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Ostensibly exploring the practice of law before the internet. Heck, before good highways for that matter.
Monday, May 5, 2025
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Friday, March 13, 1925. Tennessee prevents evolution in schools.
In a uniquely American struggle, due to the strong influence of Evangelical Protestantism in the country, the Tennessee General Assembly approved the Butler Act, which prohibited public schools from teaching evolution.
CHAPTER NO. 27
House Bill No. 185
(By Mr. Butler)
AN ACT prohibiting the teaching of the Evolution Theory in all the Universities, Normals and all other public schools of Tennessee, which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the State, and to provide penalties for the violations thereof.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee, That it shall be unlawful for any teacher in any of the Universities, Normals and all other public schools of the State which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the State, to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals.
Section 2. Be it further enacted, That any teacher found guilty of the violation of this Act, Shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction, shall be fined not less than One Hundred $ (100.00) Dollars nor more than Five Hundred ($ 500.00) Dollars for each offense.
Section 3. Be it further enacted, That this Act take effect from and after its passage, the public welfare requiring it.
Passed March 13, 1925
W. F. Barry,
Speaker of the House of Representatives
L. D. Hill,
Speaker of the Senate
Approved March 21, 1925.
Austin Peay,
Governor.
Calvin Coolidge held a press conference.
The Hay-Quesada Treaty between Cuba and the United States was ratified by the U.S. Senate, recognizing that the Isla de Pinos was the territory of Cuba.
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Thursday, March 12, 1925. Passing of Sun Yat-sen. British rejection of the Geneva Protocol.
Friday, October 25, 2024
Monday, October 25, 1824. Davy Crockett announces for office.
Davy Crockett announced his intention to run for the U.S. House of Representatives for Tennesee.
He lost the election.
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Monday, October 4, 1824. The first Mexican Constitution.
Monday, August 26, 2024
Wednesday, August 26, 1874. Lynching black suspects and violating the Second Amendment.
A mob of white men broke into the Gibson County, Tennessee Jail, in Treton and lynched sixteen black prisoners.
They had been accused of shooting two white men.
The following day the Mayor of Trenton ordered the firearms of all of Trenton's black residents confiscated, under pain of death, a clearly unconstitutional action.
Things like this, and the event of the day prior, help demonstrate the value of the Second Amendment.
The National Rifle Association, fwiw, was formed just three years prior, but at that time principally engaged in promoting marksmanship.
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Tuesday, August 25, 1874. The Coushatta Massacre.
Saturday, August 17, 2024
August 17, 1774. Militia Muster.
The first known muster of Tennessee Militiamen took place when Capt. Evan Shelby and 49 militiamen, formed a volunteer company to fight with Virginia militia in Lord Dunmore’s War.
The company was called the Fincastle Company.
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Tuesday, August 16, 1774. No to the British judiciary.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Friday, September 10, 1943. Betrayal.
Prime Minister Badoglio and King Victor Emanuell III made their way through German lines to escape to Allied held Italy.
Twenty-two Italian ships arrived at Malta.
The Vatican closed the doors of St. Peter's Basilica and blocked the Sant'Anna Gate at noon to give sanctuary to Italians who had fled there.
The Berliner resistance movement the Solf Circle was betrayed by an uncover Gestapo agent, Dr. Paul Reckzeh, following a tea party attended by the group. Reckzeh was a Swiss physician. The groups downfall would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Abwehr as the group had connections with it.
Most of the members of the group, although not all of it, would later be executed. Reckzeh was arrested by he Soviets and held after the war until tried by them in 1950. He was released in 1952 and lived in East Germany, where he betrayed his daughter Barbara to the East German authorities when she tried to flee to the West. He died in 1996 in Hamburg, having spent most of his adult life in Germany and having had a role in two hideous acts for two hideous regimes.
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Sunday, March 4, 1973. Allende's minority rule.
Chilean elections resulted in the opposition Confederation of Democracy winning control of the Senate and House, but falling short of the 2/3ds necessary to impeach Salvador Allende or block his policies.
