It’s the Fourth of July and while many of you may be thinking about fireworks, or barbecues, or Bill Pullman speeches, we here at The NYRD have been doing a lot of thinking about desks. -Yes, we are the kind of people who spend our vacations thinking about office furniture- However, we’re not talking about just ANY desk, we’re talking about the Resolute Desk. It is a desk you know and admire, even if you have never heard the name before or seen a terrible Nicholas Cage movie. So, sit right back, grab a hot dog, light a sparkler, and let us learn you some history.
A Three Hour Tour
Our story begins with the HMS Resolute, a British arctic ship in service to Queen Victoria in the 19th century. We know… stay with us. The Resolute was dispatched as part of a five-ship expedition in April 1852 to search for Sir John Franklin. You see, Franklin had left Britain in 1845 looking for the fabled -and non-existent- Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic, and after 8 years his cable bills had started piling up. So the British Royal Navy decided that maybe it was time to go looking for him. The expedition was met with mixed results, in that they never found Franklin and the commander, Edward Belcher, abandoned four out the five ships. The Queen wasn’t too happy about that last part, so Belcher was nearly court-martialed and never received another naval commission again.
Our story doesn’t end there. The HMS Resolute continued to drift in the ice where she was encased. In 1855, she was discovered by an American whaler named James Buddington and his whaling ship the George Henry. -Now, whaling is not necessarily a worthy profession, but we’ll look the other way on this one- Buddington and his crew freed the Resolute -because: free ship- and sailed her back to Connecticut. Upon learning of the Resolute’s recovery and return to non-frozen land the British government called the whole thing a wash and relinquished all rights and ownership over the vessel.
In the early to middle 19th century America and Britain had a tense relationship. Even after the War of 1812, where they sort-of, kind-of, burned down our White House- tensions continued to flare for the next several decades. They were never crazy about the Monroe Doctrine. We also, inadvertently got tangled up in a Canadian Rebellion, there was some dispute over borders in Maine, more disputes over borders in Oregon, and an assorted other problems that made relations between the two Atlantic countries a bit problematic. It was so bad that Congress even talked about going to war… again with the United Kingdom. However, that all changed with the Resolute. Congress voted to set aside $40,000 to refit the Resolute and sail her back to London. In 1856, a United States Navy Captain presented the refurbished ship to Queen Victoria as a gesture of peace and a way to ease tension between the two countries. The gesture worked… at least for a little while, and the relationship between the UK and the US improved.
A Desk Made for a President
Lady Franklin -Sir John Franklin’s wife- wanted to use the Resolute to go searching for her husband, who at that point had been missing for 11 years. Queen Victoria refused, as he was almost certainly dead, and she feared that any damage done to the Resolute would also damage American-British relations. So the HMS Resolute was kept in safe harbor until she was broken up in 1879. From her timbers, Queen Victoria had four desks made, A lady’s desk, two small writing table, and the Resolute Desk. The first three desks have found their way to museums, and the Resolute Desk was presented by Victoria to president Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. -Little know fact: The B is for Bigalow-
The Resolute Desk was seen as another gesture of peace, and as such the desk has been used by every President since 1880, except Johnson, Nixon, and Ford. It started its tenure in the second floor office of the White House, but in 1902 it was moved to the newly constructed West Wing. -Back when it still have that new Martin Sheen to it- Yet, it still remained in the second-floor residence as a personal desk for use by Presidents. In 1952 Truman moved the desk to the new broadcast room, which is kind of like an ancient form of a podcast room. He used it when making radio and television broadcasts. When President Kennedy was elected he moved the desk into the Oval Office in 1961. After he “left” office, Johnson selected another desk to use in the Oval, and the Resolute Desk spent a year in a Kennedy Library traveling show before being moved to the Smithsonian in 1966. That is where it would have stayed if President Carter hadn’t requested it be placed back in the Oval Office in 1977. Every modern President, except for George H. W. Bush, has since used the Resolute in the Oval Office.
The desk was modified twice in its lifetime. The first modification was requested by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He wanted a privacy panel created for the front, because he was a little sensitive about people seeing his legs… for some reason. Unfortunately, he did not live long enough to see the modification completed and had to suffice with putting a trash can in front of the desk to hide his lower-regions from view. The panel that was put on the front of the desk was created with the Presidential Seal at the time, which means it’s one of the last existing seals to show the eagle’s head pointing toward the gripped arrows instead of the olive branch, indicating war over peace. Truman was the one who changed the seal to move the eagle’s head to point at the olive branch, at the end of World War II. The second modification was to create a base for the desk to raise it up… because people nowadays are taller.
