220 years ago, Congress passed the first of what would become known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. The government argued that these measure became necessary for national security. War with France seemed imminent and 25,000 French refugees came to America. When a group of French scientists wanted to visit the country, President Adams opposed …
Month: July 2018
As our President wanders around Europe disgracing our nation and the world, I saw tweets floating around quoting Bertrand Russell from Yascha Mounk. He quoted A Liberal Decalogue, which Russell published in the New York Times in 1951. The Decalogue states that the best answer to fanaticism was liberalism, which he noted should include a set of …
On July 12, 1810, a trial of trade unionists began in New York City. In 1794, Philadelphia shoemakers organized the “Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers.” Similarly New York bootmakers joined. In 1805, the union struck in Philadelphia for higher wages. The New York bootmakers were found guilty and fined one dollar. The law stated that “Even to do a …
As we continuously discuss loyalty, partisanship, and civility, we forget how our Founders acted illegally, angered many, and defied the power-that-be. Samuel Adams organized and directed people to revolt against the King. Although loyalists called him and evil and vindictive man and fought to develop an aristocracy that would follow the crown, Adams rallied the …