May 15 History

On this date in 1776, the Virginia Convention instructed their delegation to the Continental Congress 2.0, that they should propose a resolution on independency. Richard Henry Lee turned out to be right when he boasted to Franklin and Adams "may my horses turn to glue/ if I can't deliver up to you, a resolution/on independency. For I am FFV/the first family/ in the sovereign colony of Virginia." At any rate, since the proposal finally came from someone other than John Adams and the rest of the New Englanders, Congress decided to do what the people wanted.

By the way, if you've never seen "1776", then find it. It's an amazing, wonderful, uplifting, and mostly accurate view of the events leading up to the Signing.

In 1862, President Lincoln signs a bill creating the Bureau of Agriculture, or as we call it today, the Department of Agriculture.

Remember yesterday when we talked a out Carl Shurz, and his role in the Civil War? We mentioned him serving eith other Germans in the War, like Franz Sigel. Well today marks yet another event in the inglorious career of Sigel. In 1864, at the Battle of New Market, Sigel suffers yet another defeat. This one is remarkable mostly because the Confederates, severely short of manpower, call out the Corps of Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute to join them. The cadets, many of them underage, were sent into the fray by General Breckenridge, Rebel Commander, with the words "Put the boys in. And may God forgive me for the order". After a brave charge, the lads captured a cannon and some Union troops, to their immense pride. The battle was won! And Sigel was a failure once again. Today, the cadets will march in review, honoring their dead. The names of the 10 who died in the battle will be called during roll call, and a representative from his company will respond "died on the field of battle, Sir".

Screw Sigel, remember those young men and millions of others like them.

In 1905, an auction is held in a spot of desert in Nowheresville Nevada. The 110 acres sold turn into a place we now call Las Vegas. Wouldn't you like to jump into a time machine, go back and buy all that land and the thousands of acres surrounding it?

Lots of space news today too! In 1958, the Soviets launch Sputnik 3. Two years later, they follow it up with Sputnik 4. And a mere three years after that, in an astonishing coincidence, the US sends Gordon Cooper up on a Mercury flight, where he spends a day in space, the first American to do so. I'm sure the fact that the launch occurred on a day when the Soviets had a habit of sending astronauts up was purely coincidental.

Good stuff, huh?

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