November 6th: A Day of Presidential Elections and More!
I've done a few less posts recently as I've been focused on my Free At 50 blog but there's always so much to write about in this blog and I've updated some posts, including Jefferson's Williamsburg Triumvirate after a conversation with Kurt Smith, actor/historian.
And so here it is: another entry into the This Day In History category on the blog. And since the first Tuesday in November is typically what we know to be "election day" you'll see some election tidbits of course as November 6th sometimes lands on a Tuesday!
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The Capitol Building in Colonial Williamsburg at sunset.
Historical summary of November 6th, using bullet points and with links you can use to dig deeper!
1789- Pope Pius VI appoints the first Catholic Bishop in the United States, being made bishop of Baltimore. His name: Father John Carroll and he was known to contemporaries like George Washington and Ben Franklin.
1860- Abraham Lincoln of Illinois is elected the 16th president of the United States of America.
1869- The first college football game took place- Rutgers beat Princeton (then "New Jersey" - side note, Virginian and future President James Madison traveled to New Jersey to attend this school.)
1888- Benjamin Harrison defeats incumbent President Grover Cleveland by winning more electoral votes. I visited the Harrison home of Berkeley, one of the most historical sites around and had to write about it! Read the post by clicking here.
1946- Actress Sally Field was born. Sharing her birthday: singer Glenn Frey, 1948. Who passed on November 6th? Actress Gene Tierney, of Laura fame was lost to American film in 1991.
1947- NBC debuts Meet the Press, America's longest-running TV show.
1973- Abe Beame is elected the first Jewish mayor of NYC and the famous Coleman Young is elected as mayor of Detroit.
1990- Arsenio Hall gets a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. When I think of Arsenio, I cannot help but think of Paula Abdul and the 90s come crashing back into my GenX brain! Check them out on his show here.
Every day is filled with history!
Click the links above to get more information on any of the events I listed and share your Novemver 6th events in the comments. And keep checking in for fun "this day in history" posts on the blog.
The closing words today are an excerpt clearly showing the friendship between Bishop Carroll and Benjamin Franklin.
To Benjamin Franklin from J[ohn] C[arroll], 18 January 1778: résumé
From J[ohn] C[arroll5]
als: American Philosophical Society
Maryland, Rock Creek near George Town,
Jan: 18 1778
My dear and venerable friend
Will you allow your fellow traveller to and from Canada to take the opportunity of a vessel sailing from his neighbourhood to renew his assurances of esteem and respects, and to congratulate you on the recovery of your health, which I have the pleasure to hear is now in a good state, after all your labours and fatigues? It is a great pleasure to me to reflect; that whilst you are employed by your country in so honourable and important a station, you are out of the way of suffering many inconvenicies ill suited to your age; and now enjoy a pleasurable communication with men of the first character in every respect, and such as can both give you pleasure, and relish that which you can return. I have seen in a Leyden Gazette some pretty French verses, Le voila ce mortel &c., written under your picture: I see by this, and many other things that you are much in mode at Paris; and as that is said to be every thing there, it is a good prognostick of your political success.
(the letter continues, read it in full, with citations, here)
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There is a huge practical disclaimer to the content on this blog, which is my way of sharing my excitement and basically journaling online.
1) I am not a historian nor an expert. I will let you know I’m relaying the information as I understand and interpret it. The employees of Colonial Williamsburg base their presentations, work, and responses on historical documents and mainly primary sources.
2) I will update for accuracy as history is constant learning. If you have a question about accuracy, please ask me! I will get the answer from the best source I can find.
3) Photo credit to me, Daphne Reznik, for all photos in this post, unless otherwise credited! All photos are personal photos taken in public access locations or with specific permission.
