10 Things You Might Not Know About Our Founders

The people who founded this nation aren't moldy mannequins in history's closet — they're inspirational figures for modern America as we celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently said he had a "man crush" on Alexander Hamilton, and Sarah Palin got into a debate about Paul Revere. So here's to life, liberty and the pursuit of historical trivia:

1. Paul Revere did not shout "The British are coming!" Stop and think about it — he was a British subject at the time. In fact, he said the "regulars" were coming — regular uniformed troops. But regulars had one too many syllables for poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
   
2. Before President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet on "The West Wing," there was Josiah Bartlett, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The New Hampshire physician is credited with saving the lives of people suffering from diphtheria by breaking with the common practice of bloodletting or sweating and treating them with Peruvian bark, which contains quinine.

READ MORE …