Buzz
Share these 10 debatable facts (or factlets, if you prefer) at your next social gathering or office meeting, and you’re guaranteed to spark a heated discussion. People will adamantly claim you’re mistaken, often starting with, 'But everyone knows…' Interestingly, I often use fact number 2 in my logic classes to provoke debates about the concept of truth.
10. The New Deal
The misconception: Franklin Roosevelt’s 'New Deal' was not based on the theories of John Maynard Keynes.
I’ve placed this point at the top because it’s likely the most contentious and open to debate.
Marriner Eccles, a renowned banker, rescued his family’s bank from collapse during the Great Depression. In 1933, he testified before the Senate, asserting that increased spending was the solution to ending the Depression. Roosevelt later appointed Eccles as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, where he drafted the Banking Act of 1935, a position he held for 14 years. To honor his contributions, the Federal Reserve’s headquarters is named the Eccles Building.
While Keynes’ theories had been circulating in some form for three years prior to the New Deal, they didn’t significantly impact national economies until 1936. During the Depression, Keynes focused on unemployment as a result of savings, investments (1930), and public spending (1933). His seminal work, 'General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money,' wasn’t published until three years after Eccles’ testimony and the launch of the New Deal.
9. King Charles III… or Not
The misconception: Prince Charles will not adopt the name Charles III when he ascends to the throne of England.
Although officially denied (it’s a sensitive topic to discuss what name one will choose after their parent’s passing), numerous sources and reports from Charles’ close associates suggest he will instead take the regnal name George VII. The reasons behind this choice are widely speculated, with the two leading theories being: the name Charles is considered unlucky for English monarchs (Charles I was overthrown, and Charles II narrowly avoided the same fate), and the name George pays homage to his grandfather, George VI.
8. Prohibition
The misconception: The 18th Amendment to the Constitution (Prohibition) did not ban the act of drinking alcohol.
Consuming alcohol was never prohibited—only its production, transportation, and sale were banned. It was entirely legal to drink alcohol if it had been acquired before Prohibition began. To be precise, the 18th Amendment itself didn’t explicitly outlaw these activities; it was the Volstead Act that enforced Prohibition by criminalizing the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol. While the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition, it still allowed for the prohibition of alcohol transportation in certain areas, known as 'dry counties.'
Even today, the 18th and 21st Amendments occasionally spark legal disputes between states and the federal government. For instance, in the 1987 case South Dakota v. Dole, South Dakota argued that the federal government’s imposition of a national minimum drinking age of 21 violated the 21st Amendment. However, the Supreme Court upheld the federal government’s stance in a 7-2 decision, citing the Tax and Spend Clause.
7. Paul Revere
The misconception: Paul Revere did not complete the entire ride to Concord on April 16, 1775, to alert the American Minutemen about the British invasion. Additionally, Charles Dawes did not finish the ride either.
Dr. Joseph Warren dispatched Paul Revere and Charles Dawes to Concord to alert John Hancock and Samuel Adams about the impending British invasion. Along the way, they encountered Dr. Samuel Prescott, who was returning home after an evening out. All three were captured by British forces, but Dawes and Prescott (not Revere) managed to escape swiftly. Some accounts suggest Dawes was thrown from his horse and had to walk back to Lexington, while others claim he got lost and rode back. Ultimately, only Prescott completed the journey to Concord.
6. Honest Abe
The misconception: Abraham Lincoln was not officially a Republican when he won the 1864 presidential election.
To appeal to War Democrats (Copperheads) who would never vote Republican, Lincoln rebranded his party as the 'National Union Party.' Beyond the name change, he strategically chose Andrew Johnson, the only southern Democrat senator who hadn’t resigned, as his vice-presidential running mate. Although the Republicans initially supported this move, they eventually aligned with the radicals. By March 1867, Johnson stood as the sole Unionist in office who hadn’t defected, and the National Union Party became a splinter group of the Democratic Party. Ironically, Republicans retained the 'National Union Republican' name for some time and still consider it part of their heritage.
5. Boston Tea Party
The misconception: The Boston Tea Party was not a protest against the Tea Tax because it increased the cost of tea.
American colonists favored Dutch tea over English tea. When the English Parliament banned Dutch tea in the colonies, a thriving smuggling industry emerged. To counter this, the English government reduced the tax on tea to make English tea competitive with Dutch tea prices. In response, a group of colonists, led by prominent smugglers, staged the Boston Tea Party by dumping English tea into Boston Harbor as a form of protest.
4. The Clermont
The misconception: Robert Fulton’s renowned steamship was not actually named the Clermont.
Official records consistently refer to the vessel as the North River Steam Boat, and Fulton himself called it the North River. The name Clermont, which was the city where the ship was docked, was mistakenly attributed to it by a later biographer. While other steamboats existed before the North River, Fulton is credited with creating the first practical one. His ship transported passengers between New York City and Albany, often taking an entire day, including an overnight stop. Interestingly, the engine for the North River was designed by James Watt, another famous inventor who improved existing ideas. Additionally, Fulton constructed a functional submarine named the Nautilus.
3. Prince of Darkness
The misconception: In the Old Testament of The Bible, the term 'Lucifer' does not denote the fallen angel.
The word 'Lucifer' (meaning light-bearer) is a general title for the morning star (Venus). Historically, it has been used to describe Satan, Christ, and others. In Isaiah 14:12, the verse begins, 'How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!' When read in isolation, this seems to reference the angelic rebellion. However, the full passage starts at Isaiah 12:4 with, 'Thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon,' and concludes in Isaiah 14:22 with, 'For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord.' Therefore, 'Lucifer' in this context refers to an unnamed Babylonian king.
2. La Pucelle
The misconception: Joan of Arc was not found guilty of heresy.
Joan of Arc refuted all accusations of heresy and was never formally convicted of that charge, despite numerous attempts by the prosecution to entrap her. During the trial, a prosecutor casually inquired if she had worn men’s clothing during battles. Believing there was no harm in admitting the truth, she confirmed it, which ultimately led to her downfall. This act of cross-dressing was deemed a violation of Deuteronomy 22:5, and the court convicted her of breaking God’s Law. Since this offense carried a death sentence, she was sentenced to burn at the stake.
Although the trial was carefully staged to appear compliant with canon law, many aspects, including the official records, were fabricated. Pope Callixtus III later reopened the case, exonerating Joan and condemning Bishop Pierre Cauchon for exploiting a religious court to resolve a political conflict.
1. Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression
The misconception: The US President who addressed the Great Depression by urging employers to maintain wages, advocating for public works programs, and establishing the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was not Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Although President Herbert Hoover initiated federal programs that laid the groundwork for the New Deal, he never anticipated the Great Depression would endure as long as it did. Many perceived Hoover as indifferent to the struggles of the impoverished, yet he was independently wealthy before entering politics and donated all his government earnings to charity. His philanthropic efforts, evident in his work in Europe during and after World War I, and his role as Secretary of Commerce, where he strengthened ties between business and government, reflected his belief in collective generosity. However, this reliance on the goodwill of Americans to overcome the Depression proved to be his fundamental miscalculation.
Interestingly, Barack Obama’s approach to the Recession bears a closer resemblance to Hoover’s strategies than Roosevelt’s. Both leaders relied on banks to increase lending—a move met with reluctance—and embraced deficit spending, a policy Roosevelt famously campaigned against during his 1932 presidential bid.
