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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

On this day … 7/13


1096 – Crusaders under Peter the Hermit reached Sofia, Bulgaria. There they met their Byzantine escort, which brought them safely the rest of the way to Constantinople. by August 1.

1543 – England’s King Henry VIII married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr.

1690 – Protestant forces led by William of Orange defeated the Roman Catholic army of James II.

1691 – William III defeated the allied Irish and French armies at the Battle of Aughrim, Ireland.

1790 – The French Assembly approved a Civil Constitution providing for the election of priests and bishops.

1806 – The Confederation of the Rhine was established in Germany.

1862 – The U.S. Congress authorized the Medal of Honor.

1864 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln witnessed the battle where Union forces repelled Jubal Early’s army on the outskirts of Washington, DC.

1870 – The first rotary can opener with a cutting wheel was patented by William W. Lyman.

1912 – The first foreign-made film to premiere in America, “Queen Elizabeth”, was shown.

1931 – A major league baseball record for doubles was set as the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs combined for a total of 23.

1933 – A minimum wage of 40 cents an hour was established in the U.S.

1941 – Moscow was bombed by the German Luftwaffe for the first time.

1946 – “The Adventures of Sam Spade” was heard on ABC radio for the first time.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a highway modernization program, with costs to be shared by federal and state governments.

1954 – The Major League Baseball Players Association was organized in Cleveland, OH.

1957 – The U.S. surgeon general, Leroy E. Burney, reported that there was a direct link between smoking and lung cancer.

1960 – Manufacturing began for the Etch A Sketch®.

1974 – John Ehrlichman, a former aide to U.S. President Nixon, and three others were convicted of conspiring to violate the civil rights of Daniel Ellsberg’s former psychiatrist. 

1982 – “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” broke all box-office records by surpassing the $100-million mark of ticket sales in the first 31 days of its opening.

1982 – The last of the distinctive-looking Checker taxicabs rolled off the assembly line in Kalamazoo, MI.

1984 – Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale named U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running mate. Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket.

1990 – Russian republic president Boris N. Yeltsin announced his resignation from the Soviet Communist Party.

1998 – 1.7 billion people watched soccer’s World Cup finals between France and Brazil. France won 3-0.

1999 – Walt Disney Co. announced that it was merging all of its Internet operations together with Infoseek into Go.com.
Disney movies, music and books

2000 – Russia launched the Zvezda after two years of delays. The module was built to be the living quarters for the International Space Station (ISS.)

2000 – The movie “X-Men” premiered in New York.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

1905 Members of the Niagara Movement meet for the first time


Niagara Movement members begin meeting on the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. This all-African American group of scholars, lawyers and businessmen came together for three days to create what would soon become a powerful post-slavery Black rights organization. Although it only lasted five years, the Niagara Movement was an influential precursor to the mid-20th century civil rights movement.

For the complete article, go to.. history.com

Article Title

Members of the Niagara Movement meet for the first time

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/members-of-the-niagara-movement-meet-for-first-time

Access Date

July 10, 2022

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

January 21, 2021

Original Published Date

July 8, 2020

BLACK HISTORY

BY

 HISTORY.COM EDITORS

~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

July 5, 1852 – What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? in memory

2 Comments

repost – in memory

NMAAHCLonnie Bunch, museum director, historian, lecturer, and author, is proud to present A Page from Our American Story, a regular on-line series for Museum supporters. It will showcase individuals and events in the African American experience, placing these stories in the context of a larger story — our American story.

A Page From Our American Story

On July 5, 1852 approximately 3.5 million African Americans were enslaved — roughly 14% of the total population of the United States. That was the state of the nation when Frederick Douglass was asked to deliver a keynote address at an Independence Day celebration.

He accepted and, on a day white Americans celebrated their independence and freedom from the oppression of the British crown, Douglass delivered his now-famous speech What to the Slave is the Fourth of July. In it, Douglass offered one of the most thought provoking and powerful testaments to the hypocrisy, bigotry and inhumanity of slavery ever given.

Daguerreotype of Frederick Douglass
(1847-1852) by Samuel J. Miller.
The Art Institute of Chicago

Douglass told the crowd that the arguments against slavery were well understood. What was needed was “fire” not light on the subject; “thunder” not a gentle “shower” of reason. Douglass would tell the audience:

The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be denounced.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, most likely in February 1818 — birth dates of slaves were rarely recorded. He was put to work full-time at age six, and his life as a young man was a litany of savage beatings and whippings. At age twenty, he successfully escaped to the North. In Massachusetts he became known as a voice against slavery, but that also brought to light his status as an escaped slave. Fearing capture and re-enslavement, Douglass went to England and continued speaking out against slavery.

He eventually raised enough money to buy his freedom and returned to America. He settled in Rochester, New York in 1847 and began to champion equality and freedom for slaves in earnest. By then, his renown extended far beyond America’s boundaries. He had become a man of international stature.

One suspects that Rochester city leaders had Douglass’ fame and reputation as a brilliant orator in mind when they approached him to speak at their Independence Day festivities. But with his opening words, Douglass’ intent became clear — decry the hypocrisy of the day as it played out in the lives of the slaves:

Fellow citizens, pardon me, and allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here today? What have I or those I represent to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? And am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits, and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?

