Mark Hamill Schools ‘Embarrassment-In-Chief’ With History Lesson From 1787

Ed Mazza
Updated

Mark Hamill has a history lesson for President Donald Trump.

Hours after an interview aired in which Trump said he would “listen” if a foreign nation offered dirt on a political rival, the “Star Wars” icon offered up the words of a Founding Father in response:

Trump on Wednesday said “there’s nothing wrong with listening” if a foreign power offers intel on a political rival.

“It’s not an interference,” Trump said. “They have the information! I think I’d take it.”

He also said he would only contact the FBI if he “thought there was something wrong.”

“I don’t think in my whole life I’ve ever called the FBI,” Trump said. “You don’t call the FBI.”

The quote cited by Hamill comes from a 1787 letter from John Adams to Thomas Jefferson. Adams would later become the second president, while Jefferson would serve as the third.

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Beer

Though more difficult to make in the colonies than it was back in England, beer remained a daily staple of most colonial Americans’ lives for more than 200 years. Safer than water (because it was boiled, not because of the alcohol), there were even lower-alcohol versions, called Small Beer, brewed for children. Even the Puritans and Quakers who railed against alcohol consumption were actually only talking about distilled spirits. Beer and cider were just fine by them. <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/surprising-drinking-habits-our-founding-fathers-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=fathersdrink" target="_hplink"><strong>Click Here to Learn about the Surprising Drinking Habits of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and More of Our Founding Fathers</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit: Shutterstock </a></em>

Whiskey

The rise of whiskey in America came on the tail of the first push westward in 1791. With beer and cider a scarce commodity outside the colonies, and rum having fallen out of favor before the Revolution due to its high cost, those settlers west of the Allegheny Mountains made due with home stills to produce a clear corn liquor, un-aged and resembling what we might call moonshine today. And, without a codified system of currency, most goods and services in rural areas were purchased with whiskey, not cash. <em>Photo Credit: Shutterstock</a></em>

Taverns

Taverns weren’t just a place where an early American would go to get a little tight. A colonial era tavern might also have served as post office, courthouse, wedding hall, and any number of other civic functions. It was also within the taverns that our Founding Fathers planned and staged the American Revolution. The Green Dragon, still serving rum punch in Boston’s North End to this day, is known as the Headquarters of the Revolution. <em>Photo Credit: © <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/71380981@N06/" target="_hplink">Flickr / Roger</a></em> <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/surprising-drinking-habits-our-founding-fathers-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=fathersdrink" target="_hplink"><strong>Click Here to Learn about the Surprising Drinking Habits of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and More of Our Founding Fathers</strong></a>

The Liberty Riot

In 1768, British customs officials seized John Hancock’s ship, The Liberty, in Boston Harbor, and accused him of smuggling about 100,000 gallons of wine and Madeira. Which was absolutely true. In response, thirsty American colonists dragged a customs ship out of the Harbor, paraded it through the streets, and turned it into a giant bonfire in the middle of Boston Common. <em>Photo Credit: © <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/billdamon/" target="_hplink">Flickr / Bill Damon</a></em>

Boston Tea Party

Although ostensibly in response to the Tea Act of 1773, the Boston Tea Party was really a response to all the unfair taxes imposed by King George, most of which had to do with alcohol. The Molasses Act, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act all targeted the production, sale, import, and export of booze in the colonies, and the Americans weren’t having it. Rather than destroy valuable rum in protest, however, colonial Bostonians — with Sam Adams as the ringleader — chose instead to drink the rum before launching the King’s tea into Boston Harbor. <a href="http://www.thedailymeal.com/surprising-drinking-habits-our-founding-fathers-slideshow?utm_source=huffington%2Bpost&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=fathersdrink" target="_hplink"><strong>Click Here to Learn about the Surprising Drinking Habits of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and More of Our Founding Fathers</strong></a> <em>Photo Credit: wiki_Kevin-Myers</a></em>

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.