| 250 Seconds
In 1803, a young man ran away from his home in Salem, Massachusetts. He was only thirteen, but even at that young age the sea called to him as the mythical Sirens had lured the ancient mariners. Like other young men of his age, his life as a sailor began as a cabin...
| 250 Seconds
If one vote made the Declaration of Independence possible, could a series of “one votes” have made statehood possible for California? Consider this. In 1842, Henry Shoemaker was a simple, hired farm worker who suddenly realized it was election day and he had promised...
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Believe it or not, the Constitution, as originally written, did not deny women the right to vote. In fact, it neither denied nor gave the vote to anyone. Voting qualifications were left up to the states, with the sole requirement that whoever was eligible to vote for...
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If you write (or go online) to the National Archives, the depository of our country’s historical documents, and request a copy of the original Bill of Rights, also known as the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution, you might be surprised at what you receive. It...
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On July 3, 1776, when future President John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, about how Americans would celebrate Independence Day, he got it right. Well, almost right. He wrote that it would be the most “epocha” day in the history of America, the “great...