You can easily imagine the wave of unease that settled over his audience. The speech was long, as was the fashion of the day. A link to the entire address can be found at the end of this Our American Story. When you read it you will discover that, to his credit, Douglass was uncompromising and truthful:

This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn … What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? … a day that reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham … your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings … hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.

US Stamp honoring
Frederick Douglass, 1967.
US Postal Service

Reaction to the speech was strong, but mixed. Some were angered, others appreciative. What I’ve always thought most impressive about Douglass’ speech that day was the discussion it provoked immediately and in the weeks and months that followed.

Certainly much has changed since Douglass’ speech. Yet the opportunity to discuss and debate the important impact of America’s racial history is very much a part of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Douglass’ words remind us that many have struggled to ensure that the promise of liberty be applied equally to all Americans — regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. And that the struggle for equality is never over.

So, as we gather together at picnics, parades, and fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July, let us remember those, like Frederick Douglass, who fought and sacrificed to help America live up to its ideals of equality, fair play and justice.

Frederick Douglass’ life and words have left us a powerful legacy. His story, and the African American story, is part of us all.

To you and your family, have a joyous and safe Fourth of July and thank you for your interest in the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

All the best,

Lonnie Bunch
Director

P.S. To read the full text Frederick Douglass’ speech of July 5, 1852, click here: http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=162

We

hope you will consider making a contribution to the Museum. Thank you for your support.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

on this day … 7/10


1609 – The Catholic states in Germany set up a league under the leadership of Maximillian of Bavaria.

1679 – The British crown claimed New Hampshire as a royal colony.

1776 – The statue of King George III was pulled down in New York City.

1778 – In support of the American Revolution, Louis XVI declared war on England.

1821 – U.S. troops took possession of Florida. The territory was sold by Spain.

1832 – U.S. President Andrew Jackson vetoed legislation to re-charter the Second Bank of the United States.

1866 – Edison P. Clark patented his indelible pencil.

1890 – Wyoming became the 44th state to join the United States.
Today in Wyoming History

1900 – ‘His Master’s Voice’, was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The logo of the Victor Recording Company, and later, RCA Victor, shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone machine.

1910 – W.R. Brookins became the first to fly an airplane at an altitude of one mile.

1913 – The highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was 134 degrees in Death Valley, CA.

1919 – The Treaty of Versailles was hand delivered to the U.S. Senate by President Wilson.

1925 – The official news agency of the Soviet Union, TASS, was established.

1928 – George Eastman first demonstrated color motion pictures.

1929 – The U.S. government began issuing paper money in the small size.

1938 – Howard Hughes completed a 91 hour flight around the world.

1940 – The 114-day Battle of Britain began during World War II.

1943 – Arthur Ashe, the first African-American inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, was born. He had won 33 career titles.

1947 – Saab introduced the Model 92 prototype as its first automobile.

1949 – The first practical rectangular television was presented. The picture tube measured 12 by 16 and sold for $12.

1951 – Armistice talks aimed at ending the Korean conflict began at Kaesong.

1951 – Sugar Ray Robinson was defeated for only the second time in 133 fights as Randy Turpin took the middleweight crown.

1953 – American forces withdraw from Pork Chop Hill in Korea after heavy fighting.

1962 – The Telstar Communications satellite was launched. The satellite relayed TV and telephone signals between Europe and the U.S.

1962 – Fred Baldasare swam the English Channel underwater. It was a 42 miles and took 18 hours.

1969 – The National League was divided up into two baseball divisions.

1973 – Britain granted the Bahamas their independence after three centuries of British colonial rule.

1984 – Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden, of the New York Mets, became the youngest player to appear in an All-Star Game as a pitcher. He was 19 years, 7 months, and 24 days old.

1985 – Coca-Cola resumed selling the old formula of Coke, it was renamed “Coca-Cola Classic.” It was also announced that they would continue to sell “New” Coke.

1990 – Mikhail Gorbachev won re-election as the leader of the Soviet Communist Party.

1991 – Boris Yeltsin took the oath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic.

1991 – U.S. President Bush lifted economic sanctions against South Africa, citing its “profound transformation” toward racial equality.

1993 – Kenyan runner Yobes Ondieki became the first man to run 10,000 meters in less than 27 minutes.

1997 – Scientists in London said DNA from a Neanderthal skeleton supported a theory that all humanity descended from an “African Eve” 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.

1998 – The World Bank approved a $700 million loan to Thailand.

1998 – The U.S. military delivered the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie to his family in St. Louis. He had been placed in Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown in 1984. His identity had been confirmed with DNA tests.

1999 – The heads of six African nations that had troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo signed a cease-fire agreement that would end the civil war in that nation.

2002 – Peter Paul Rubens’ painting “The Massacre of the Innocents” sold for $76.2 million at Sotheby’s.

2015 – In South Carolina, the Confederate flag was removed from the Capitol grounds and taken to a state military museum.