A Brief History On October 1, 1957, for the first time the phrase “In God We Trust” appeared on American paper currency. Although the phrase had appeared on American coins as early as 1864, it had only become the co-motto of the United States in 1956 (the other co-motto being “E Pluribus Unum”). The first bill to bear this pronouncement was the one dollar silver certificate, a move mandated by the passage of a congressional resolution on July 30, 1956 declaring this phrase as our national motto and further legislation ordering its inclusion on currency. Digging Deeper Apparently instigated by…
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A Brief History On September 25, 1996, the last of the Magdalene asylums for prostitutes closed. Named after Mary Magdalene, a former prostitute who had repented her sins upon meeting Jesus, these asylums housed ” fallen” and wayward women. Digging Deeper After the first Magdalene asylum founded in Whitechapel, England in 1758, the concept quickly spread across Europe and to the United States, with the first American Magdalene asylum there being the Magdalen (sic.) Society of Philadelphia founded in 1800. For over for 200 years, these asylums, or laundries as they were also called because the women were often kept busy…
A Brief History On September 19, 1692, Giles Corey, age 81, became a footnote in the history of America by becoming the first and only man to be “pressed” to death during legal proceedings. Caught up in the infamous Salem Witch Trials, Corey and his wife, Martha, were accused of witchcraft when one of the other accused witches, Abigail Hobbs, named the old couple as warlock and witch. Digging Deeper As you may already know, witches convicted during the Salem Witch trials were put to death by hanging, as was Martha Corey, and not by burning as the popular myth…
A Brief History On August 17, 1498, Cesare Borgia, the son of reigning Pope Alexander VI, resigned his office as Cardinal of the Catholic Church, becoming the first cardinal to do so. Digging Deeper The incredible intrigues, corruption and machinations of the Holy Father and his family were portrayed in graphic detail in the Showtime premium cable television series The Borgias which ran from 2011 to 2013. The patriarch of the family, the power-hungry Pope Alexander VI, born Rodrigo Borgia, was anything but saintly and engaged in murder, war, political maneuvering and adultery. With a former wife whom he ditched in order…
A Brief History Turns out Khzir Khan, the irate grieving father of a slain American hero (his son was an Army captain that died heroically in the line of duty in Iraq) may have more motivation to attack Donald Trump than merely sticking up for Muslims. Digging Deeper Mr. Khan, a Muslim immigrant from Pakistan, spoke at the Democratic National Convention and spoke emotionally about his son, an Army captain awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart while being killed in combat while saving the lives of other soldiers, and severely chastised Trump for his call to ban Muslim immigrants…