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MRS. HOFFMAN'S HODGEPODGE OF HISTORICAL FACTS
The overload of historical facts has given rise to a multitude of pages for these facts. This will allow the researcher to go to a particular month to find facts. For research purposes - my facts are from such a long extensive list of books, sites, applications, etc, that it would difficult to list them all. I pick a fact based on what interested me that day when I wrote it down.
Also, please be aware that some months have no facts yet. That is because this blog was created in May of 2011, so several months do not have facts yet. They will be under construction until I reach that month.
Disclaimer - please keep in mind these facts are not listed in chronological order. Just as the page states - it is a hodgepodge of American History Facts
Think of this as a treasure hunt. You never know what delightful fact you might learn that day.
Enjoy
Mrs. Hoffman
November 1, 2011 - Who is Millard Filmore? Our 13th president, as a member of the No Nothing Party - he was born on a farm in New York. He abolished the slave trade in the District of Columbia, admitted California as a free state, granted territory status to New Mexico, and settled a boundary dispute in Texas.
November 2, 2011 - of those who came to the colonies, many were forced into servitude - either blacks who were captured and forced into slavery, convicts who were sent here to serve out a term for crimes committed, indented servants who were purchased before they left England, or free men and women who had skills and sold their services for payment of their journey over the ocean. For many of those who came over in these ways, it was extremely difficult to purchase their freedom - if at all - and were in servitude for all their lives.
November 3, 2011 - Did you know they used torpedo boats during the Civil War? Not only did they use them, but they were quite successful in sinking the opposite side's ships. One such man was Lieutenant W.B.Cushing. His ironclad was used against the Confederates in Albemarle Sound where they had a blockade. On October 27, 1864, his boat slipped past a look-out. His boat was destroyed but he managed to explode the barricade first. After rescuing some of his crew, he swam to safety.
November 4, 2011 - John Quincy Adams - a hero to freedom of speech, the right to petition, and the abolition of slavery. How is all of this possible? John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams, and our 6th president decided to continue his public service as a representative to the House after his term of president ended. During that time, he petition the abolition of slavery so many times the Southern states fought to silence his voice. At first they put a gag order on his petitions, but he persisted on the right of free speech. He continued to battle this right for years - every day bringing petitions to the House for a vote. Finally he wore down the other representatives and not only won the battle for free speech, but the right to bring petitions to the House. His most important work comes in his persistence. Finally a petition to end slavery was brought up for a vote.
November 5, 2011 - Who is James Polk? In 1844, he becomes our 11th president. He gets the nomination from Democrats after Van Buren loses his bid because he opposes the annexation of Texas. He won 170 electoral votes against 105 to Henry Clay. This was only 38,000 popular votes. During his term, Texas was annexed, Oregon territory joined the union, and when the war with Mexico ended in 1846, the territory that became California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming became part of the US. WOW! That's a lot of land!
November 6, 2011 - with Veteran's Day fast approaching I thought I would look up information about our flag. What days should it be displayed? In October - Columbus Day and Navy Day 9the 28th), but in November - Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving.
November 7, 2011 - Who was the president before Abraham Lincoln? James Buchanan was our 15th president. During his presidency, the Dred Scott decision was made by the Supreme Court. He sued for his freedom because he traveled to free states with his master and spent considerable time in those free states. Dred Scott tried to purchase his freedom as well as the freedom of his wife and children. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled that since Dred Scott was not a citizen he had no right to sue for his freedom because he was the property of his owner.
November 8, 2011 - Delaware is one of our smallest states. Named after Lord De LaWare, it became the first state on12/7/1787. There are only 3 counties in the entire state.
November 9, 2011 - Who was the first Englishman to set foot on America? Most think it is John Cabot who was sent by King Henry VII, (not the VIII). He landed in Newfoundland/Labrador in 1497. He traveled with his sons - Sebastian, Lewis, and Santius. While he did not live to make a 3rd trip, the letters given to him by the King allow his sons to continue to explore the area in the name of the king.
November 10, 2011 - What is the Compromise of 1877? The election of 1876 was close. So close that Congress had to choose who would be president - Rutherford B. Hayes or Samuel Tilden. Congress finally agreed on Hayes if 1. federal troops would be removed from Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana; 2. a Southern Democrat would be appointed to the cabinet; 3. Hayes had to agree to noninterference; and 4. Reconstruction would be declared complete. It was called a corrupt bargain, because once the troops were removed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were not strictly enforced in the South.
