April 20, 1657- Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City), gain freedom of religion and citizenship rights of the colony. “This marks the beginning of the largest Jewish city in the world with a larger Jewish community than Tel Aviv.” At the time, twenty-three of the Jews in the city were refugees who had arrived in 1654 fleeing persecution in Dutch Brazil (“the first organized Jewish migration to North America” and “widely commemorated as the starting point of the history of Jews in New York and the United States.”) The director-general of the colony, Peter Stuyvesant, was antisemitic and generally opposed to any religion besides his own. But the country of Holland allowed freedom of religion and after pressure and petition by the Jewish community within New Amsterdam (led by Asser Levy), the Dutch West India Company granted them “burgher” or citizenship rights. The British took control of the colony in 1664 and named it New York and “In part due to the large Jewish population in Manhattan, the English retained the Dutch’s policies of toleration.” The political philosophy of Preamblism celebrates freedom of religion and believes that the USA benefits greatly from diversity. Sources: https://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/new-amsterdam-new-york/; https://www.historyandheadlines.com/history-april-20-1657-jews-new-amsterdam-given-religious-freedom/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_arrival_in_New_Amsterdam; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asser_Levy; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stuyvesant; https://jewishcurrents.org/april-20-citizens-in-new-amsterdam; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_arrival_in_New_Amsterdam#:~:text=The%20Jewish%20arrival%20in%20New,the%20conquest%20of%20Dutch%20Brazil.; https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/soul-liberty-toleration-emergence-religious-freedom-colonies#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20and%20New%20York%20were,their%20establishment%20of%20religious%20freedom.

December 16, 1773- We celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Like many events, the Boston Tea Party was complex with both positive and negative aspects. On the negative side, it involved the illegal destruction of approximately $1.7M worth of tea in today’s money (George Washington condemned the destruction at the time). But on balance, The Preamblist Movement celebrates this event as a net positive. We celebrate that it was against an act of the British government that, if not resisted, would have provided the British East India Company with a virtual monopoly on tea in the colonies by undercutting local merchants. We celebrate that it was against a government which did not grant representation to the colonists in Parliament and included a monarch. We celebrate that it was carefully planned and targeted so that no one was physically hurt and that the destruction of property was limited to the tea of the British East India Company (the ships, which were owned by Americans, were not damaged). Do you think this event was a net positive or net negative? https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-facts ; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-History

October 7, 1765- “The Stamp Act Congress met on this day in New York in 1765, a meeting that led nine Colonies to declare the English Crown had no right to tax Americans who lacked representation in British Parliament. (source)”

April 14, 1775- Founding of The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage.

June 17, 1775- Battle of Bunker Hill. Peter Salem, formerly a slave, fights against the British.

March 17, 1776- “Evacuation Day”- The British Army and loyalists leave Boston, being forced to do so by the ingenuity and perseverance by the newly formed Continental Army. British soldiers had been occupying Boston since ____ in reaction to the Boston Tea Party. After British troops tried to seize military supplies at the battle of Lexington and Concord, the Massachusetts militia https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/siege-of-boston/#:~:text=On%20March%2017%2C%201776%2C%20known,head%20for%20New%20York%20City. ; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-evacuate-boston

July 4, 1776- the Second Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence including it’s eloquent preamble.

August 2, 1776- After the Constitutional Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, “it was engrossed with parchment” and actually signed (along with it’s Preamble) by most delegates on August 2. (source)

August 27, 1776- American Continental Army survives to fight another day thanks in large part to the bravery of the “Maryland 400” of the 1st Maryland Regiment who covered the army’s retreat with “a rear-guard action against the overwhelming numbers of British troops, which surpassed 2,000 supported by two cannons.[69], (source)” at the Battle of Long Island/Brooklyn. 256 of the Regiment were killed with only a few making it to American lines. General Washington who was watching stated "Good God, what brave fellows I must this day lose."[69][note 1] (source). This stand of the Marylanders has been called "an hour more precious to liberty than any other in history." (Historian, Thomas Field, writing in 1869, "The Battle of Long Island", source).

October 19, 1781- Victory at Yorktown

November 25, 1783- Evacuation Day- over two years after the Battle of Yorktown, the British Army leaves New York City (then southern Manhattan) which had been their key military, operations, and political center since early in the Revolution. General George Washington rides triumphantly into New York and at the very southern tip of Manhattan a British flag is removed (from a pole that the British greased to make it harder to climb) and replaced with the American flag. The British departure is over seven years after the Declaration of Independence- a long time of sacrifice by our fore-bearers who took early steps on the path towards “liberty” and “consent of the governed” as stated in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. Let us honor their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of those who followed, by continuing along this path. I believe the best way to do this is to ensure our democracy remains vibrant and inclusive. How do you think we can best continue on this path? https://images.app.goo.gl/4WhJeL28HWWjLsocA

August 2, 1788- the Constitution, with its Preamble, becomes “the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.” (source)

July 4, 1789- President Washington signs into the law the Tarriff of 1789- “the first major piece of legislation passed in the United States after the signing of the…Constitution.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariff_of_1789#:~:text=The%20Tariff%20Act%20of%201789,charged%206%C2%A2%20per%20ton.

November 26, 1789- President George Washington declares November 26th as a day of Thanksgiving that year using language similar to or the same as the preambles as bolded below:

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States) )

August 4, 1790- US Coast Guard official birthday: With encouragement from Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Congress authorizes the building of ten cutters to enforce tariff laws (this was when the vast majority of government revenue was raised by tariffs) and the creation of the Revenue-Marine which was later called the Revenue Cutter Service which in 1915 merged with the Life Saving Service to become the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard performs vital services to our nation: “Since 1790, the Coast Guard has safeguarded the American people and promoted national security, border security, and economic prosperity in a complex and evolving maritime environment. The Coast Guard saves those in peril and protects the Nation from all maritime threats.” Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/qmpviaPq7SW6fy2u8 ; sources: https://www.history.uscg.mil/Complete-Time-Line/Time-Line-1700-1800/ ; https://www.uscg.mil/About/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariff_of_1789#:~:text=The%20Tariff%20Act%20of%201789,charged%206%C2%A2%20per%20ton.

December 15, 1791- Bill of Rights is ratified, an important step in achieving the Preambles.

September 17, 1796- Washington’s farewell address warning about parties.

May 5, 1805- On this day, Mary Dixon Kies became one of the first women to receive a U.S. patent in her own name for an invention that helped the American economy during a severe recession. The US economy was struggling due to significantly less trade with Europe during the Napoleonic Wars. Meanwhile, women could not vote and their property belonged to their father, husband, or other male relative, but the government had recently passed the 1790 Patent Act which enabled “any person or persons” to apply. Under this law, Kies received a patent for a process she invented for weaving straw and silk together in making hats. The process was widely used for a decade helping to grow the industry and the U.S. economy including during the War of 1812 and First Lady Dolly Madison wrote a letter to Kies praising her invention. What can we learn from this today? That we benefit as a country when we pass laws that enable ALL members of society to contribute their talents, laws that are consistent with the equality and liberty called for in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence that help produce the “general welfare” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. Sources: https://www.invent.org/inductees/mary-dixon-kies; https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-mary-kies-americas-first-woman-become-patent-holder-180959008/#:~:text=Women%20make%20history%20all%20the,woman%20to%20receive%20a%20patent.

December 4, 1833- Formation of the American Anti-Slavery Society.

September 3, 1838- Frederick Douglass, a hero of Preamblism, escapes from slavery. He goes on to become a highly influential abolitionist, social reformer, author, orator, and a proponent for voting rights for all.

June 1, 1843- Isabella Baumfree changes her name to Sojourner Truth. Truth had been slave in New York, during which she was: sold away from her parents at nine years old, beaten multiple times, raped multiple times, and witnessed the beating of her lover who she never saw again. She escaped in 1826. In 1828, she was able to free her son from slavery through the courts, “the first black woman to win such a case against a white man.” She delivered a famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman” in 1851 at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in which she combined “calls for abolitionism with woman’s rights.” She recruited black troops for the Union Army and after the war, continued to fight for women’s and African American rights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sojourner_Truth

March 16, 1847- John Stark rescues nine people of the Donner Party, seven of them children, from Starved Camp in the Sierra Mountains in California. A few days earlier, Stark had volunteered to join a rescue party. During the trip he refused to accept any payment stating, “I will go without any reward beyond that derived from the consciousness of doing a good act.” Stark and the rescue party found eleven people alive in the mountains at the bottom of a 24-foot deep snow pit. The other two rescuers in the party grabbed a child each to save. Stark refused to leave anybody behind. He said, “I will not abandon these people.” At great risk to himself, he saved the remaining nine starving people by leading and physically carrying many them out of the mountains. Seven of the nine were children and Stark carried them much of the way down often two at time for a short distance, putting them down, and then going back multiple times to get the other children. One of the people that Stark rescued, James Breen, stated “To his great bodily strength, and unexcelled courage, myself and others owe our lives. There was probably no other man in California at that time, who had the intelligence, determination, and what was absolutely necessary to have in that emergency.” The Preamble states that one of the reasons the Constitution was established was to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” “Our posterity” means people of younger and future generations. John Stark’s heroics in saving seven children whom he did not know is a great example of looking after “our posterity.” Many of “our posterity” currently attend underfunded schools, live in dangerous neighborhoods, and over eleven million live in poverty. We must do better for “our posterity.” We can follow the example of John Stark carrying children that he did not know down a snowy mountain and to safety. https://thestormking.com/tahoe_nuggets/Nugget_57/nugget_57.html ; http://www.donnersummithistoricalsociety.org/pages/Restaurant/HeroismandPathosonDonnerSummit.html ; https://www.pewpewtactical.com/a-picture-from-history-john-stark/ ; https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/posterity#:~:text=Posterity%20is%20a%20noun%20meaning,who%20are%20born%20after%20you. ; https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/43-children-in-poverty#detailed/1/any/false/1095,2048,1729,37,871,870,573,869,36,868/any/321,322

December 3, 1847- Frederick Douglass releases the first issue of his first antislavery newspaper, The North Star, named for the star that escaping slaves followed. In the first issue Douglass states about the paper: "To millions, now in our boasted land of liberty, it is the STAR OF HOPE." Also in the first issue, Douglass states, “It has long been our anxious wish to see, in this slave-holding, slave-trading, and negro-hating land, a printing-press and paper, permanently established, under the complete control and direction of the immediate victims of slavery and oppression…that the man who has suffered the wrong is the man to demand redress,—that the man STRUCK is the man to CRY OUT—and that he who has endured the cruel pangs of Slavery is the man to advocate Liberty.” The motto of The North Star was: “RIGHT IS OF NO SEX--TRUTH IS OF NO COLOR--GOD IS THE FATHER OF US ALL, AND ALL WE ARE BRETHREN." This motto and paper reflects the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence of "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The value liberty is also stated in the preamble to the Constitution. What can we learn today from this paper and these quotes? For me, there is much to learn including that we should remember our firsthand accounts of history from those who actually experienced it so as to not repeat its mistakes. What do you think?

Hashtags: #onthisdayinhistory, #OnThisDay, #FrederickDouglass, #freedom, #Preamble, #blackhistory

Sources: https://www.loc.gov/collections/frederick-douglass-newspapers/about-this-collection/ “The North Star soon developed into one of the most influential African American antislavery publications of the pre-Civil War era.” https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-North-Star-American-newspaper.

Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/7FdQCK7UeBZd759R9

July 19-20, 1848- One of the first (if not the first) US women’s rights convention, at Seneca Falls, NY, in which the members adopted the “Declaration of Sentiments” drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. This document cleverly starts by utilizing but changing the language of the Declaration of Independence including its Preamble here (with word changes italicized): “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.” As historian Linda Kerber states, “By tying the complaints of women to the most distinguished political statement the nation had made [Stanton] implied that women’s demands were no more or less radical than the American Revolution had been; that they were in fact an implicit fulfillment of the commitments already made.” The Seneca Falls Convention was an important early step on the long road towards the 19th amendment which prohibits the government from denying women the right to vote, and a road which continues today toward equal rights for women. We honor all women who fought and still fight for equal rights in the US and around the world. Sources: https://www.let.rug.nl/usa/documents/1826-1850/the-seneca-falls-declaration-1848.php ; Linda K. Kerber, “From the Declaration of Independence to the Declaration of Sentiments: The Legal Status of Women in the Early Republic, 1776-1848,” Human Rights 6, No. 2 (Winter 1977): 115.; https://www.nps.gov/articles/declaration-of-sentiments.htm#_ftn2 ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Falls_Convention ; https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-19/#:~:text=The%20right%20of%20citizens%20of,this%20article%20by%20appropriate%20legislation ; image: https://images.app.goo.gl/EZFs5SczxbN9p3mY8

April 27, 1860- Hundreds of Americans, including Harriet Tubman rescue escaped slave Charles Nalle from being arrested and returned to slavery. Nalle had escaped from slavery in Virginia about a year and a half earlier and, with the help of the Underground Railway, reached, lived, and worked in the Troy, NY area. Less than two years later, on April 27, a slave catcher and a deputy arrested Nalle under the Fugitive Slave Act and brought him to a local building to prepare to return him to Virginia. Word of the capture spread throughout the town, and hundreds of citizens (some report 2,000) gathered outside of the building. Although it seems too good to be true, Harriet Tubman was in town visiting her cousin that day and entered the building under disguise so that she could alert the crowd when Nalle was about to be brought outside. As he emerged from the building, Tubman grabbed and held onto Nalle. The crowd pulled Nalle to a boat which brought him across the Hudson River to the town of Watervilet where he was immediately arrested again and brought to another building. But, many in the crowd had also crossed the river. They struggled with the arresting officers who fired their guns and injured two, but the crowd overpowered them and escorted Nalle to safety. A few weeks later, citizens of Troy raised enough money to buy Nalle’s freedom enabling him to spend the rest of his life in freedom with his wife and family and a job at the post office. Although the crowd mobilized quite spontaneously, it grew so quickly and was so effective partly due to long-standing abolitionist organizations such as the Troy Vigilance Committee and the Underground Railroad. This event demonstrates what a large group of citizens can accomplish, especially with prior organization, to uphold the values of: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the values of "justice” and “liberty” in the Preamble to the Constitution. Therefore, today and in the future, we should also organize ourselves into groups that promote these values so that we are prepared for the possibility of needing to mobilize in an instant to defend them. Images: https://images.app.goo.gl/5qBVFJMwnG4Afj6J7 ; https://images.app.goo.gl/oNU7tCxhRgBYnhvJ6 . Sources: https://www.hartcluett.org/rensselaer-county-blog/charlesnalle ; https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/harriet-tubman-rescued-charles-nalle/ ; http://www.spellenoftroy.com/blog/the-rescue-of-charles-nalle ; https://uselessinformation.org/charles-nalle/

November 6, 1860- After a four-way race, Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States, the first Republican president. He goes on to preserve the Union, thereby upholding “a more perfect Union” as stated in the preamble to the Constitution, and to end slavery, thereby upholding “all men are created equal" as stated in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. I think this quote of his is very relevant today: “Let us discard all these things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal.” (source) (image)

Sept 17, 1862- battle of Antietam- newly created Ambulance Corps operates Clara Barton helps and is nearly killed when a stray bullet passes through the sleeve of her dress while serving water to a wounded soldier who is killed by the same bullet and then immediately removes a bullet from the cheek of another soldier, her first surgery. The next day Clara tends to a injured soldier who won’t let a male surgeon operate becuase she is a teenage girl named Mary. For this work, she becomes known as “the Angel of the Battlefield.” Podcast- History that Doesn’t Suck!, episode 63: Wounded and Dying: Nurses, Doctors, and Diseases (first approximately 8 minutes of episode).

November 19, 1863- Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address referencing both the preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the preamble to the Constitution as I call out in (parentheses): “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation” (referring to the signing of the Declaration of Independence), “conceived in liberty” (liberty is stated in both preambles), “and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” (“all men are created equal” is a direct quote from the preamble to the Declaration of Independence). “Now we are engaged in a great civil war…we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (“Government of the people, by the people, for the people” reflects and builds on “We the People” of the preamble to the Constitution and “consent of the governed” in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.) https://www.wgal.com/article/read-the-gettysburg-address/6226227

January 1, 1863- Final Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln, “changing legal status of more than 3.5 million enslaved African Americans in the secessionist Confederate states from enslaved to free.” Additionally, it “allowed for former slaves to ‘be received into the armed service of the United States.’” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_Proclamation

December 6, 1865- Thirteenth amendment is ratified, abolishing slavery. Cannot overstate the importance of this in achieving the promise of Preambles.

December 10, 1869- https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/wyoming-grants-women-the-vote : Wyoming becomes the first US territory or state to grant women right to vote.

November 5, 1872- The Preamblist Movement honors Susan B. Anthony for illegally voting in a presidential election on November 5, 1872. When arrested and fined, she said "“I shall never pay a dollar of your unjust penalty." Over 40 years later, women win the right to vote, a major leap in achieving the values of "We the People" in the preamble to the Constitution and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.

July 9, 1868- Fourteenth amendment is adopted, another key step in achieving the Preambles in many of its clauses: “The Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship, nullifying the Supreme Court's decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), which had held that Americans descended from African slaves could not be citizens of the United States.” It also “provides that children born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction become American citizens at birth.” “The Due Process Clause prohibits state and local governments from depriving persons of life, liberty, or property without a fair procedure. The Supreme Court has ruled this clause makes most of the Bill of Rights as applicable to the states as it is to the federal government, as well as to recognize substantive and procedural requirements that state laws must satisfy. The Equal Protection Clause requires each state to provide equal protection under the law to all people, including all non-citizens, within its jurisdiction. This clause has been the basis for many decisions rejecting discrimination against people belonging to various groups. (source)

February 3, 1870- Fifteenth amendment is ratified which states, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” It is another key step in achieving the Preambles as it “prohibits the federal government and each state from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote "on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” (source). Unfortunately, state governments did (and sometimes still do) get around this constitutional amendment. To maximize voting by the full diversity of this great country, the Preamblist Movement supports more polling places in locations close to and easily accessible to all people and other measures that remove obstacles to voting. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/6QnzGiViqYhufKFE7

September 5, 1882- Labor Day- The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in New York City in early September 1882 and later in several other states. In 1894, Congress passed and President Grover Cleveland signed the Labor Day federal holiday into law to happen on the first Monday of every September. According to the Department of Labor, “Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being.” It is also a day to celebrate the successes of the labor movement from which many of us benefit including the eight hour day, the forty hour week with a two-day weekend, overtime pay, workers compensation when injured on the job, the minimum wage, child labor laws, paid vacations, sick leave, lunch breaks, safer working conditions, and protected family and medical unpaid leave.

Sources: https://www.unionplus.org/blog/union-made/eight-reasons-thank-unions ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Labor_Standards_Act_of_1938 ; https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history ; https://www.dol.gov/laborday

May 24, 1883- Grand opening of the Brooklyn Bridge after fourteen years of construction. Once thought impossible, it opened as the longest suspension bridge in the world prompting some to call it the 8th wonder. The story behind its design and construction is a case study in how liberty, opportunity, individual rights, and dedication to science can foster a society in which people of different backgrounds, physical ability, and sex work together to build great wonders.

The main bridge designer, the great engineer John Roebling, immigrated from Prussia in 1831 in his twenties and became a US citizen because he saw America, specifically the northeast, as a land of opportunity and freedom as compared to his oppressive, monarchical, and aristocratic birthplace. He wrote, “He who is for freedom and equal rights…and depends on his own strength and ability…he may come here with ease [and] find opportunity of a livelihood. The slave-free states of North America offer advantages that Europe never had and never can have. (Engineering America: The Life and Times of John A. Roebling, Oxford University Press, Feb 12, 2020, page 113).”

The manual laborers on the bridge were mainly by Irish, German and Italian immigrants willing to do uncomfortable and dangerous work (more than twenty died). To set the foundations, these workers dug for two years down to 78 feet below the water in hot air pressurized chambers called caissons. After the foundations were laid, they built the bridge and its towers as high as 278 feet above the water. These immigrants were a mix of Catholics and Protestants who spoke different native languages but worked together.

The chief engineer of the bridge worked side-by-side with the manual laborers in these conditions. After John Roebling’s death in a work accident, his son, Washington, became the chief engineer, and was often in the pressurized chambers below the river for much of the day. Because of this, he developed “the bends” which partially paralyzed him for the rest of his life. Despite his physical disability, he continued to supervise the building of the bridge from his telescope in his nearby apartment while his wife, Emily Warren Roebling, who learned complex mathematics and engineering, relayed his instructions, managed the supply contracts, and much of the project management for eleven years. She was thirst woman to address the American Society of Civil Engineers, bolstering their support for her husband which helped him keep his job in the face of pressure from the Board of Trustees.

Not only were the people who built the bridge a diverse team, so was the funding, ownership, and oversight structure. The state government created a private company to manage the construction and the bridge was initially funded by a combination of public (government tax payer) and private investor money. When the project blew through its original budget of $5M in five years, the state agreed to provide another $8M but only if the cities bought the private stock thereby making the bridge publicly (government) owned and managed. Today, the bridge is still government-managed specifically by the NYC Department of Transportation. Like so many large projects, it was not built purely by capitalism nor by government, but a combination of both with the private sector and government working together.

Besides working together, there was another key element in the successful completion of the bridge: science. The bridge and some of its construction techniques were cutting-edge

”As of 2018, an average of over 116,000 vehicles, 30,000 pedestrians and 3,000 cyclists travel over the Brooklyn Bridge each day. (source)” My takeaways from its construction

Sources: https://books.google.com/books?id=S9bODwAAQBAJ&pg=PA113&lpg=PA113&dq=roebling+every+american+even+when+he+is+poor+and+must+serve+others+feels+his+innate+rights+as+a+man&source=bl&ots=7oHYgXxrOR&sig=ACfU3U1NBK-lcUSNaNMbDzrDyUBuOSbCZQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYsIKOhauGAxVyEFkFHVp8AxkQ6AF6BAgqEAM#v=onepage&q=roebling%20every%20american%20even%20when%20he%20is%20poor%20and%20must%20serve%20others%20feels%20his%20innate%20rights%20as%20a%20man&f=false

October 28, 1886- “US president Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty. (source)” “The statue is a figure of Libertas, the Roman Goddess of Liberty. She holds a torch above her head with her right hand, and in her left hand carries a tabula ansata inscribed JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776 in Roman numerals), the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A broken chain and shackle lie at her feet as she walks forward, commemorating the national abolition of slavery following the American Civil War.[8] After its dedication the statue became an icon of freedom and of the United States, being subsequently seen as a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving by sea. (source)” A few years before the dedication, in 1883, an American poet, Emma Lazarus, donates a poem to raise money for the construction of the pedestal of the statue; in 1903, a plaque with the poem is installed inside the pedestal:

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” (source).

