-19 and the George Floyd protests further obscured the truth.
Which brings me to the 2020s. What have we lost in this decade? Or is it too early to tell?
AMERICA’S IDENTITY CRISIS
This issue has been debated for years, especially as transgender identities gained rapid visibility compared to the slower acceptance of homosexuality. Transgender topics now sit at the heart of America’s identity debates.
OUR IDENTITY.
The changing definition of gender parallels broader shifts in the national identity, especially as immigration and demographic changes accelerate. Some communities have seen increased numbers of non-English speaking immigrants, impacting local schools and cultures.
Certain cities, like Minneapolis and Dearborn, MI, now have large Muslim populations, which some say maintain distinct religious and political identities rather than fully assimilating. These shifts raise concerns among some about the erosion of a unified American identity.
Many argue recent immigrants are less focused on full cultural integration, instead preserving their own customs and forming isolated communities.
It was this loss of identity that struck at the very core of the Roman Empire, and America finds ourselves in a similar situation today.
In many ways, we’re just modern Romans. And we are ripe for the picking…very ripe.
Betsy Ross. Martha Washington. Dolly Madison.
These were all great women of the American Revolution.
But have you heard of Mary Ludwig Hays?
She might be the bravest, strongest and most patriotic woman of them all.
During the Revolution women were cut from a different cloth.
Many women refused to stay home, hide or run from the British armies. Rather, they joined their husbands as “camp followers” and moved with their spouses throughout the war. They served as cooks, laundresses, nurses, counselors, and pastors. Women loaded guns, sharpened swords and worked artillery. They carried water to quench thirst and cool hot cannon barrels. They dug graves.
Mary Ludwig Hays was one of those women.
Born October 13, 1754 in Trenton, New Jersey, she grew up in a modest butcher’s home. Because Mary was a poor girl, it’s possible she never learned to read or write. In 1777, she married a Pennsylvanian barber named William Hays, but their honeymoon was short. Her new husband joined George Washington’s army and moved to Valley Forge.
That’s where Mary met Martha…Martha Washington.
George’s wife was also a “camp follower.” Martha mentored younger women like Mary in matters of duty, work ethic and faith. They would need all three qualities in the brutal winter of 1777-1778. Many soldiers never made it through Valley Forge. Poorly equipped, many soldiers died from frostbite, hunger and sickness. It was strong women like Mary and Martha that kept the troops’ spirits up, attended to their needs and prayed for their souls.
The most menial, yet critical, responsibility for women was transporting water to thirsty troops (in a pitcher).
The ladies also transported water to cool cannon barrels heated by their firing. It’s how Mary picked up a new nickname. Whenever a soldier yelled “Molly Pitcher” that was Mary’s cue to bring water.
One hot day in June 1778 at the Battle of Monmouth, Mary “Molly Pitcher” Hays found glory.
According to one historian, fifty soldiers died of thirst alone on that day. Mary carried bucket after bucket of water to the front lines, bravely dodging bullets and cannon fire. Mary’s husband William was working the cannons until heat exhaustion got the best of him. When he collapsed in the searing sun, Mary was there to attend to him…and take his place on the firing line. She fearlessly grabbed the ramrod and started loading cannonballs while bullets whizzed around her.
At one point a British cannonball literally passed between Mary’s legs, tearing off part of her skirt. But she never flinched. She relentlessly loaded cannonballs, encouraging the troops and standing her ground. The inspired soldiers began to call her “Major Molly.”
Her bravery and bravado also caught the attention of her commander George Washington (whom she revered). All day long Washington watched Mary work those cannons and keep the troops motivated. It impressed George enough to issue an official battlefield commemoration and make Mary a non-commissioned officer–a notoriety few women in that day received. After the War, poets would recount her bravery in rhyme and verse. There was even a song sung to her honor:
“Moll Pitcher she stood by her gun,
and rammed the charges home, sir,
And thus on Monmouth’s bloody field,
a sergeant did become sir.”