The inscription on the desk’s plaque reads: H.M.S. ‘Resolute’, forming part of the expedition sent in search of Sir John Franklin in 1852, was abandoned in Latitude 74º 41′ N. Longitude 101º 22′ W. on 15th May 1854. She was discovered and extricated in September 1855, in Latitude 67º N. by Captain Buddington of the United States Whaler ‘George Henry’. The ship was purchased, fitted out and sent to England, as a gift to Her Majesty Queen Victoria by the President and People of the United States, as a token of goodwill & friendship. This table was made from her timbers when she was broken up, and is presented by the Queen of Great Britain & Ireland, to the President of the United States, as a memorial of the courtesy and loving kindness which dictated the offer of the gift of the “Resolute’.
It is also worth noting, that despite what conspiracy websites and terrible Nicholas Cage movies tell you, there is no twin Resolute desk sitting in Buckingham Palace or any other British Royal Residences.
Legacy of the Resolute
The HMS Resolute is a legacy of peace. The ship itself was given as a gift of peace and the Resolute Desk was then given as another gift of peace. Since it’s arrival in the US, the Resolute Desk has become a symbol synonymous with the power and office of the President, and that is important. It is a symbol of peace -despite that the seal on it indicating war- and it should be a reminder to anyone who sits behind it that the United States always works better when it is making allies instead of enemies. -Also, it once made for that cute JFK picture, but we’re getting off-track. That symbolism of peaceful relations is something worth remembering, and it should be something that every occupant of that desk takes into consideration.
After all, the President of the United States does not sit on a throne. The symbol of his power is not a giant golden chair located in the center of some great hall where he issues decrees and proclamation with absolute authority. He is not a king. No, this symbol of the American Presidency is, a desk, an object meant for work. A desk is a place where people sit, and write, and read, and make compromises. It is a place that a dedicated professional uses to accomplish an important task. It is the place of an American President, not the throne of an American King, and that is something we should all keep in mind as we celebrate this patriotic holiday.
… [Trackback]
[…] Info on that Topic: thenyrd.com/resolute-desk/ […]
Title
[…]just beneath, are quite a few completely not related web sites to ours, nevertheless, they may be surely really worth going over[…]
Title
[…]very couple of internet sites that transpire to become detailed beneath, from our point of view are undoubtedly properly worth checking out[…]
Title
[…]we like to honor a lot of other net web-sites around the web, even when they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out[…]
Title
[…]that may be the finish of this post. Here you will find some internet sites that we feel you will value, just click the hyperlinks over[…]
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More on that Topic: thenyrd.com/resolute-desk/ […]
Title
[…]Sites of interest we’ve a link to[…]
Title
[…]Here is a great Blog You might Find Intriguing that we Encourage You[…]
Google
Here are some links to websites that we link to simply because we think they may be really worth visiting.
Google
Here are a few of the websites we advocate for our visitors.
Employee benefits
[…]usually posts some extremely fascinating stuff like this. If youre new to this site[…]
Digital Media Asia
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine some unrelated data, nonetheless definitely really worth taking a search, whoa did one master about Mid East has got more problerms also […]
cannabis4homes.com
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a few unrelated data, nonetheless definitely worth taking a search, whoa did a single understand about Mid East has got more problerms as well […]
radio
[…]below you will find the link to some internet sites that we feel it is best to visit[…]
gel kit for nails
[…]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]
bitsler
[…]that will be the end of this post. Here you will locate some websites that we feel you will value, just click the hyperlinks over[…]
… [Trackback]
[…] Here you will find 19646 more Info on that Topic: thenyrd.com/resolute-desk/ […]
stake
[…]usually posts some really intriguing stuff like this. If youre new to this site[…]
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More on to that Topic: thenyrd.com/resolute-desk/ […]
business
[…]one of our visitors recently recommended the following website[…]
trade coin
[…]that may be the end of this post. Here you will discover some web sites that we consider you will enjoy, just click the hyperlinks over[…]
giayu2
[…]we came across a cool website that you just might enjoy. Take a look should you want[…]
blogcaodep.com
[…]check beneath, are some entirely unrelated web sites to ours, having said that, they’re most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
Damiana
