Social and Economic
Ugly Stats from the 1790s and a Tribute to Moms
The ugly reality was that most children didn’t make it to five! Yes, five. Newborns faced a gauntlet of childhood diseases – tetanus, typhoid, smallpox, cholera, yellow fever, whooping cough, measles, tuberculosis, and the flu – the chances were good they would live a long life.
Read MoreThe Other American Revolution – Part 2 – Women’s Property Rights
The Thirteen Colonies and then the United States inherited this practice from the U.K. These laws were put in place in England to protect the titles of the nobility and primarily their land, and the people who worked it. Philosophically, they had no place in the new United States.
Read MoreThe Other American Revolution – Part 1 – Education of Women
What one begins to see during the American Revolution is that women realized they were capable of doing “men’s” work, and many wanted careers of their own outside the home. They wanted to become doctors, lawyers, accountants, professors, etc. What was holding them back was formal education.
Read MoreThe American Revolution Starts a Revolution in Divorce Laws
Couples wanting a divorce had to meet the same criteria as required in England, with the difference being that they needed to go to their colonial legislature to have the marriage annulled. Until the American Revolution, Colonial legislatures passed an average of one or two acts granting divorce each year.
Read MorePeers of the Realm
Back in the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, and Wales (Ireland was added in 1801), a title was more important than money. If you had a title, you could borrow money and run for Parliament.
Read MoreFirst Attempts at a Naturalization Process
The third stipulation (in the Naturalization Act of 1795) was that the application to become a citizen had to be formal and in writing. And last, it also replaced the term “natural born citizens” with words that ensures children of U.S. citizens born outside the United States shall be considered as citizens of the United States.
Read MoreWhen Did Celebrating Veterans Begin in the U.S.?
In the beginning, it was called Armistice Day and became an official holiday on June 4th, 1926, when President Calvin Coolidge declared it a day to honor those who served in World War I. In 1956, in the aftermath of World War II, President Eisenhower ordered that Armistice Day be changed to Veterans’ Day to honor the contributions of American soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen throughout our history.
Read MoreLighthouses, Beacons, Buoys and Public Piers
Early on in the First U.S. Congress, Senators and Representatives gave the power to assume the support – funding, maintenance, design, and installation – of beacons, buoys, lighthouses, and public piers. The act was signed into law by President George Washington in July 1790.
Read MoreThe Rebels Were a Literary Lot
Education in Europe at the time was dependent on class. Members of the nobility, particularly men, went to school as did some women. The rest of the population, particularly farmers and tradesmen in rural areas, rarely did.
Read MoreMass Media Inauguration Firsts
Here’s the list of 11 “firsts” which you may find interesting. It is much more than trivia; it is an interesting history that follows the development of the communication technology we enjoy today.
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