From that day forward Mary had two new nicknames: Molly Pitcher and Sergeant Molly.
After the war, Mary and William returned to Carlisle, PA to raise their son. But that bliss also didn’t last. Mary’s life turned sour when her husband unexpectedly died in 1786. For the next 46 years, Mary faced poverty, hardship and pain. She remarried a man named John McCauley in 1793 but the marriage was bad. Her new husband was violent and abusive. After he persuaded Mary to sell her deceased husband’s land, he ran off with the money. This was her inheritance and it pushed Mary into poverty. Nevertheless, she didn’t let that theft steal her joy.
For the rest of her life, Mary lived lean as a general servant and civil volunteer.
Mary cheerfully cooked, cleaned, washed and painted. She cared for soldiers, sick people and wayward children. She faithfully attended the Lutheran church. In Carlisle, PA Mary was a legend, popular and respected. To her friends she was known as “Sergeant Molly,” the hero of Monmouth with “a kind word for everyone.” The U.S. government even recognized her Revolutionary War service with a modest pension.
Mary died in 1832. But her namesake “Molly” did not.
Her grave marker tagged her as “Molly McCauley.” But everyone else, including many early historians, dubbed her “Molly Pitcher.” To this day, a statue of “Molly Pitcher” working a cannon adorns her Carlisle cemetery. Her glorious story has now grown dusty. Few school children learn her tale or know her name. But where ever patriot men march to war, the Molly Pitchers still follow.
MARY “MOLLY PITCHER” HAYS. Revolutionary Hero. Beloved American Volunteer.
And now you know the rest of HERstory.
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SOURCES:
- “A Short History of Molly Pitcher: The Heroine of the Battle of Monmouth” (Carlisle, PA: The Cornman Printing Company, 1905).
- Humphrey, Grace. Women in American History (Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers, 1919.
- Egle, William Henry. Some Pennsylvania Women During the War of the Revolution. (Harrisburg, PA: Harrisburg Publishing Company, 1898):
American summers revolve around three holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.
Memorial Day and Labor Day are the bookends. The July 4th celebration is the centerpiece. Most Americans view Memorial Day as the “kickoff” for summer…and it is.
But there’s much more to this holiday than we think. Unfortunately, many contemporary histories of Memorial Day only share part of the story. It’s why we need to go back to the beginning.
The Memorial Day observance began on May 1, 1865.
Less than a month after the bloody Civil War ended, the Southern states lay in ruin. Over 620,000 soldiers—an entire generation of American men—died on battlefields from Vicksburg to Gettysburg.
On a spring day in Charleston, SC, dozens of former slaves organized a memorial event. They intentionally gathered the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club. After all, this country club formerly served as a prison for Union soldiers. Punctuating that memory was a mass grave, conveniently under the grandstand that held the remains of hundreds of Union soldiers.
The entire town knew about the mass grave. It was hardly a secret.
Most of the buried were Union soldiers, captured after being wounded. Many endured great suffering before their death. The prison guards poorly fed them, treated them harshly, and gave little medical attention to their wounds. Disease and sickness afflicted the prison camp.
In white Charleston, these dead Union soldiers were treated like ordinary trash. Their bodies dumped in a mass grave without identification or notification of kin. Nobody knew their names, nor did anyone care to.
However, the Black population of Charleston recognized the sacrifice of these Union soldiers.
Northern Republican abolitionism motivated the Union army. President Abraham Lincoln, assassinated a few weeks earlier, famously issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved people. Southern Blacks were ecstatic and wanted to join the cause. Their emancipation afforded them opportunity to show their gratitude.
These former Charleston slaves chose to give these Union soldiers a proper, honorable burial.
First, they dug up the mass grave and exhumed 257 Union soldiers.
They reburied each body in a separate grave within a new cemetery, marking the entrance with the words: “Martyrs of the Race Course.”
This act of service alone was significant, but these former slaves took it one step further. They organized an all-day parade to commemorate the lives of those harshly treated, even to death.
Over 10,000 Blacks gathered to remember these soldiers.