[…]Here is a superb Weblog You might Uncover Exciting that we Encourage You[…]
reparatie wasmachine
[…]that will be the finish of this post. Right here youll find some websites that we consider youll enjoy, just click the links over[…]
the muppets mah na mah na
[…]check below, are some completely unrelated web-sites to ours, nonetheless, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
buy cbd online
[…]check beneath, are some absolutely unrelated web-sites to ours, nonetheless, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
https://www.telocard.com/
[…]we came across a cool web site which you may possibly take pleasure in. Take a appear in the event you want[…]
Buy hand raised Australian shepherds
[…]here are some links to web pages that we link to because we assume they are really worth visiting[…]
tablet klor
[…]below you will discover the link to some web-sites that we think you need to visit[…]
piknik masasý
[…]one of our visitors recently proposed the following website[…]
https://montanagunsforsale.com/product/beretta-a300-for-sale/
[…]here are some hyperlinks to web sites that we link to simply because we believe they’re really worth visiting[…]
Glock 20
[…]Every as soon as inside a when we choose blogs that we study. Listed beneath are the most up-to-date web-sites that we pick out […]
magic mushroom starter kit
[…]check beneath, are some totally unrelated websites to ours, nonetheless, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
BERETTA M9A3 FOR SALE
[…]we like to honor quite a few other world wide web web-sites on the web, even though they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Under are some webpages worth checking out[…]
MONTANA GUNS FOR SALE
[…]usually posts some really exciting stuff like this. If you are new to this site[…]
Puppies for adoption near me
[…]that may be the end of this post. Right here youll come across some sites that we feel youll enjoy, just click the hyperlinks over[…]
hrdf training provider kl
[…]here are some links to web-sites that we link to for the reason that we think they are worth visiting[…]
u2store.blogspot.com
[…]usually posts some very interesting stuff like this. If youre new to this site[…]
Title
[…]Here are a number of the web pages we suggest for our visitors[…]
instagram followers
[…]that may be the end of this write-up. Right here youll locate some web pages that we think you will enjoy, just click the hyperlinks over[…]
Title
[…]check below, are some completely unrelated web-sites to ours, however, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
Title
[…]here are some links to web pages that we link to since we feel they’re worth visiting[…]
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine several unrelated data, nonetheless truly really worth taking a look, whoa did 1 discover about Mid East has got more problerms at the same time […]
Title
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine a number of unrelated data, nonetheless really really worth taking a look, whoa did 1 find out about Mid East has got extra problerms at the same time […]
Pure Colombian Cocaine
[…]we prefer to honor a lot of other world-wide-web internet sites on the internet, even when they arent linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages really worth checking out[…]
Title
[…]Sites of interest we have a link to[…]
Change DMT
[…]please stop by the web-sites we stick to, such as this 1, as it represents our picks from the web[…]
Maltipoo puppies
[…]please check out the web sites we stick to, which includes this one particular, as it represents our picks in the web[…]
Postgraduate kenya
[…]Here is a good Weblog You may Uncover Exciting that we Encourage You[…]
brazzers
[…]Wonderful story, reckoned we could combine some unrelated data, nonetheless seriously really worth taking a look, whoa did 1 discover about Mid East has got more problerms too […]
film
[…]one of our visitors a short while ago advised the following website[…]
… [Trackback]
[…] There you will find 29220 additional Information on that Topic: thenyrd.com/resolute-desk/ […]
Custom Hi Vis printing
[…]Sites of interest we’ve a link to[…]
film
[…]one of our visitors lately encouraged the following website[…]
Ocean animal jewellery
[…]we came across a cool site that you just may well get pleasure from. Take a look in case you want[…]
Title
[…]The facts talked about in the post are a few of the most beneficial available […]
Title
[…]the time to study or stop by the material or web-sites we’ve linked to below the[…]
apps download for windows 10
[…]check beneath, are some entirely unrelated web-sites to ours, however, they are most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
bitcoin wallet
[…]below you will obtain the link to some web-sites that we believe you’ll want to visit[…]
pubg hileleri
[…]Sites of interest we’ve a link to[…]
Best Games for Nintendo
[…]the time to study or pay a visit to the subject material or web-sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]
marmoset monkey for sale
[…]one of our visitors lately recommended the following website[…]
cockatoo
[…]Every when inside a when we pick out blogs that we read. Listed below are the newest websites that we pick out […]
