On this day in 1870, construction began on the famed Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time of its opening and provided a much-needed thruway for New Yorkers commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Did you know? Compartments in the bridge were used as […]
One of the most famous (and rare) books of American birds is John J. Audubon’s Birds of America. Printed as a subscription from 1827 to 1838, the book contains over 400 watercolor illustrations of North American birds that are still studied and admired today. Did you know? Audubon was likely the first person in North […]
On this day in 1800, 13th president Millard Fillmore was born in Cayuga County, New York. His presidency was defined by the passage of the Compromise of 1850, which temporarily staved off disputes between pro-and anti-slavery factions. Though the Compromise abolished slavery in Washington D.C. and created a free state in California, it also included […]
On this day in 1790, George Washington delivered the first State of the Union Address to Congress at Federal Hall in New York City. Among other things, Washington presented the young nation’s current affairs in foreign policy, the economy, immigration, and national defense. Informed by a requirement in Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, […]
On this day in 1913, 37th president Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California. His presidency, while marked by an end to the draft and American fighting in Vietnam as well as improved relations with China and the Soviet Union, was overshadowed by the Watergate Scandal and ensuing impeachment trial. Nixon resigned before he […]
On this day in 1755 or 1757, founding father Alexander Hamilton was born on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies. He was fundamental in securing the ratification of the Constitution and wrote the majority of the 85 Federalist Papers. In the early days of the new U.S. government, Hamilton founded the Treasury […]
On this day in 1741, Patriot hero turned traitor Benedict Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut. During the early years of the American Revolution, he was hailed as a brilliant tactician for his actions to fend off the British invasion of Canada. After being passed over several times for promotion and clashing with senior officers, […]
On this day in 1786, Virginia enacted the Statute for Religious Freedom. The statute disestablished the Church of England as Virginia’s official state-supported religion and implemented freedom of worship. Authored by Thomas Jefferson, the statute was an important precursor to the protection of religious liberty and separation of church and state later codified in the […]
Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! On this day in 1929, minister and activist leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. A figurehead of the American civil rights movement, he was a proponent of civil disobedience and non-violent protest. Persevering despite death threats, abuse, and arrest, he rose to the national stage, […]
On this day in 1809, American suspense and horror writer Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Poe’s short stories and poems, including such classics as “The Raven”, “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”, are still widely read and admired for their macabre themes and mysterious story-telling. Did you know? Poe was […]
Florida teachers gathered virtually with JMC faculty partners Peter Myers (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) and Lee Trepanier (Samford University) for an in-depth seminar on Martin Luther King Jr.'s political thought and the development of Civil Rights protections in the United States through Constitutional amendments, Supreme Court rulings, and federal legislation. Afterwards, JMC's Teacher Education Fellow, Dr. Danton Kostandarithes, led a classroom application […]
It’s National Hot Sauce Day! Did you know that hot sauce has deep American roots? Chilis were domesticated in present-day Mexico around 5000 B.C. The Aztecs and Mayans combined chili peppers with water to make an early hot sauce. With increased trade and colonialism in the 1500s, chilis soon spread across the world. Though colonial […]
On this day in 1737, founding father, successful merchant, and first signer of the Declaration of Independence John Hancock was born in Braintree, Massachusetts. Before the Revolution, Hancock was one of the wealthiest men in New England and used his money and influence to forward the movement for American independence. He’s perhaps best known for […]
Happy National Peanut Butter Day! This uniquely American treat was first patented in the late 1800s, as Canadian Marcellus Gilmore Edson and American John Harvey Kellogg experimented with creating pastes out of roasted and raw peanuts. Kellogg’s easily digested paste was used as a healthy food for sanitarium patients. As a result of meat-rationing during […]
On this day in 1892, Bessie Coleman, the first African-American and Native American woman pilot was born in Atlanta, Texas. Coleman gave speeches, and lessons, and toured across America and Europe, encouraging other women to pursue flight and dazzling crowds with her daring air tricks. She also publicly stood up against segregation, refusing to perform […]
The seminar will provide Bradley and JMC Fellows the opportunity to meet like-minded scholars while discussing an important topic in American political thought. We will be joined by Dr. Diana Schaub, Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Maryland, Visiting Professor in the Government Department at Harvard University, and a Visiting Scholar at the American […]
On this day in 1843, 25th President William McKinley was born in Niles, Ohio. His presidency was notable for an increase in protective tariffs and imperialist policies that led to the annexation of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Tragically, McKinley was the third president assassinated – an anarchist shot him at the Pan-American Exposition […]
On this day in 1882, 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park, New York. His presidency was marked by several momentous historical events, including the Great Depression and the United States’ entry into World War II. Roosevelt also was a prominent progressive and under his guidance, new government programs such as the […]
On this day in 1752, founding father Gouverneur Morris was born in Morrisania, New York (present-day New York City). Though less famous than other founders, Morris was considered the “Penman of the Constitution,” and is credited with wording the famous preamble, “We the People of the United States of America…” Aside from his key role […]
Groundhog Day was first officially celebrated on this day in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club still gather in Gobbler’s Knob to lift Phil high in the air and oversee the proceedings in Pennsylvania Dutch. So, where did this weird American tradition come from? As indicated by the preferred language of […]
On this day in 1870, the 15th Amendment was ratified, giving all American men the right to vote, regardless of race or previous state of servitude. Significantly, this meant that emancipated slaves and other African Americans had all the rights and privileges awarded by the Constitution to every U.S. citizen. The immediate effects of the […]