What Justifies Presidents Day Celebrations?
Both of our nation’s first and sixteenth presidents, who many people believe to be the most well-known of all the presidents, had birthdays that were commemorated as separate holidays for many years: George Washington on February 22, 1732, and Abraham Lincoln on February 12, 1809.
However, the two holidays were consolidated into one Presidents Day after the Uniform Federal Holidays Act of 1971 was passed.
Presidents Day is not observed in every state, did you know that? You may quickly research which states formally observe this federal holiday on the internet.
The third Monday in February is observed as Presidents Day in many states in remembrance of the birthdays of Washington, Lincoln, and other presidents.
Some states decide to observe this federal holiday later in the year, close to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Others opt to pay tribute to Virginia-born Thomas Jefferson, the third president and a founding father of the nation.
The First US Presidents: Interesting Facts
The president’s residence was not always the White House in Washington, DC. George Washington resided in Philadelphia and New York. The incomplete “white house” was occupied by John Adams, the second president, in 1800.
Jefferson then allowed the whole public to tour the residence in 1801. A century later, the White House was given its official name. You probably figured why Theodore Roosevelt gave it its name: it’s white!
George Washington, the president at the time, lay the cornerstone for the U.S. Capitol on September 18, 1793, near the southeast corner of the structure. Work on the structure was halted by the Civil War because it was converted into a hospital, barracks, and even a bakery!
In his lifetime, Thomas Jefferson was a multilingual speaker and writer who produced more than 19,000 letters. These abilities assisted him in negotiating with France to acquire the 529,000,000-acre Louisiana Territory. He then requested William Clark and Meriwether Lewis to investigate this recently acquired land.
John Quincy Adams, the son of John Adams, succeeded his father as the sixth president in 1824.
On July 4, a momentous day commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, three former US presidents passed away. On July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both passed away. James Monroe passed away in 1831, five years later.
Lincoln was a full foot taller than James Madison, who stood at about 5 feet, 4 inches. He went to Princeton and received a “graduate” degree, even though there wasn’t a formal program until almost a century later!
The well-known Lincoln Logs® blocks were influenced by President Abraham Lincoln’s log cabin childhood home in Illinois.
The eighteenth president, Ulysses S. Grant, was caught speeding in Washington, DC, while driving a horse-and-buggy. He was detained and given a $20 speeding ticket, which was a big fine back then!
Front Page Set of US Constitution lessons
Study the US Constitution and the Founding Fathers.
A great gift and duty is to impart the values of liberty to our children.
With our well-liked US Constitution and Government course, Presidents Day is a fantastic time to study more about the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers, and the US Constitution.
There are a ton more interesting facts about the US presidents to learn! These are just a few of our prior leaders’ intriguing tales. Presidents Day serves as a reminder of the struggles and victories of people who came before us. We honor the contributions that each person made to creating the nation that we know and love.
These vacations, however, are not a given for people who do not work for the federal government. Federal holiday time off is a benefit that both the employer and the employee have agreed to under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Consequently, your company is not required to offer you a paid holiday on federal holidays.