toco toucan
[…]Every when inside a whilst we select blogs that we read. Listed beneath would be the most up-to-date websites that we pick out […]
gülsim ali ilhan
[…]we came across a cool website that you just might take pleasure in. Take a search if you want[…]
Title
[…]The information mentioned within the article are a few of the very best accessible […]
Title
[…]Here is a great Blog You might Locate Fascinating that we Encourage You[…]
BUY RITALIN ONLINE
[…]check below, are some absolutely unrelated web-sites to ours, nonetheless, they’re most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
canada online
[…]always a huge fan of linking to bloggers that I love but really don’t get a good deal of link really like from[…]
dildo
[…]here are some links to web sites that we link to since we believe they may be really worth visiting[…]
우리카지노
[…]check beneath, are some absolutely unrelated internet sites to ours, even so, they may be most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
퍼스트카지노
[…]here are some hyperlinks to websites that we link to due to the fact we believe they’re worth visiting[…]
xero singapore
[…]just beneath, are several totally not related web-sites to ours, having said that, they’re certainly really worth going over[…]
Buy Adderall XR Capsules Online
[…]we came across a cool site which you may possibly delight in. Take a look should you want[…]
MORPHINE FOR SALE
[…]we came across a cool website that you simply may take pleasure in. Take a search in the event you want[…]
Buy Jungle boys
[…]please take a look at the sites we comply with, like this 1, because it represents our picks through the web[…]
Title
[…]here are some links to web-sites that we link to simply because we think they’re really worth visiting[…]
Title
[…]Here is a great Weblog You might Obtain Intriguing that we Encourage You[…]
Title
[…]the time to study or visit the subject material or sites we have linked to beneath the[…]
Title
[…]always a huge fan of linking to bloggers that I adore but really don’t get a lot of link appreciate from[…]
Title
[…]usually posts some pretty interesting stuff like this. If you’re new to this site[…]
Title
[…]Every the moment in a whilst we pick blogs that we read. Listed beneath are the most current websites that we opt for […]
Title
[…]usually posts some quite exciting stuff like this. If you’re new to this site[…]
printing of gifts
[…]although websites we backlink to beneath are considerably not related to ours, we feel they’re basically really worth a go as a result of, so have a look[…]
Title
[…]the time to read or go to the subject material or sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]
Title
[…]below you’ll find the link to some sites that we assume you must visit[…]
3D Volume Mink Eyelashes Set
[…]below youll obtain the link to some sites that we believe you’ll want to visit[…]
Women`s Professional Make up Tool Set
[…]one of our visitors just lately encouraged the following website[…]
Waterproof Silicone Face Cleansing Brush
[…]check beneath, are some absolutely unrelated sites to ours, nevertheless, they’re most trustworthy sources that we use[…]
Title
[…]please visit the websites we comply with, which includes this one, because it represents our picks in the web[…]
3D Mink Magnetic Eyelashes with Eyeliner Kit
[…]one of our guests lately encouraged the following website[…]
Women’s Mink 3D Faux Eyelashes Set 5 Pcs
[…]one of our visitors not long ago advised the following website[…]
Title
[…]always a large fan of linking to bloggers that I love but don’t get lots of link appreciate from[…]
Title
[…]below you’ll obtain the link to some web-sites that we think it is best to visit[…]
Title
[…]the time to read or go to the material or web-sites we’ve linked to beneath the[…]
Title
[…]one of our guests a short while ago encouraged the following website[…]
Title
[…]although sites we backlink to below are considerably not related to ours, we really feel they are truly worth a go by, so have a look[…]
Google
Here is a great Blog You may Locate Intriguing that we encourage you to visit.
Title
[…]very handful of internet websites that come about to become comprehensive below, from our point of view are undoubtedly properly really worth checking out[…]
helsinkitimes
[…]Every the moment in a although we decide on blogs that we study. Listed below would be the latest web-sites that we pick out […]
Title
[…]please visit the websites we stick to, including this one, as it represents our picks in the web[…]
content
[…]This is very interesting[…]
Title
[…]Here are several of the websites we advise for our visitors[…]
Title
[…]please check out the web pages we follow, including this a single, as it represents our picks in the web[…]
Title
[…]we like to honor numerous other world wide web sites on the web, even if they aren’t linked to us, by linking to them. Below are some webpages worth checking out[…]
Title
[…]just beneath, are many absolutely not related sites to ours, nevertheless, they’re surely worth going over[…]
Title
[…]The information mentioned in the post are a few of the very best out there […]