Episodes Nearest to May 1, 1878 to May 30, 1878: 1 through 25 of 25

  1. Open letter to the women of Virginia about what they can do to help the state debt
    date May, 1878map HENRICO, Virginiatags Economy

    Worry over the enormous state debt consumed the minds of many Virginians during 1878. From political forums to private discussions people tried to come up with ways to solve the problem of the state debt and to hopefully to not increase taxes. In an open letter to the women of Virginia, Miss E. Maury came up with a plan to fix the state's problems by the mobilization of women. She reasoned that...

  2. Revivals occurring in black churches throughout Richmond
    date April, 1878map HENRICO, Virginiatags African-Americans, Church/Religious-Activity

    In Richmond during April 1878, many black churches in Richmond, Virginia began having revivals. The revivals drew large crowds and lasted for several days. It was so startling and peculiar the Daily Dispatch ran a large article about the uprising in religious activity among blacks. It dramatically stated the revivals had “no parallel in our history and is remarkable alike for the suddenness...

  3. Women in Education During the 19th Century
    date June, 1878 to 1878map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags Education, Women

    “From my own personal knowledge of the school, I cordially commend it, as one of the very best female schools within my knowledge, in the Southern states”. This is just one of many testimonials taken from an advertising pamphlet from the Virginia Female Institute, published in June 1878. During the 19th century, women were finding new ways to exert freedom and attempt to obtain power....

  4. Transportation Takes Over
    date July 14, 1878map Alexandria City, Virginiatags African-Americans, Economy, Migration/Transportation, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    It was the middle of October in Alexandria. The fair had just finished last weekend, and the town was beginning to quiet down again except for the hubbub over the railroad steamer. Mr. John W. Thompson was the one who had brought news of this to the town including a long freight and passenger list. On this list, all kinds of people were added as passengers for the next trip. Mr. Thompson and everyone...

  5. Remarks of Governor Holliday about the current situation of Virginia
    date March 7, 1878map HENRICO, Virginiatags Economy

    Communicating with the General Assembly, Governor Holliday of Virginia spoke about the dismal financial situation of the Old Dominion. According to The Washington Post he declared “he could find no excuse for the denial of the debt' and that the state was “bound morally and legally to pay this debt.' In response to calls for a constitutional convention to solve remedy the situation,...

  6. Lien law passed in South Carolina
    date March 1, 1878map CHARLESTON, South Carolinatags Agriculture

    The South Carolina legislature passed a new and improved lien law on March 1, 1878, to help farmers get credit in order to plant. This law and the benefits it brought helped the agricultural sector of South Carolina's economy to survive following the havoc of previous years. Also the lien law boosted Gov. Wade Hampton's popularity with voters even higher during a reelection year campaign...

  7. Yellow Fever Convention held
    date February, 1878map DUVAL, Floridatags Health/Death

    In February 1878, delegates of leaders in the medical profession from all over the South met in Jacksonville, Florida for a convention about yellow fever. Yellow fever is a viral disease carried by mosquitoes and affected the South from time to time in the nineteenth century. The convention's purpose was to “consider the matter of a uniform system of quarantine, and to take steps to prevent...

  8. Report of possible Klu Klux Klan killing
    date February, 1878map SHELBY, Kentuckytags African-Americans, Crime/Violence, Health/Death, Race-Relations

    A murder of some black men was regarded by many as the work of the Klu Klux Klan in Shelbyville, Kentucky. According to the Daily Dispatch, “masked men set fire to the cabin of some negroes, compelling the inmates to come out and call aloud their names;.and as he uttered his name they literally riddled his body with buckshot.' Reaction to this event and other like it stirred varied reactions...

  9. A Tax Outrage
    date February 12, 1878map WAKE, North Carolinatags taxes, Economy

    “We have paid an insane tax to the government says the North and East.  We of the West and the South have complained true, but not unreasonably, our burdens are heavier than we can bear, heavier than we ought to bear, or than we will bear.”  The northern and southern parts of the state debated tax policy during an 1878 session of the state legislature in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Both sides...

  10. Meeting and debate over future of the Petersburg Railroads
    date February 11, 1878map Prince Georges, Virginiatags Economy

    The evening of February 11, 1878, many concerned citizens of Petersburg, Virginia met to discuss the future of the Petersburg Railroad. The main issue at hand was whether the city would control it or not. Citizens were fiercely divided on this issue and the meeting of February 11 was to oppose city control of the railroad. Discussion was lively and detailed about the issues merits.<br />Concern...

  11. Fall Semester at Memphis Conference Female Institute
    date September 2, 1878map SHELBY, Tennesseetags Education, Women

    In anticipation of the start of the fall term to begin Monday, September 2, 1878, Mr. A.B. Jones, the President of the Memphis Conference Female Institute in Jackson, Tennessee, placed in advertisement in a Mississippi weekly newspaper. GREAT REDUCTION IN CHARGES the ad announced, continuing with a brief description of the oldest Female College in the Southwest. Favorably located, easy of access...

  12. The Gallant Knight of Hereford
    date September 5, 1878map PRINCE GEORGES, Marylandtags Arts/Leisure, War, Women

    On September 5, 1878, Richard Hereford represented Prince George's County in a jousting tournament. The sixteen knights, clad in armor and flashing colors, paraded the streets of Baltimore before the event. Long lines of fancy barouches followed the men and their steeds. A brass band heralded the knights as they passed the judges' stand. Each knight had a preliminary ride, but then the contest...

