American Minute

[Soldier4Christ]

Once political enemies, they became close friends in later life. Both served in the Continental Congress. One was elected the second President and the other elected the third. An awe swept America when they died on the same day, JULY 4, 1826, exactly 50 years since they both signed the Declaration of Independence. Their names were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. In his Second Annual Message to Congress, December 5, 1826, President John Quincy Adams stated: "Since your last meeting at this place, the fiftieth anniversary of the day when our independence was declared...two of the principal actors in that solemn scene - the hand that penned the ever-memorable Declaration and the voice that sustained it in debate - were by one summons, at the distance of 700 miles from each other, called before the Judge of All to account for their deeds done upon earth." President John Quincy Adams added in an Executive Order, July 11, 1826: "A coincidence...so wonderful gives confidence... that the patriotic efforts of these...men were Heaven directed, and furnishes a new...hope that the prosperity of these States is under the special protection of a kind Providence."

[Soldier4Christ]

A decade prior to the Civil War there were two major political parties in the United States: Democrats, favoring freedom of choice to own slaves; and Whigs, wanting a big tent party. In Ripon, Wisconsin, anti-slavery activists met on February 28, 1854, then held their first State Convention in Jackson, Michigan, JULY 6, 1854. They named their party Republican, with the chief plank being "to prohibit...those twin relics of barbarism: polygamy and slavery." Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, appointed Justice Stephen Field, who wrote in the Supreme Court decision Davis v. Beason, 1890: "Bigamy and polygamy are crimes by the laws of all civilized and Christian countries...They...destroy the purity of the marriage relation...degrade woman and debase man...There have been sects which denied...there should be any marriage tie, and advocated promiscuous intercourse of the sexes as prompted by the passions of its members...Should a sect of either of these kinds ever find its way into this country, swift punishment would follow...The constitutions of several States, in providing for religious freedom, have declared expressly that such freedom shall not be construed to excuse acts of licentiousness."

[Soldier4Christ]

Hawaii became a U.S. Territory JULY 7, 1898, as President McKinley signed the Treaty of Annexation. Discovered by Captain James Cook in 1778, the islands were united by King Kamehamaha. After his death in 1819, his wife and son abolished the pagan religion which practiced human sacrifice. The next year the first missionaries, led by Hiram Bingham, arrived from New England, creating a written language and translating the Bible. Hawaii's Motto, "The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness," was first uttered by Queen Ke'opuolani in 1825 as she was baptized into the Christian faith. Kawaiaha'o, the first Christian Church in Hawaii, was built between 1836-1842 in New England style architecture. It was called the "Westminster Abbey of Hawaii." Fourteen thousand coral slabs, quarried by hand from reefs 10 to 20 feet under water, comprise the main structure. Each slab weighed more than 1,000 pounds. On April 19, 1970, President Nixon spoke at the church, saying: "Reverend Akaka...I wanted to attend...this great church, with all of its history that is here...having in mind the fact that today...you will be commemorating the 150th anniversary of Christianity in...these islands."

[Soldier4Christ]

The Liberty Bell got its name from being rung JULY 8, 1776, to call the citizens of Philadelphia together to hear the Declaration of Independence read out loud for the first time. Made in England, this massive bell, weighing over 2000 pounds, was rung on each successive anniversary, until 1835, when it cracked on JULY 8 while tolling at the funeral of the famous Supreme Court Justice John Marshall. Inscribed on the Liberty Bell is a verse from the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, chapter 25, verse 10: "Proclaim Liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." At the 150th anniversary of the Declaration, 1926, President Calvin Coolidge stated: "People at home and abroad consider Independence Hall as hallowed ground and revere the Liberty Bell as a sacred relic. That pile of bricks and mortar, that mass of metal, might appear as only the outgrown meeting place and the shattered bell...but to those who know, they have become consecrated. They are the framework of a spiritual event." Calvin Coolidge continued: "The world looks upon them because of their associations of 150 years ago, as it looks upon the Holy Land because of what took place there nineteen hundred years ago."

[Soldier4Christ]

"Old Rough and Ready" died JULY 9, 1850. He fought the British in the War of 1812, the Sac Indians in the Black Hawk War, and the Seminole Indians in Florida. Zachary Taylor's courageous victories in the Mexican War, being greatly outnumbered by Santa Anna's forces, made him a national hero. Zachary Taylor was elected the 12th U.S. President. Presented with a Bible by a delegation of ladies from Frankfort, Kentucky, President Zachary Taylor's acknowledgment was printed in the Frankfort Commonwealth, February 21, 1849: "I accept with gratitude...your gift of this inestimable Volume. It was for the love of the truths of this great Book that our fathers abandoned their native shores for the wilderness. Animated by its lofty principles they toiled and suffered till the desert blossomed as a rose." Zachary Taylor continued: "The same truths sustained them...to become a free nation; and guided by the wisdom of this Book they founded a government." Refusing to be sworn in on the Sabbath, President Zachary Taylor told a Sabbath-School celebration in the City of Washington, July 4, 1849: "The only ground of hope for the continuance of our free institutions is in the proper moral and religious training of the children."