Preamblism loves the spirit of these last lines of welcoming poor immigrants who are seeking a better life in the USA.

June 15, 1898- Establishment of the American Anti-Imperialist League which opposed forceful territorial expansion of the United States especially in the Philippines. In it’s platform, the League directly cited the values of the preambles of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, including “consent of the governed” and “that all men…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” especially emphasizing “liberty.” Here are quotes from the platform: “We hold that the policy known as imperialism is hostile to liberty and tends toward militarism, an evil from which it has been our glory to be free. We regret that it has become necessary in the land of Washington and Lincoln to reaffirm that all men, of whatever race or color, are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We maintain that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed…We shall oppose for re-election all who in the white house or in congress betray American liberty…We still hope that both of our great political parties will support and defend the declaration of independence in the closing campaign of the century….We cordially invite the co-operation of all men and women who remain loyal to the declaration of independence and the constitution of the United States.” The League had thousands of members including Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie, former President Grover Cleveland, and former President Benjamin Harrison, but “was defeated in the battle of public opinion.” But I honor the American Anti-Imperialist League’s efforts and agree with them that our foreign policy should be consistent with the values in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Additionally, I believe this consistency produces better results for our country in the long run. Sources: https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1125#:~:text=We%20maintain%20that%20governments%20derive,national%20administration%20in%20the%20Philippines ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Anti-Imperialist_League ; Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/AL4HBZWKXibrYwh6A

July 7, 1903- Start of the “March of the Mill Children”: On this day, two hundred strikers including children and their parents began marching with Mary Harris “Mother” Jones from the Philadelphia to New York. This march brought attention to the plight of children under sixteen who worked in textile mills and mines to supplement their parents low incomes or lack of income when a parent was unable to work due to injury or death. Many of these child workers suffered from their own injuries, stunted growth, undernourishment, and lack of schooling. At least 16% of children under 16 (about 1.75 million) were employed (likely many more), with Pennsylvania employing the most of any state. In Pennsylvania, each child worked on average “sixty hours a week for compensation of about $2.50 a week (equivalent to the purchasing power of about $60 in 2010).” Child labor regulations were limited and often poorly enforced. Pennsylvania newspapers under-reported the negative effects of child labor because they were worried about angering the mill owners who had stock in the newspapers. When Mother Jones heard this she said, “Well, I’ve got stock in these little children and I’ll arrange a little publicity.” During the march, children showed their physical injuries and ailments while Mother Jones gave speeches such as “Philadelphia’s mansions were built on the broken bones, the quivering ears and drooping heads of these children.” The march brought significant national attention to the issue and resulted in “a nationwide movement against child labor,” including the formation of the National Child Labor Committee the next year, which pressured legislatures to pass state and federal child labor laws over the next decades. Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/BAMEWkVRLtLV5hDC7 ; sources: https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/march-of-the-mill-children/; https://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/philadelpian-mill-children-march-against-child-labor-exploitation-1903

https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/?tdih_month=7&tdih_day=7&tdih_year=&tdih_state=&tdih_theme=&tdih_keywords=

February 3, 1913- Sixteenth amendment is ratified which “allows Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states on the basis of population.” Prior to this, most federal government revenue came from tarriffs and excise taxes and the Supreme Court had struck down a type of income tax. What does this have to do with Preamblism? An income tax is likely one of the most fair ways to levy a tax which helps achieve all the Preamblist Values.

March 3, 1913- Between 5,000 and 10,000 women marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC in the “Woman Suffrage Procession.” This was “the first large, organized march on Washington for political purposes” and civil rights, setting the stage for all future ones in the nation’s capitol through today. The first float in the march stated, “"We demand an amendment to the Constitution of the United States enfranchising the women of this country" (which would later become known as “The Great Demand.”) The march was strategically and carefully organized especially in its timing which was the day before Woodrow Wilson’s presidential inauguration. In the program, the organizers stated “We march today to give evidence to the world of our determination, that this simple act of justice shall be done" and "in a spirit of protest against the present political organization of society, from which women are excluded." The participants proceeded bravely as police failed to control part of the crowd who spilled onto the street, insulting, spitting on, and physically assaulting the marchers. The participants held strong until army troops cleared the way for the march to continue. Especially brave were black women who took part despite facing racism and impediments from some of the other marchers. The press heavily and visibly covered the march and its aftermath for weeks. The march helped to energize the suffragette movement on a national stage and contributed to the passage six years later of the 19th Amendment which states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” https://www.nps.gov/articles/woman-suffrage-procession1913.htm ; https://wamu.org/story/19/03/28/suffragists-were-responsible-for-the-first-peaceful-march-on-washington/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution ; image: https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/suffrage/Pages/events/procession.aspx

April 8, 1913- Seventeenth amendment is ratified which “established the direct election of United States senators in each state. The amendment supersedes Article I, Section 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures.” (source). Most now would likely agree that direct election of senators is more in line with the Preamblist Value of “consent of the governed” than election by state legislatures.

December 23, 1913- Federal Reserve (under construction).

November 7, 1916- The first female member of U.S. Congress is elected: Jeannette Rankin, Montana, Republican, U.S. House of Representatives. The Preamblist Movement celebrates when the diversity of this country is represented in government.

July 28, 1917- The Silent Protest Parade: ~10,000 Black Americans march in silence in New York City to protest lynchings and racial violence especially in reaction to the murder of over forty and displacement of about 6,000 Black Americans in the East St Louis Riots. It was the one of the first large mass protest marches by Black Americans. As stated by Professor Chad Williams, “The ‘Silent Protest Parade’ marked the beginning of a new epoch in the long black freedom struggle.”

The parade leaders wrote a petition to Congress and President Wilson stating, “We, the committee of the Negro Silent Protest Parade,…ask…that lynching and mob violence be made a national crime….” Neither Congress nor President Wilson acted, despite his lofty rhetoric about America helping make the world “safe” in World War I.

One of the signs in the parade quoted the preamble to the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” As an example of how America was not living up to this quote, right below it, the same sign referenced the World War I draft registration cards which stated in its bottom left hand corner: “If you are of African descent tear off this corner.” Sources: https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/1917NAACPSilentProtestParade; https://theconversation.com/100-years-ago-african-americans-marched-down-5th-avenue-to-declare-that-black-lives-matter-81427 ; https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/1917NAACPSilentProtestParade#&gid=2&pid=1; https://images.prismic.io/nyhs-prod/remembering-the-naacps-1917-silent-protest-parade-and-the-refusal-to-accept-barbaric-acts-4.jpg?auto=compress,format&rect=0,0,1024,448&w=1024&h=448; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Parade; https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/address-to-congress-declaration-of-war-against-germany ; image: https://beinecke.library.yale.edu/1917NAACPSilentProtestParade#&gid=1&pid=4

May 28, 1918- World War I Battle of Cantigny, US first significant battle of war. https://armyhistory.org/the-battle-of-cantigny/#:~:text=A%20small%20battle%20by%20World,allies%20at%20a%20critical%20moment.

August 12 or 13, 1918- Opha May Johnson became the first known woman to officially enlist in the United States Marine Corps during World War I serving as a clerk in Arlington, Virginia. After her official service in the Corps ended, she continued to meet with and support women in the military. She “paved the way for women in the Corps” taking an important step in the long walk towards the spirit of equality in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. The same document also promotes on the values of “security” and “safety” and the Preamble to the Constitution calls for “common defense”- these are all values that Opha May Johnson supported with her service. https://www.mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Opha-May-Johnson.pdf ; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/09/22/the-first-woman-marine-in-1918-she-couldnt-vote-but-rushed-to-serve/

August 18, 1920- Nineteenth amendment, in which women gained the right to vote nationwide, was ratified. The amendment states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” This amendment took us a very important step closer to achieving the spirit of equality of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the value stated therein of “consent of the governed” as well as the values of “justice,” “liberty,” and “general welfare” of the Preamble to the Constitution. Many sacrificed much for this right. Women’s suffrage seems so obviously right to most us now, but these women encountered significant obstacles and abuse in achieving this milestone. Many were ridiculed, harassed, arrested, and physically assaulted and subjected themselves to hunger strikes for their cause. One notable example occurred in 1917. Beginning in January, thousands of “Silent Sentinels” nonviolently and often silently protested for women’s suffrage in front of the White House. “Nearly 500 were arrested, and 168 served jail time.” When the DC jail could no longer hold the number of women being jailed, many were jailed in the Occoquan Workhouse nearby in Virginia. There, on November 14, 1917, almost forty guards physically assaulted many of the over thirty women held. This became known as the “Night of Terror” which was widely reported by the press and gained more sympathy for women’s suffrage. Thank you to the women of the Suffrage movement who sacrificed so much and fought so hard and skillfully for this amendment, and notably for fighting so long. As one of the earliest advocates for women’s suffrage (and abolition of slavery), Sarah Grimke, wrote in 1837: “I ask no favors for my sex. I surrender not our claim to equality. All I ask of our brethren is, that they will take their feet from off our necks, and permit us to stand upright on that ground which God designed us to occupy.”

Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/zUNiFb2kYs3BQXF39

Sources: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-19/#:~:text=The%20right%20of%20citizens%20of,State%20on%20account%20of%20sex ; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/19th-amendment-ratified-tennessee-thanks-to-one-vote ; https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sarah_Grimk%C3%A9 ; https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sarah-moore-grimke ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Sentinels#Occoquan_Workhouse_and_the_Night_of_Terror

November 4, 1924 – “Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becomes the first female elected as governor in the United States.” (source)

January 15, 1929- The birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., a great hero of Preamblism. He often referred to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. In his last speech he stated, “when students all over the South started sitting-in at lunch counters. And I knew that as they were sitting in, they were really standing up for the best in the American dream, and taking the whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.”(source) In his In his “I Have a Dream Speech” he stated, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And “So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” (source). On his birthday, how can we today best ensure that this nation “live(s) out the true meaning of its creed?” In particular he referenced the Declaration of Independence: Emancipation Proclamation Centennial Address (1962): The Declaration of Independence proclaimed to a world, organized politically and spiritually around the concept of the inequality of man, that the dignity of human personality was inherent in man as a living being. The Emancipation Proclamation was the offspring of the Declaration of Independence. It was a constructive use of the force of law to uproot a social order which sought to separate liberty from a segment of humanity.” And in letter from Birmingham Jail: “We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America. Before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson scratched across the pages of history the majestic word of the Declaration of Independence, we were here.”

Martin Luther King, Letter from Birmingham Jail

March 31, 1933- Congress passed and President Franklin Roosevelt signed the legislation creating the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in depths of the Great Depression to provide employment to young men during a time of a 25% unemployment rate (and higher for young men).

The program was created during a time of a 25% unemployment rate (and higher for young men). The program ran until 1942, employing three million men over nine years as they developed skills for other jobs and the military. The program paid $30 (or about $680 today) per month of which the men were required to send $25 home to their families. The men stayed in over 2,000 camps for a minimum of six months and could serve as long as two years. Work was mainly manual and focused on conserving the nation’s natural resources.

I celebrate the CCC because, in a time of great need, the government implemented a program that in the words of the preamble to the Constitution, “promote(d) the general welfare” and helped young people in their, in the words of the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “pursuit of Happiness” and “Safety” of which developing oneself through productive work that supports one’s family is important. Additionally, the program’s focus on conserving natural resources helped “our posterity” (future generations) as stated in the preamble to the Constitution. But the program violated the value of “all men are created equal” as it was racially segregated and the women’s equivalent program (“She, She, She Camps”) was tiny in comparison.