While not seeking to excuse things in retroactive advance, it might be noted that this meant that Allende's left wing Popular Unit alliance was a minority government, which is very rarely noted.
Voting also took place in France but failed to yield a clear result.
The British yacht Auuralyn was struck by a whale and sunk off of Guatemala, putting Marice and Maralyn Bailey adrift for 117 days.
A large group of U.S. Air Force and Navy POWs held by North Vietnam was released, including Norman C. Gaddis and Leo K. Thorsness who would be highly decorated.
For exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States. General Gaddis distinguished himself while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam from December 1970 to February 1973. During this period, General Gaddis displayed professional competence, unwavering devotion and loyalty to his country in the execution of his duties in staff and command positions while in potentially volatile daily contact with the Vietnamese guards and officers. General Gaddis performed his duties in accord with the Code of Conduct, exhibiting leadership, courage, and determination, regardless of the cost in the many tortures and beatings which he had to endure. The singularly distinctive accomplishments of General Gaddis reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. As pilot of an F-105 aircraft, Lt. Col. Thorsness was on a surface-to-air missile suppression mission over North Vietnam. Lt. Col. Thorsness and his wingman attacked and silenced a surface-to-air missile site with air-to-ground missiles, and then destroyed a second surface-to-air missile site with bombs. In the attack on the second missile site, Lt. Col. Thorsness' wingman was shot down by intensive antiaircraft fire, and the two crewmembers abandoned their aircraft. Lt. Col. Thorsness circled the descending parachutes to keep the crewmembers in sight and relay their position to the Search and Rescue Center. During this maneuver, a MIG-17 was sighted in the area. Lt. Col. Thorsness immediately initiated an attack and destroyed the MIG. Because his aircraft was low on fuel, he was forced to depart the area in search of a tanker. Upon being advised that two helicopters were orbiting over the downed crew's position and that there were hostile MIGs in the area posing a serious threat to the helicopters, Lt. Col. Thorsness, despite his low fuel condition, decided to return alone through a hostile environment of surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft defenses to the downed crew's position. As he approached the area, he spotted four MIG-17 aircraft and immediately initiated an attack on the MIGs, damaging one and driving the others away from the rescue scene. When it became apparent that an aircraft in the area was critically low on fuel and the crew would have to abandon the aircraft unless they could reach a tanker, Lt. Col. Thorsness, although critically short on fuel himself, helped to avert further possible loss of life and a friendly aircraft by recovering at a forward operating base, thus allowing the aircraft in emergency fuel condition to refuel safely. Lt. Col. Thorsness' extraordinary heroism, self-sacrifice, and personal bravery involving conspicuous risk of life were in the highest traditions of the military service, and have reflected great credit upon himself and the U.S. Air Force.
Other POWs released included Douglas Peterson, who was later the ambassador to Communist Vietnam and William P. Lawrence, who was later Superintendent of the Naval Academy.
Peterson, whose first wife had died, interestingly met Vietnamese born Vi Le who was serving as Australia's senior trade commissioner in the country. They married, and he retired to Australia so that the couple could be closer to her family.
Lawrence is the author of the Tennessee state poem, which reads:
Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee
What Love and Pride I Feel for Thee.
You Proud Ole State, the Volunteer,
Your Proud Traditions I Hold Dear.
I Revere Your Heroes
Who Bravely Fought our Country's Foes.
Renowned Statesmen, so Wise and Strong,
Who Served our Country Well and Long.
I Thrill at Thought of Mountains Grand;
Rolling Green Hills and Fertile Farm Land;
Earth Rich with Stone, Mineral and Ore;
Forests Dense and Wild Flowers Galore;
Powerful Rivers that Bring us Light;
Deep Lakes with Fish and Fowl in Flight;
Thriving Cities and Industries;
Fine Schools and Universities;
Strong Folks of Pioneer Descent,
Simple, Honest, and Reverent.
Beauty and Hospitality
Are the Hallmarks of Tennessee.
