American History Facts
You may already be knowledgeable about the history of our great country, though below are some rather surprising facts that you may not have learned in history class. Do you know the interesting story behind the current American flag design? Where was our nation’s first capitol located? Read on to deepen your knowledge, understanding and love of American history with these fascinating facts!
1) The first president to live in the White House was not George Washington, but John Adams in 1800.
2) Being president is a deadly job, statistically speaking. Of our 46 presidents about 18 percent have died from assassination or natural causes as president.
3) Eight of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were British.
4) The tallest president is Abraham Lincoln at six-feet-four-inches, while the shortest is James Madison who stood five feet and four inches tall.
5) Only 26 copies of the Declaration of Independence exist today from a starting number several hundred. Three copies are privately owned while many are found in museums.
6) Philadelphia was our nation's original capitol, not Washington D.C.
7) If each person in the USA had to pay their share of the national debt, the total would be about $60,000 … and that amount is growing fast.
8) Honest Abe (Abraham Lincoln) is in the Wrestling Hall of Fame for having lost only one match out of 300.
9) Uncle Same was a real person. His name was Samuel Wilson and worked as a meatpacker. The nickname came from his good nature.
10) The current design of our flag was a school project by 17-year-old Robert G. Heft. He received a B- minus, but his teacher said he would change his grade if Congress accepted his flag design. Congress did so and Heft got an A.
11) If you want to compete in NASCAR, you don’t need a driver’s license.
12) Here are the correct and known names of Columbus’ three ships: Santa Maria, Santa Clara and unknown.
13) A Plymouth settler cured a Wampanoag indian chief of constipation. In return, the tribe remained neutral in the 1636 Pequot War. The tribe also taught the Pilgrims how to farm and catch fish.
14) The deadliest battle in American history is not Normandy/D-Day with 4,414 casualties, but The Battle of Antietam during the Civil War with nearly 23,000 casualties. RIP.
“There is nothing wrong with America that faith, love of freedom, intelligence, and energy of her citizens cannot cure.”
— Dwight D. Eisenhower