In preparation, Peale traveled to the Princeton and Trenton battlefields in February of 1779 to make sketches for the background. The original portrait, the full-length version now in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, was a tremendous success and Peale completed numerous copies for royal palaces abroad, each time updating the general's military dress. (metmuseum.org)

Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matthew 5:33-37)

For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:28)

So that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given. (Matthew 14:7-9)

One country's "founding father" is an other country's "enemy commander". Also brings to mind the horribly inaccurate Mel Gibson movie "The Patriot". One country's "patriot" may be another country's "terrorist".

George Washington expressed little preference as to the religion practiced by the Mount Vernon workforce. By 1799 most of the enslaved individuals at Mount Vernon were second or third generation Americans. Some enslaved people were involved with Christian denominations in the area, including the Episcopalian, Baptist Methodist, and Quaker communities. However, elements of both Islam and traditional African religions are found in the documentary and archaeological records of Mount Vernon’s enslaved population. (mountvernon.org)

Cooking utensil for broiling over a fire, early 14c., griderne, alteration (by association with iron) of gridire (late 13c.), a variant of gridil (see griddle). Confusion of "l" and "r" was common in Norman dialect. Also a medieval instrument of torture by fire. (etymonline.com)

His win/lose record wasn’t good, but the ultimate win was that he triumphed in the war, There are some very valid criticisms of his skills, but his place in the ‘great leader’ camp is secure. (Adrienne Harrison, PhD, senior historian)

My manner of living is plain and I do not mean to be put out of it. A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready. (George Washington)

Cider, beer, and other low-proof options were very common, but the cultured and cultivated also partook of a bevy of boozy beverages. (mashed.com)

Blueskin was a gray horse ridden by George Washington. He was one of Washington's two primary mounts during the American Revolutionary War. The horse was a half-Arabian, sired by the stallion "Ranger", also known as "Lindsay's Arabian", said to have been obtained from the Sultan of Morocco. (Wikipedia)

All strange and terrible events are welcome, but comforts we despise. (Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra)

The worm is not to be trusted... (Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra)

Indigent individuals, litigants and other people who cannot afford to pay PACER fees can request PACER fee exemptions from individual courts, upon a showing of cause. (pacer.uscourts.gov)

My movements to the chair of Government will be accompanied with feelings not unlike those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution. (George Washington)

So did the Framers know what they were doing at the time? Hell no. They didn’t have a clue. They were in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing. Naturally, they became heroes. (William E. Madden Jr.)

As Benjamin Franklin left the Constitutional Convention, he was reportedly asked what kind of government the founders would propose. He replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

He had everything to lose by going into the presidency. And in some ways, he did. (Alexis Coe)

When the great Gen. George Washington left his comfortable retirement at Mount Vernon to become the first president of the United States, well-wishers threw flowers at his feet. For hundreds of miles, as he made his way to the temporary capital in New York City, thousands of people followed alongside with blessings, toasts and cheers. Once he was in New York, there was a fireworks show. (Gillian Brockell)

Seven years later, toward the end of his second term, he was so disliked that the House voted against adjourning for 30 minutes to wish him well on his birthday. (Gillian Brockell)

It is easy to judge and demean. Understanding takes effort. (Tom Robinson)

Some believed in strong, central government, and others believed in a very loose confederation of individual States. If this sounds familiar, that’s because that diversity of thought persists until today. (William E. Madden Jr.)

Washington was the striking model for what would become Captain America. Jefferson and Franklin were the Tony Stark and Bruce Banner of their time. Patrick Henry was the firebrand who could (and had,) with a word, light a fire that covered the world. But the little, funny looking guy who was on the shy side was the one who came out of Central Casting to play the role. James Madison was Professor X. (William E. Madden Jr.)

Long before MSNBC vs. Fox News, it was the National Gazette vs. the Gazette of the United States. Neither publication bothered with the pretense of objectivity, No articles were fact-checked, and everything, including personal lives, was fair game. (Alexis Coe)

“In the end, the Washington administration negotiated a treaty with the British. It barely passed the Senate, but it was immensely unpopular with the American public. (State Department’s Office of the Historian)

The French ambassador had incited ten thousand People in the Streets of Philadelphia, day after day, threaten[ing] to drag Washington out of his House, and effect a Revolution in the Government. (John Adams)

They petitioned Washington to stop it. Then they held peaceful demonstrations. Finally, violence broke out — one tax collector was tarred and feathered, and another’s home was set ablaze. (Alexis Coe)

The first and only president to take up arms against his own citizens. (Alexis Coe)

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. (Benjamin Franklin)

Nowadays, Washington’s birthday is officially recognized, but when he was alive, his legacy was very nearly ruined by his presidency. Historian Alexis Coe describes how and why in her new book, “You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington.”.

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. (James Madison)

The USA ended up with a government system with an elected monarch. The UK ended up with a government system with a hereditary president. (Marco, Oxford)

Washington delivered a final address to Congress in December 1796, three months before he officially left office. Andrew Jackson, a freshman congressman at the time, was in the audience. The future president refused to applaud. (Alexis Coe)

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (James 4:14)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee. (1 Samuel 8:7-8)

And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. (1 Samuel 8:11)

And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.  (1 Samuel 8:12-13)

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. (1 Samuel 8:14-17)

Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles. (1 Samuel 8:20)

Embracing the wisdom of the ox, we embrace a sense of reliability and responsibility, both in our personal endeavours and within our communities. As we draw strength from the ox's enduring spirit, we find the courage to take on challenges, embarking on a journey of self-discovery and growth. In the ox's tranquil presence, we learn the art of resilience, recognizing that as we persist and trust in our innate abilities, we hold the power to achieve greatness in our lives. (aboutmybrain.com)

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. (James 5:12)