In this day and age, newspapers rarely print fiction. Of course, there is the occasional magical story written by a third grade class that appears every once a week in the Arts and Entertainment section of the paper, but for the most part, fictional stories of real substance are not published in newspapers anymore. This was not the case in the 1800's. Appearing in The Valley Star each week was...
They were vultures, gorging shamelessly at the lifetime accomplishments of John Adams. Though he was not the founding father with the same name, this John Adams led an equally compelling life as a free black contractor and plasterer in Richmond. He was also one of the extremely few African Americans in the South who owned a substantial amount of property before the Civil War. Now, seven and a...
As acquiring civil rights became a political mark indicating the party's commitment to its black supporters, the passage of these measures demonstrated the shift of priority and power that was occurring within the Republican Party. Indeed, the black constituency in the South greatly influenced and led legislation. Needing to consolidate the crucial black vote, Republican legislators pressed...
On February 11, 1873, the Agricultural Convention was held in Augusta, Georgia. The states of Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and New York were represented. Roughly two hundred delegates attended this conference. At the convention, attendees discussed the economic condition of the South, and they also proposed and passed resolutions to remedy this situation. The main issues debated included...
During the time of Reconstruction, strong Republican parties grew as a result of heavy reliance of blacks as their constituency. Generating the overwhelming majority of the party's votes, blacks became the majority of the electorate in Southern states, such as South Carolina, Louisiana, and Mississippi. As the black support increased, it was clear that policies and enactments had to be geared...
On Wednesday, February 5, 1873, the Mississippi House passed a bill forbidding owners of hotels, theaters, or other places of amusement, common carriers, etc., from making any distinction on account of color. Under this enactment, a proprietor would face heavy penalties for disobeying the act. An African American member of the House introduced the bill, and the proposal passed along a virtually...
Throughout the 19th Century, the American government as well as people continued to maintain the desire to push the move out West. Dealing with westward expansion and land ownership, the United States government passed a series of Homestead Laws over the decade in order to promote the settlement of Americans westward. In 1841, Congress passed the Pre-emption Act in response to the demands of the...
On March 3, 1873, Congress approved An Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use. The Comstock Act created penalties for owning or selling anything deemed obscene. This included pictures, books, drawings, and drugs such as birth control. The act also defined penalties for any drug or medicine that had “immoral use.”...
After reelection in 1872, President Grant presented his second inaugural address on a frigid March day the following year. Called “the most brilliant inauguration which ever took place in this country' by The Courier-Journal, the speech was witnessed by thousands of spectators who had been attracted to Washington simply for this occasion. The immense crowd cheered the President as he passed...
As Reconstruction progressed, blacks became more assertive and prominent in the southern Republican Party. African-Americans began to flex their political muscles despite common obstacles of white dominance. An example of momentary white repression occurred in South Carolina to black politician Robert B. Elliott, who later took a seat in the House. It is likely that South Carolina would have had...