In January 1926, Hughes was asked to speak at a meeting of the Sons of the American Revolution in Washington D.C.. During the speech he advocated for more truth in the portrayal of the nation's first President, pointing out such fables as chopping down a cherry tree, and drawing from Washington's own diary to illustrate some of the man's more human, if less savory, traits and activities. Some in the crowd heckled Hughes during his speech and later gave a disingenuous report of its content to a newspaper. The story rapidly spread across America, with the misquoted Hughes lambasted by everyone from newspaper editors to religious figures and temperance leaders coast-to-coast.