The Glorious 25th of November, Evacuation Day and A Father Wanted A Clean Hotel For His Family ... So He Created Holiday Inn

This is Lee Habib Mrs. L American stories we tell stories about everything here on the shelf in the arts to sports and from business to history and everything in between including your story. Send them our American stories.com. Some of our favorites today. Our regular contributor Bill break brings us a fascinating story about the day.

British troops finally left American soil. After the end of the Revolutionary war is Bill, the British Army held New York City for two years after Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown on October 19, 1781, the city's population had fallen below 10,000. Most of the residents were Loyalist refugees from revolutionary terrorism accident, disaster, and the war had disrupted civic life.

The great fire of September 21, 1776, had burned everything between Whitehall and broad streets, as far up Broadway is Rector Street and as far up Broadway is Beaver Street rents had risen 400% within the first year of patient the price of food and other goods and services 800%. The provincial assembly city Council and courts were dormant, although nothing indicates the politicians that stop drawing their salaries city was governed by the British Army and its government. In the absence of a free press had become corrupt. Some New Yorkers made fortunes.

Mr. Joshua Loring had pimped his blonde wife to Gen. Sir William how to gain appointment as commissary of prisoners became wealthy. By selling provisions meant for prisoners of war on the black market. Others cloaked their sadism in the red coat Capt. William Cunningham, the provost marshal commanded the jails and prisons ships holding American prisoners of war, the sons of liberty had roughed him up before the war, he repaid the debt with interest. He enjoyed torturing people. According to Burroughs and Wallace's Gotham Cunningham admitted to murdering as many as 2000 American prisoners by starvation hanging poisoning their flower rations with arsenic at night.

He swaggered through his domains wearing the red coat with silver lace and epaulets to contact the powdered way than the tall glossy boots and spurs with a whip in his hand, sending his prisoners to bed, shouting, cannellini, sons of Kendall. He on November 30, 1782, the American and British delegates signed preliminary articles of peace. The first article reads his Britannic Majesty acknowledges the said United States to be free and independent states. The articles were proclaimed in the king's name from the steps of City Hall on Wall Street. The loyalists were horrified, William Smith, a longtime resident urgent and fervent Loyalist Road that the news shocks me as much as the loss of all I had in the world and my family with thousand sold everything, furniture, houses, land goods at fire sale prices and prepared to leave a few committed suicide a few were confident of their ability to survive any change of regime James Riker recorded that a New Yorker said to his Taylor. How does business go very well. The Taylor applied my customers have all learned how to turn their own coats, Sir Guy Carlton, commander-in-chief of his Majesty's forces in North America began organizing his commands.

Withdrawal from the city in April 1783. Concerned about personal reprisals against the loyalists. He held out until every Tory who wanted to get out and left in the meantime, his staff arrange transportation settled accounts, paid bills and auctioned off huge quantities of Army surplus.

The first 5000 loyalists left New York for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick on April 27, 1783. Thousands more followed with them were numerous African Americans, former slaves freed by the British military government for their services in the king's armies. On September 3, 1783, Americans, British, French and Spanish signed the Treaty of Paris.

The news reached New York in early November and November 21, 1783, Carlton ordered all British forces to withdraw from Long Island in upper Manhattan that morning. George Washington met George Clinton, the governor of New York at Tarrytown. They rode south through Yonkers to Harlem where they stopped at a tavern near what is now Frederick Douglass Boulevard and hundred 26 Street.

The day chosen for the evacuation was Tuesday, November 25, 1783 Don cold with a bitter northwest wind during the morning. A Mrs. Day ran up the Stars & Stripes over her tavern and boardinghouse on Murray Street its first appearance in the city since September 1776 Capt. Cunningham, resplendent in red coat white wake pounded on the door taken that flag he roared the city's hours until noon even try to pull it down. She belted in full in the face with her broomstick, letting his nose and then dealt the captain such lusty blows is made, the powder flying clouds from his weight and forced him to be retreat. Washington had chosen Gen. Henry Knox to command the American troops marching from accounts past and what is now Northeastern Central Park into the city.

Knox had been a bookseller dumpy bespectacled little man who had read every book in his stock or transform his theoretical passion for artillery and for all the little books about it into practical experience behind the glasses and the big belly was the sole of a lie and you're listening to Bill break tell the story of the British troops finally leaving New York.

