It’s September 7, 1781. I’m in a session of the Continental Congress with 13-year-old Elizabeth Cartwright.
JG: “Miss Cartwright, who is that young man you’ve been watching?”
EC: “Why, Mr. Gillespie, everyone knows that handsome young man is James Monroe, and I hope to marry him someday.”
Miss Cartwright and James Monroe were married in 1786. In 1817, Mrs. Monroe would become the first lady of the White House.
Read more about Elizabeth Cartwright (Monroe).
John and Jan Gillespie are the founders of the Rawhide Boys’ Ranch; they have fostered 351 teenagers and wrote the book Our 351 Sons; they have also assisted numerous churches in developing youth programs and expanding their total church ministries. After running for U.S. Senate, John founded 1776 American Dream, which exists to demonstrate the vision of our founding fathers and help our generation of youth passionately embrace those values.
