Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States. (wikipedia.org)
Our neighbours celebrated 235 years of British Independence, so I feel that should write a litle about the event and less unknown people that made a difference and inspire us.
We all know GEORGE WASHINGTON was the 1st. President of U.S.A, but we should know about his remarkable wife, MARTHA, a person that didn't let her not so pleasant life, shadow her positive side of life.
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, 1731 – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States. During her lifetime, she was known as "Lady Washington". (wikipedia.org)
“I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.” - Martha Washington
Pretty powerful words from a wealthy woman, who ended up being the FIRST, First Lady. What disappointments could she have possibly had going on in HER life to overcome. Sometimes we see quotes like the one above, and eventhough the message is great, and we “get it”, we can think to ourselves, that “things were different back then, they didn’t have the same stress we do today.” See if you would want to trade places with her:
1. She had 4 children.
2. Her son, Daniel, died at the age of 3.
3. Her daughter, Frances, died when he was 4.
4. Her first husband, Daniel Custis, died that same year.
5. Her oldest daughter, Martha, died from a siezure at age 18.
6. Her son, John, died during military service as a young adult.
Puts a new light on choosing to be happy, doesn’t it?
Yes, it takes a conscious effort to CHOOSE to be happy, grateful, and content.
In 1902, Martha Washington became the first American woman to be honored on a U.S. postage stamp.
Out of curiosity, added to the Martha Washington bigraphy:
In the book The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers by Thomas Fleming, the author addresses the issue of Martha’s wealth when George married her on January 6, 1759. He notes that Martha’s first husband, Daniel Parke Custis, had died without a will. He estimates the value of their 17,438-acre estate at some three million dollars in today’s money.
Because Martha’s first husband died without a will, Martha was granted a dower share – the lifetime use of one-third of the estate’s assets. This share would be held in trust for her children. The slaves working the estate were also subject to a dower-determined distribution. [From 1705 until 1792, Virginia defined slaves as real property. This is because if the slaves did not remain with the land to work it, the value of the land was diminished. See Donn Devine, "The Widow’s Dower Interest," in Ancestry Magazine, Vol. 12, no. 5, 1 Sep 1994.)] Martha received approximately 85 slaves as part of the dower share of the Custis estate.When Martha remarried, another principle of law came into effect: coverture, which defined the legal status of woman following marriage. Under the doctrine of coverture, the husband and wife became a single unit for property purposes, with the husband having complete control over all the property of either person. All property a woman brought into marriage, including real estate, clothing, furniture, or money, became the property of her husband. (See Dorothy A. Mays, Women in Early America: Struggle, Survival, and Freedom in a New World, Calif.: 2004, p. 91.) However, the wife’s interest in dower real estate was limited to a life estate, not a fee simple interest. Accordingly, a husband could not sell dower real estate (including slaves), without his wife’s consent.
Thus Washington could control Martha’s dower wealth, but he didn’t actually own it (in fee simple) and could not sell it. Martha’s one-third was “his” property only for the duration of Martha’s life.
(http://legallegacy.wordpress.com/)
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