Today in History: A Lincoln Pardon (And, You Know, That Whole Surrender at Appomattox Thing)

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Major & Knapp Print, Library of Congress.

On April 12, 1865, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met, and Lee formally accepted the surrender terms drawn up on April 9th, and disbanded the Army of Northern Virginia. Several small battles took place after Lee's surrender, but the war was effectively over. For thousands of troops, the fighting was now done.

George Maynard's Letter to His Uncle. From the Compiled Military Service Records, US National Archives

For one Union soldier, however, this date held even more significance.  Private George A. Maynard of the 46th New York Infantry was arrested September 18, 1864, as a deserter, only 15 days after enlisting, and taken to Fort Monroe. He was charged with the even more serious crime of deserting to join the opposition. At trial, Maynard was found guilty on February 14, 1865, and sentenced "to be hung by the neck until dead."  

Telegraph from Lincoln to Grant, Dated February 23, 1865. From the Compiled Military Service Records, US National Archives

The soldier sent a message to his uncle, Harrison Maynard, of St. Albans, VT, entreating for help.  Uncle Harrison must have been well connected, because less than ten days later on February 23rd, President Abraham Lincoln telegraphed General Grant, ordering him to suspend Maynard's sentence until his case could be further reviewed.  Lincoln, in spite of the Herculean burden of running a country at war with itself, reviewed the cases of hundreds of individual soldiers, converting sentences and pardoning many. Entreaties on behalf of soldiers came from those in high positions of power--governors, congressmen--and regular, everyday people, if they could get their request to him. The President treated each request, once received, the same. Lincoln's mercy became a sore subject with his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton,  who wished the President would remember that the Army needed harsh consequences at times to keep the troops in line.

 On April 12, 1865, Lincoln officially pardoned George A. Maynard, and ordered he be returned to his regiment.  Two days later, Lincoln would be assassinated by John Wilkes Booth; so Maynard was lucky in more ways than one. The official order pardoning Maynard was published on April 24th, and sent out to General George G. Meade and the Army of the Potomac. Meade in turn sent the order back, explaining that the 46th New York Infantry was no longer serving with his outfit. Maynard finally returned to his regiment on June 5, 1865, and was mustered out with the rest of the 46th at the end of July. We'd call his army tenure a short, but storied career.

Today in History: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

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International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union Archives, Kheel Center, Cornell University.

Today is the 105th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of New York City and one of the most gruesome the United States has ever seen.  The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, the majority women, who died from fire, smoke inhalation and jumping to their deaths.  Most of the victims were recent Jewish and Italian immigrant woman, aged 16-23 years old, with two victims being as young as 14.  The factory was located on the 8th and 9th floors of the Asch Building in NYC.  The owners had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits (a then common practice) to prevent both theft and deter workers from taking unauthorized breaks, causing many workers to become trapped in the burning building.  This horrible tragedy led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards as well as helped to spur the growth of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU).

Check out the front page of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from the day following this horrific tragedy:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Vol 72. No. 84. March 26, 1911. p. 1.

This Day In History: "Dump the Tea Into the Sea!"

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W.D. Cooper. "Boston Tea Party.", The History of North America. London: E. Newberry, 1789. Engraving. Plate opposite p. 58. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress.

The Boston Tea Party, initially referred to by John Adams with the less catchy title: “The Destruction of The Tea in Boston,” was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty (a “secret society” created to protect the rights of colonists and protest taxation by the British) in Boston, MA, on this day in 1773.  The colonists were unhappy about the passage of the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, as they believed it violated their rights as British citizens to “no taxation without representation.” 

On the evening of December 16th, 30 to 130 men boarded three ships in Boston Harbor, some disguised as Mohawk warriors. Over the course of three hours, they dumped all 342 chests of tea into the water—a shipment worth £9,000 at the time, or $1.7 million in American currency today.  This event is seen as a major catalyst leading up to the American Revolution.

This iconic 1846 lithograph by Nathaniel Currier was entitled "The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor"; the phrase "Boston Tea Party" had not yet become standard. Contrary to Currier's depiction, few of the men dumping the tea were actually disguised as Native Americans. Image. Library of Congress

This notice from the "Chairman of the Committee for Tarring and Feathering” in Boston denounced the tea consignees as "traitors to their country." Image, Library of Congress.

Parliament responded to the Tea Party with the Coercive Acts, known as the Intolerable Acts in the Colonies, in 1774, which ended local self government in Massachusetts and closed all of Boston’s commerce.  This did not sit well with citizens in all 13 colonies, who not only continued to protest, but then convened the first Continental Congress which petitioned the Monarchy to repeal the acts and provide representation for the colonists. 