The CCC set the stage for the current AmeriCorps program and Job Corps.

Sources: https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/ccc/salmond/chap13.htm#:~:text=Despite%20its%20successes%2C%20its%20potential,question%20of%20the%20CCC's%20conservatism; https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-civilian-conservation-corps.htm; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps

August 5, 1936- Jesse Owens won his third Olympic Gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. He would go on to win his fourth a few days later. As President Jimmy Carter stated upon Owens death in 1980, “Perhaps no athlete better symbolized the human struggle against tyranny, poverty, and racial bigotry.” Owens was born in 1913 into poverty in Alabama as the youngest of ten children and the son of a sharecropper. He often suffered from severe illnesses and his family could not afford to bring him to a doctor including when his mother cut a growing bump off his chest with a kitchen knife while he bit down on a leather strap. When he was nine, Owens and family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he practiced running in the morning, then went to school, and then worked menial jobs in the afternoon and evening. He continued this combination of running, school, and part-time jobs at The Ohio State University at which he won championships and broke world records (including three in forty-five minutes on May 25, 1935), but due to racism, he had to live off-campus, and often eat at “blacks-only” restaurants and, when traveling, often stay at “blacks-only” hotels. At the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany, he won four gold medals in the face of Nazi racist ideology. He faced further racism when he returned to the United States. After a ticker-tape parade in New York City in his honor, he was not allowed through the front door of the Waldorf Astoria. Furthermore, he and the other black Olympic athletes weren’t invited to the White House, but the white ones were. He was discriminated against financially too as he stated, ““After I came home from the 1936 Olympics with my four medals, it became increasingly apparent that everyone was going to slap me on the back, want to shake my hand or have me up to their suite. But no one was going to offer me a job.” But as he did all his life, he persevered and in 1942 got a job at Ford Motor Company and then opened his own public relations firm as well as worked for Illinois and then the federal government. He excelled at public speaking, wrote several books including about civil rights, and worked closely with underprivileged youth, all while raising three daughters with his wife. Owens was a role model for hard work despite the obstacles and stated, “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.” Sources: https://time.com/4227802/jesse-owens-race-triumph-excerpt/ ; https://www.biography.com/athletes/jesse-owens ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens ; https://library.osu.edu/site/jesseowens/legacy/#:~:text=Meanwhile%2C%20Owens%20spent%20a%20lot,other%20mementoes%20to%20honor%20him. ; https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-olympics-berlin-1936-african-american-voices-and-jim-crow-america#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAfter%20I%20came%20home%20from,to%20offer%20me%20a%20job.%E2%80%9D ; https://youtu.be/gn-Xg158TcQ

February 11, 1937- anniversary of one of the first major victories for a labor union in the US as a result of the Flint, Michigan United Auto Workers strike of 1937. Before the victory, auto workers were paid less than a living wage for a family of four and worked in dangerous and sometimes deadly conditions with “mercilessly” fast assembly lines. After 44 days of a sit-in strike at multiple General Motors plants, the company gave workers a 5% pay increase and allowed workers to join the union. In several previous major strikes, such as the Homestead Steel Strike of 1892, the Pullman Strike of 1894, and the Great Steel Strike of 1919, the government violated its duty to the people by helping the companies violently break the strike with police or troops. But in the Flint strike, the government recognized that they should not use violence on common citizens trying to achieve the American dream. Michigan Governor Frank Murphy stated, “If I send those soldiers right in on the men,” he said, “there’d be no telling how many would be killed…The state authorities will not take sides. They (the National Guard) are here only to protect the public peace.” The sit-in became known as the “strike heard around the world.” The success of this strike inspired more workers to join unions, more strikes, and more companies to pay higher wages. I honor this moment because I believe that all workers deserve safe working conditions and a living wage so they can provide for their families through the dignity of their own labor. I believe this is in line with the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I also believe this is in line with the preamble to the Constitution when it declares “We the People” and calls for “general Welfare,” and “the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” I believe that our government should prevent corporations from taking advantage of workers. Although I don’t agree with all labor union positions, I believe that they play an important role in our country. What are your thoughts? Image and source: https://www.abc12.com/news/business/how-an-auto-workers-strike-87-years-ago-transformed-america/article_b29d2dd6-6454-5e33-8064-fa399817a5d6.html Sources: https://guides.loc.gov/this-month-in-business-history/february/flint-michigan-sit-down-strike ; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sit-down-strike-begins-in-flint; https://www.history.com/news/flint-sit-down-strike-general-motors-uaw; https://www.history.com/news/strikes-labor-movement

December 28 (and June 22) 1942- Although versions of a pledge to our flag and country had been used for years, no version was formally recognized by the federal government until 1942 (June 22 and then December 28) when Congress included the Pledge of Allegiance in US Flag Code. My favorite words in the pledge are: “with liberty and justice for all.” “Liberty” and “Justice” are both values stated in the Preamble to the Constitution while “for all” reflects the Declaration of Independence Preamble which states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” and then states “Liberty” as one of these rights. As we say the Pledge of Allegiance, let’s remember to keep striving to achieve the values “with liberty and justice for all.” Pledge of Allegiance Day is celebrated December 28th. Image: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/6407488/pledge-allegiance-day-infographic ; Sources: https://www.gilderlehrman.org/news/pledge-allegiance-adopted-congress-day-june-22 ; https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/pledge.pdf; https://www.preamblist.org

December 17, 1944- The US government finally starts to bring a great wrong to an end when it rescinds the World War II internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry. Until this date, ~110,000 people, most of them American citizens, had been in harsh internment camps for about two and a half years. At the same time, 33,000 Americans of Japanese descent served in US military, many with distinction in combat. No Americans of Japanese descent were ever convicted of spying for Japan. Let’s ensure our government:

• never again questions the loyalty of Americans because of race or ancestry,

• never takes away the “liberty” stated in the preamble to the Constitution based on race or ancestry,

• always recognizes that the “justice” stated in the preamble to the Constitution means we are never supposed to judge someone based on their race or ancestry.

• always honors the words in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence that “all mean are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What do you think we can learn from this today? Sources: https://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/us-rescinds-internment-of-japanese-americans-dec-17-1944-232630; ; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/u-s-approves-end-to-internment-of-japanese-americans; https://www.nps.gov/wwii/learn/historyculture/japanese-americans-at-war.htm#:~:text=While%20their%20families%20were%20confined,risk%20their%20lives%20in%20combat.

August 8, 1945- President Truman signed United Nations Charter making the US the first nation to join. The UN has never lived up to expectations in promoting and maintaining global peace and has certainly had its fair share of failures and corruption. Even so, it has also had successes, has an important role to play, and we should support it for a world without it is likely worse. As Truman stated when asking the Senate to ratify the charter, “This Charter points down the only road to enduring peace. There is no other. Let us not hesitate to join hands with the peace-loving peoples of the earth and start down that road, with God's help, and with firm resolve that we can and will reach our goal.” Additionally, the United States played a crucial role in creating the United Nations. The Preamble to the charter of the United Nations draws inspiration from both the preambles to our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Like our Constitution starts with “We the People” the UN Charter starts with “We the Peoples of the United Nations.” Like our Constitution’s preamble states its purpose includes “justice,” “domestic tranquility,” “common defense,” and “liberty to ourselves and our posterity” the UN Charter preamble calls for…to be continued. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-before-the-senate-urging-ratification-the-charter-the-united-nations ; https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/truman-signs-united-nations-charter ; https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text

October 30, 1945 – “Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs signs a contract for the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the baseball color line.” (source)

July 26, 1948- President Truman issues the executive order that ends segregation in the Armed Services. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

August 7, 1948- Alice Coachman became the first Black woman in the world to win an Olympic Gold medal. Born in segregated Georgia in 1923 into a family with ten kids, Alice grew up going to school, working agricultural jobs to supplement her family’s income, and training in athletics. She overcame discrimination in a time when many believed girls should not play sports; even her father used to discourage and even sometimes whip her for playing sports. She also overcame discrimination for being Black; when she was not allowed to train with white children in organized sports or official athletic facilities, she trained by herself often barefoot and with sticks and a rope to practice the high jump. She won numerous national championships in both sprinting and high jump from 1939 to 1948 and made the 1948 Olympics, the first to be held since World War II, at which she won the high jump gold and broke the Olympic record. On her return, her achievement was celebrated in Georgia but due to racism, “had to leave her own celebration through a side door.” Her victory inspired and helped open the door for the great American black female athletes to come including many more gold medal winners. After the Olympics, she further gave back to her community by becoming a teacher, track coach, and helping athletes-in-need through the Alice Coachman Foundation. At age 73, she stated, “When the going gets tough and you feel like throwing your hands in the air, listen to that voice that tells you 'Keep going. Hang in there.' Guts and determination will pull you through." And she emphasized humility when she stated, "From the very first gold medal I won in 1939, my mama used to stress being humble. You're no better than anyone else. The people you pass on the ladder will be the same people you'll be with when the ladder comes down." Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/PFseQgedXgBQYnY28 ; sources: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/alice-coachman ; https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/27/sports/sports-of-the-times-good-things-happening-for-one-who-decided-to-wait.html ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Coachman ; https://www.biography.com/athlete/alice-coachman

June 1, 1950- Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith delivered the Declaration of Conscience speech on the Senate floor in favor of “some of the basic principles of Americanism- The right to criticize. The right to hold unpopular beliefs. The right to protest. The right of independent thought.” Furthermore, she spoke of these as not just rights, but also as necessities for a functioning government and society- “As members of the minority party…we do have the responsibility of rendering constructive criticism, of clarifying issues, of allaying fears by acting as responsible citizens.” She also spoke for putting America before party loyalty stating “it is high time that we stopped thinking politically as Republicans and Democrats about elections and started thinking patriotically as Americans about national security based on individual freedom. It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques-techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life.” For context to what she meant by “totalitarian-techniques,” Smith was speaking during a time of increasing name-calling on both sides of the aisle including within her own Republican party as this was only about four months after Joseph McCarthy’s “Enemies from Within Speech.” To be clear, she was concerned about spies in our government stating, “there have been enough proved cases… to cause nationwide distrust and strong suspicion,” but she was against “irresponsible…reckless…unproved charges” stating, “I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended, speaks not only of the freedom of speech but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation. Whether it be a criminal prosecution in court or a character prosecution in the Senate, there is little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined.” She was also against the division caused by these loose accusations: “Today our country is being psychologically divided by the confusion and the suspicions that are bred in the United States Senate to spread like cancerous tentacles of ‘know nothing, suspect everything’ attitudes.” She was critical of the Democratic Party for specific reasons that she lays out, but she also stated “Yet to displace it with a Republican regime embracing a philosophy that lacks political integrity or intellectual honesty would prove equally disastrous to the nation. The nation sorely needs a Republican victory. But I do not want to see the Republican party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny-Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear…I do not want to see the Republican party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for the Republican party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American people. Surely it would ultimately be suicide for the Republican party and the two-party system that has protected our American liberties from the dictatorship of a one-party system…I do not like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political gain at the sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity…As an American, I am shocked at the way Republicans and Democrats alike are playing directly into the Communist design of ‘confuse, divide, and conquer’…As an American, I do not want a Democratic administration ‘whitewash’ or ‘coverup’ any more than I want a Republican smear or witch hunt. As an American, I condemn a Republican Fascist just as much as I condemn a Democrat Communist. I condemn a Democrat Fascist just as much as I condemn a Republican Communist. They are equally dangerous to you and me and to our country. As an American, I want to see our nation recapture the strength and unity it once had when we fought the enemy instead of ourselves.” Smith was brave in giving this speech because she knew McCarthy would likely come after her which he did by removing “her as a member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.” Smith was the first woman to serve in both the House and the Senate and later “the first woman to actively seek the presidential nomination of a major political party.” The rights she states, (“to criticize,” “to hold unpopular beliefs,” “to protest,” and “of independent thought”) are reflective of the unalienable Rights of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, especially “liberty” which is also stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. The Preamble to the Constitution also calls for “a more perfect union” which is what I believe Smith was calling for in her “Declaration of Conscience.” I, and others, think her speech is very relevant today for I frequently hear dismissive name-calling by many politicians and citizens of both parties, instead of the reasoned, respectful, constructive and nuanced debate that will move our country forward. Sources: https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/SmithDeclaration.pdf ; https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/Photo_MCS_1964campaign.htm ; https://www.senate.gov/senators/FeaturedBios/Featured_Bio_SmithMargaret.htm ; https://www.thebulwark.com/p/its-time-for-another-declaration-of-conscience ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Chase_Smith

March 9, 1954- Journalist Edward R. Murrow spoke out publicly and prominently against Senator Joseph McCarthy’s tactics on the TV show See it Now stating:

“No one familiar with the history of this country can deny that congressional committees are useful. It is necessary to investigate before legislating, but the line between investigating and persecuting is a very fine one, and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly. His primary achievement has been in confusing the public mind, as between the internal and the external threats of Communism. We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men—not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.