And O'er the World as I May Roam,
No Place Exceeds my Boyhood Home.
And Oh How Much I Long to See
My Native Land, My Tennessee.
Monday, August 31, 2020
August 31, 1920. Building.
On this date in 1920, John Lloyd Wright was given a patent for what would become Lincoln Logs.
Wright had been marketing the toy logs since 1918, and had based them upon his observations of Tokyo's Imperial Hotel's foundation, designed by his father, Frankly Lloyd Wright. The foundation featured an interlocking log structure to give it flexibility during earthquakes.
An election held on this date in Hannibal Missouri was the first to be conducted following the 19th Amendment going into effect. Marie Ruoff Byrum was the first woman voter to cast a ballot to have been given the right to vote under the amendment.
Of course, women had been voting for some time in states that had adopted universal suffrage on their own, including Wyoming's female voters.
Mrs Byrum lived until age 73. She had been involved in politics and had retired to Florida in her later years.
Tennessee, which had been the 36th state to vote to add the 19th Amendment, on this day voted to rescind their ratification in an effort to reverse course on it. The effort came too late as retroactive post ratification rescissions are not allowable, assuming recessions are at all, which itself isn't clear.
It's odd that it was attempted in this context. If the vote had preceded the adoption of the Amendment that would have raised a Constitutional question, but doing it after the ratification would fairly obviously do nothing.
French Genera Henri Gouraud issued a decree that set Lebanon's borders in anticipation of creating a separate Lebanese territory the following day.
Monday, August 3, 2020
The Big Picture. Nashville Terminal, 1905.
Sunday, June 14, 2020
June 14, 1920. The woods.
Flag Day 1920.
Friday, August 30, 2019
August 30, 1919. Fallon to Carson City, through the night, Knoxville riots, Socialist emergency.
Keep in mind that this was a road that was otherwise open for civilian use. . . but without the aid of soldiers to push.
The convoy was met by Nevada's Governor, reflecting the fact that the city on the far western edge of the state is the state's capital.
The Red Summer continued on when Knoxville, Tennessee, erupted into violence. A start of the riots was the arrest of Maurice Mays, a biracial politician, for the murder of a white woman even though there was no basis to believe that he was the killer. This resulted in a lynch mob developing that ultimately rioted. This in turn caused black residents to arm themselves for their own protection and to seal off part of the city. Violence later developed.
Mays was later tried and in spite of a lack of evidence, convicted. His conviction was overturned by the Tennessee Supreme Court and he was re-tried, found guilty again,and sentenced to death. His suspected father, the former white mayor of Knoxville, with whom he had a friendly relationship, committed suicide a few years thereafter.
In Chicago the Socialist Party convened an Emergency Session.
The Socialist Party of America was a rising political party at the time, it's boat rising with the rising tide of radical political parties everywhere. The emergency was the invitation by Lenin for certain Socialist elements to join the Communist International which was causing a rift in the party. The party was dominated by its "right wing", which on this day achieved control of the convention on its opening day, bringing the rift with the "left wing" to an immediate head.
The Country Gentleman came out featuring an article on "counterfeit farms". I wish the article was available so I could learn what they were writing about.
And the movies saw the first release of Dangerous Nan McGrew, which would be re-released in the 1930s in the form of a Betty Boop cartoon.
And the Gasoline Alley gang, which seemed to be on vacation, went golfing.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
April 30, 1919. The USS Tennessee launched, brewing of beer to cease.
Monday, July 9, 2018
Transportation disasters and milestones, and a draft war. July 9, 1918.
101, officially, (it may have been 121) people were killed and 175 injured in a train collision of two trains belonging to the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway near Nashville. Many were black munitions workers on their way to work in Nashville.
The locomotives were actually repaired and put back into service, being retired in 1947 and 1948.
It is the worst railroad accident in American history.
Elsewhere, and more specifically in Alberta, American aviatrix Katherine Stinson made the first airmail flight in Western Canada, flying a mail sack from Edmonton to Calgary.