The British had come to win in my goodness the battle inside this country. Loyalist taking one side that was one third of the country fighting with the crown one third with the patriots and one third hiding under their desk, hoping for it to Passover and New York City chaos people fleeing. It was in Exodus, the town had 27,000 people at certain points got down 8000 when we come back more of this remarkable story.

The British finally leaving America once and for all that story here on our American story helps if you love the stories tell about this great country and especially the stories of America's rich past. Know that all of our stories about American history from award innovation culture and faith are brought to us by the great folks at Hillsdale, a place where students study all the things that are beautiful in life and all the things going in life if you can get the Hillsdale that will come to you with their free and terrific online courses go to Hillsdale.edu to learn more.

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And GEICO is an easy choice switch today and see all the ways you can save it's easy. Simply go to Geico.com or contact your local agent today and back down American stories in the story of evacuation Day now forgotten holiday which celebrated 25 November in 1783. On that day the British armies finally left the now for United States after the Revolutionary war only last left off. Bill break was telling us how Gen. Washington chosen a bookseller turned general takeover is the British left our new country is built to tell us more about Gen. Henry Knox in 1775 in the dead of winter. He inspired continentals and militiamen to grind the cannon seized at Ticonderoga in the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress to Albany and across the Berkshires to Washington's army at Boston and he had marched with them as a boy I noticed the monument near my family's home in Latham, New York red through this place past Gen. Henry Knox in the winter of 1775, 1776 to deliver to Gen. George Washington at Cambridge train of artillery from Fort Ticonderoga used to force the British Army to evacuate Boston, Knox set out early from accounts past heading a column of some 800 foot goons and artillery deposit at the Bowery and third Avenue near today's Cooper Union until 1 PM.

Chatting with the British officers commanding the redcoats standing a block or so before him.

The last British attachments now received orders to move down the Bowery in Chatham Street, picking up their outposts as they passed Wheeling into Pearl Street marched to the East River wards where they will road to the fleet Knox followed the British down Chatham Street and then turned onto Broadway marched south to Cape's Tavern a little below Trinity Church and formally took possession of New York City in the name of the United States, receiving a message from Knox that he had done so Washington swung into the saddle and Road downtown Gov. Clinton at his side at the new jail at the northeast corner of today's City Hall Park captain Cunningham prorated the provost guard for the last time, accompanied by the hangman is yellow jacket Cunningham's command pass between the platoon of British troops which fell in behind them as they march down Broadway. They and the City Hall's main God thus became the last enemy forces history to occupy New York City Washington Road down Pearl Street to Wall Street and then went on Walt Broadway Cape's Tavern, a group of citizens welcome the commander-in-chief. An eyewitness said the troops just leaving us were as if equipped for show in with their scarlet uniforms and burnished arms made of really display the troops that marched in on the contrary were ill clad in weatherbeaten and made a forlorn appearance, but then they were our troops. As I looked at them and thought upon all they had done for us.

My heart and eyes were full, and I admired and gloried in them. The more because they were weatherbeaten and forlorn. The British had left the union flag flying over for George on the battery. The halyards lines for raising and lowering the flag were gone.

The banner had been nailed to the staff and the pole was greased healed truck to prevent or hinder the removal of the emblem of royalty and the raising of the Stars & Stripes Greece rebuffed all efforts to climb the staff and the crowd was Capt. John Van Arsdale, a New Yorker Revolutionary soldier in peacetime sailor recalling Peter glazed hardware store about 10 minutes away in Hanover Square. He sprinted across town and liberated a saw hatchet cleats and nails.

He began nailing the cleats into the greasy pole climbed a little drove in more cleats and climbed farther bit by bit.

He ascended the pole. He reached the top equipped down the British flag and flung it to the cheering crowd then he attached new halyards and scrambled down the pole as the Stars & Stripes ran up Gen. Knox's field guns began a 13 gun salute as the colors went up in the cannon reward. The British weighed anchor and made for the open sea. That night Washington and his officers met with Gen. Clinton and Francis Tavern abroad in Pearl Street for a feast of reason and a flow of soul. They offered 13 toast allies, friends, comrades, living and dead, their hopes for their new country and certain immutable principles. The next nine days were marked by what one observer called good humor, hilarity, and my bus at Gov. Clinton's dinner for the French ambassador on Tuesday, December 2, 1783 is 120 guests consumed 135 bottles of Madeira described as it may not look like much, but it can fell in elephant 36 bottles of port 60 bottles of beer and 30 bowls of punch while breaking 61 glasses and eight cut glass decanters on Thursday, December 4.

