A Brief History On April 15, 2017, we get a 2-day reprieve from the filing limit date for filing our Federal Income Tax Returns, since the day falls on Saturday. By Monday, April 17, 2017, you better either have your tax return in the mail or have applied for an extension. Americans did not always have an income tax, although it may seem like it to you. Digging Deeper Back in the 1890’s through the 1920’s the United States of America underwent a period called the Progressive Era, a period in which activists sought to improve the quality of life…
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A Brief History On April 13, 1873, on Easter Sunday, the holiest day on the Christian calendar, between 60 and 150 African-Americans were slaughtered by irate Louisiana White Democrats angry about having lost the Civil War and Reconstruction efforts to place free Black persons in government and militia positions. Digging Deeper With the status quo severely upended after the Civil War, disaffected White people believed that Northern interference was adversely affecting the welfare of the White Democrats. The 1872 gubernatorial election had been hotly contested as had local elections, with Blacks being allowed to vote in large numbers and ex-Confederates…
A Brief History On April 11, 1986, a tragic shootout between 8 FBI agents and 2 bank robbers in Miami, Florida, resulted in the deaths of 2 agents and both suspects, and the wounding of 5 other agents. The failure of the FBI tactics and firearms resulted in a revolution in police firepower. Digging Deeper The subjects had murdered another man and stolen his car, and then went on a robbery spree. Both suspects were US Army veterans (one had also served in the Marine Corps) and may have been responsible for the murders of their wives. Neither man had…
A Brief History On April 8, 1935, the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 went into effect, and as a byproduct created the Works Progress Administration (later renamed the Work Projects Administration). This ambitious Federal government effort to get unemployed Americans back to work and accomplish much needed improvements to the country’s infrastructure was responsible for an incredible array of public construction projects, including the building of many roads, public buildings, airports (Midway in Chicago), and even sports stadiums such as the Akron Rubber Bowl. Digging Deeper One project NOT built by the WPA was Cleveland Municipal Stadium, where the…
A Brief History On April 7, 30 AD, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was crucified in Jerusalem and died on that same day. Or did He? Digging Deeper The exact date of the crucifixion and death of Christ has been debated as long as there have been followers of Christianity. Tradition used to claim 33 AD as the year of the death of Jesus, but this year does not reconcile with the timing of the death of Herod the Great, which is historically known, placing the death of Jesus in 30 AD instead of 33 AD. This information also means the…