I very much appreciate all the constructive criticism that I have received here.
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"What is History,' said Napoleon, 'but a fable agreed upon' - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1848
"A Scottish philosopher once said that history is a set of lies agreed upon." - Enos Abijah Mills - 1920
"Napoleon said history is a set of lies agreed upon" - Modern day authors
"The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth." - Jean de La Bruyère
Napoleon said none of the above. Tell me, what did Napoleon actually say about history?

NHA,

That is all well and good. I love old historical facts. I enjoyed looking up the information about your post.

But, the knowledge that the D of I was voted for on the 2nd is an old fact that most people who do not watch NASCAR are aware of.

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The Phils are champs, go phuck yourself!

And I have no doubt that aliens saved Captain Smith from the Titanic at the last moment, that Amelia Earhart settled down on the island she landed on and raised a family with her navigator and that Jesus Christ came to the New World and taught the Indians.

However, I have proof of none of these things.

The "fiasco" over the President's house site had noting to do with archeology and everything to do with how the site should be marked, and how the issue of slaves being allowed to live as such in a city that didn't recognize the right of white people to own black people.

They weren't looking for "the bones of slaves"; they were looking for artifacts from the period during which Washington occupied the house with his slaves. They were hoping they would find some artifacts related to Washington himself, and there was an outside chance they would find something related to the slaves that lived there, as well. It was pure luck that they were successful in finding both.

History is all about facts and factual argument. It is about trying to determine what is actually true, rather than what you simply want to be true; you must approach it without preconceptions or else you will be a piss-poor historian, and the world has already see too many of those.

You will buy it, just to disagree with it.
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"What is History,' said Napoleon, 'but a fable agreed upon' - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1848
"A Scottish philosopher once said that history is a set of lies agreed upon." - Enos Abijah Mills - 1920
"Napoleon said history is a set of lies agreed upon" - Modern day authors
"The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth." - Jean de La Bruyère
Napoleon said none of the above. Tell me, what did Napoleon actually say about history?

That's fine; I have a photograph that proves that Mark Twain was the first man to walk on the Moon.

But because I won't show it to anyone, no one believes it exists. I can't understand it.

In other words, why post here (or anywhere) if you're waiting to publish. Better to keep your mouth shut until you do, otherwise you look like a fool.

The story that Jefferson read the Declaration at Enoch Edward's Summer House is well known. Most accountings of the legend, however, state the date of the reading as being July 8, 1776. This was the same day that John Nixon read the Declaration in public at the State House. However, in Frankford, a picnic supposedly took place after the reading, which is why the occasion would qualify, as some put it, as the "First Independence Day Celebration."

Nevertheless, if the event took place at all, to state that it was on July 2 is a new wrinkle upon the legend, and less plausible than the July 8 version. It is improbable to think that a number of the most noted delegates to the Congress would have immediately adjourned and traveled out to Frankford for a holiday together at Enoch Edward's house on the very day that the major voting took place on the Declaration of Independence. So the quote from Jefferson to that effect seems likely to have been remembered incorrectly -- either by Jefferson himself or by others at a later date.

That Jefferson himself rode up to Frankford on Jul 2 is perhaps slightly more conceivable. Jefferson evidently was peeved at some of the revisions and deletions that Congress made to his document, and circulated copies of his original draft among his friends. He also was worried about his wife's health and other affairs, suffered from migraines, and desperately wanted to get out of town and go back to Virginia. So it is possible to think that a restless Jefferson would have left (or stayed away from) the July 2 proceedings at the State House, and gone up to Frankford to read his original document to his friends.

But a public reading by Jefferson? (Not of the draft, of course, but the final document?) That would be curious, since Jefferson was not generally known as the author of the Declaration of Independence; that fact was not printed in the newspapers until 1784. And Jefferson was not an orator; supposedly in the Congress he barely opened his mouth. Furthermore, why would he wish to give a public sneak preview of the Declaration in Frankford, when all the delegates, including Jefferson himself, had not even signed it yet? That would not have been very democratic.

But it is possible. Maybe Jefferson read the document to his friends, a few more Frankford neighbors joined the gathering, they had a picnic, and Jefferson -- now re-invigorated -- returned to Philadelphia, where he signed the Declaration (as he later stated) on July 4.

It's a good story, isn't it? But there is no proof. Just a legend -- with several versions. However, there is little more evidence for the allegation that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag. And there is no evidence at all for the legend that William Penn signed a treaty with the Indians under the elm tree at Shackamaxon. So why not likewise put up a marker for the Thomas Jefferson legend in Womrath Park?

Of course, the Summer House pavilion on the Edwards estate was not in Womrath Park. Apparently it was located near what is now Penn and Ruan Streets (isn't there a small park there too?), a few blocks away.

Nanyika

The Racing Rats
by Editors
When the time comes
You're no longer there
Fall down to my knees
Begin my nightmare
Words spill from my drunken mouth
I just can't keep them all in
I keep up with the racing rats
And do my best to win

Slow down little one
You can't keep running away
You mustn't go outside yet
It's not your time to play

Standing at the edge of your town
With the skylight in your eyes
Reaching out to gods
The sun says it’s goodbyes

If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it leave
In the surface of the earth

Let's pretend we never met
Let's pretend we're on our own
We live different lives
Until our covers blown

I push my hand up to the sky
Shade my eyes from the sun
As the dust settles around me
Suddenly night time has begun

If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it leave
In the surface of the earth
The surface of the earth

Come on now
You knew you were lost
But you carried on anyway
Oh come on now
You knew you had no time
But you let the day drift away

If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it leave
If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it make
In the surface of the earth
The surface of the earth

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Peter Cetera:
Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you crying

The name of this thread is History and Tradition.
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__________________
"What is History,' said Napoleon, 'but a fable agreed upon' - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1848
"A Scottish philosopher once said that history is a set of lies agreed upon." - Enos Abijah Mills - 1920
"Napoleon said history is a set of lies agreed upon" - Modern day authors
"The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth." - Jean de La Bruyère
Napoleon said none of the above. Tell me, what did Napoleon actually say about history?

history is nothing more than what powerbrokers want you to remember.

Ronald Reagan used to write stuff in his presidential log like "had lunch with nancy and the kids". One day donald regan challenged him and said "why do you mark this kind of stuff down that was impossible to have happened?"

Reagan firmly told him that America will always want him to be remembered as a family man.

History is a great tool that should be looked at for the moral of the story rather than the nuance.

He'll, I don't even know if the above story is true, but its in donald regans memoirs.

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Peter Cetera:
Sometimes I just forget
Say things I might regret
It breaks my heart to see you crying

That is not exactly what Napoleon said, but then again, it all depends on who is doing the translation.

It was so close too!
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__________________
"What is History,' said Napoleon, 'but a fable agreed upon' - Ralph Waldo Emerson - 1848
"A Scottish philosopher once said that history is a set of lies agreed upon." - Enos Abijah Mills - 1920
"Napoleon said history is a set of lies agreed upon" - Modern day authors
"The exact contrary of what is generally believed is often the truth." - Jean de La Bruyère
Napoleon said none of the above. Tell me, what did Napoleon actually say about history?