Woodrow Wilson was opposed to women voting, until they started protesting outside the White House, like this day in 1919. He soon gave in. It's one reason Warren Harding was elected in 1920 by what remains the biggest winning margin in presidential history
It wasn't the closest of presidential marriages, but they were loyal and raised two terrific daughters. Here: President and Mrs. Nixon on the beach at San Clemente, this day 1971 (Nixon Library)
Pat Nixon often dropped in on White House tours, to the delight of tourists - particularly one little boy. Here's an excerpt from "Under This Roof," the 2015 book by WWR's Paul Brandus:
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Rebellion:
This day in 1794, President Washington led troops into battle in western Pennsylvania - to put down a rebellion by farmers who refused to pay a tax on whiskey. It showed the power and ability of the new federal government to suppress violent resistance to its laws
Lincoln - this day 1858 - two weeks before his final debate with Stephen Douglas (Calvin Jackson/Library of Congress)
Some think it unusual, if not sinister, that President Kennedy rode in an open car in Dallas the day he was killed, with guards far behind. Actually, that's the way he preferred it. Here: This day in 1963, in Washington. Same car (X100), same driver (Bill Greer)
The death of American soldiers in an operation gone wrong is hardly grounds for a president to resign or be impeached. If it was, dozens of chief executives would have been in trouble. This day in 1862, the second Battle of Bull Run was a disaster for President Lincoln (more)
2/ Union forces suffered twice as many casualties as Confederate forces, and the defeat (the Union also lost the first Battle of Bull Run) left Washington wide open for an invasion by Robert E. Lee's troops
3/ Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War, and the massive loss of Union lives, soured even Republicans, who showered him with vicious criticism. In 1864, even Lincoln himself predicted that his re-election bid was utterly doomed
Lyndon Johnson was born this day in 1908. The 36th president, he was sworn in on AF1 two hours after John F. Kennedy's murder on Nov. 22, 1963. In the middle of the night, 12 hours later, the new president was nearly shot himself, outside his Washington home (4040 52nd St. NW)
A 2021 survey of historians (including WWR's Paul Brandus) by @cspan ranked Johnson the 11th greatest president. His best quality: "Relations with Congress" (#2); his worst: "International Relations" (39th)
Many esteemed biographers have written splendid books on Lyndon Johnson - Robert Dallek, Doris Kearns Goodwin (who worked for him) and others. But the best certainly has to be Robert Caro, who has made LBJ his life's work:
At President Grant’s urging, Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act - this day in 1871. The KKK Act allowed the president to use federal troops and suspend the writ of habeas corpus to ensure that civil rights were upheld
President McKinley asked Congress to declare war on Spain - this day in 1898 - two months after the U.S.S. Maine blew up in Havana harbor. “Remember the Maine!” was the battle cry as America went to war with Spain. But... (more)
The shot heard 'round the world: the opening salvos of the battles of Lexington and Concord - this day in 1775 - which began the American Revolutionary War
This Day, 1809:
The father of the Constitution - President James Madison - purchased a slave to work in the White House. The seller: the father of the Declaration of Independence, former President Thomas Jefferson. Even more ironic was the name of the slave: John Freeman
This Day, 1861:
President Lincoln ordered a blockade of Confederate ports. It was a tall order: There were 3,500 miles of Confederate coastline, and the navy, in 1861, had just 42 ships. But the blockade eventually weakened the South by stopping imports of supplies from Europe
An overjoyed Abraham Lincoln learned - this day in 1865 - that the South had surrendered, bringing the Civil War to a close. The Civil War remains by far the bloodiest war in U.S. history: 750,000 Americans were killed—the equivalent of 7.7 million Americans today (more)
2/ Robert E. Lee's surrender to Ulysses S. Grant is captured wonderfully in this painting by Gen. L.M.D. Guillaume. Occurred at McLean House Appomattox, VA - this day in 1865. America's worst war, mercifully, was over
The original Mercury 7 astronauts only appeared together in their space suits once: this day in 1959. In back, L-R: Shepard, Grissom, Cooper. Front: Schirra, Slayton, Glenn, Carpenter. (for PR purposes, Slayton and Glenn wore spray-painted work boots)