It is thought that coffee jumped to Americans' preferred drink after the Tea Party, as John Adams and many other Americans believed drinking tea to be unpatriotic! This is a key example of the better choices Americans make (don't tell us about how tea has as much caffeine as coffee, ugh), and why we needed to separate from the English tyrants.

The Boston Tea Party Museum

Today, you can visit the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum which is located on Congress Street in Boston, MA.  Alex enjoyed a very memorable 3rd grade field trip there where you can see two replica ships, one of the tea chests from the original event, and even take a turn throwing a chest into the harbor while yelling “dump the tea into the sea!”

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson

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1933 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

1933 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

66 years ago today, the great entertainer Bill Robinson died at the age of 71, after breaking down innumerable barriers, and inspiring us all to dance. Born in Richmond, VA, May 25,  1878, Robinson began his dancing career at the age of five, dancing in beer gardens.  At nine, Robinson was hired in a touring troupe to act in minstrel shows, which led him to perform in vaudeville acts and nightclub shows. He also worked as a jockey at the racetrack, but found dancing to be more lucrative than horses. Robinson took a break from performing to serve as a drummer in the Spanish American War.  A legend about the dancer claims he also served in the trenches during World War I, but he would have been 40 at the time and this claim remains unsubstantiated. He did, however, put on free shows for thousands of troops before they shipped out to fight during the latter war; receiving a commendation in 1918 from the War Department. 

Robinson's talent got him noticed by many, and after working steadily for years, and finally at age 50, he made his Broadway debut.  In 1928, Robinson starred in the first African American Broadway show, "Blackbirds of 1928." He then went on to make his film debut in 1930, in a movie called "Dixiana." He then starred in "Harlem is Heaven"--the first movie with an all African American cast ever made. In 1935, the first of his four movies partnering him with Shirley Temple came out; "The Little Colonel." This movie marked the first time an interracial dance team appeared on screen, and Robinson formed a close friendship with his young partner. His last film was "Stormy Weather," a musical based loosely on Robinson's life, and also starring Lena Horne.  Robinson's protagonist was a dancer returning home from World War I to pursue a career performing; likely one of the sources of the myth that Robinson did in fact serve in said war.

1941 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

1941 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

During his lifetime, Bill Robinson faced a lot of criticism that he played into white stereotypes of African Americans. While  Robinson was forced to accept the roles provided for black actors in his time, he fought hard against these stereotypes off the stage and screen--convincing Dallas police department to hire its first African American policemen, lobbying FDR during World War II for more equitable treatment of African American soldiers, and co-founding the New York Black Yankees team in Harlem. Known for his generosity, Robinson performed for free in over 400 benefit shows, and gave away much of his fortune; dying penniless, Ed Sullivan paid for Robinson's funeral. His generosity often extended to his fellow performers, including teaching actors Sammy Davis Jr. and Ann Miller to dance. In 1989, the US Senate declared Robinson's birthday, May 25th, to be National Tap Dance Day.

Get Out the Vote!

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232 years ago today, the Continental Army peacefully disbanded after defeating the British. Celebrate by exercising your right to vote!

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Boxer, Cowboy, Soldier, President: Happy Birthday TR!

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Happy birthday to inarguably the most colorful US president of all time! Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, and we talk about him a lot here because we love him so much, especially his work to promote conservation and save public lands, and that he proceeded with a 90 minute stump speech after being shot in the chest. Here are a few more reasons he is the original "Most Interesting Man in the World:"

- TR was the first president to appoint a Jewish cabinet member (Secretary of Commerce and Labor, Oscar Solomon Straus), and invite a black man (the esteemed Booker T. Washington) to have dinner at the White House.
- TR had a boxing ring in the White House, and would challenge staff members and visitors to matches. An unfortunately placed punch blinded him in his left eye during his presidency; which was kept a very close secret by only TR's closest confidantes. 
- Following his presidency, TR went on scientific expeditions to Africa and South America, bringing back specimens for the Smithsonian Institution and American Museum of Natural History. During the latter expedition, he contracted a tropical fever after jumping to the river to prevent a collision of the group's canoes with some jagged rocks, and cutting his leg. His condition was so bad that he begged his small party to go on without him, and let him perish, out of concern that he was endangering them all. It was only at his son Kermit's insistence that he continued on.
- TR walked Eleanor Roosevelt down the aisle at her wedding to FDR.
- After his presidency, TR also took up the cause of women's suffrage. He delivered a famous speech for the cause in 1915 at the Metropolitan Opera House stating:

"Conservative friends tell me that woman’s duty is the home. Certainly. So is man's. The duty of a woman to the home isn’t any more than the man’s. If any married man doesn’t know that the woman pulls a little more than her share in the home he needs education. If the average man has more leisure to think of public matters than the average woman has, then it’s a frightful reflection on him. If the average man tells you the average woman hasn’t the time to think of these questions, tell him to go home and do his duty. The average woman needs fifteen minutes to vote, and I want to point out to the alarmist that she will have left 364 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes."

