Sir John Ramsea, in his “CHRISTMAS CAUTION,” observes, that, “the weather is unusually cold at this season, and therefore good fires, good eating, and good drinking, are unquestionably agreeable, and in some measure necessary. Fuel is laid in for external warmth, and generous liquors for internal. The ox is fattening for slaughter; the poultry are put up to feed; the mutton, the venison are already hung, and minced meats are in a state of preparation. All this is very right; all this very good. The blessing brought by the season to the Christian world, might well render it a time for perpetual rejoicing,—a time of universal happiness. But instead of loading our tables, and our stomachs, with unwholesome variety of the richest viands, let us be content with plain and nourishing food; and with a quantity proportioned to our digestive faculties; and let us consider, while we are cheerfully and comfortably regaling, by a good fire, allured by superfluities, to excess, whether we have not some poor, but worthy, neighbors, who are exposed, half-fed, and, perhaps, half naked too, to all inclemency of the weather, while their miserable little ones are shivering around a few embers, destitute even of the necessaries of life. By our retrenchments then let them be clothed, be comforted, and fed; and while their stomachs become the depositories of what would only tend to disorder our own, their grateful lips, too often very differently employed, will bless, at once, the season, and their benefactors. We shall inculcate in our offspring the virtues of Christian charity and benevolence, instead of the heathenish vices of intemperance and excess; and we shall thus secure to ourselves the health, as well as the approbation of our own bosoms, and be at once qualified and entitled to enjoy a ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS.’
American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.), 23 Dec. 1823.
In the roaring 1920s, amid the jazz age and technological wonders, tales of extraordinary animals captured the public’s imagination, blending whimsy with a touch of skepticism. One such story emerged from the Eastern Dog Show in Boston, where a French bulldog named Princess Jacqueline astonished attendees with her alleged ability to speak simple words. This article from 1928 highlights the fascination with “talking” pets, reflecting an era when novelty acts and animal performers were celebrated in newspapers far and wide, even reaching the remote pages of Alaska’s press.
https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/the-incredible-talking-dog-of-1928
There was a “revolution” in 1800 when Thomas Jefferson was elected to the presidency of the United States. His ascension to the highest office in the executive branch did not come by the literal “blood of patriots,” but it was the result of a bloodless rebellion against the Federalist Party and its “Court party” policies. Through the “mighty wave of public opinion,” President Jefferson was appointed leader of “the revolution of 1800,” whom the people hoped would restore the “principles of our government as that of 1776.” Jefferson did restore many republican principles during his presidency; however, he also committed some acts that could be considered unconstitutional. In the end, he can also be criticized for not doing more to promote “American synthesis,” or what can be defined as a unique blend of early liberalism, “the rights of Englishmen,” and republican theory.
https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/the-bloodless-revolution-of-1800
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The American press during the 1790s played a role analogous to that of today’s electronic media, which, like today, was used as a vehicle to attack the principles and policies of the opposing political parties of the period. Since the dawn of a literate public actively engaged in government, politicians have both supported and cursed the effects of the press on the political process. The rapidly growing media of the late eighteenth century was seen as a necessary evil that could serve or destroy the evolution of the new federal government.
https://humblymybrain.substack.com/p/the-press-as-a-weapon-how-1790s-newspapers