Washington breakfasted with his officers and long room on the second floor. Francis Tavern and the commander-in-chief rose to his feet and there was silence most intelligent warriors who have written of their experiences from Xenophon to William Manchester admit that they fought not for King Flagler country before the guys they were with the revolutionaries were no exception. Washington said with a heart full of love and gratitude. I now take leave of you. I most devoutly wish that your later days may be as prosperous and happy as your former ones have been glorious and honorable, then he could say no more general Knox step forward, embraced him, and both men wept last composure regained the commander-in-chief went down the stairs, popped on his contact and strode into Pearl Street. The infantryman snap to present arms. He acknowledged the salute and he walked west.

Orders were barked. The column moved out behind him near the battery at the foot of Whitehall Street, a barge waited to take him to Paulus Hook on the New Jersey shore. From there he traveled to Philadelphia where he resigned his commission to Congress and returned to private life. November 25 was celebrated as evacuation Day New York for more than a century evacuation Day was gradually overwhelmed by Rh Macy's aggressive promotion of Thanksgiving, a rival end of November holiday around the beginning of the first world war it faded away in 1983 through the support of Manhattan Borough Pres. Andrew Stein New York City commemorated the bicentennial of the evacuation parade march down Broadway to the battery featuring hundreds of reenactors in the uniforms of the British and Continental forces. The British union flags flying from the staff of Castle Clinton and Harry Van Arsdale the union leader and direct descendent of Capt. that Arsdale stepped forward to lower the British colors which were presented to her Majesty's consul general who kissed Van Arsdale put the Stars & Stripes to the lanyards and rounded up the pole a dozen brass muzzleloader cannon along the battery began firing the salute and the crowd cheered wildly.

On August 16, 1824 Marie Joseph pole Yves Roche give back to Mo TA, Marquita Lafayette, the last living Gen. of the revolution, the hero of two worlds landed at the battery to begin his tour of the United States. Tens of thousands were awaiting him. Among them was a company of veterans of the revolution.

The Marquis insisted on inspecting them and slowly walked down the line greeting and shaking hands with each man. Lafayette took a second look at the last man that he smiled Van Arsdale said I remember you. Then the captain who would ascended the flagpole in the Marquis would been a major general in 19 embraced and we thank Bill Bright for that beautiful storytelling in my goodness that's why we do what we do here at our American stories.

What we live through is a country what George Washington did evacuation Day today.

The British troops finally leave America in 1783. Put that on your celebration calendar funds.

What a great day, especially if your New Yorkers this is our American store. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent and make sure my business days piping hot and competent business owners to help the best State Farm is in your corner and on like a good neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing household chores can Artie be time-consuming and tedious. And there's nothing more daunting and facing piles and piles of laundry that need to be done can be overwhelming for anyone. If you want to get those larger laundry loads down right and get back to your life. Try all free clear maggot packs all three clear mega packs are bigger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular pack so that you can tackle any laundry load without the worry, all free, clear, mega packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and their dental and skin which is great for any family sensitive skin needs my family. We definitely have sentence again the next time the whole family gets home from long vacation or you get the kids back from summer camp or whatever the situation as that's because this big pile of dirty clothes is not all free clear maggot packs have your back purchase all free, clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types continue with our American stories.

Now it's time for our American dreamers series which is sponsored by the great folks the job creators network and they work hard to help small businesses grow into big ones by fighting for public policies that effectuate such things in today we bring you the story of someone likely his name. You don't know and his name is Kenneth Wilson but you definitely know the iconic brand that he brought us here is his son Kimmons Wilson June 1951. We took family vacation to Washington and we had a big station wagon and followers going up there now.

Again, this is new family vacation business trip.

