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28 Feb

A close call for President Tyler, this day in 1844. As he president hosted a pleasure cruise along the Potomac River on the U.S.S. Princeton, a cannon exploded during a demonstration, killing eight people, including the Secretary of State and Secretary of the Navy (more)

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The daughter of one victim later became Tyler’s wife. Julia Gardiner was 34 years younger than the 54-year old president. Tyler’s first wife Letitia, had died in 1842

The explosion that nearly killed a president - but led him to his second wife. Here's an excerpt from "Under This Roof,' the 2015 book by WWR's Paul Brandus: amazon.com/gp/product/149…

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27 Feb

Leadership:
Abraham Lincoln’s Cooper Union address - this day in 1860 - outlined the platform of the Republican Party, notably its no-compromise stance on slavery. The speech vaulted Lincoln into the frontrunner’s position for the Republican presidential nomination (more)

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Of course, it's hardly necessary to note that the Republican party that attracted the likes of great men like Lincoln, (Theodore) Roosevelt and Eisenhower hasn't existed for quite sometime. Quite blasphemous for those who call themselves "Republicans" today

The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified this day in 1951 - limiting presidents to two terms in office. It was passed after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt—who was elected to the presidency four times

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26 Feb

A livid Woodrow Wilson learned of the Zimmermann telegram this day in 1917. It was an attempt by Germany to form a Mexican-German alliance against the United States in World War I. Germany promised Mexico it would get land back from the U.S. (more)

When WWI began in 1914, the U.S. had been neutral. But German submarine attacks on American ships wore Wilson's patience down, and the Zimmermann telegram was the final straw. The president would soon ask for a declaration of war

With six days to go in his presidency, Calvin Coolidge dedicated land for what became Grand Teton National Park - this day in 1929. The park would be expanded in 1943 and again in 1950, and now is more than 300,000 acres in size. Visit if you can - it's spectacular

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24 Jan

This Day, 1845: Congress said that future presidential elections would be held on "the Tuesday after the first Monday in November." It is a badly outdated law today (more)

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It was decided that voting would occur on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November because this was most convenient for farmers - in the largely agrarian U.S. economy of the mid-19th century. Folks often had to travel a whole day to vote, and Sunday was church

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Congress didn't want voting to interfere w/planting season, so Spring & early Summer were out. And voting couldn't interfere with the harvest, so early Autumn was also out. Thus the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November. Sunday: was church, Monday travel, Tuesday: vote

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22 Jan

Imagine a sitting President accusing his former VP of treason! It happened on this day in 1807, when Thomas Jefferson told Congress of the “Burr Conspiracy” - a treasonous accusation leveled against former VP Aaron Burr /1

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Jefferson told Congress that Burr tried to split several western states and the new Louisiana territory from the Union and make himself ruler. Burr was arrested and tried—but acquitted

This Day, 1944: FDR established the War Refugee Board, tasked with the “rescue and relief of the Jews of Europe and other victims of enemy persecution.” Some critics called it too little, too late -though it has been credited with saving perhaps 200,000 lives during the Holocaust

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22 Jan

Some 50 million Americans - an estimated 1/3 of them children - are "food challenged," meaning nutritious food is often unavailable to them. President will sign an executive order today to boost food stamp benefits up to 20% a month (more)

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Trump admin. tightened food stamp access, a policy that hurt many during the pandemic-sparked economic collapse. Biden's also signing another executive order - to roll back Trump-era exemptions on civil-service protections (he wanted to make it easier to fire federal workers)

Biden's boosting of food stamps and other economic measures comes as his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief proposal runs into Republican opposition. He'll need 10 GOP Senate votes - unless he wants to try the reconciliation route, which would tarnish his goal of being a "unifier"

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