On This Day: September 22nd - Abraham Lincoln Issues the Emancipation Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22nd 1862 which granted freedom to over three million black slaves in the United State of America. The Emancipation Proclamation also shifted the focus of the Civil War to slavery. Lincoln intended the war be about restoring the Union and really focus that much on the issue of slavery when the War began in 1861. Lincoln eased his way into the Emancipation Proclamation because of the overwhelming controversy over the issue. He wanted to make sure the Emancipation Proclamation could actually work in the United States before issuing it. The Proclamation exempted the border states where slave holding was practiced but still sustain loyalty towards the Union. Lincoln found the perfect time to announce the Emancipation Proclamation directly after the Union's major victor over the Confederacy at the Battle of Antietam.

On this day, Lincoln made the announcement that slaves who found themselves in areas of conflict and rebellion would be free in 100 days from September 22nd. It wasn't until January 1st of 1863 when Lincoln declared that all slaves. Lincoln used the Emancipation Proclamation to recruit former black slaves into the Union army by calling them into Union forces. Approximately180,000 African American served on the Union Army. The Emancipation Proclamation which was a presidential order from Lincoln eventually lead to the 13th amendment which banned slavery in the United States. This day was important historically for the United States because it was the conclusion to a long struggle to overcome social norms and practices of slavery in the United States. Although blacks were free from the chains of slavery after the Emancipation Proclamation, blacks would soon have to fight for their civil rights for years to come.

"Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation." 2008. The History Channel website. 15 Sep 2008, 04:05 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52865.

On This Day: September 21st - Benedict Arnold Becomes a Traitor

You've might have seen something called a "Benedict Arnold" on a breakfast menu or heard someone call a person a "Benedict Arnold" but what exactly does that mean? Who the heck is this Benedict Arnold guy? Well on this day in 1780 while the American Revolution was raging on, an American General by the name of Benedict Arnold struck a deal with a British Major by the name of John Andre. Benedict Arnold agreed to give the British Army the fort he was in command of at West Point up in war in exchange for a large amount money. On this day, Benedict Arnold managed to become one of the worst traitors in American history.

Unfortunately for Mr. Arnold, his plan eventually surfaced and he was discovered to be a great traitor. You would think such act would mean that Arnold had ties to the British but not really. He was born and raised in Norwich, Connecticut. He fought for the thirteen colonies of America in both the French and Indian war. During the Revolutionary between the thirteen colonies and Great Britain, he joined the Continental Army for America. He was considered a war hero and great patriot by many. So why would did he turn his back on America? Because he couldn't resist the money apparently. He eventually moved to London where he spent the rest of his life. Why do you think this event is historically important to America and the patriotism of America? How did this shape the American view of being a traitor?

"Benedict Arnold commits treason." 2008. The History Channel website. 15 Sep 2008, 04:11 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52864.

On This Day: September 19th - The First Underground Nuclear Explosion

The very first underground nuclear explosion took place on this day in 1957. The test explosion was conducted by the United States government during a series of nuclear weapons tests and trials in the 1950s named Operation Plumbbob. This test in particular was named Rainier and was held at the Nevada Test Site near the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The contained explosion left no radioactive fallout and was deemed a successful test. The race for Nuclear weapon dominance began in 1941 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt allotted two billion dollars in funding for a top secret nuclear weapons research project named Project Manhattan during World War II. These controversial tests would help the United States prepare for usage of nuclear weapons in wartime.

The first time an atomic nuclear bomb was used in warfare was in 1945 when the United States bombed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan on August 6th and August 9th, 1945 during World War II. The bombings were an answer to the Pearl Harbor attacks on December 7, 1941 when the Empire of Japan attacked a U.S. naval base on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii. The United States government was the first to test, manufacture and use nuclear weapons. Since World War II, many world countries have developed nuclear weapons or have implemented a nuclear weapon development program. Why do you think the first underground nuclear explosion is historically relevant? See a test from the Nevada Test Site.

"Nevada is site of first-ever underground nuclear explosion ." 2008. The History Channel website. 13 Sep 2008, 05:21 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=60048.