Mark two brawlers two sisters all piled on the car. No air conditioner and what a funny story, a luggage rack on top and partly trail suitcase and mob all involved said I dad don't bother me I'm driving and E. coli cabdriver that I needed to get to some I guess the next stage is role what is said while trying to tell you that this is so wrong and are close to tall all those guys a lot of tall so we basically had a Formal Way in Boston, but the real door.

There was back in those days they were mostly sole proprietor and mom-and-pop motel cabana cabin owners that had motel type rooms. Now the big cities had the aristocratic downtown hotel that were very expressive, so you, the situation was such that you actually had to go and an inspector learning before you agree to study their and our full hour's sleep.

It was was playing all members solid six at the time the car mods that will walk up to the office and then the manager may walk out to clear cabana minutes as he just walks right back to the car that I wasn't big enough to regarding and grab for the next life was so we finally got to apply some courses children.

We all wanted to say one summer was hot, but we we got to the one property and my dad looked came back and said okay kids is good, so we all piled into one single line, my brothers and sisters.

We had a bag so we slept in sleeping bags and the deal he had made with the hotel owner was room will cost six dollars so the next morning he goes to check out and the guy charging $16 and he said what he meant.

Now we know we agreed yesterday six dollars was a six thing the sandlot charge two dollars extra for every child and course of five hours so six dollars terms in the six train and that is that was in my policy is no this is just not fair. We didn't lose any more water towels or linen and the gas and world buddy, that's the way and he realized at that moment that this was a huge untapped market determination that is not come back to Memphis and built a giant of hotels and he told my mother that day. He was going back to Memphis to build 400 hotels across country mostly at day's drive from one to say furthermore they're all passing standardization relatively the same size claim. I have a restaurant and everyone will have a lounge. On one guy have a pastoral call doctoral call because he felt like an if I like this so my mother left and also that gave right incentive so sure enough they came back to Memphis and he started. He was a frustrated architect growing so we went to Bluestein.

It was addressed not Bama follow them exactly what he wanted in a hotel and one of the reasons for that was background and construction so he knew that lumber comes in 12 foot links carpet comes in 12 likes of West is not surprising that the room that he designed was 12 foot and with because that was a lumber you have to cut lumber startling figure that I have some 11 you have to track shop and really even to die still standard sizes you will find some small but really set that emotion. So any blistering through the plan that my dad: you know all architectural plans on the bottom left or bottom right to have the name of the project and just so happens that. Watched the movie called and and so he drew on the plans. Holly and one day of the next day and by this of this is right alike is what the world is as he said well I don't know. It was just saw the movie I like the nine he said, know that so sure that's how it happened and finds it. Really, is always impressed me the sales was likely a little bit about my dad is a go that Mr. Helton called his Hilton hands Hiltons Mr. Merritt called Hills Marriott's dad was happy with Holly's probably 30 years later after the company was sold by the time the promise company PR old US programs pronounced and that had long since retired and we found out that they played 1/2 million dollars for some flight time to come up with that nine and here is Bluestein is a mark on that night and you're listening to Kimmons Wilson Junior tell the story of his dad and by the way so many of our American dreamers stories are just the story of an ordinary guy trying to solve a problem. Check in our hotel, and not even known he was going to get and then he finally picks one he likes on the strip and finds out he's being charged 10 extra bucks 2000 extra kid meant something that's not fair that he went home and he designed a business to solve a problem. Standardization same size same cleanliness upholding everyone a Bible and everyone a pastor on call a doctor on call.

In other words what he wants for his own family when we come back for this remarkable American story in American dreamers story of Holiday Inn in the story of one guy trying to solve a problem for his family and families, particularly working-class families across this great country story continues to when our American story. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my state for me to make sure my incompetent business owners to help you pass.

State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor call your local State Farm agent for quote today doing household chores can Artie be time-consuming and tedious.

There's nothing more daunting and facing piles and piles of laundry that need to be done can be overwhelming for anyone.

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Try all three clear maggot packs all three clear mega packs are bigger packs two times the cleaning ingredients compared to a regular pack so that you can tackle any laundry load without the worry all three clear mega packs are also 100% free of perfumes and dyes and their dental and skin which is great for any family sensitive skin needs my family. We definitely have sensitive skin.