According to two different newspapers, who reported on this event, the crowd included freed slaves, white Republicans, and visiting missionaries. The parade took place at the Washington Race Course and Country Club, the site of a former Confederate prison camp.
On May 1, 1868, thousands of former slaves gathered in Charleston to celebrate a new era in the South. A choir of 2,800 black children led a procession, carrying flowers and singing “John Brown’s Body.” Throughout the day, this mostly black crowd sang spirituals, heard sermons, and read Scripture. This holy day of gratitude, honor, and freedom.
Ironically, it wasn’t Charleston’s first Black-led parade.
The 55th Massachusetts Colored Regiment marched into Charleston on February 21, 1865, claiming Union victory with rejoicing and singing. They likely joined the May 1 celebration while mustering near Charleston until May 7. The famed 54th Massachusetts regiment also probably attended the event.
Over time, similar spontaneous celebrations arose to honor the Union army’s sacrifice in freeing slaves.
These celebrations initially occurred primarily in northern states, as the southern states had little reason for joy at that time. However, the memorials became so prominent that in 1868, Union General John A. Logan proposed an official annual day of recognition called “Decoration Day” on May 30. This solemn day honored and decorated the graves of all soldiers—both Union and Confederate—who died in the Civil War. The first national commemoration took place on May 30, 1868, at the newly opened Arlington National Cemetery.
In 1881, President James Garfield issued an executive order encouraging government workers to observe Decoration Day traditions. By 1890, every Northern state recognized Decoration Day as an official holiday. Following World Wars I and II, the holiday evolved into “Memorial Day,” expanding its purpose to honor all American war dead from the Revolutionary War to the present.
In 1968, legislators set aside Memorial Day for observance on the last Monday of May.
Many historians still dispute the origins of Decoration Day because decorating the graves of fallen soldiers was common before the Charleston, SC event. However, earlier remembrances were individual acts, while the Charleston event was the first organized, collective public memorial, featuring a parade and other activities to honor the dead.
Notably, the May 1, 1865 event, organized by former slaves, uniquely commemorated the Union army that had liberated them through Scripture, sermons, and spiritual music. It was as much a church revival as a public funeral, marking the first time a group gathered to memorialize the dead from any American war.
Memorial Day proved more than a parade held by former slaves to remember Civil War dead, as often portrayed today. Instead, these Black former slaves organized the event as a distinctly religious ceremony to honor the Union soldiers who had died. They recognized that these soldiers sacrificed their lives to liberate enslaved Black people, and the former slaves were deeply grateful for that sacrifice.
Every nation must remember to tell its true, complete history.
Some historians believe the local Charleston population intentionally tried to erase this event, because white Charlestonians rejected any narrative that honored Union soldiers. The South’s deep divide with the North, and the unsavory fact former slaves organized this event made it unacceptable. Consequently, Charleston city leaders purposely buried this event and the truth alongside those Union soldiers employing “cancel culture” strategies of fear, denial, manipulation of truth, and destructive removal of any evidence.
In Charleston’s case, the “powers that be” demolished the horse track and country club that once held the Union soldier prison. Then they moved the soldiers’ graves to Beaufort National Cemetery and turned the former prison site into a beautiful city park. With exception to a lone sign to remind visitors of what happened, there is no other designations, parades, memorials, or reminders to retell this story.
That’s why this story is dusty and forgotten.
Thankfully, the truth remains, thanks to early newspapers that reported on what happened in Charleston after the Civil War, writings that haunt and test the false narrative still preached among the locals.
For Americans, Memorial Day isn’t a day for barbecues or a summer kickoff; it’s an opportunity to honor the sacrifices, remember the fallen soldiers, and preserve the history of what truly happened. It wasn’t until 1968—over 100 years after the Charleston event—that Memorial Day became a national U.S. holiday.
But there’s one more piece of history Memorial Day history that Americans overlook. In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed “The National Moment of Remembrance Act.” This act encouraged all Americans, at 3:00 p.m. every Memorial Day, to stop and pray. This national prayer served as a “symbolic act of unity.” In praying, we honored fallen U.S. soldiers “who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.”