  13. A Black Girl Robs another Girl of Fifteen Cents
    date January 24, 1878map BALTIMORE, Marylandtags African-Americans, Crime/Violence, Law, Race-Relations

    Elizabeth Burley, a twelve year old black girl, was charged on the twenty-third of January with robbing Louisa Kerling. Kerling, who was on the way to a store was supposedly choked by Burley until she gave her, her fifteen cents. Someone heard Kerling's yells and Burley was handed over to police officer Trainor, who took her to the police station. She then awaited a hearing.

    Although...

  14. The Gallant Knight of Hereford
    date September 5, 1878map PRINCE GEORGES, Marylandtags Arts/Leisure, War, Women

    On September 5, 1878, Richard Hereford represented Prince George's County in a jousting tournament. The sixteen knights, clad in armor and flashing colors, paraded the streets of Baltimore before the event. Long lines of fancy barouches followed the men and their steeds. A brass band heralded the knights as they passed the judges' stand. Each knight had a preliminary ride, but then the contest...

  15. Theater Dress Code
    date September 7, 1878map RICHMOND, Virginiatags Arts/Leisure, Women

    Amongst the hundreds of people in attendance, a beautiful, wealthy southern belle sat in her chair and enjoyed the concert music. The Mozart, an association known for its beautiful musicals, performed regularly in Richmond, but that night was a homecoming of sorts; the company had been performing out of town for eight weeks. The blending of violins, quartettes, vocals, and clarionettes was exceptional....

  16. The Exasperated Bourbon
    date January 19, 1878map Washington City, District of Columbiatags African-Americans, Politics, Race-Relations, Slavery, War

    The editor of The Washington Post could not believe what he was reading. A staff member had just handed him a vicious letter from a reader that, in no uncertain terms, castigated his paper for being so brazen as to refer to black people as Mr. and Mrs. in its articles and stories. The man claimed to be one of the Bourbon Democrats, those who would spill the last drop of their blood rather...

  17. The Exasperated Bourbon
    date January 19, 1878map Washington City, District of Columbiatags Arts/Leisure

    The editor of The Washington Post could not believe what he was reading. A staff member had just handed him a vicious letter from a reader that, in no uncertain terms, castigated his paper for being so brazen as to refer to black people as Mr. and Mrs. in its articles and stories. The man claimed to be one of the Bourbon Democrats, those who would spill the last drop of their blood rather than apply...

  18. Male delegate spoke at Women's Suffrage Convention
    date January, 1878map HENRICO, Virginiatags Women

    A male Virginian delegate spoke at a Women's Suffrage Convention on January 9, 1878. According to the Daily Dispatch, he made the well applauded comment that “those engaged in the women's movement were the advanced guard of civilization.' Also according the newspaper he spoke about a broad range of subjects that was long and rather boring to the audience. However, this does not...

  19. Returning Board Case
    date January, 1878map ORLEANS, Louisianatags Crime/Violence

    In New Orleans, the beginning of 1878 saw a tumultuous case played out in the press about the returning board of elections scandal. The charges were that the board had committed some foul voting practices during the 1876 election of President Rutherford Hayes. Louisiana was in sad situation politically at that time due to the end of Reconstruction and a deplorable financial state, and charges of...

  20. Yellow Fever Takes Southern Cities by Storm
    date September 17, 1878map MOBILE, Alabamatags Health/Death, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    In the summer and fall of 1878, yellow fever took the Gulf Coast by storm. Cities all over the lower South were experiencing high numbers of deaths from the terrible illness. On September 17, in Mobile County, two more citizens were diagnosed with yellow fever and died, leaving the Mobile residents in a panic. The victims resided in the section of the city bound by Beauregard, State, and Conception...

  21. Editorial about women's suffrage
    date January 11, 1878map Washington City, District of Columbiatags Women

    On January 11, 1878 an interesting article appeared in The Washington Post about the issue of women's suffrage. The author stated that women have been credited with gentility, humility, and upstanding morals throughout the centuries and many believed they would clean up politics if they won the right to vote. However, in his own personal belief, the author takes the exact opposite view. He proclaimed...

  22. Arrival of more tobacco men in Congress
    date January 11, 1878map Washington City, District of Columbiatags Economy

    The arrival of men to Congress who wanted a reduction on the tax on whiskey and tobacco was heralded as a great victory for the Virginia and the South. Previously, according to the Daily Dispatch, “the South was then weak in representation and had the whole organization of the internal-revenue system against her interests.' The main goal of the new congressional arrivals was to get the...

  23. A Beautiful Marriage
    date June 16, 1878 to 1878map CUMBERLAND, Virginiatags Church/Religious-Activity, Economy, Women

    As a proud and happy mother, Mary Randolph Page Harrison watched her lovely daughter Lucia Harrison get married on June 16, 1878. The wedding was beautiful; everything she had dreamed of for her daughter. Lucia was marrying the distinguished Captain Cooke. Although he was a good deal older than Lucia, he was a kind, Christian gentleman. Mary was confident that this was a good match and was very...

  24. No Tolerance for Gambling
    date December 19, 1877 to January 18, 1878map Washington City, District of Columbiatags Arts/Leisure, Crime/Violence, Law, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    The police had been keeping a close watch on various buildings around the city of Washington, D.C. where they believed that certain ordinary, reputable citizens of the community by day were, in fact, holding illicit card games by night. 1345 E Street and 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue topped the watch list for the D.C. police and they scheduled and executed a raid on No. 1345 in the middle of the night...

  25. Carrier's Address to the Patrons of the Whytheville Disptach
    date December 25, 1877map WYTHE, Virginiatags Education

    This unique note composed for Christmas Day 1877 by the carrier of the small Whytheville dispatch gives us a revealing look at small-town life in the last quarter of the 19th century. The sense of unity in the town, as well as the Dispatch's monopoly over news, is quite evident from the sing-songy lyrics as the poem reads “To it all readers turn, and they can look; pleased on a paper who...