The next time the whole family gets home from long vacation or you get the kids back from summer camp or whatever the situation as that's cause this big pile of dirty clothes. All three clear maggot packs purchase all three clear mega packs today and conquer any laundry load for all fabric types continue with our American stories with the story of Holiday Inn and its founder, Kimmons Wilson, and by the way, the Memphis story to integrate seven story we broadcast here in Oxford Mississippi just in ourselves. Memphis in a beautiful small college town. Let's return to his son Kimmons Wilson Junior on the story of his dad and the comic brand he created all Holiday Inn somebody asked my dad what time why did you decide on the market for holiday wishes really know moderate price. Family rather than the upscale. Whatever. And I say there is more people in the middle finds that mouth follow more than they too, was to make a statement with the sign had a friend named Harold Bolton was inside business and he and Harold designed this what some would call iconic somewhat called golly huge neon sign with an arrow pointing to where the hotel was and my dad felt that that was important if you could see the sign you knew what was in the sign had a marquee on it or you could change the message out every dive like Friday I kissed a furnished I was one of the gifts that my dad said he will and that is kids stay free. If they stay in the same room with her parents.

He sort of forced all the other hotel tries time but you know certainly something special. Back in those days just about every hotel and motel vacancy. No vacancies not that totally stop actually got a car come in to the hotel and if they did have that particular hotel desk clerk to call around to all and find that Phil that he could win. While he might lose a customer for that night. They may want a customer for the restrooms, lock delete bills is one successful hotel in Memphis and he went and built three more, way before the SI system so let the North, South, East and West entries in the town so if you work on the Memphis Tennessee you had to pass Holly and all the very well so we went to Bill number five and the backers that I tapped out your credit. We currently sell his brain. Hotels across country jeopardize. I cannot even know how much less what you and that's when he sat down.

Of franchising were they would license a person and that person had here to certain standards and if you didn't like. So he started franchising even today is about 80% franchising. About 20% company one of the things he was most proud of all life is created, and he really had one time in the 60s. I will hotel every to have values every 20 so it was explosive and system timing right. My father probably personally inspected every Holly outside maybe the first 500 Holly have much attention in the West Coast, mostly in South started growing. It North East and West but not much on the coast and so dad got a call from Rycroft found monotonous and McDonald's was flourishing. It's time to go about it from McDonald brothers. He had visions of Cadillac expand that business and Holly is already actively franchise so really excited like rocks that I like to go to Memphis and talk to about getting Holly fracture so he did cool site rolled out the red carpet and I daydreamed all the franchise agreements explained everything to him about his announcement and of course I was sure hope you got some sites out there and we talk about homeland here. McDonald's here I thought my Jack and so he goes back to California and it just goes no dialogue never calls back.

Father calls me every bicycle organization is trying to get hold and I literally found out really all he wore it was actual franchise agreement so they could truly and copied verbatim wideouts all with my dolls and there, but obviously we know history lab, so we would joke around with that guy Rycroft was jumping back biggest success for homelands and mom was the standardization that nobody until that time everything every hotel place was different. By standardizing this and as you expand. People knew exactly what to expect when they want to only have to go and look like this when checked in his right advertisement years ago they said the surprise is no surprise that and that was really to me capture the essence of what he did well yeah I think about they told us one day long after this quiz and I'm about, growing up and he said he and his mother. I read the entire year… The deep, deep depression.

My dad's father when he was nine muscle so he was completely raised by his mother. She got a job as a bookkeeper, just, absent-minded, but you had to drop out of high school senior year and had to drop out because his mother had gotten terminated her job so he was bicycling the bread where he had go hustle what she did. She was his biggest encourager as Barnabas. She told him nothing in the world he could see absolutely no all again.

She was she was a woman whispering in his ear. You can do it one world says no way this can really hurt her life became his life and today the caller helicopter mom brought that she was just all over but I'm sure she saw him a leader, someone who can make things happen, someone who's aggressive to be successful so she just undermined that with daily. I am there so it was made that springboard of him and to his life having confidence in just be successful and the fall not even gradually ask going on founder and CEO of the largest iconic companies in the world is just amazing to me.

Great job as always to Alex for all the work he does in these pieces and a special thanks to Cummins Wilson Junior for sharing the story of his father. What a story it is. And by the way for more of this great American story. Make sure picked up Kevin's book Aflac and have brains Cummins Wilson Holiday Inn story father-son story family story in a working-class family turning while hard work into success here on our American stories