Memorial Day is, by Congressional act, “a day of prayer for permanent peace.”
And to think it all began with black slaves who were grateful to Lincoln and his army.
Saint Patrick is celebrated every March 17, but his legacy extends far beyond the festive green parties, green beer, and shamrocks typically associated with this day.
British Born Under Roman Rule
Born around 385 AD in Britain, Patrick lived during a tumultuous period marked by Roman rule. His family faced constant fear as the great Roman army was needed in Italy, leaving Britain vulnerable to invading tribes and exposing Patrick’s homeland to significant threats.
The Invasion of Irish Druids
One of the more feared and vicious tribes were the Irish Druids. These pagans were barbaric, malevolent and ruthless. They worshipped the dead, practiced dark magic and were known to collect human heads.
Around 405 AD, Patrick’s farm was invaded by the Druids. They pillaged the area, raped women, burned homes and fields and captured slaves. The teenaged Patrick was captured, put in chains, and hauled away to Ireland.
From Slavery to a Slave for Christ
For six years, Patrick, who was enslaved, tended sheep. During this time, he prayed daily for peace, strength, protection, and freedom. It was amidst this captivity that he converted to Christianity, marking a significant turning point in his life.
One night, Patrick had a vision of a ship.
In a courageous act of faith, Patrick escaped from his enslaver, traveling two hundred miles to reach a port. Miraculously, he found a waiting ship. Overjoyed, Patrick returned to Britain, reunited with his family, and sought to restore a sense of normalcy in his life.
A New Vision
A new vision emerged in Patrick’s heart—not to shepherd animals, but to pastor people. At around age 40, God called to him: “Please, holy boy, come and walk among us again.” With Ireland back in his heart, Patrick devoted the rest of his life to this Divine dream.
Patrick returned as a free man to pastor, teach, and evangelize, targeting the pagan Druids he once feared. To illustrate the Christian Triune nature of God, he used the shamrock, teaching that just as it is “three in one,” so is God. Despite facing assault, discouragement, poverty, and hardship, Patrick never quit. He stated, “I am prepared to give even my life without hesitation and most gladly for His name, and it is there that I wish to spend it until I die.”
A New Ministry
Patrick’s ministry reportedly had many miracles…and much success.
Patrick reportedly healed the sick, exorcised demons, and even raised the dead. He reportedly banished all the Irish snakes and transformed his walking stick into a living tree. Over 30 years in Ireland, he baptized over 120,000 people and founded more than 300 churches.
Out of Weakness, Strength
Patrick’s success also had great weaknesses.
He lacked education. He struggled with his sinful nature. His speech impediment created inferiority, and insecurity. Yet, Patrick still worked, served, preached, taught, loved, and even advocated for the abolition of human slavery. As one biographer noted, “He found Ireland all heathen and left it all Christian.”
When Patrick died on March 17, 461, the land that imprisoned him in fear grew into a citadel of faith.
A Day for Saint Patrick
Today, most people associate St. Paddy’s Day with green beer, shamrocks, and cheerful greetings. However, we must remember the man behind this date and his mission, despite the fact that some stories may be more myth than truth.
St. Patrick’s hero myth claims he drove out paganism, ended many Druid traditions, death celebrations and magic rituals. However, centuries later, when the Irish migrated to America, they brought not only St. Patrick’s Day but also Halloween—a pagan, Druid holiday. Initially called “All Hallow’s Eve” and later “Hallowed Evening,” the name was shortened to “Hallow’een” by the Irish. In the 1840s, Irish immigrants brought Halloween traditions to America, facing opposition from Puritans, Catholics, and other Protestants who banned the holiday in many communities.
PATRICK. FORMER SLAVE. MISSIONARY TO IRELAND. SAINT.
And now you know the rest of HIStory.
The story of Harlan Sanders and Kentucky Fried Chicken is already interesting, but here’s a twist I bet you haven’t heard.
