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#61
The Tailgate / Today in history 1-1
Last post by remrogers - January 01, 2026, 01:28:12 PM1835
Jan 1
The U.S. national debt reaches $0 for the first time
On January 1, 1835, President Andrew Jackson achieves his goal of entirely paying off the United States' national debt. It was the only time in U.S. history that the national debt stood at zero, and it precipitated one of the worst financial crises in American history.
The elimination of the national debt was both a personal issue for Jackson and the culmination of a political project as old as the nation itself. Since the time of the Revolution, American politicians had argued over the wisdom of the nation carrying debt. After independence, the federal government agreed to take on individual states' war debts as part of the unification of the former colonies. Federalists, those who favored a stronger central government, established a national bank and argued that debt could be a useful way of fueling the new country's economy. Their opponents, most notably Thomas Jefferson, felt that these policies favored Northeastern elites at the expense of rural Americans and saw the debt as a source of national shame.
Jackson, a populist whose Democratic Party grew out of Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party, had a personal aversion to debt stemming from a land deal that had gone sour for him in his days as a speculator. Campaigning for re-election in 1832, Jackson vetoed the re-charter of the national bank and called the debt "a moral failing" and "black magic." Jackson vetoed a number of spending bills throughout his tenure, putting an end to projects that would have expanded nationwide infrastructure. He further paid down the debt by selling off vast amounts of government land in the West, and was able to settle the debt entirely in 1835.
Jackson's triumph contained the seeds of the economy's undoing. The selling-off of federal lands had led to a real estate bubble, and the destruction of the national bank led to reckless spending and borrowing. Combined with other elements of Jackson's fiscal policy as well as downturns in foreign economies, these problems led to the Panic of 1837. A bank run and the subsequent depression tanked the U.S. economy and forced the federal government to begin borrowing again.
The U.S. has been in debt ever since. The debt skyrocketed during the Civil War but was nearly paid off by the early 20th Century, only to balloon again with the onset of World War I. Numerous presidents and politicians have decried the debt and even pledged to do away with it, with conservatives and libertarians frequently echoing Jackson. Nevertheless, with the debt now surpassing $33 trillion, it is unlikely that the events of 1835 will be repeated in the foreseeable future.
Jan 1
The U.S. national debt reaches $0 for the first time
On January 1, 1835, President Andrew Jackson achieves his goal of entirely paying off the United States' national debt. It was the only time in U.S. history that the national debt stood at zero, and it precipitated one of the worst financial crises in American history.
The elimination of the national debt was both a personal issue for Jackson and the culmination of a political project as old as the nation itself. Since the time of the Revolution, American politicians had argued over the wisdom of the nation carrying debt. After independence, the federal government agreed to take on individual states' war debts as part of the unification of the former colonies. Federalists, those who favored a stronger central government, established a national bank and argued that debt could be a useful way of fueling the new country's economy. Their opponents, most notably Thomas Jefferson, felt that these policies favored Northeastern elites at the expense of rural Americans and saw the debt as a source of national shame.
Jackson, a populist whose Democratic Party grew out of Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party, had a personal aversion to debt stemming from a land deal that had gone sour for him in his days as a speculator. Campaigning for re-election in 1832, Jackson vetoed the re-charter of the national bank and called the debt "a moral failing" and "black magic." Jackson vetoed a number of spending bills throughout his tenure, putting an end to projects that would have expanded nationwide infrastructure. He further paid down the debt by selling off vast amounts of government land in the West, and was able to settle the debt entirely in 1835.
Jackson's triumph contained the seeds of the economy's undoing. The selling-off of federal lands had led to a real estate bubble, and the destruction of the national bank led to reckless spending and borrowing. Combined with other elements of Jackson's fiscal policy as well as downturns in foreign economies, these problems led to the Panic of 1837. A bank run and the subsequent depression tanked the U.S. economy and forced the federal government to begin borrowing again.
The U.S. has been in debt ever since. The debt skyrocketed during the Civil War but was nearly paid off by the early 20th Century, only to balloon again with the onset of World War I. Numerous presidents and politicians have decried the debt and even pledged to do away with it, with conservatives and libertarians frequently echoing Jackson. Nevertheless, with the debt now surpassing $33 trillion, it is unlikely that the events of 1835 will be repeated in the foreseeable future.
#62
Big Game / Looking for tracks in the snow
Last post by Okanagan - January 01, 2026, 11:14:06 AM
My son and I got a day to cruise snow covered roads looking for tracks. We found two cougar tracks but neither panned out enough to try a calling stand. The first track was too old to bother with.
The second one was maybe ten to 15 hours old, and though we found occasional widely spaced sections of tracks over nearly a mile of country, they were hard to figure out and we never did solve where the cat ended up. Some of the tracks looked two hours old and some almost two days old.
The weird thing was that the farther we followed that cat, the older its tracks looked. My son thinks that different temperatures from cold shade to warmer sections accounted for the differences in how much each track aged. Good time on a nice sunny day and hot coffee in our Yeti's.
The photo of the trail head sign below will give away where we were.
Tried to post a pic of a cougar track but the photo software does not like that particular photo and won't let me do anything with it.
#63
The Tailgate / Re: Happy New Year!
Last post by msmith - January 01, 2026, 10:07:01 AMQuote from: FinsnFur on January 01, 2026, 09:02:55 AMHappy New Year to Everyone!
Remember when we all went to bed New Years eve 1999 wondering if our computers would work in the morning?
I didn't go to bed. The power company made me standby at work because the grid was going to shut down you know.
#64
The Tailgate / Re: Happy New Year!
Last post by FinsnFur - January 01, 2026, 09:02:55 AMHappy New Year to Everyone!
Remember when we all went to bed New Years eve 1999 wondering if our computers would work in the morning?
Remember when we all went to bed New Years eve 1999 wondering if our computers would work in the morning?
#65
The Tailgate / Re: Happy New Year!
Last post by Todd Rahm - January 01, 2026, 08:38:09 AMHappy Prosperous and Safe New Year!!
#66
Fishing Photos / Re: Bluegills for Supper.
Last post by msmith - January 01, 2026, 08:31:42 AMI'm jelly here. We have enough ice to inhibit fishing from the bank or a boat, but not enough to go out on the ice.
#67
Raving?... Reviews / Re: My favorite edc knife
Last post by msmith - January 01, 2026, 08:20:40 AMQuote from: nastygunz on January 01, 2026, 06:06:20 AMMany years ago I was out deer hunting and I sat down on a log and I happened to look down and there was an old timer pocket knife stuck into the log. I gave it a new home in my pocket
Good find!
I'm sure someone thought the same when the found the Boker Barlow I left laying on a rock while cleaning trout.
#68
The Tailgate / Happy New Year!
Last post by Okanagan - January 01, 2026, 08:09:54 AMMay the year ahead be your best ever. I appreciate each of you. Thank you for
all the times you have encouraged me.
all the times you have encouraged me.
#69
Raving?... Reviews / Re: My favorite edc knife
Last post by nastygunz - January 01, 2026, 06:06:20 AMMany years ago I was out deer hunting and I sat down on a log and I happened to look down and there was an old timer pocket knife stuck into the log. I gave it a new home in my pocket
#70
Fishing Photos / Re: Bluegills for Supper.
Last post by Okanagan - December 31, 2025, 09:01:26 PMQuote from: Hawks Feather on December 31, 2025, 03:40:04 PMNo need to wait for summer. Right now sounds like a good time to eat some to me.
Yep! Wish I could cook some for supper right now!