It began as a mighty oak tree that was called into service by the British Navy. The timbers from the oak tree were used to construct the HMS Resolute. When two British ships were lost in search of a northwest passage through the Arctic Circle, the HMS Resolute was sent to find the two missing ships. Even though the HMS Resolute was equipped to cut through ice, it also became trapped. The Resolute was abandoned and its crew traveled across the ice to be rescued.
With the spring thaw, the HMS Resolute began drifting. It was spotted by a whaling ship. Knowing that the HMS Resolute still had value, the whaling ship’s captain was able to get the HMS Resolute sea-worthy enough to bring to the U.S. for refitting and subsequent sale.
This was a time when the United States and England were close to going to war for a third time. The U.S. was angry over British territorial claims in the northwest as well as in South America. An American philanthropist, Henry Grinnell, suggested that the HMS Resolute be refitted and returned to England as a gesture of goodwill. The Congress approved and the HMS Resolute was restored and returned to England. Queen Victoria accepted the gift and tensions between the countries calmed down.
The HMS Resolute was returned to duty and served as a supply ship for 23 years. Upon its decommissioning, the British Admiralty wanted to use the timbers from the HMS Resolute for furniture. In a competitive design process, an award was made, and the winning bid was a desk. The Resolute desk was one of the winning designs. Queen Victoria decided to gift the desk to the President of the U.S. at the time: Rutherford B. Hayes.
The Resolute Desk has made its way through many of the rooms of the White House. President Kennedy was the first to use the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office at the urging of his wife. When President Kennedy was assassinated, the Resolute Desk became a part of a traveling exhibit in honor of the President. President Carter later returned the Resolute Desk to the Oval Office where it has remained.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines resolute as being “firm in adherence to a cause or purpose, or bold or steady”. Isn’t this fitting that many of our nation’s groundbreaking laws are signed by the President at the Resolute Desk with those who championed the legislation looking on?
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“The truest wisdom is resolute determination.” – Napolean