This is no time for men who oppose Senator McCarthy's methods to keep silent, or for those who approve. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of a republic to abdicate his responsibilities. As a nation we have come into our full inheritance at a tender age. We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.

The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it—and rather successfully. Cassius was right: ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’”

This episode of the show helped to end the evils of McCarthyism.

May 17, 1954- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka: The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional stating, “We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.” This was an important step in striving for the "equality" and "general welfare" called for in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution respectively. Notably, Thurgood Marshall, the future first African-American Supreme Court Justice, argued the case for the plaintiffs. Although we celebrate the ruling, we condemn that, during the integration of the schools, southern states fired or demoted so many black teachers and principals. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/347/483/#annotation ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education ; https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/17/us/school-segregation-brown-v-board-dg/index.html

June 9, 1954- On national TV, after Joseph McCarthy attacks World War II veteran Fred Fischer for being a former member of a progressive legal organization, the National Lawyers Guild, attorney Joseph Welch stands up to McCarthy and states, “Until this moment, Senator, I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Fred Fisher is a young man who went to the Harvard Law School and came into my firm and is starting what looks to be a brilliant career with us.… Little did I dream you could be so reckless and so cruel as to do an injury to that lad. It is true he is still with Hale and Dorr. It is true that he will continue to be with Hale and Dorr. It is, I regret to say, equally true that I fear he shall always bear a scar needlessly inflicted by you. If it were in my power to forgive you for your reckless cruelty I would do so. I like to think I am a gentle man but your forgiveness will have to come from someone other than me…Senator, may we not drop this? We know he belonged to the Lawyers Guild.… Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?…Mr. McCarthy, I will not discuss this further with you. You have sat within six feet of me and could have asked me about Fred Fisher. You have seen fit to bring it out, and if there is a God in Heaven it will do neither you nor your cause any good. I will not discuss it further.” This is the most famous part of the Army-McCarthy hearings in which McCarthy ruined his own popularity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army%E2%80%93McCarthy_hearings ; https://www.smithsonianmag.com/videos/joseph-mccarthys-downfall-was-accusing-the-ar/

December 2, 1954- The Senate votes to censure Senator Joseph McCarthy who had built much of his popularity by publicly accusing individuals of being communists without proof which often ruined their lives and caused widespread fear of expressing certain views. The censure is a victory for freedom of speech, due process of law, and the liberty stated in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

January 20, 1955- On this day in 1955, students conducted an anti-segregation lunch counter sit-in in the flagship of Read’s drug store chain in downtown Baltimore. This was the most famous of several sit-ins and protests in 1955 against Read’s racial segregation policy. These efforts combined made up one of the first sustained direct action campaigns against segregation and involved some of the earliest lunch counter sit-ins of the civil rights movement. The campaign worked. Two days after the January 20th sit-in, Read’s owner ended the segregation policy at all 37 of its lunch counters which influenced other Baltimore businesses to integrate. This campaign inspired later sit-ins against segregation that helped to gradually integrate more businesses in other cities.

image: https://images.app.goo.gl/EsXquobWnRj22yQ56 ; Sources: https://theclio.com/entry/12898 ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sit-in ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Read%27s_Drug_Store ;

March 2, 1955- In Montgomery Alabama, Claudette Colvin, a 15 year old black woman, refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white woman who would not sit in the same row as her. When a traffic officer asked her why, she replied, “because it’s my constitutional right.” When two police officers boarded the bus to tell her to move, she refused. The police officers violently removed her from the bus and she became “the first person to be arrested for challenging Montgomery’s bus segregation laws” nine months before Rosa Parks was arrested. She later stated, “I could not move because history had me glued to the seat…Sojourner Truth’s hands were pushing me down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman’s hands were pushing me down on another shoulder.” She had just finished learning about Black History since her school celebrated it for the entire month of February, “as we do now, because her teachers felt black people were absent from history books.” In the months after, several other black women also defied bus segregation in Montgomery. Three of these women agreed to be the main plaintiffs in a federal civil action lawsuit, known as Browder v. Gayle (1956) which ruled “"the enforced segregation of black and white passengers on motor buses operating in the City of Montgomery violates the Constitution and laws of the United States” and led to Alabama desegregating its buses. https://www.womenshistory.org/articles/girl-who-acted-rosa-parks ; https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/picture-gallery/news/2019/12/01/rosa-parks-statue-bus-boycott-civil-rights/4346990002/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browder_v._Gayle

April 12, 1955- Jonas Salk polio virus declared safe.

December 1, 1955- “Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama bus” prompting a year-long city bus boycott. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

June 5, 1956- Browder v. Gayle- Montgomery federal court rules that segregated seating on buses is unconstitutional because violates 14th amendment.

November 13, 1956- Supreme Court updholds Browder v. Gayle Montgomery federal court ruling that segregated seating on buses is unconstitutional.

December 24, 1956- We celebrate the actions of black civil rights activists in Tallahassee, Florida in 1956 who had already been engaged in a seven-month boycott of the city buses to protest segregation. On this day, the activists launched a new tactic: they returned to riding the buses, but defiantly sat in seats reserved for whites. This initiative was to test whether a recent court ruling that declared segregation on buses unconstitutional in Montgomery, Alabama (Browder v. Gayle), would also be enforced in Florida. The leaders and others in the black community did this knowing they risked arrest and violence. Due to these actions, buses in Tallahassee were integrated by summer. https://www.floridamemory.com/learn/classroom/learning-units/civil-rights/tallahasseebusboycott/#:~:text=African%2DAmericans%20in%20Tallahassee%20boycotted,and%20for%20other%20necessary%20transportation ; https://history.fsu.edu/article/black-history-month-story-tallahassee-bus-boycott

January 10 and 11th 1957- Sixty Black pastors and civil rights leaders from several southern states—including Martin Luther King, Jr.—meet in Atlanta, Georgia to coordinate nonviolent protests against racial discrimination and segregation. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

September 9, 1957- President “Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law to help protect voter rights. The law allows federal prosecution of those who suppress another’s right to vote.” https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

September 24, 1957- In a victory for racial integration, General Eisenhower orders the US Army to protect the Little Rock Nine, a group of students who are bravely trying to be the first African Americans to attend Little Rock Central High School since the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. Until this order, the nine students have been unable to complete a full day of school there due to the disgraceful protests of angry segregationists.

February 1, 1960- “Four African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina refuse to leave a Woolworth’s ‘whites only’ lunch counter without being served. The Greensboro Four—Ezell Blair Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil—were inspired by the nonviolent protest of Gandhi. The Greensboro Sit-In, as it came to be called, sparks similar “sit-ins” throughout the city and in other states.” https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

November 14, 1960: “Six-year-old Ruby Bridges is escorted by four armed federal marshals as she becomes the first student to integrate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Her actions inspired Norman Rockwell’s painting The Problem We All Live With (1964).” https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

December 5, 1960- “In Boynton v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court holds that racial segregation in bus terminals is illegal because such segregation violates the Interstate Commerce Act. This ruling, in combination with the Interstate Commerce Commission's 1955 decision in Keys v. Carolina Coach Co., effectively outlaws segregation on interstate buses and at the terminals servicing such buses.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_civil_rights_movement

January 20, 1961- Kennedy delivers the inspiring words of his inaugural address about our country's foundations of human rights, liberty, and freedom. I wonder if today we are still like he states we were then: "unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world?" If so, let us stop fighting with each other and try to come together as a country and renew our commitment to democracy for all our citizens for it is one of the keys to our human rights.

Here are my favorite parts of his inaugural address in which I see the same spirit as the preambles to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence:

"We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty...

...And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country...."

For full speech go to https://www.archives.gov/.../president-john-f-kennedys... .

March 29, 1961- Twenty-third amendment is ratified which “extends the right to participate in presidential elections to the District of Columbia. The amendment grants to the district electors in the Electoral College, as though it were a state, though the district can never have more electors than the least-populous state.” (source). Although not going far enough in recognizing the voting rights of residents of Washington, D.C., this is a step in the right direction to achieving the Preambles especially the Preamblist Values of “consent of the governed” and “All men are created equal,” and “We the People.” There is no doubt in my mind that the Preamblist Values call for equal voting rights for a resident of D.C. as with residents of any state in the country.

May 4, 1961- The Freedom Riders embark on their first journey to challenge segregation in the South by traveling together as a mixed race group on buses and bus terminals and attempted to use “whites-only” restrooms and lunch counters. The Freedom Rides were marked by horrific violence from white protestors, which helped draw international attention to their cause.” https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline Attorney General Robert Kennedy called in hundreds of Federal Marshalls to stop the violence. “In the fall of 1961, under pressure from the Kennedy administration, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued regulations prohibiting segregation in interstate transit terminals.” https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-rides ; https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/freedom-rides

October 28, 1962- “The Cuban Missile Crisis ends and Premier Nikita Khrushchev orders the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. (source)” Partly through President Kennedy and his brother’s wise diplomacy, often against the advice of their military leadership, the world narrowly avoids nuclear war. The Kennedy brothers used diplomacy to achieve the Preamblist Values of “safety,” “future security,” “life,” and “general welfare.”

December 3, 1962- “anniversary of the day that Edith Spurlock Sampson was sworn in as the first African-American female judge by election.” https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2016/12/edith-sampson-pic-of-the-week/

June 11, 1963- President John F. Kennedy issues an executive order to federalize the Alabama National Guard who move Governor George Wallace out of the way a door at the University of Alabama which enabled Vivian Malone and James Hood, to complete their enrollment as the first black students at the University.