On This Day: September 15th - Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks

Heavyweight Boxer Muhammad Ali wins the heavyweight Boxing Title on this day 1978 in New Orleans by beating Leon Spinks. A full house at the Louisiana Superdome watched as Ali won his third Heavyweight Boxing Title of his career. Ali beat Spinks in a 15 round decision in one of the most famous and most watched Boxing matches in history. Ali whom was the underdog in the fight was forced to push himself to the limit in order to beat the much younger and healthier Leon Spinks. Earlier in the year, Spinks had beat Ali in Las Vegas which made their rivalry even stronger. It wouldn't be the first time Ali won a Title as an underdog. He beat boxer Sonny Liston in six rounds for his first heavyweight title and was projected to lose that match as well.

Muhammad Ali was born with name Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. but changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to the Islam religion. Ali gained stardom and popularity after he won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic games held in Rome. Later in his career he would prove himself to be one of the best boxer in the world. After winning his third Heavyweight Title by beating Leon Spinks, Ali retired for a couple of years before making a short come back. In 1981, Muhammad Ali retired from the sport of Boxing for good. Ali tokened the famous line "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee". His career was a successful, controversial and historical one.

"Ali defeats Spinks to win world heavyweight championship." 2008. The History Channel website. 15 Sep 2008, 04:04 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=60046.

On This Day: September 14th - Mckinley Assasinated By Gunshot

On September 14th, 1901 United States President William McKinley died of an infection caused by a gunshot wounded inflicted on him by a crazed man named Leon Frank Czolgosz. McKinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition in New York City when he was shot. McKinley was elected to the Congress when he was 34 years old and served 14 years in the House. After spending 14 years in the House of Representatives, McKinley became the Governor of Ohio where he quickly became a popular Republican because of his support of big business. He gained support from industrialists such as Mark Hanna. With the support of these industrialists financially and his growing popularity among Republicans, McKinley earned himself the Republican nomination for president of the United States.

In 1896, McKinley beat Democrat William Jennings Bryan in a landslide victory. He became the 25th president of the United States. For his support of big business and tariffs, Mckinley also became very unpopular among many individuals and groups. One of these men named Leon Frank Czolgosz. Czolgosz had the view that many wealthy people became wealthy by exploiting the poor people in society and the their was injustice in America. He took his this frustration out on the person whom he thought propelled this ideology, McKinley. He would eventually assassinate McKinley which would result in his death. McKinley was the third president to be assassinated since Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and James Garfield in 1881. Why do you think this event is historically relevant?

"McKinley dies of infection from gunshot wounds." 2008. The History Channel website. 15 Sep 2008, 04:10 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52855.

On This Day: September 13th - The Star-Spangled Banner is Written

On September 13th, 1814 a man named Francis Scott Key witnessed Fort McHenry in Maryland go under attack by the British Army during the War of 1812 called the Battle of Baltimore. He noticed a tattered and torn U.S. flag still flying after the long day of battle and the smoke had cleared. Inspired by the sight of the flag is still flying, he wrote a poem called "Defence of Fort McHenry". Exemplifying American patriotism, his poem was later set to music and became a song, This song which was renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner" official became the United States' national anthem in 1931. U.S. president Woodrow Wilson by Executive Order named the the song the U.S. national anthem in 1916.

This event is historically relevant to the United States because it brought a sense of unity and pride to the American people. It became a tradition for "The Star-Spangled Banner" to be sang at the beginning of major events such as sporting games. Embedded in this tradition is the practice of removing one's hat and facing the United states flag while the anthem is played or sang. By facing the flag your are not only showing respect for the country, you are also facing your heart toward the country you love. Francis Scott Key was eventually appointed to the United States attorney for the District of Columbia and defended Sam Houston for attacking another Congressman. Francis Scott Key passed away on January 11th, 1843. Why do you think that "The Star-Spangled Banner is historically important to the United States?

"Key pens Star-Spangled Banner." 2008. The History Channel website. 15 Sep 2008, 04:02 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52851.

On This Day: September 11th - World Trade Center Attacked

Early in the Morning on September 11th, 2001 Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations attacked the United States by hijacking two commercial Boeing 767 airplanes and flew them into the two World Trade Centers in New York City. On the morning of tragedy and confusion, many people were trying to figure out what was happening. When the first plane hit the North tower of the World Trade Center, many thought it was an accidental plane crash but then speculations of an attack on America was confirmed when another plane hit the other World Trade Center tower and the Pentagon. It was revealed that a Saudi Arabian Islamic extremist named Osama Bin Laden and a terrorist group named Al Qaeda had planned and carried through with the terrorist attack.

