Today in History–July 28–the Library of Congress features the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. On this date in 1868, Secretary of State William Seward issued a proclamation certifying the ratification of the amendment. The 14th amendment granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States”, including former slaves freed…
Today in History–May 12–the Library of Congress features politician and historian Henry Cabot Lodge, born on this day in 1850. Lodge was a long-standing member of Congress, serving the state of Massachusetts as a U.S. representative from 1887 to 1893 and a U.S. senator from 1893 to 1924. This Republican statesman is perhaps best known for his staunch argument against U.S….
Today in History–March 30–the Library of Congress features the United States purchase of Alaska from Russia, which Secretary of State William Seward agreed to on this day in 1867. Opponents of the $7.2 million purchase called it “Seward’s Folly” but opinions changed following the discovery of gold and, later, oil. Learn more by reviewing the Today in History section,…