Harlan Sanders (1890-1980) was always a late bloomer.
He was a man who relentlessly pursued his dreams, refusing to give up. In the end, he even fought for his own soul.
At 40 years old, Sanders opened his first restaurant, followed by a twelve-year journey before launching his first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in Salt Lake City in 1952.
Sanders spent half his life as a failure, living in poverty and dead ends.
The determined young man from Henryville, IN, struggled to maintain gainful employment, often quitting too soon, getting laid off, or even fired. In one notorious incident, Sanders fought with a client in court, ending his brief legal career. A biographer observed that Sanders lacked “self-control, impatience, and a self-righteous lack of diplomacy.” He became a relentless, vulgar workaholic with a terrible temper.
To pay his bills, Sanders held various jobs, including selling life insurance, working on the railroad and ferries, and selling tires. However, it was his gas station that inspired a new idea: realizing that travelers stopping to refuel were also hungry, he developed a roadside grill offering chicken, ham, and steak dinners.
The famed food critic Duncan Hines once visited his Corbin, KY restaurant and penned in the popular travel guide: “A very good place to stop en route to Cumberland Falls and the Great Smokies. Continuous 24-hour service. Sizzling steaks, fried chicken, country ham, hot biscuits.” It was such publicity that created fresh opportunity and honor for Sanders. In 1939 he opened a motel next door. His governor named him a Kentucky “colonel.”
Harlan Sanders was 50 years old when he created his “secret” chicken recipe.
Over two decades, Sanders built a brand that revolutionized fast food. At 60, he embraced the “Kentucky Colonel” persona, donning all-white attire and growing a goatee, which solidified his identity as “The Colonel.” This transformation marked a pivotal moment in his career. For the next decade Harlan Sanders and Kentucky Fried Chicken became an iconic American brand. He lent his image to his company to create chicken that was “fingerlickin’ good.”
In 1964, Sanders sold his business for $2 million, establishing a public image that matched his newfound wealth. Despite his riches and fame, the Colonel, at 73 years old, felt miserable and unfulfilled, highlighting the stark contrast between material success and personal happiness.
So the elderly Sanders set about changing his life.
The aging Colonel felt both shame and guilt due to his reputation for a quick temper and vulgar, even racist, language. Despite his millionaire status and recognizable face, his business dealings provided him no peace. He penned in his autobiography: “But all this while I knew I wasn’t right with God. It bothered me especially when I’d take the name of the Lord in vain. I did my cussin’ before women or anyplace. … I knew the terrible curse of cussin’ would probably keep me out of heaven when I died.”
In 1957, the Colonel’s hard attitudes and forceful personality softened with his marriage to long-time mistress Claudia. Nevertheless, throughout the 1960s, he sought inner peace, grappling with the guilt and shame instilled by his strict Adventist upbringing. Sanders yearned for something different—something lasting.
In 1969, Sanders attended a revival service at The Evangel Tabernacle in Louisville, KY, which transformed his life, including his temper and profanity. He rekindled his religious faith, embracing a simpler form of Christianity that exorcised his demons. On his 80th birthday, he and Claudia were baptized in the Jordan River and began attending church faithfully. Among his friends were prominent figures such as Billy Graham, Pat Boone, and Jerry Falwell.
Sanders died ten years later at the age of 90.
Thousands paid their respects as his body lay in state at the Kentucky capitol and KFC headquarters. Over 1,200 dignitaries attended his funeral at Southern Seminary on December 20, 1980. At the time of Sanders’ death, KFC boasted approximately 6,000 outlets in 48 countries, generating $2 billion in annual sales, but friends and family cherished his joy, love, and peace.
Colonel Harlan Sanders.
A failed, arrogant, stubborn, vulgar workaholic who found the real “secret recipe” to life wasn’t in chicken, but God.
And now you know the rest of HIStory.
Many legal scholars consider the Dred Scott decision the worst opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes called it the Supreme Court’s “greatest self-inflicted wound.”