November 11, 2011 - Otherwise forever known as 11-11-11. On this Veteran's Day, we should commemorate not just the men who fought for our country, but the man who brought us this day of recognition - Woodrow Wilson. "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations." When they declared it a legal holiday, they said it was a "day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as Armistice Day".
November 12, 2011 - What are the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments that the South ignored after Reconstruction ended? I think we can guess. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. The 14th Amendment states that anyone born in the United States is a citizen and should have all the rights of citizens. The 15th Amendment states no person shall be denied the right to vote. If you lived in the South, the Amendments were ignored. African Americans were denied their freedom in many ways; they were not treated fairly and like other citizens of the country, and finally they were not allowed to vote. They were often times beaten or even killed if the people in the South felt they overstepped their bounds. It wasn't until almost 100 years later that the South was forced to enforce all of these Amendments.
Makes you wonder what took the nation so long to enforce them?
November 13, 2011 - What are those flashing lights in the night sky? Sometimes it's planes, but other times it's satellites. Did you know the first human made object to orbit another planet was the Mariner 9? It began its orbit around Mars on November 13, 1971.
November 14, 2011 - What is the XYZ Affair? Believe it or not, this is true. The XYZ Affair refers to an incident that happened between the new country and the French. XYZ refer to the three Frenchmen - Hottinger, Bellamy, and Hauteval. They demanded an apology from Adams, 50,000 pounds sterling, a 12 million dollar loan, and $250,000 bribe for French minister Talleyrand. A naval conflict known as the Quasi war resulted in July of 1798. Ships were seized, our army was established, and John Adams sent negotiators to end the war. The Treaty of Mortefontaine was the result.
November 15, 2011 - Did Alexander Hamilton, our Secretary of Treasury really participate in a duel? He certainly did. Back in the 1700s, this was considered an honorable way to resolve differences. Aaron Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel because of a disagreement between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republican parties. Burr did not like comments made by Hamilton after the election where Jefferson beat Burr. He challenged him to a duel. Hamilton fired over Burr's head on purpose, but Burr felt he tried to shoot his head, so he shot Hamilton in the stomach. Hamilton died from his wounds.
November 16, 2011 - What is the Indian Removal Act? In 1830, President Andrew Jackson proposed a plan to negotiate with Native Americans for their land. More and more people wanted to move west, but the Native Americans were living there. This act was supposed to negotiate for the land. Instead it lead to forceful removal of many Native American tribes to reservations further west. The bill was narrowly passed 102-97. The Trail of Tears is a result of this act. Nearly 4000 Cherokee were killed because they were forced to leave their lands.
November 17, 2011 - What is the Panic of 1837? President Andrew Jackson denied renewal of the Second National Bank and withdrew its funds. Inflation occurred. The banks were issuing paper money that was not backed by silver or gold. He issued the Specie Circular which stated government lands must be purchased with only gold or silver specie. Specie simply means money in coin. When New York would only accept payments in specie, the Panic stopped. During this depression, 343 banks out of 850 failed. The economy did not recover until 1842 when the tariffs were lowered.
November 18, 2011 - Not all men were given the right to vote when we became a country. Only landowners could vote for a long time. Dorr Rebellion is about Rhode Island's fight for all men to be able to vote. Only 40% of the men could vote, so Thomas Dorr lead a charge to get the right to vote. A referendum was written but not adopted by Rhode Island, so a rebellion ensued. Finally in 1842, Rhode Island finally drafted a new constitution and granted voting rights to men who could pay the poll tax of $1, regardless of race. For his efforts, Dorr was charged with treason and thrown in jail. He was eventually released.
November 19, 2011 - The Mayflower Compact was written in 1620 after the Pilgrims landed in Cape Cod. Forty-one men, including Pilgrims, signed the agreement which is the first document of an autonomous government in the British colonies in North America. It is also the first written constitution written in North America. According to William Bradford, "when morning was come they divided their company, some to coast along the shore in the boat, and the rest marched through the woods to see the land, if any fit place might be for their dwelling".