[Soldier4Christ]

Millard Fillmore became the 13th President, JULY 10, 1850, when President Zachary Taylor died unexpectedly. President Millard Fillmore stated: "A great man has fallen among us and a whole country is called to...mourning...I dare not shrink; and I rely upon Him who holds in His hands the destinies of nations to endow me with the requisite strength for the task." President Millard Fillmore was remembered for sending Commodore Perry to open trade with Japan, admitting California, which had just begun the Gold Rush, into the Union as a free state, and when the Library of Congress caught on fire, he and his Cabinet formed a bucket brigade to help extinguish the flames. After being sworn into office, President Millard Fillmore, who was a member of the Episcopal Church, stated: "The Sabbath day I always kept as a day of rest. Besides being a religious duty, it was essential to health. On commencing my Presidential career, I found that the Sabbath had frequently been employed by visitors for private interviews with the President. I determined to put an end to this custom, and ordered my doorkeeper to meet all Sunday visitors with an indiscriminate refusal."

[Soldier4Christ]

He intentionally fired into the air, but his political rival, Aaron Burr, took deadly aim and fatally shot him in a duel JULY 11, 1804. Born in the West Indies, he fought in the Revolution and was aide-de-camp to General Washington. He helped write the Constitution and convinced the States to ratify it by writing The Federalist Papers. His name was Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. In "The Farmer Refuted," February 23, 1775, Hamilton wrote: "The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the Hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power." Alexander Hamilton continued: "Good and wise men, in all ages...have supposed that the Deity, from the relations we stand in to Himself, and to each other, has constituted an eternal and immutable law, which is indispensably obligatory upon all mankind." On April 16, 1802, Hamilton wrote to James Bayard: "Let an association be formed to be denominated 'The Christian Constitutional Society,' its object to be first: The support of Christian religion; second: The support of the United States."

[Soldier4Christ]

Born a slave around JULY 12, 1864, George Washington Carver became a scientist of international renown. On January 21, 1921, Carver addressed the United States House Ways and Means Committee on behalf of the United Peanut Growers Association on the use of peanuts to improve Southern economy. Initially given ten minutes to speak, the committee was so captivated, his time was extended. Explaining the many products derived from the peanut, including milk, mock beef and mock chicken, George Washington Carver stated: "If you go to the first chapter of Genesis, we can interpret very clearly, I think, what God intended when he said 'Behold, I have given you every herb that bears seed. To you it shall be meat.' This is what He means about it. It shall be meat. There is everything there to strengthen and nourish and keep the body alive and healthy." After nearly two hours, the chairman asked: "Dr. Carver, how did you learn all of these things?" Carver answered: "From an old book" "What book?" asked the Chairman. Carver replied, "The Bible." The Chairman inquired, "Does the Bible tell about peanuts?" "No, Sir" Dr. Carver replied, "It tells about the God who made the peanut. I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanut and He did."

[Soldier4Christ]

After George Washington retired from being President, he became Commander-in-Chief of the Army for a second time. The year before he died he received an urgent plea from President John Adams, as France, in the midst of revolution, was demanding extortion payments not to harass American ships. The cry went out "Millions for defense, but not a cent for tribute." Washington agreed and replied, JULY 13, 1798: "Satisfied, therefore, that you have...exhausted, to the last drop, the cup of reconciliation, we can, with pure hearts, appeal to Heaven for the justice of our cause; and may confidently trust the final result to that kind Providence who has, heretofore, and so often, signally favored the people of these United States." George Washington continued: "Thinking in this manner, and feeling how incumbent it is upon every person, of every description, to contribute at all times to his country's welfare, and especially in a moment like the present, when everything we hold dear and sacred is so seriously threatened, I have finally determined to accept the commission of Commander in Chief of the Armies of the United States." Then, on March 6, 1799, President John Adams declared a National Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer to the Most High God."

