10 Things James Monroe Loved

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Don't underestimate "The Last of the Cocked Hats."

James Monroe might be the most experienced and least appreciated president ever. I'll do my best to honor the overlooked memory of the fifth president with this list of ten things he loved.

How to Teach Your Baby About Slavery

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One picture book gets it so wrong – 

and one gets it righter than it should.

One of my earliest memories is of me throwing a massive tantrum in front of the television. My parents were watching the local news, and they refused to believe me when I insisted it was a re-run.

Died on the Fourth of July... Almost

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Three presidents died on the 4th of July.

One broke the curse.

It's well known that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson famously died on the same day – July 4th, 1826. Their simultaneous passing on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is viewed as a wonderfully patriotic cosmic coincidence, or at least a victory of the human will to hang on. (Or possibly some good old-fashioned euthanasia.)

Ranking the Founding Fathers as Fathers

How 8 Revolutionary Heroes Stack Up as Dads

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A year ago I wrote about how reading about the presidents helped me raise a newborn. Now, that newborn girl is a walking, talking toddler bursting with personality and I’m about to celebrate my second Father’s Day as a dad.

Father's Day – and even the words father and dad – used to feel empty for me after I lost my dad when I was young. Now, thanks to my daughter, the word “dad” fills me with unbelievable joy and pride.