As millions of people watched on television and listened on the radio, two two towers collapsed from damage to their infrastructures. This attack was the first major attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor which happened on December 7th, 1941. This attacked also rivaled the death toll of Pearl Harbor. Over 3,000 men, women and children lost their lives on the morning of September 11th. Soon after the attack the Bush administration went to war with Afghanistan and the created the "War on Terror". In this War on Terror, Suddam Hussein was considered a threat to the world and in 2003 America went to war with Iraq. The war has been very controversial because Osama Bin Laden was never caught and he fled Afghanistan while many troops were moved to Iraq.

"Attack on America." 2008. The History Channel website. 13 Sep 2008, 07:50 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=7017.

On This Day: September 10th - The First Drunk Driving Arrest

On September 10th, 1897, the first drunk driving arrest took place in England. So who was the culprit you might ask. A young taxi driver from London named George Smith. He was so intoxicated when he was driving he ran his taxi right in the side of a building. This set into motion the idea that drinking alcohol and operating a vehicle might not be such a good idea. This event is historically relevant because it would force both the British and United States governments to enforce some sort of laws concerning the consumption of alcohol and driving a motorized vehicle. So what happened to George Smith for his night of driving under the influence through the streets of London? How would one determine the punishment for this act? These were the questions that the law enforcers and government had to answer. George Smith's punishment turned out to be twenty five shilling after he plead guilty.

In 1910, drunk driving laws took effect in New York City. In 1936 a device called the drunk-o-meter was introduced in order to help police officers determine whether or not someone had consumed too much alcohol. In 1953 a retired police captain named Robert Borkenstein invented the breathalyzer which would become the popular device used by police officers. George Smith would start a trend that would be a common occurrence in America. Many drunk driving incidents are recorded every year in the United States and Great Britain. Many lives have been lost due to drunk driving incidents in the United States and Great Britain as well.

"First drunk driving arrest." 2008. The History Channel website. 13 Sep 2008, 07:08 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52850.

On This Day: September 8th - President Ford Pardons Nixon

On this day, Gerald Ford used his executive power to pardon Richard Nixon for any and all crimes committed during the Watergate scandals. He justified his controversial decision to pardon Nixon by reasoning that it would end national and political divisions caused by the Watergate scandal. The Watergate scandal happened when Richard Nixon conducted illegal actions in the midst of his re-election campaign. One of these included the break-in of the Democratic Election Headquarters in order to steal information. The Washington Post received information from a top secret mole referred to as "Deep Throat". Watergate would eventually lead Richard Nixon to become the first President to resign from presidency.

He made this decision out of impeachment threats and angry public opinion. The ironic part of this story is that Nixon was estimated to win by a landslide in the upcoming election. Nixon's vice president Gerald Ford replaced him, making Ford's quick decision to pardon his predecessor even more controversial. From a famous line from Gerald Ford's speech addressing the nation about Nixon's resignation, he states that "our long national nightmare is over". This event is historically significant because of the scandals and controversy behind the series of events that led to Richard Nixon's resignation and Ford's pardon of hum. It also made the nation question the powers of U.S. government and in particular the power of the executive branch. Nixon also formed a negative image of the Republican party for many after Watergate. Popular films about the Watergate scandal include "All the President's Men" and "Dick".

"Ford pardons Nixon." 2008. The History Channel website. 13 Sep 2008, 06:55 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=5328.

On This Day: September 7th - The Birth of Uncle Sam

Have you ever seen that image of Uncle Sam pointing his finger at you and saying "I Want You Former The U.S. Army."? If so you are probably familiar with image of Uncle Sam. A tall, gangly man with a long white beard and a top hat, fitted in patriotic clothes. But how did this symbol come about? Well the story goes that a meatpacker named Sam Wilson was delivering barrells of beef to U.S. soldiers during the War of 1812. He abbreviated "United States" to "U.S." on the side of the barrells and shipped them away. When soldiers recieved them, they called them Uncle Sam's. A New York newspaper carried the story and the name became a popular nickname for the United States government.

During the 1860s and 1870s, a popular cartoonist named Thomas Nast used Uncle Sam in several cartoons and helped spread the symbol. Thomas Nast also created and popularized other now famous symbols such as the donkey representing the democratic national party and the elephant to represent the Republican national party. On September 7th, 1983 "Uncle Sam" became the official nickname of the United States government. The symbol of Uncle Sam would become historically significant because of its use in both pro and anti-government propaganda from the nineteenth century to today. The most famous propaganda is most likely the one you have seen of him pointing his long finger directly at you. This was of course used by the United States Army for recruitment purposes.

