Washington's Farewell Address

 

In 1796, Mr. Washington's "warnings of a parting friend" cautioned Americans about the "wiles of foreign influence." Daily Beast editor-in-chief John Avlon, who explores the history and legacy of the address in his new book, joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss "Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations."

While Washington focused mainly on domestic issues in the address, he ended with a discussion of foreign affairs. “It is our true policy,” he declared, “to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world,” a statement that would shape American foreign policy for more than a century to come.

In his Farewell Address, Washington took neutrality a step further. “The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is,” he advised, “. . . to have with them as little political connection as possible.” This advice was translated by the presidents who followed Washington into a policy of unilateralism. Under this policy, the United States “went it alone” in its relations with other countries, and did not seek either military or political alliances with foreign powers.

Was Washington more of a 'Realist' or 'Idealist?' 

How did Washington's foreign policy influence the War of 1812 and the Monroe Doctrine?

Realism vs. Idealism: Is Santa Real?

 

If your decision was motivated mainly by realism, • your decision-making process was guided by reason and rationality. • you were motivated by self-interest. • you believed that you were protecting your own needs and security. 

If your decision was motivated mainly by idealism, • your decision-making process was guided by morals and ethics. • you were motivated by the desire to help others. • you believed that you were acting in the best interest of your family and community

Wilson

 Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856-February 3, 1924) was born in Staunton, Virginia, to parents of a predominantly Scottish heritage. Since his father was a Presbyterian minister and his mother the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, Wilson was raised in a pious and academic household. He spent a year at Davidson College in North Carolina and three at Princeton University where he received a baccalaureate degree in 1879.  A scholar,  Wilson would go on to earn his PHD, becoming the first and only President to do so.

Following College Wilson enlisted in the Navy and becomes marooned on an island in the South Pacific. Far away from home, his girlfriend, and any human contact, he engaged in a battle of wits with himself as he is tested mentally, physically and emotionally in order to survive.  These survival skills would serve him well in politics when he miraculously returns home.

Wilson won the presidential election of 1912 when William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt split the Republican vote. Upon taking office he set about instituting the reforms he had outlined in his book The New Freedom, including the changing of the tariff, the revising of the banking system, the checking of monopolies and fraudulent advertising, the prohibiting of unfair business practices, and the like. But the attention of this man of peace was forced to turn to war.

In the early days of World War I, Wilson was determined to maintain neutrality. He protested British as well as German acts; he offered mediation to both sides but was rebuffed. The American electorate in 1916, reacting to the slogan «He kept us out of war», reelected Wilson to the presidency. However, in 1917 the issue of freedom of the seas compelled a decisive change. On January 31 Germany announced that 'unrestricted submarine warfare' was already started; on March 27, after four American ships had been sunk, Wilson decided to ask for a declaration of war; on April 2 he made the formal request to Congress; and on April 6 the Congress granted it.

Would I lie to you? I tell at least 1 lie every day... Can you find it?

Would the REAL Woodrow Wilson please stand up?

Woodrow Wilson was one of America's greatest Presidents. His domestic program expanded the role of the federal government in managing the economy and protecting the interests of citizens. His foreign policy established a new vision of America's role in the world. And he helped to make the White House the center of power in Washington. Most historians rank him among the five most important American Presidents, along with Washington, Lincoln, and the two Roosevelts.

But their was another side of Wilson. He was a vicious racist, a warmonger and an authoritarian who crushed civil liberties. We are still living with the consequences of World War I, and though he didn’t start it, he supercharged it by getting the United States involved (after pledging he wouldn’t) and grossly mishandling the peace talks.

What do you think? Who was the REAL Woodrow Wilson? Who do you think is the greatest President in history?  Why?

A Tribute to Wilson

Cast Away Reboot

Wilson the Song

Taft

 

Crazy Fact About President Taft

During his term, President Taft dissolved the Standard Oil monopoly, and the 16th and 17th amendments, calling for the income tax and the direct election of Senators respectively, were ratified. He was also the only U.S. president who served on the U.S. Supreme Court. He died on March 8, 1930. Ray Henderson, Taft National Historic Site, Acting Chief of Interpretation also provided a tour of the home in which President Taft lived from birth through age 18 when he went to Yale University. Highlights of the tour included the parlor piano and a library desk and the first bathtub he had installed in the White House. Robert Taft, II is President Taft’s great-grandson.

Life Motto

 

-Teddy Roosevelt to Larry the Night Watchman; 'Night at the Museum'

While not an original Teddy Roosevelt quote (credit must be given to Shakespeare) this line accurately portrays the kind of leader Roosevelt was: determined, resourceful, self-reliant.

1) What is your life motto?  Include an explanation of what that motto means to you.

2) Was Roosevelt born great?  Watch the video and list 3 'obstacles' to TR's greatness and how he overcame them.

A Campfire Conversation

Click here to watch the video.

During a private, three-day camping trip in the Yosemite Valley in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt and preservationist John Muir shared their views on wilderness use while "talking freely around the campfire." Both men shared a life-long appreciation for the wilderness and its natural inhabitants. But each brought different views on how, why, and to what extent that environment should be protected. Their exchange of those views eventually led to the expansion of Yosemite National Park under the federal government.

In this lesson, students will use online tools – as well as information contained in this episode – to research the backgrounds, experiences, and points of view of both men. They will then share that information in a re-creation of one of the pair's "campfire conversations."

Roosevelt Bio    Muir Bio

1. What was Muir’s point of view on wilderness use? What was Roosevelt’s view?


2. In what ways were their points of view similar? In what ways were they different?


3. For each man, what was the value in hearing the other’s point of view?


4. In what ways was the campfire setting an appropriate one for the conversation?


5. If you were in attendance at that campfire, what would you have liked to say to either man?

Bring the sounds of the virtual-forest into your room while you're doing your homework.

How well do you know your National Parks?

Do you have to travel across the country to see a National Park?

The Teddy Bear

In 1902, on an unsuccessful hunting trip, President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that expedition trackers had caught and tied to a tree. The incident struck a chord with the American sense of fair play. Political cartoonist Clifford Berryman immortalized the incident in “Drawing the Line in Mississippi.” Tugging at American heartstrings, Berryman drew the old, injured female bear as a helpless cub. With Roosevelt’s permission, Morris Mictom, a Russian immigrant and Brooklyn toy-shop owner, sewed a cuddly stuffed toy and dubbed it Teddy’s Bear. With its big head and ears, and eyes as appealing as the future Mickey Mouse, the bear became a hit. German toy manufacturer Margarete Steiff created a stuffed bear, too, and began mass-producing copies in 1903. The stuffed bears became a hit with adults and children. Visitors who flocked to the boardwalks in New Jersey’s seaside resorts took home teddy bears as prizes and souvenirs. Women’s magazines featured ads for bear accessories and offered up-to-date patterns for sewing bear clothes. Books, songs, and even a 1907 feature film marked the rising popularity of teddy bears. This fascination has persisted ever since, making Teddy Bears the most popular plush toy in history.

What popular children's story does the silent film retell? 

How is the ending different from the actual event?

What do you do if a bear attacks?


Still think it's weird for a grown man to play with a Teddy Bear?


Look at these other toys in the National Toy Hall of Fame. Where does the Teddy Bear Rank? What toy is your favorite?  What toys would you add to this list?