The Man Behind The Decision
Dred Scott, born a slave in Virginia in 1799, was taken to Alabama by his owner before relocating to St. Louis, MO. Sold to Dr. John Emerson, a U.S. army surgeon, Scott moved to Illinois and then the Wisconsin territory, both states where slaves were considered “free.” However, slavery continued to be practiced illegally in “free” states, similar to how some engage in unlawful activities today.
In 1837, Scott met and married Harriet Robinson–who was sold by her owner to Dr. Emerson.
From 1836 to 1838, the Scotts lived in “free” territory, often separated from their army surgeon master, who was assigned to Louisiana. Eventually, the surgeon married, reuniting the families before moving to Missouri. After Dr. Emerson’s death in 1843, his widow, Harriet, inherited the Scott family. That’s when things got messy.
The Case of Dred Scott
The Dred Scott legal case originated because he desired to free himself and his family.
Scott initially sought to buy his freedom from his surgeon’s widow but she refused. He then took his case to court, arguing that since he and his family had lived freely in Wisconsin, where slavery was illegal, he was technically free. The prevailing principle was “once free, always free.”
The first Missouri circuit court ruled that Dred Scott should be a free man. However, in 1852, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned this decision, establishing a precedent that “slave” states need not respect the laws of “free” states. A key argument was that Scott should have sought his freedom while in Wisconsin, a legal step he failed to take due to possible ignorance or busyness.
The Decision
The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled 7-2 against Dred Scott.
The decision was political and unprecedented, made by activist judges. All seven justices in the majority identified as pro-slavery Democrats appointed by Democrat presidents, while the two dissenting justices affiliated with the anti-slavery Whig and Republican parties.
The Supreme Court decision asserted that, under the U.S. Constitution, no African (black) person had intended to be, nor now could be, an American citizen. Dred Scott had no standing to file a case, a right reserved for U.S. citizens. The Court ruled that Congress could not ban slavery in territories, nullifying the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Additionally, the 5th Amendment’s due process clause prevented the government from freeing slaves brought into federal territories.
The Dred Scott decision framed all Black individuals, including those born free in America, as property. This ruling adversely affected even free Blacks in free states who owned land and voted. In one stroke, the Supreme Court stripped away the natural rights of a group based solely on skin color, delivering a severe blow to both enslaved and free Blacks and undermining the abolitionist movement.
The Dred Scott decision was the first step towards Civil War
And now the Rest of the Story…
Who financed Scott’s legal case? Surprisingly, it was the adult children of his original owner. After selling him to Dr. Emerson, they became staunch abolitionists, repenting for slavery by funding Scott’s legal battle. Their financial support reflected their commitment to right the wrongs of their family’s past.
What happened to Dred Scott, his wife and two daughters?
In 1850, the Missouri widow who originally owned the Scott family remarried a fiery abolitionist Republican doctor from Massachusetts, Calvin C. Chaffee. In 1854, he secured election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Following the 1857 Dred Scott decision, Scott and his family returned as slaves to Mrs. Chaffee, who had become an abolitionist and no longer believed in slavery.
In an effort to emancipate Dred and his family, Mrs. Chaffee faced legal complications. To bypass the courts, she deeded the Scott family to Republican congressman Taylor Blow (R-MO). Blow then freed Dred, his wife Harriet, and their two children, Eliza and Lizzie, on May 26, 1857. Dred Scott was a liberated man…only three months after the Supreme Court ruling against him!
Scott’s freedom proved short-lived, as his life ended sixteen months later from tuberculosis. His body now interred at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Dred Scott’s story seemed to grow greater after his death.
To this day, a long-standing tradition exists of placing Lincoln pennies on his grave for good luck. This practice stems from the Dred Scott decision, which inspired Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and led to the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. These amendments corrected the injustices faced by Dred Scott and Black Americans, granting them freedom from slavery, citizenship, and the right to vote.
But it all started with a man named Dred Scott.
And now you now the rest of HIStory.