"United States nicknamed Uncle Sam." 2008. The History Channel website. 13 Sep 2008, 06:54 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52848.

On This Day: September 6th - The Day of Little Willie

Some would say it was a big day for military history. This is the day that "Little Willie" came forth in 1915. What is Little Willie you might be asking? Little Willie was the first tank to ever roll on belt. It was produced in England and it weighed a whopping fourteen tons. So really, Little Willie wasn't so little. Of course Little Willie had some issues getting jammed in ditches and only moving two to three miles per hour but it would pave the way for more advanced tanks. So why would anyone think of creating one of these things? Well, during World War One much of the battles took place in trenches where navigating vehicles wasn't exactly easy. So the British said "hey!", why don't we invent an armored vehicle that can just ram right on through to the enemies' territory?

So what came after Little Willie was revealed on September 6th, 1915 you might ask? A second prototype of a tank and almost equally appealing tank named "Big Willie". It took a year longer before these tanks were actually ready to be used in battle. After touching up some details, the British introduced the Mark I line of tanks. The first battle that a Mark I was used in was the First Battle of the Somme. From this point on, people saw the prospect that tanks had to offer during war and they became more widespread. This is historically important because Tanks would later revolutionize the military, war and how war is fought.

"First tank produced." 2008. The History Channel website. 13 Sep 2008, 06:36 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52847.

On This Day: September 5th - Black September

It was 1972 and the Summer Olympics were taking place in Munich, Germany. Tragedy ensued when some Palestinian terrorists broke into the apartment complex where several Israeli athletes were staying. They killed two and took nine other Israeli athletes hostage. The Palestinian Terrorists were demanding that Israel release a number of prisoners that were being held inside of a Israeli prison. The group of Terrorists known as Black September had only this in mind when they took the hostages to the Munich airport in order to demand the release of the prisoners in Israel. The kidnapping led to a deadly shootout at the Munich airport where every hostage and terrorist was killed. The hostages were killed by gunfire while sitting in the backside of a helicopter.

After this took place, all Olympic events were shut down for a 24 hour period to mourn the dead Israeli athletes. To prove that the Black September Assassins had not ruined the Olympic games, the Olympic committee decided to not end the Olympic games. This event is historically significant because of the sheer hatred and violence that occurred during an event that was meant to bring nations together. It also reflects the ongoing turmoil between Israel and Palestine. For a good perspective on this event, watch the 2005 movie "Munich" directed by Steven Spielberg. Based on a true story, the film chronicles the story of several Mossad Agents hired by the Israeli government to avenge the deaths of the athletes killed on this day by the Black September terrorists.

Israeli athletes killed at Munich Olympics." 2008. The History Channel website. 13 Sep 2008, 06:34 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52846.

On This Day: September 4th - Apache Warrior Geronimo Surrenders

The Apache Indian Tribe leader Geronimo surrendered on this day to a group of United States troops led by General Nelson Miles. Geronimo had fought for the Apache tribe and their land located in the southwest for over 30 years before surrendering in 1886. He was considered to be a fearless and strong leader by many people. Geronimo was born and raised into the Apache tribe in what is now considered the modern day Arizona and Northern Mexico areas. After a series of settlement disputes with Mexicans, Geronimo's family was killed in 1858. A bitter and angry Geronimo sought revenge by leading raids on American and Mexican settlements.

In 1874, Geronimo and some other Apache people were forced onto a reservation located in Arizona. Geronimo eventually escaped from the reservation where condition were very bad. He was caught and brought back to the reservation a number of times. In 1885 however, Geronimo and a group of 150 supporters left reservation and went South into Mexico. About 5,000 American troops chased after him and his people. General George cook eventually forced Geronimo to surrender but he managed to escape one last time. Soon after this, another General named Nelson Miles forced him to surrender for good on this day in 1886. Geronimo could not stand up against the large amount of troops anymore. How do you think Geronimo personified the struggle of Native Americans in their combat against Mexican and American settlers during these land wars?

"Geronimo surrenders." 2008. The History Channel website. 15 Sep 2008, 01:39 http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=52845