August 28, 1963- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gives the “I Have a Dream Speech” in which he gives new energy to the Preambles to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, Black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And “So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” (source)

September 15, 1963- Today is the anniversary of a tragic event: the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church with dynamite by the KKK on a Sunday morning, murdering four black girls under the age of 15. We can still learn much from this terrible act today. As Martin Luther King Jr stated a few days at the funeral of three of the girls, “And so this afternoon in a real sense they (the murdered girls) have something to say to each of us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained-glass windows. They have something to say to every politician who has fed his constituents with the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of racism. They have something to say to a federal government that has compromised with the undemocratic practices of southern Dixiecrats and the blatant hypocrisy of right-wing northern Republicans. They have something to say to every Negro who has passively accepted the evil system of segregation and who has stood on the sidelines in a mighty struggle for justice. They say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life, the philosophy which produced the murderers. Their death says to us that we must work passionately and unrelentingly for the realization of the American dream.”

https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/mlks-eulogy-after-the-16th-street ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Baptist_Church_bombing

January 23, 1964- Twenty-fourth amendment is ratified which “prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax. The amendment was proposed by Congress to the states on August 27, 1962, and was ratified by the states on January 23, 1964. Southern states of the former Confederate States of America adopted poll taxes in laws of the late 19th century and new constitutions from 1890 to 1908, after the Democratic Party had generally regained control of state legislatures decades after the end of Reconstruction, as a measure to prevent African Americans and often poor whites (and following passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, women) from voting.” (source). This is an important step in achieving the Preambles especially the Preamblist Values of “consent of the governed” and “All men are created equal,” and “We the People.”

February 17, 1964- Wesberry v. Sanders decided by Supreme Court, a decision we celebrate because it is consistent with the value of "we the people" in the preamble to the Constitution as well as the values of "all men are created equal" and "consent of the governed" in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. James Wesberry lived in the Fifth Congressional District in Georgia “the population of which is two to three times greater than that of some other congressional districts in the State.” Georgia was not alone- several states had districts of unequal population especially diluting the vote of urban districts. Wesberry and team claimed that “Since there is only one Congressman for each district, this inequality of population means that the Fifth District's Congressman has to represent from two to three times as many people as do Congressmen from some of the other Georgia districts…Claiming that these population disparities deprived them and voters similarly situated of a right under the Federal Constitution to have their votes for Congressmen given the same weight as the votes of other Georgians.” The Supreme Court agreed with Wesberry and ruled that “The Constitution requires that members of the House of Representatives be selected by districts composed, as nearly as is practicable, of equal population…It would be extraordinary to suggest that, in such statewide elections, the votes of inhabitants of some parts of a State, for example, Georgia's thinly populated Ninth District, could be weighted at two or three times the value of the votes of people living in more populous parts of the State, for example, the Fifth District around Atlanta…We do not believe that the Framers of the Constitution intended to permit the same vote-diluting discrimination to be accomplished through the device of districts containing widely varied numbers of inhabitants. To say that a vote is worth more in one district than in another would not only run counter to our fundamental ideas of democratic government, it would cast aside the principle of a House of Representatives elected "by the People," a principle tenaciously fought for and established at the Constitutional Convention…While it may not be possible to draw congressional districts with mathematical precision, that is no excuse for ignoring our Constitution's plain objective of making equal representation for equal numbers of people the fundamental goal for the House of Representatives. That is the high standard of justice and common sense which the Founders set for us…No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined. Our Constitution leaves no room for classification of people in a way that unnecessarily abridges this right. In urging the people to adopt the Constitution, Madison said in No. 57 of The Federalist: ‘Who are to be the electors of the Federal Representatives? Not the rich more than the poor; not the learned more than the ignorant; not the haughty heirs of distinguished names more than the humble sons of obscure and unpropitious fortune. The electors are to be the great body of the people of the United States.’…Readers surely could have fairly taken this to mean, "one person, one vote." We thank the Supreme Court for this ruling- if they had ruled otherwise, imagine what shenanigans the political parties would get up to today beyond the gerrymandering they already do.

July 2, 1964- “President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, preventing employment discrimination due to race, color, sex, religion or national origin. Title VII of the Act establishes the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to help prevent workplace discrimination.” https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

January 4, 1965- President Johnson “Great Society” speech.

March 7, 1965- “Bloody Sunday-” In a seminal moment in the Civil Rights movement, John Lewis leads 600 marchers across Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma only to beaten by Alabama State Troopers. A few months later, this march and the events surrounding it, help pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696161/

July 14, 1965- Former President Eisenhower delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention which reminds us that the the party was founded in alignment with the values of “all men are created equal” (in the Preamble to Declaration of Independence) and “justice” and “liberty” (in the Preamble to the Constitution). “Our party, let us never forget, was born out of protest against a supreme indignity to mankind — slavery — the story of which is found on the darkest pages of America's history, both North and South, which persisted as a social cancer even in this land of liberty until Abraham Lincoln eliminated it a century ago, supported by our party, which he led. This Republican party, then, was conceived to battle injustice; it was born committed against degradation of people. So it is more than mere coincidence that we Republicans have as an article of political faith, faith in the individual. Nor is it coincidence that our party so born has never ceased to champion the rights and privileges of every citizen. regardless of race or station.” Eisenhower then uses this history as a launchpad for discussing that the belief in the individual drives much of their platform at that time including:

Civil Rights: “Republicans in Congress to their great credit voted far more overwhelmingly than did our opponents to pass the Civil Rights Bill”…“This is the kind of help in which Republicans believe, the kind they evidenced when, under the leadership of a Republican Administration, the first breakthrough in 80 years was made in obtaining civil rights—civil legislation. Except for that success in 1957, and except for Republican leadership in the current Congress, it is scarcely likely that the comprehensive bill of 1964 could ever have become law.”

Government in private lives: “It is not our claim, therefore, and may it never be, that we or any others have the right or duty to control the individual in the legitimate conduct of his daily life. Rather, we have ever sought to create an atmosphere of liberty and to sustain its substance. Consistent with this effort, we have maintained that in all those things that the citizen can better do for himself than can his government, the government ought not to interfere.”

On legislation against financial concentration in the hands of a few: Eisenhower states that “Protected by laws against an unwarranted concentration of industrial or financial power, our citizenry proudly and happily pushed forward to new levels of achievement and prosperity.”

On fiscal responsibility: “That Administration stood for integrity in government. It stood for fiscal responsibility, including disciplined management of public spending.”…“By our insistence upon paying now for what we demand from government today instead of charging our bill to posterity, we are seeing to it that those who follow us will not one day be working out their lives paying off gigantic debts run up through our own selfishness and profligacy. This concern for the future is in keeping with Republican conviction and American tradition. America is here not just for a day, a year, a century—it is here in the Constitution we read as the purpose of our inspired founders to secure ‘the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity;’ and any political party that counsels us today to ignore the needs of tomorrow so that on deficit spending we may live today in comfort and ease is false to America's true meaning and to her destiny.” (The italicized phrase is in the Preamble to the Constitution.)

On empowering local and state governments: “It insisted that all public responsibilities be carried out wherever possible by local and state governments, by the Federal Government only when necessary.”…“Now, since we Republicans believe in diversity — diversifying power and political authority — let us remember that one effective way to counteract this trend is to insist upon better government in communities and in the several states.” “Good local governments will attack these problems by legal methods. They can impose punishment more in keeping with the crimes committed, especially in the case of repeaters. They can expand police protection, build more and better schools and provide better lighting on our streets and parks, and use other methods.” “It was an Administration which set its face for the people and their well‐being and directly against any increase in the concentration of power in Washington.” “In this entire field I would profoundly hope that the Republican party will assume its proper place in the forefront of the forces fighting for decency, safety and progress in all the localities that make up this fair land.”

On infrastructure, schools, and strong communities: “For half a century after Lincoln's inauguration our country lived under almost continuous Republican leadership and it prospered mightily. Transcontinental systems of railways, roads and waterways, great manufacturing plants, schools and bustling communities — they sprang forth as if by magic—all the product of a free people vigorously and freely competing among themselves.”

On social spending and programs: “It was in this framework of conviction and action that a Republican Administration in the nineteen‐fifties extended Social Security coverage to 10 million more people; it is why Republicans increased Social Security payments to meet the increased costs caused by earlier inflation. For the same reason, we initiated programs to meet the conditions in chronically depressed areas, programs designed to help people help themselves. Also, it was why we took steps by law to insure the ability of able young men and women to obtain university training today so badly needed by the nation. Now, in all such work the Republican aim has been not merely to meet the immediate and inescapable material needs of the citizen, but so to act as to do no damage to his pride, dignity, self‐reliance and self‐confidence.”…"Of course, individually and as a party, we must never shut our eyes to problems that adversely affect numbers of our people and that they are unable themselves to solve. These include certain phases of health, education, care of the aged, civil rights, slums and impoverished areas.”

On the judicial system: “We can demand that our judges dispense justice without fear or favor, ignoring special pleas for any of us, even where friends or family are involved.”

On foreign policy and military spending: “Our party stood for the sound foreign policy within which every critical development would be carefully judged and consistent actions forthrightly taken. Recognizing that in this troubled and threatened world, security forces unmatched in efficiency and strength are necessary to sustain the peace, our party provided them. At the same time, it insisted upon avoiding the peaks and valleys in military activity that spell always waste and inefficiency and extravagance.”

On rejecting ideological orthodoxy, extremism, radicalism, hate, and intolerance: “We must learn that when any Republican concerns himself too much in condemning this or that faction of decent peoples in the party he is hurting himself and the party. Strength is found in unity under a consensus broad enough to accommodate the honest thinking of all who subscribe to our basic doctrine.”… “Clearly, clearly, we should set some definite limits on the extent to which each Republican should go in trying to prove himself a better, wiser and sounder Republican than any of his fellows. Cannot we also agree wholeheartedly that radicalism of any kind, whether of the right or the left, is bad —not simply for our party but also for America. I believe with all my heart that the kind of party ours must be is one that rejects as unfit and unwholesome all who are purveyors of hatred and intolerance, who are prone to the use of violence, who malign the character of fellow Americans and who baselessly charge decent Americans with treasonable acts or intentions. We should reject equally those who misguidedly, through extremist economic nostrums and wishful thinking in foreign affairs, would weaken or deliberately destroy this Republic.”…“We can and we should compete vigorously and honorably among ourselves. But never can we afford to permit ourselves to be led astray by meaningless siogans, labels, preconceived notions and prejudices. And we shall not be, if we cleave to the straight path of principle and common sense”…“If the answer be that these are truly among our fundamental goals, then let us renew our strength from the fountain of unity, not drown ourselves in a whirlpool of factional strife and divisive ambitions. And let us not stain our image by consorting with radicals of any kind.”

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/15/archives/transcript-of-eisenhowers-speech-to-the-gop-convention.html

August 6, 1965- Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed into law after passage by the Senate and House of Representatives. This is an important step in achieving the Preambles especially the Preamblist Values of “consent of the governed” and “All men are created equal,” and “We the People.” “Designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, the Act sought to secure the right to vote for racial minorities throughout the country, especially in the South.” (source).

September 9, 1966- President Lyndon Johnson signs the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Act into law. Before the act, “by 1965, automobile accidents had become the leading cause of death of Americans under age 44.” After the act, “By 1970, motor-vehicle-related death rates were decreasing by both the public health measure (deaths per 100,000 population) and the traffic safety indicator (deaths per VMT).” The act is an example of the federal government fulfilling its foundational values as stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution specifically: “life,” “safety,” and “security” stated in the Preamble to the Declaration and “general welfare” and “our posterity” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution.