Photograph is a different view of TR than we usually see; a young Teddy Roosevelt in 1880 in his mountaineering attire, 21 years before he would become president. Part of the New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection held b…

Photograph is a different view of TR than we usually see; a young Teddy Roosevelt in 1880 in his mountaineering attire, 21 years before he would become president. Part of the New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection held by the Library of Congress.

165 Years Ago Today- The First "National Woman's Rights Convention"

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A poem read at the National Woman's Rights Convention, and reprinted in William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator on November 15, 1850.

Circa 1870 Photograph of Lucretia Mott by F. Gutekunst of Philadelphia, PA.

On October 23, 1850, in Worcester, MA, women from across the country met for the first time to create a organized plan of action for gaining equal rights.  The Seneca Falls Convention had been held two years earlier, but that meeting had been somewhat impromptu, and was only regional.  The National Woman's Rights Convention was planned for months, and included participants from across the country.  Twenty years later, in 1870, Elizabeth Cady Stanton would state that the Women's Rights "movement in England, as in America, may be dated from the first National Convention, held at Worcester, Mass., October, 1850."

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was not present herself at the convention, because she was about to give birth, but she sent a letter that was read to the crowd, giving her support to the movement. Among those who were in attendance were Lucretia Mott, Lucy Stone, William Lloyd Garrison, and Frederick Douglass; the latter two famous abolitionists being some of  the original male Feminists.  The causes of abolition and women's rights had a complicated relationship; women like Stanton, Mott, and Stone started their activist careers as abolitionists, but were outraged to find that many male abolitionists would not allow them to speak publicly for the movement, or to play an active role in the cause. This inspired these women to start demanding equal rights from themselves.  Many male abolitionists supported the movement, like Garrison and Douglass, believing there should be equal rights for all.  Others saw these women as stepping outside their intended role; the Evangelical community made up a large percent of the anti-slavery movement, and believed these women's ideas went against the Bible's teachings.

Lucy Stone

Along with the many speeches given and debates had over two days, the Convention formed the first organized committees for a cohesive movement across the country.  These committees created local chapters, and addressed fundraising, publicity, education, employment, and lobbying, among other needs and goals. This fundamentally changed and strengthened the movement- putting forth a unified message to the world.  The Convention became a yearly event, and continued to gain momentum and attendees.  

An example of the backlash from the Convention, reprinted by The Anti-Slavery Bugle.

These efforts helped to give women better property rights and rights to the wages they earned, more legal standing within the family structure- including parental rights and the increased ability to initiate a divorce, and eventually suffrage.  Without these brave women, and men, we ladies would not be where we are today! So raise a glass to the National Woman's Convention, and celebrate that you live in the 21st century they helped to create!  Or ladies, just wear some pants, show little ankle, revel in your independent checking account, go to work, and earn a fair wage!

Luxury and Adventure: The Orient Express

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132 years ago today, on October 4th, 1883, The Orient Express made its first official journey; its route taking passengers from Paris to Istanbul (then still known as Constantinople). 

Orient Express Poster.jpg

The luxury train was a dream realized for creator George Nagelmackers. An 1865 trip to America introduced Nagelmackers to the posh Pullman sleeping cars,  and he became determined to build a network of similar trains in Europe, including  a fantasy line spanning the continent.  He founded the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits in 1874, which focused on not only its international train lines, but also a chain of luxury hotels throughout the major cities of Europe and Western Asia. 

The Orient Express was the crown jewel of Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It came into being at at time when Orientalism-the romanticized , Westernized view of Asian culture-was all the rage in Europe. The trip took just over 80 hours, and passengers spent that time surrounded by the richest woods, leathers, silks available.  It was so popular that the company designed four additional variations of the Orient Express trip; with newer trains starting in London, and also running through places like Zurich and Venice, and one line ending in Athens rather than Budapest. The train became frequented by kings, czars, and spies; inspiring its use in many great works of fiction. 

Murder On the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is, of course, the most famous use of the "King of Trains" in a story; keeping it a household name to this day.  Along with Poirot, the Orient Express was also ridden by James Bond in From Russia With Love and by Dracula's pursuers in Bram Stoker's original 1897 masterpiece.  More recently, an episode of Doctor Who entitled "Mummy on the Orient Express" predicted the continuation of the train line far into the future and deep in the universe.