[Soldier4Christ]

Leslie Lynch King, Jr., born JULY 14, 1913, was the 38th President of the United States. Renamed by his stepfather, he was the only Eagle Scout to be President. On a football scholarship, he attended the University of Michigan, graduated from Yale Law School and served in the Navy during World War II. He was House Minority Leader until Richard Nixon resigned, when he became the only President not elected. His name was Gerald Rudolph Ford, who stated upon assuming the Presidency, August 9, 1974: "I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers." On September 8, 1974, President Ford stated: "The Constitution is the supreme law of our land and it governs our actions as citizens. Only the laws of God, which govern our consciences, are superior to it. As we are a Nation under God, so I am sworn to uphold our laws with the help of God." In a Proclamation of Prayer, December 5, 1974, President Ford quoted President Eisenhower: "Without God there could be no American form of government...Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first-the most basic-expression of Americanism."

[Soldier4Christ]

The Continental Congress was evacuating Philadelphia as the British had just won the Battle of Brandywine, forcing Washington's troops to retreat to Valley Forge. In addition, Congress was informed that the war had interrupted trade with the King's authorized printers in England, thereby causing a shortage of Bibles, commonly used in education. The Continental Congress voted September 11, 1777, to import Bibles from Scotland or Holland into different parts of the Union, stating: "The use of the Bible is so universal and its importance so great...it was resolved accordingly to direct said Committee of Commerce to import 20,000 copies of the Bible." Five years later, September 10, 1782, the Continental Congress again responded to the shortage of Bibles by authorizing the publisher of The Pennsylvania Magazine, Robert Aitken, who died JULY 15, 1802, to print America's first English language Bible- "A neat edition of the Holy Scriptures for the use of schools." Congress stated: "Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled highly approve the...undertaking of Mr. Aitken...and...recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation."

[Soldier4Christ]

Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy JULY 16, 1969, being the first mission to walk on the moon. In Proclamation 3919, President Richard Nixon stated: "Apollo 11 is on its way to the moon. It carries three brave astronauts; it also carries the hopes and prayers of hundreds of millions of people...That moment when man first sets foot on a body other than earth will stand through the centuries as one supreme in human experience...I call upon all of our people...to join in prayer for the successful conclusion of Apollo 11's mission." President Richard Nixon spoke to the astronauts on the moon, July 20, 1969: "This certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made from the White House...The heavens have become a part of man's world...For one priceless moment in the whole history of man all the people on this earth are truly one...one in our prayers that you will return safely to earth." President Nixon greeted the astronauts on the U.S.S. Hornet, July 24, 1969: "The millions who are seeing us on television now...feel as I do, that...our prayers have been answered...I think it would be very appropriate if Chaplain Piirto, the Chaplain of this ship, were to offer a prayer of thanksgiving."

[Soldier4Christ]

Apostle of the Indies, Bartolome' de Las Casas," died JULY 17, 1566. He left Spain in 1502 for the West Indies and later returned to Europe. Then he heard Dominican Father Antonio de Montesinos speak Pentecost Sunday, August 15, 1511, on the verse: "I am a voice crying in the wilderness." Las Casas returned to the Americas and dedicated his life to helping Indians. He became the first priest ordained in the New World. Las Casas petitioned King Ferdinand and later Emperor Charles V to end military conquest and use peaceful means to convert Indians, as he explained in his treatise "Concerning the Only Way of Drawing All Peoples to the True Religion." When Las Casas' writings "A brief report on the Destruction of the Indians" and "Apologetica historia de las Indias" were translated in Europe, an outrage arose, pressuring Spain to enact New Laws protecting Indians, though colonists largely ignored them. Las Casas declared in his tract Confesionario that any Spaniard who refused to release his Indians is to be denied absolution. Las Casas stated: "The main goal of divine Providence in the discovery of these tribes...is...the conversion and well-being of souls, and to this goal everything temporal must necessarily be directed."

[Soldier4Christ]

Prior to the Revolution, British troops were marching toward Fort Duquesne when they were ambushed by the French and Indians. Not accustomed to fighting unless in an open field, the British were annihilated. 23-year-old Colonel George Washington rode back and forth during the battle delivering orders for General Braddock. Eventually, Braddock was killed and every officer on horseback was shot, except Washington. George Washington wrote of the Battle of Monongahela to his brother John, JULY 18, 1755: "As I have heard, since my arrival at this place, a circumstantial account of my death and dying speech, I take this early opportunity of contradicting the first, and of assuring you, that I have not as yet composed the latter. But by the All-Powerful Dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, although death was leveling my companions on every side of me!" An Indian warrior later declared: "Washington was never born to be killed by a bullet! I had seventeen fair fires at him with my rifle and after all could not bring him to the ground!"

[Soldier4Christ]

"V" for Victory! It was on JULY 19, 1941, that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill held up two fingers as a sign of victory. It became a symbol for all Western European resistance during WWII, with V signs painted on walls and over Nazi posters. A year earlier, Churchill stated before the House of Commons, June 18, 1940: "I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization....The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war." Churchill continued: "If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science." Churchill concluded: "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"