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Traffic-and-Motor-Vehicle-Safety-Act ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Traffic_and_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Act ;

April 11, 1968- President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, also known as the Fair Housing Act, providing equal housing opportunity regardless of race, religion or national origin. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement-timeline

July 1, 1971- Twenty-sixth amendment is ratified which “prohibits the states and the federal government from using age as a reason for denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States who are at least eighteen years old.” (source). This is an important step in achieving the Preambles especially the Preamblist Values of “consent of the governed” especially considering eighteen year olds can serve and be drafted into the military. Some think the voting age should be lowered further especially due to lack of protection of the youth from school shootings.

January 5, 1972- Space shuttle program born.

June 23, 1972- President Nixon signs the Education Amendments of 1972 into law including Title IX which states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Although perhaps most known and debated in the context of college sports, “the original statute made no explicit mention of sports” and covers the entire academic experience including “recruitment, admissions, and counseling; financial assistance;… sex-based harassment, which encompasses sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence.” Before Title IX, approximately 42% of students in college were female, and as stated by Harvard Law Professor Jeannie Suk Gersen, “women faced blatant educational inequality, such as exclusion from certain colleges and universities or from certain programs and spaces within those schools, higher admissions standards than men, more frequent tenure denials than men, and myriad other imposed disadvantages relative to men.” One of its chief sponsors, Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana stated when trying to gain support for the amendment, “While the impact of this amendment would be far-reaching, it is not a panacea. It is, however, an important first step in the effort to provide for the women of America something that is rightfully theirs—an equal chance to attend the schools of their choice, to develop the skills they want, and to apply those skills with the knowledge that they will have a fair chance to secure the jobs of their choice with equal pay for equal work.” Title IX has been successful in major ways: By about 1982, ten years after the passage of and partly due to Title IX, over half of those awarded Bachelor’s degrees were female with similar trends in Associate’s and Master’s degrees. As mentioned, sports was not the focus of the original Title IX statue, but there has been much progress in this area: since passage, “the number of female participants in NCAA athletics has drastically increased, growing from merely 30,000 to greater than 150,000.” In summary, Title IX, although not perfect and always evolving, moved us closer to achieving the equality of rights called for in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the values of “justice,” “liberty,” and “general welfare” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution. Sources: https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/advocacy/what-is-title-ix/ ; https://pitjournal.unc.edu/2023/01/20/false-assumptions-why-title-ix-is-not-to-blame-for-changes-in-mens-athletics/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IX ; https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d20/tables/dt20_318.10.asp ; https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html ; https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/06/how-title-ix-transformed-colleges-universities-over-past-50-years/ ; https://sports.yahoo.com/what-is-title-ix-an-impactful-law-thats-often-misunderstood-130019558.html

July 4, 1975- Civil service commission issues “new regulations that didn't specifically bar homosexuals from employment in the government.” (source). Prior to this, “The U.S. Civil Service Commission, functioning as the federal government’s human resources department until 1978, had a prolonged record of antigay and antilesbian discrimination in its hiring and retention practices. Through court challenges and changes in public attitude, the policy was halted in 1975.” (source) This marked a significant step forward in the government coming closer to the equality stated in the Declaration of Independence. “Still adhering to old taboos, however, “sensitive” positions in agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the U.S. military would be exempt from antidiscriminatory measures.” (source).

September 8, 1975- Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, of the US Airforce, who volunteered to serve three tours in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, appears on the cover of Time Magazine with the title “I Am a Homosexual” and becomes an inspiration to the gay community. “He was the first gay service member to purposely out himself to the military to fight their ban on gays” and “Matlovich was the first named openly gay person to appear on the cover of a U.S. newsmagazine. According to author Randy Shilts, ‘It marked the first time the young gay movement had made the cover of a major newsweekly. To a movement still struggling for legitimacy, the event was a major turning point.’” A few months before appearing on the magazine cover, Matlovich came out after to his commanding officer in the Air Force (in which he was serving as an instructor in race relations classes after his time in Vietnam). Even though he knew the military had a “ban on gays” and that he risked a less than honorable discharge, he delivered a letter about his homosexuality to his commanding officer which included the statement “I consider myself to be a homosexual and fully qualified for further military service. My almost twelve years of unblemished service supports this position.” During the discharge hearing, an Air Force lawyer said that he could remain in the Air Force only if he signed a pledge that he would “never practice homosexuality again” which Matlovich refused. “Despite his exemplary military record, tours of duty in Vietnam, and high performance evaluations, the panel ruled Matlovich unfit for service, and he was recommended for a General (Under Honorable Conditions) discharge.” It was later upgraded to honorable and next Matlovich sued for reinstatement and won in District Court, but rather than reinstate him the Air Force gave him a financial settlement which he accepted. Matlovich was also excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for homosexuality. In 1986, Matlovich was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS which he announced publicly and he was later arrested outside the White House protesting for a more robust government response to the disease. He continued to be an activist until he died in 1988 at age 45.

His brave service in combat was for the “common defense” stated in the Preamble to the Constitution and the “safety” and “future security” stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence. His brave fight for gay rights brought us one step closer to realizing the dream stated in Preamble to the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” for being able to love who one chooses is a key to liberty and happiness. Liberty is also a value stated in the Preamble to the Constitution as well as “justice” for which Matlovich was also fighting.

Sources: https://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/matlovich-letter.jpg ; https://time.com/4019076/40-years-leonard-matlovich/ ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Matlovich

October 13, 1978- “The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 completely overhauled the federal civilian personnel system, and the Civil Service Commission was replaced by the Office of Personnel Management. The reform act carried forward antidiscriminatory standards the courts established in (court) rulings…The new law prohibited personnel practices that discriminate against any employee or applicant whose behavior or conduct does not adversely affect the job performance of the individual or of others.” (source)

October 14, 1979- First National March for Lesbian and Gay Rights: over 75,000 people march on Washington “to demand equal rights and urge the passage of protective civil rights legislation. (source)” Audre Lorde speech: “Thirty years ago, the first time I came to Washington, my family and I couldn't eat ice cream in a drug store here because we were black. Since then I have come to Washington many times to demonstrate and to testify many times to different aspects of myself and my beliefs and I see many familiar faces from those past marches here today. For lesbians and gay men have always been in the vanguard of struggles for liberation and justice in this country and within our communities. The first national conference of “Third World Lesbians and Gay Men” met in Washington over the past few days and it was an outstanding success. We had third world lesbians and gay men as delegates from over forty states, third world lesbians and gay men from Mexico, from Canada, and from England. Now we have all come together to demonstrate our power as lesbians and gay men on behalf of our own rights. And this is the beginning of a new front for we are saying to the world that the struggle of lesbians and gay men is a real and particular and insufferable part of the struggle of all oppressed people within this country. I am proud to raise my voice here on this day as a black, lesbian, feminist committed to struggle for a world where all our children can grow free from the diseases of racism, of sexism, of classism, and homophobia—for those oppressions are inseparable. The question always is what kind of a world do we want to be a part of? And affirmation and work does not stop with this march on Washington. Each of us has a responsibility to take this struggle to his and her community translated into daily action. The National Conference of Third World Lesbians and Gay Men and this march today were once only visions of what could be now all of us have made it our reality. Let us carry this solidarity that we are professing here today back with us into our everyday lives tomorrow and the day after and next week and next year and let it be reflected in a renewed commitment to struggle for a future in which we can all flourish where not one of us will ever be free until we are all free. (source)”

January 20, 1981- President Reagan stated in his first inaugural address on January 20, 1981, “we are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty to a greater degree than any other”…“Well, this administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides equal opportunities for all Americans with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination”… “We shall reflect the compassion that is so much a part of your makeup. How can we love our country and not love our countrymen; and loving them, reach out a hand when they fall, heal them when they're sick, and provide opportunity to make them self-sufficient so they will be equal in fact and not just in theory?”…“Well, I believe we, the Americans of today, are ready to act worthy of ourselves, ready to do what must be done to ensure happiness and liberty for ourselves, our children, and our children's children. And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom.”

January 21, 1985- The 50th inauguration ceremony. President Reagan gives his second inaugural address: “We will not rest until every American enjoys the fullness of freedom, dignity, and opportunity as our birthright.” “We must think anew and move with a new boldness, so every American who seeks work can find work, so the least among us shall have an equal chance to achieve the greatest things—to be heroes who heal our sick, feed the hungry, protect peace among nations, and leave this world a better place.” “We must act now to protect future generations from government's desire to spend its citizens' money and tax them into servitude when the bills come due. Let us make it unconstitutional for the Federal Government to spend more than the Federal Government takes in.” “Now, there is a place for the Federal Government in matters of social compassion. But our fundamental goals must be to reduce dependency and upgrade the dignity of those who are infirm or disadvantaged. And here, a growing economy and support from family and community offer our best chance for a society where compassion is a way of life, where the old and infirm are cared for, the young and, yes, the unborn protected, and the unfortunate looked after and made self-sufficient.” “Now, there is another area where the Federal Government can play a part. As an older American, I remember a time when people of different race, creed, or ethnic origin in our land found hatred and prejudice installed in social custom and, yes, in law. There's no story more heartening in our history than the progress that we've made toward the brotherhood of man that God intended for us. Let us resolve there will be no turning back or hesitation on the road to an America rich in dignity and abundant with opportunity for all our citizens. Let us resolve that we, the people, will build an American opportunity society in which all of us—white and black, rich and poor, young and old—will go forward together, arm in arm. Again, let us remember that though our heritage is one of blood lines from every corner of the Earth, we are all Americans, pledged to carry on this last, best hope of man on Earth.” “We strive for peace and security, heartened by the changes all around us. Since the turn of the century, the number of democracies in the world has grown fourfold. Human freedom is on the march, and nowhere more so than in our own hemisphere. Freedom is one of the deepest and noblest aspirations of the human spirit. People, worldwide, hunger for the right of self-determination, for those inalienable rights that make for human dignity and progress.

America must remain freedom's staunchest friend, for freedom is our best ally and it is the world's only hope to conquer poverty and preserve peace. Every blow we inflict against poverty will be a blow against its dark allies of oppression and war. Every victory for human freedom will be a victory for world peace.

So, we go forward today, a nation still mighty in its youth and powerful in its purpose. With our alliances strengthened, with our economy leading the world to a new age of economic expansion, we look to a future rich in possibilities. And all of this is because we worked and acted together, not as members of political parties but as Americans.” “It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage, that's our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old.” https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/inaugural-address-10

August 10, 1988- President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 granting reparations for the internment of American citizens and permanent residents of Japanese descent during World War II. During the signing ceremony, Reagan recognized the loyalty and military achievements of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II and repeated a statement he made in 1945 in honor of one such Japanese-American hero, Staff Sergeant Kazuo Masuda, who was killed in action and received the Distinguished Service Cross, “Blood that has soaked into the sands of a beach is all of one color. America stands unique in the world: the only country not founded on race but on a way, an ideal. Not in spite of but because of our polyglot background, we have had all the strength in the world. That is the American way.'' Sources: https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-signing-bill-providing-restitution-wartime-internment-japanese-american ; https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Kazuo_Masuda/

January 19, 1989- President Reagan’s last speech as President: https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-presentation-ceremony-presidential-medal-freedom-5

November 7, 1989- Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor (Virginia, Democrat). David Dinkins is elected to be the first African American Mayor of New York City. The Preamblist Movement celebrates when the diversity of this great country is represented in government.

May 23, 1998- “On May 28, 1998, President Bill Clinton Clinton issued Executive Order 13087, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in federal civilian employment” (source).