Stinson had been flying for six years at the time and had already set air records. Indeed, she's figured on our blog before. She would later become an architect and worked in that profession for may years.
In other news of the day, July 9, was day two of the Cleburne County Draft War in Arkansas. The small armed conflict involved draft resisting members of the Jehovah's Witnesses who became involved in a gunfight with local law enforcement and then fled into the rural hills, picking up other draft resistors on the way. The Arkansas National Guard responded to search for them. The event would end in a few days, after the loss of one life in the conflict, when the resistors surrendered. This was one of three "draft wars" in Arkansas, which was highly rural and retained strong aspects of the Southern ruralism at the time, which would occur during World War One.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Martin Luther King, Jr. leads his last march. March 28, 1968
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Sunday, July 26, 1914. Running guns.
The United Kingdom's offer to mediate the point of pride crisis between Austro Hungaria, Germany, Serbia and Russia was rejected by Germany and Russia.
Erskine Childers and Molly Childers landed over 1,000 firearm's into Ireland from Childer's yacht. The event resulted in gunfire and bayonet prods upon Irish Volunteers.
The rifles were obsolete G71s. Had they been deployed in combat, they would have been hopelessly obsolete.
The Albanian Assembly of Delvino was dissolved.
And so Europe hurtled towards war. Continental Europe over a point of pride and who Seriba should be aligned to. Great Britain on who Ulster should be loyal to.
The Catholic The Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville, Tennessee was opened to the public.
Philippe Thys won the 12th /Tour de France.
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Saturday, July 25, 1914. Austro Hungaria mobilizes.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Monday, September 27, 1909. Reserving the oil.
President Taft withdrew 3,041,000 acres of public lands in California and Wyoming from further claims, thereby reserving the oil for use by the United States Navy. The oil lands were being very rapidly claimed by placer oil claims and would have been unavailable, had this not been done, within a few months.
This provides the basis of today's strategic oil reserves. No doubt, had current Wyoming political forces been around at the time, they would have protested this beneficial and necessary action, and probably branded President Taft a communist.
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Sunday, September 26, 1909. Willie Boy, William Mike and Carlotta Mike.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Saturday, April 10, 1909 Finnish, Métis Tragedy, and Arctic Tragedy.
Czar Nicholas II approved a recommendation that "laws of general Imperial interest concerning Finland" be enacted by the Duma, in which Finland had a single representative, rather than its own legislative assemble. It was part of the process of Russification of the country which had commenced in 1899, reversing the original imperial policy put in place in 1808 when Sweden had lost Finland to Russia.
The Finn's have inhabited Finland since at least 9,000 BC, and probably longer. The first references to it as an entity come from Catholic sources in the 12th Century as the Church began to Christianize the country, but it had no real political organization. It came under the control of Sweden the following century, with Sweden losing it to Russia in the Finnish War of 1808-1809. The Russification policy, something the Russians have exhibited ever since the 19th Century wherever it has control, and which effectively continues to the present day, would result in the Finnish independence movement.
Canada opened up the Métis lands in Alberta to homesteaders. 250 claims by French Canadians were registered on the first day.
Professor Ross G. Marvin of Cornell became Admiral Peary's Eighth Arctic Expedition's only fatality when he drowned, maybe.
His body was found floating and appeared to have gone through thin ice, as reported by Inuit guide Kudlookto. However, in 1926 Kudlookto claimed he had shot and killed Marvin, either because Marvin had started acting irrationally, or because Marvin refused to let Kudlookto's cousin, another member of the expedition, rest. Peary's daughter (as you'll recall his sons were by his native mistress and were left up in the Arctic in the abandoned care of their mother), discounted the story, although how she would know what happened in reality is another matter. Presumably from information supplied by her father.
It's hard to imagine why Kudlookto would make the story of killing Marvin up, although people do odd things.
He had been on a prior expedition. He was 29 years old at the time of his death.
Cipriano Castoro, the former President of Venezuela, was forcibly ejected from Martinique by the French.
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