James Monroe

Binge reading continues with James Monroe. Fifth president. Two terms. Served as an officer in the Revolutionary War under Washington. Became governor of Virginia and ambassador to France, Spain and England. Negotiated the Louisiana Purchase between the United States and Napoleon, thereby doubling the size of our country. Secretary of state under Madison and became acting secretary of war during the War of 1812 against the British.

As president, he worked closely with his secretary of state John Quincy Adams and general Andrew Jackson to wrest control of Florida and the Oregon Territory from Spain, thereby establishing territorial security for the nation. His most lasting achievement was delivering the Monroe Doctrine during his seventh annual address to congress, which declared the entire Western Hemisphere off limits to future colonization by European countries.

Fred Michmershuizen

As presidential biographies go, I found “The Last Founding Father” by Harlow Giles Unger to be well-written and easy to read, complete with maps. It was a bit skimpy in parts, but I feel it hit all the main points. On to No. 6.

John Jay

Just finished “John Jay: Founding Father” by Walter Stahr. This is a well-written and well-researched biography. John Jay served as president of the Continental Congress. He was principal negotiator (along with Franklin and Adams) of the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War. He was instrumental in the writing and ratification of the constitution, and he was first chief justice of the United States. He also served as governor of New York State. Working closely with Washington, Hamilton and many others, he was a key player in the founding of our country.

Fred Michmershuizen

Alexander Hamilton

Another one who dies in the end. He was killed in a duel by lame duck Vice President Aaron Burr. What I did not know before reading “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow (the book upon which the musical is based) are the fascinating details about the confrontation itself — and that his eldest son was killed two years earlier in a similar duel!

Fred Michmershuizen

Even more remarkable is the vast contribution Hamilton made to the founding of our country. An immigrant, he served as an aide to Washington during the American Revolution and commanded troops during the war’s climactic battle. A brilliant intellectual genius, he was a prolific writer. He founded the New York Post. As principal author of the Federalist Papers, he helped sway popular opinion to get the U.S. Constitution ratified. He clashed with Jefferson, Madison and Monroe. As the country’s first Treasury Secretary, he inaugurated our country’s banking and taxation systems and founded the Customs Service and the Coast Guard.

With all the domestic and international turmoil going on at the time, it’s hard to imagine our country lasting into the 19th Century had it not been for Hamilton. I enjoyed every page of this book.

My coverage of the 2017 endodontic conference in New Orleans

Here are a few pages from the June 2017 issue of Endo Tribune, which includes my write-up and photographs from AAE17, the annual session of the American Association of Endodontists, held earlier this year in New Orleans. My article about AAE17 is published on the Dental Tribune website — direct link here.

While at the event, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Anne Koch and attend one of her lectures, in which she talked openly about undergoing a gender transition, which included gender confirmation surgery. My interview with Dr. Koch is published on the Dental Tribune website — direct link here.

I also interviewed Dr. Peter A. Morgan, president of the Foundation for Endodontics, about that organization’s recent volunteer outreach to provide dental care to residents of Treasure Beach, Jamaica. A direct link to that article is here.

The General Session featured a political discussion with local residents James Carville and Mary Matalin (pictured in the featured image above).

If you click on any of the pages below you can see them bigger:

Fred Michmershuizen Dr Ann Koch

 

The Lincoln Memorial

On Tuesday before heading back to New York City on the train, I had time to visit the Lincoln Memorial. This is probably my favorite spot in all of Washington, D.C.

Click on any of pictures to see them larger:

The Lincoln Memorial as photographed by Fred Michmershuizen
Approaching the Lincoln Memorial with the reflecting pool on the right. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)
Approaching the temple-like structure from the steps. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)
A view of the columns of the Lincoln Memorial looking up. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)
The stature of Lincoln. To his right and left are inscriptions of his Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)
A political protest in front of the Lincoln Memorial, one of countless demonstrations to take place here over the many years. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)
Fred Michmershuizen
A view from the side of the Lincoln Memorial, with the Washington Monument in the middle distance and the U.S. Capitol building in the far distance. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)
A view looking out from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)
This is the spot at the base of the Lincoln Memorial from which Martin Luther Kind delivered his famous speech. (Photo by Fred Michmershuizen)

The signature of John Adams at the Declaration of Independence memorial

There is no memorial to John Adams in Washington, D.C., which is sad in my view in light of all that Adams did for our country. His signature is part of the Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, located on the National Mall:

John Adams signature in Washington DC

 

According to Wikipedia, there is a proposed Adams Memorial that would be dedicated to John Adams, Abigail Adams, John Quincy Adams and other members of the family, but to date insufficient private funds have been raised to make the project a reality.