January 28, 2003- In his State of the Union Address of 2003, President George W. Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which has, as of 2023, saved an estimated 25 million lives and prevented millions of HIV infections primarily in Africa. PEPFAR is a shining example of what we can do as a country when we put aside aside our partisan differences, unite around our common compassion, recognize that helping others is not only right, but also in our national interest, and combine expertise from the private and public sector with the best science (a major part of PEPFAR was distributing anti-retroviral drugs which were a result of years of scientific research). As President Bush stated in his speech, “Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the AIDS virus -- including 3 million children under the age 15. There are whole countries in Africa where more than one-third of the adult population carries the infection. More than 4 million require immediate drug treatment. Yet across that continent, only 50,000 AIDS victims -- only 50,000 -- are receiving the medicine they need…Because the AIDS diagnosis is considered a death sentence, many do not seek treatment. Almost all who do are turned away. A doctor in rural South Africa describes his frustration. He says, ‘We have no medicines. Many hospitals tell people, you've got AIDS, we can't help you. Go home and die.’ In an age of miraculous medicines, no person should have to hear those words. AIDS can be prevented. Anti-retroviral drugs can extend life for many years. And the cost of those drugs has dropped from $12,000 a year to under $300 a year -- which places a tremendous possibility within our grasp. Ladies and gentlemen, seldom has history offered a greater opportunity to do so much for so many. We have confronted, and will continue to confront, HIV/AIDS in our own country. And to meet a severe and urgent crisis abroad, tonight I propose the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief -- a work of mercy beyond all current international efforts to help the people of Africa.” Three days later President Bush stated, “We have a chance to achieve a more compassionate world for every citizen. America believes deeply that everybody has worth, everybody matters, everybody was created by the Almighty, and we're going to act on that belief and we'll act on that passion.” This belief can be found in our founding documents, when the preamble to the Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and when the preamble to the Constitution states “in order to…promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Therefore, Preamblists believe that the compassion that President Bush references when setting up PEPFAR is a fundamental value of America from its founding and is one that unites us as a people. Preamblists believe this American compassion is in the world’s and also our national interest: as President Bush wrote, “I was confident I could explain how saving lives in Africa served our strategic and moral interests. Healthier societies would be less likely to breed terror or genocide. They would be more prosperous and better able to afford our goods and services. People uncertain of America’s motives would see our generosity and compassion. And I believed the American people would be more supportive if we could show that their tax dollars were saving lives.” Can we, as a country, unite around our compassion and replicate what worked in PEPFAR to solve issues today and into the future? Image: https://files.hiv.gov/s3fs-public/2023-03/PEPFAR_WAD-2022_Infographic_Web.png

And I believe that PEPFAR demonstrates that we can act upon this compassion to great effect as a country when we embrace science, when we design a government program well, and when both parties work together (for PEPFAR has received tremendous bipartisan support for over twenty years). There are several aspects of PEPFAR that we can learn from today. 1. Compassion: we are usually a compassionate and generous country both at home and internationally- let’s embrace compassion as a great attribute that is deeply ingrained in our country. 2. Government can be a tool for implementing our compassion: PEPFAR was a federal government program, and proves that the federal government can achieve great outcomes. This was partly because PEPFAR had reporting and accountability requirements from its beginning. 3. Bipartisan: Parts of PEPFAR were heavily criticised, but on the whole the program is a bipartisan success. PEPFAR was launched by President George W. Bush (Republican) and then continued by Presidents Obama (Democrat), Trump (Republican), and Biden (Democrat). Furthermore, government sponsored AIDS relief and international humanitarian aid had long been seen as more “liberal” than “conservative,” yet PEPFAR was inspired by the “compassionate conservatism” of the Republican party of 2003 and despite some differences in opinion about the tactics, the Democratic party and “liberals,” generally supported PEPFAR. This supports that when we unite around our similarities- in this case our compassion- and put aside our differences, we can achieve great outcomes together. 4. Science: PEPFAR was so successful because from the very beginning it leveraged the benefits of science by heavily implementing antiviral therapy (ART) medicines. To design PEPFAR, President Bush worked directly with Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). 5. Partnerships: from the beginning, PEPFAR intentionally formed a partnership between governments, non-profits and the private sector. 6. Connections: President George W. Bush saw how improving the health of a country would positively impact other aspects of that country and our own: “I was confident I could explain how saving lives in Africa served our strategic and moral interests. Healthier societies would be less likely to breed terror or genocide. They would be more prosperous and better able to afford our goods and services. People uncertain of America’s motives would see our generosity and compassion. And I believed the American people would be more supportive if we could show that their tax dollars were saving lives.” Image: https://files.hiv.gov/s3fs-public/2023-03/PEPFAR_WAD-2022_Infographic_Web.png sources: https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/pepfar-global-aids/pepfar/; https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/01/text/20030131-4.html; https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030128-19.html; https://www.bushcenter.org/publications/an-oral-history-of-pepfar-how-a-dream-big-partnership-is-saving-the-lives-of-millions; podcast: “Hope, Through History, Episode: “To End a Plague.”

April 14, 2003- The Human Genome Project is declared complete after “generating the first sequence of the human genome.” The coordinating body of the project released the information on the Internet for all to use. Scientists, doctors, and pharmaceutical companies have and will continue to use this information to achieve major advances in medicine particularly in fighting cancer. The project was biology’s “moon shot,” “the world's largest collaborative biological project,” and “one of the greatest scientific feats in history.” It was funded by the US government National Institute of Health (NIH) and several other governments and groups around the world. The research was also collaborative and multinational with participation from twenty universities and research centers from the US, UK, China, Japan, France, and Germany. By advancing disease prevention and treatment, the project represented many of the values of both of the Preambles to the Declaration of Independence and Constitution including “life,” “happiness” and “general welfare” (due to better health), “safety” and “future security” (from diseases), and “our posterity” (as this was a great investment in future generations). It is a great example of what humanity can achieve when we identify common goals and then work together across countries and governments, universities, scientific organizations, and the private sector. In my opinion, it is great example of how we can all benefit from an all-of-society approach including elements of “socialism” and “capitalism” combined with the best peer reviewed science, as opposed to letting unscientific biases and extreme interpretations of ideologies limit and divide us. Sources: https://www.genome.gov/human-genome-project , https://www.icr.ac.uk/news-features/latest-features/how-the-human-genome-project-shook-the-world-of-cancer-research , https://www.britannica.com/event/Human-Genome-Project , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project

November 18, 2003- we celebrate the anniversary of same-sex couples winning the right to marry in Massachusetts, the first state to recognize this right. Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court wrote in the majority ruling "The Massachusetts Constitution affirms the dignity and equality of all Individuals...It forbids the creation of second-class citizens.” This ruling was another step in the long road towards the values in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence ("unalienable rights," equality, "liberty," "pursuit of happiness," and "safety"/"future security" for gay couples) and the preamble to the Constitution (including "justice," "liberty," and "general welfare"). https://www.glad.org/celebrating-two-decades-of-marriage-equality-on-the-anniversary-of-the-landmark-goodridge-v-department-of-public-health-ruling/

April 20, 2008- Danica Patrick becomes the first female to win an Indy car race.

November 4, 2008 – “Barack Obama becomes the first person of biracial or African-American descent to be elected as President of the United States.” (source)

January 20, 2009- First inaugural address by President Obama references the preamble to the Declaration of Independence: “The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation:  the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.” Additionally, he states: “In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given.  It must be earned.”…”The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.  Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward.  Where the answer is no, programs will end.  And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”…”Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill.  Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.  But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control.  The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.  The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.”…”As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.  Our Founding Fathers -- (applause) -- our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of generations.  Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience sake.”…”Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.”…”We are the keepers of this legacy.  Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.”…”For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.  We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers.  We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.”…”For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.  It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.  It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.”…”This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.” source: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2009/01/21/president-Barack-obamas-inaugural-address    

October 28, 2009- “US President Barack Obama signs the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. (source)” The bill “expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law” including “crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability” and “removes, in the case of hate crimes related to the race, color, religion, or national origin of the victim, the prerequisite that the victim be engaging in a federally protected activity, like voting or going to school. (source)” By adding protections to frequently discriminated against groups, this bill is in the spirit of the Preamblist Values of “All men are created equal,” “safety,” “justice,” “common defense,” and “general welfare.”

September 6, 2012- John Lewis states, “My dear friends, your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.”

November 6, 2012- Wisconsin elects the first openly gay U.S. Senator, Tammy Baldwin. The Preamblist Movement celebrates when the diversity of this country is represented in government. (source) (image)

January 21, 2013- President Obama’s second inaugural address. Quotes: “Each time we gather to inaugurate a President we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this Nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional—what makes us American—is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth.” “Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.” “Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers.. Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.” “But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.”…”Now more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people.” “America's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment and we will seize it—so long as we seize it together.” “For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American; she is free and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God, but also in our own.” “But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed. We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great. We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms.” “We will support democracy from Asia to Africa, from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice—not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity, human dignity and justice. We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths—that all of us are created equal—is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls and Selma and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.” “For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law—for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity—until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm. That is our generation's task—to make these words, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. It does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time. For now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute spectacle for politics or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, we must act knowing that today's victories will be only partial and that it will be up to those who stand here in 4 years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall. My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction.”

January 6, 2021- Preamblism honors and thanks the brave police officers who on this day in 2021 protected our elected officials and our democracy during the storming of the capital building. Here are some but by no means all of the police heroes of that day:

1. US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, a US Army veteran who served in Iraq, intentionally baited rioters into chasing him away from the Senate chamber before it was fully evacuated thereby saving elected officials in both parties from possible harm. Republican Senator Ben Sasse credited Goodman with having "single-handedly prevented untold bloodshed". Goodman also led Republican Senator Mitt Romney away from rioters. https://youtu.be/sfNozWpeBU8

2. D.C. Police Officer Daniel Hodges was crushed trying to stop the rioters from breaching the entrance in the tunnel on the western side of the building. https://youtu.be/7eQoda_QLIA

3. Officer Michael Fanone self-deployed to the Capitol and was pulled into the crowd, beaten and tased causing a heart attack, concussion, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. https://youtu.be/iAKyJQqcl0s

April 20, 2021- Derek Chauvin convicted in murder of George Floyd found guilty in the murder of George Floyd.

June 8, 2023- Allen v. Milligan decision upholds key parts of Voting Rights Act: “requires political processes in a State to be “equally open” such that minority voters do not “have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.” §10301(b). Under the Court’s precedents, a district is not equally open when minority voters face—unlike their majority peers—bloc voting along racial lines, arising against the backdrop of substantial racial discrimination within the State, that renders a minority vote unequal to a vote by a nonminority voter.” https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-1086_1co6.pdf ; https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/08/politics/supreme-court-alabama-voting-rights-milligan/index.html ; https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/11/politics/john-roberts-voting-rights-act-alabama-analysis/index.html

July 24, 2024- As President Biden explained his decision to end his bid for reelection in a prime-time address to the nation, he referenced the preambles to both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence when he said: “I revere this office, but I love my country more. It's been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it's more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our Union -- it's not about me. It's about you, your families, your futures. It's about ‘We the People.’ We can never forget that, and I never have.”… “I ran for president four years ago because I believed and still do that the soul of America was at stake. The very nature of who we are was at stake. And that's still the case.America is an idea -- an idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It's the most powerful idea in the history of the world. That idea is that ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident.’ We're all ‘created equal, endowed by’ our ‘Creator with certain unalienable rights:’ ‘life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.’ We've never fully lived up to it -- to this sacred idea, but we've never walked away from it either. And I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now. In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America's future.” https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/read-bidens-prime-time-oval-office-address-decision/story?id=112246959