 The Orient Express played an important role in real events, too. The World Wars both interrupted train service for the public, but cars from the trains, and the tracks, were to put to use by many different armies. At the end of World War I, a Wagons-Lits train car from the Orient Express was being used as a mobile conference room by an Allied commander. German officers were brought to the car on November 11, 1918 to sign surrender documents. The car was then put on display in Paris, where it remained until the Nazi invasion in 1940. Hitler had the car brought back to the spot of the 1918 German surrender, to dictate the terms of surrender for the French. In 1945, when the Third Reich was falling, Hitler ordered the car to be blown up.

586 Years Ago Today- Joan of Arc Fulfills Her Mission

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Image of Joan of Arc from a 1505 manuscript.

Image of Joan of Arc from a 1505 manuscript.

586 years ago today, in 1429, Charles Le Dauphin was crowned King Charles VII of France at Reims Cathedral; all thanks to the help of a nice farm girl who heard voices. Joan of Arc (Jeanne in French) was only thirteen when God began speaking to her (hopefully in the voice of Alan Rickman, ‪#‎dogma‬) and charged her with the holy mission to expel the English from France, and install Charles Le Dauphin as king.

Taking her father to court over his attempt to force her into an arranged marriage, and talking the local magistrate into an audience with Charles, after successfully predicting the outcome of an important battle; at seventeen, Joan convinced Charles to give her an army to drive the English and their allies, the Burgundians, from the French city of Orleans which had been under siege for months, and was key to the defense of central France. Joan led her army to a great victory, then guided Charles through enemy territory to Reims Cathedral- the traditional site for the coronation of French kings.

Portrait of Joan of Arc painted by Andrew C. P. Haggard in 1912, eight years before her canonization.

Portrait of Joan of Arc painted by Andrew C. P. Haggard in 1912, eight years before her canonization.

Thus Joan saw her visions fulfilled; but her great triumphs and popularity with the people unfortunately made her a threat to the patriarchal infrastructure. When Joan was captured by the English and Burgundians, King Charles VII made no attempt to negotiate her release. Joan was tried for witchcraft and heresy- her major alleged misdeeds being that she claimed she spoke to God, and that she dressed like a man (her actual misdeed; kicking ass while female). After a year in captivity, she actually signed a confession, denying God had spoken to her, but after she emerged in men's clothing several days later, she was sentenced to death and burned at the stake at the age of nineteen.

Joan's victory and Charles VII's ascension to the throne marked a turning point in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. 22 years after Joan's death, and 116 years after the start of the war, France emerged victorious, and retained control of their monarchy. Charles VII then ordered a posthumous retrial for Joan, and her name was cleared. By 1920, when Joan of Arc was officially canonized, her story had risen to mythic proportions and remained in the public conscious for almost 500 years.

Statue of Joan of Arc which now graces the front of Reims Cathedral.

Statue of Joan of Arc which now graces the front of Reims Cathedral.

Shepard in Space

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54 years ago today, Alan Shepard, a former Navy pilot, was launched into space aboard the Mercury Freedom 7, becoming the first American and second human ever to make that trip (depiction of the lead up to this flight brought to you here by "The Right Stuff"). Almost ten years later. Shepard went into space again, as commander of Apollo 14, and became the first man to hit a golf ball on the moon.

The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson

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On June 22 or June 23, 1611, the crew of English explorer Henry Hudson mutinied, on his fourth voyage to discover the "Northwest Passage" through North America to Asia. Captaining the British East India Company's ship Discovery (which had earlier been one of the ships led by Captain Christopher Newport on the voyage which ended with the founding of Jamestown), Henry Hudson had sailed 'round the tip of Iceland and Greenland, then reaching the Hudson Bay in Canada; everything going according to plan until the ship became trapped in the ice in James Bay in November of 1610. Hudson and his crew were forced to disembark and spend the winter along the bay. After the ice cleared in the spring, Hudson wanted to resume his exploration, but the tired crew wished to return home, and staged a mutiny; setting Hudson, his son John, and a few sick and/or loyal crewmen adrift in a small river barge. None of these abandoned men were seen of or heard from again. Eight of the eleven mutineers survived the trip back to England, and named two of the deceased as the leaders of the rebellion. The surviving mutineers were never punished for their crimes- perhaps because the knowledge they carried of routes to and around the New World was too valuable.

This painting, entitled "The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson," was done in 1881 by English artist John Collier.

This painting, entitled "The Last Voyage of Henry Hudson," was done in 1881 by English artist John Collier.