November 20, 2011 - When did Americans start celebrating Thanksgiving? Actually, Thanksgiving celebrations began with Thomas Jefferson in 1779. He made a proclamation that December 9th, a Thursday, should be appointed a national day of celebration for Thanksgiving. George Washington declared November 26, 1789 be the official holiday. Abraham Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November. Franklin Roosevelt changed the holiday to fall on the 4th Thursday of a month.
November 21, 2011 - What is the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? In the 1840s there were many disputes between the US and Mexico over territory. When Texas was annexed in 1845, Mexico was upset and the US went to war. The United States occupied California and Mexico and began to move towards Mexico City. In September of 1847, Mexico agreed to give California and New Mexico the US in exchange for $15 million. The Rio Grande River was recognized as the natural border between the US and Mexico.The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848.
November 22, 2011 - A tragic day in America's history - President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas. He was sitting in an open convertible. Lee Harvey Oswald is accused of firing the fatal shots. Vice President Lyndon B Johnson was sworn in as president two hours later while onboard Air Force One. Oswald never made it to trial. He was shot and killed by Jack Ruby.
November 23, 2011 -Why does South Carolina secede (or leave) the Union? South Carolina's agriculture was tied to slave labor. Without the slaves to work their land, at no cost for labor, the southern economy would crumble. Senator Calhoun who believed in the Union died in 1850. When Lincoln was elected, those in the South who knew he opposed slavery, decided they could wait no longer. Afraid they would not be able to choose how to run their own state by continuing to use slavery, on December 20, 1860, South Carolina secedes, and on January 9, 1861, South Carolinian troops fire upon Union troops at Fort Sumter in Charleston. So, what do you think? Was slavery the true reason behind the Civil War? I'm with you - no matter how they try to restate it - if not for the institution of slavery, the Civil War would not have broken out. The southerns did not want to give up their slaves, knowing they would lose money if they had to pay workers to work their fields.
November 24, 2011 - The Dawes Act of 1887 was an attempt to assimilate Native Americans into an English form of culture. It was designed to destroy their culture, break up their social familial units, and encourage them to be farmers instead of hunters. Indian land was divided up and given to white settlers.
November 25, 2011 - Why is the Panama Canal important? The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In November 1903, the US was granted control of the canal zone. President Theodore Roosevelt purchased the equipment formerly used by the French in their attempt to dig the canal. Work began but it did not progress as wanted. Finally in 1906, a sea-level canal was abandoned and one using a system of locks and dams was started. The canal remained under US control until 1999 when control was given over to Panama. It was formally opened in 1914, two years ahead of schedule.
November 26, 2011 - When did Americans start paying income tax? On February 3, 1913, Congress ratified the 16th Amendment which allowed Congress the power to lay and collect taxes.
November 27, 2011 - Have you ever heard of the 14 Points Speech? I hadn't either. This was a speech made by President Woodrow Wilson which laid the foundation for peace negotiations at the end of World War I. Some of the points include: nations should not form secret alliances, the seas should be free during peace and wartime, trade barriers should be less restrictive, and a League of Nations should be formed to promote international cooperation and protect political independence. Just reading the few you can see why World War II starts. Many of the points were violated.
November 28, 2011 - After the Battle of Fort Sumter, the Governor of Massachusetts wrote a letter to the Mayor of Baltimore, requesting the soldiers who died to be packed in ice and shipped back to their home states for burial. The mayor explains the men have been placed in cement coffins and, because railroad tracks have been destroyed in many places, transportation of the dead would be impossible.
November 29, 2011 - Who is Robert Byrd? He is the first American to fly over the South Pole. His first expedition to the Antarctic in 1928 was the largest and best supplied of any expedition before. On November 29 they reached the South Pole and placed an American flag there.
November 30, 2011 - What is Brown vs. Board of Education? In this time we are constantly arguing over equal education for everyone. In 1954, the NAACP gathered plaintiffs for a class action suit known as Brown vs the Board of Education of Topeka, KS. This argued that segregation was wrong. Why should African American students have to travel a longer distance to a segregated school when a white school was closer? At first the Board of Education won, but then the case went all the way to the Supreme Court. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court declared Plessy vs Ferguson of 1896 must be overturned and made segregation illegal.
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