Month: May 2019
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Magna Charta of Childhood
World War I changed how many governments viewed their responsibilities toward children. While previously they had largely kept their hands off, the war took a huge toll on children’s health, child labor, and education. Governments felt more of a need to step in. In the U.S., what did the government do around this time? Congress […]
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Pressure For Suffrage
In late May 1919, “The political pilots of the movement now assert that they have converted a sufficient number of statesmen to assure a suffrage victory.” Indeed, the House would pass it that week, followed by the Senate two weeks later. But many may have gone along unwillingly, because of extreme public pressure: A Senator, […]
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Outlook for Touring in Europe Next Autumn
WWI caused more than a slight decline in tourism to Europe. Now that the war was over in late 1918, would summer 1919 return tourism to normal levels? It would probably take until spring 1920 for tourism to Europe to return to normal levels, predicted Gilbert E. Fuller, President of the American Association of Tourist and Ticket Agents. […]
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National Menace of Our Depleted Forests
The hit country song Wagon Wheel, written in 1973, begins with the lyric “Headed down south to the land of the pines.” Not exactly. A 1919 headline warned “Supplies of Southern Pine Likely to be Exhausted in Ten Years.” Today, only 3% of the supply remains. Smithsonian Magazine interviewed Chuck Hemard, author of the 2018 book “The Pines,” […]
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Cellars and Attics for Archives
In 1919, America’s most important governmental and historical papers were stored haphazardly and dangerously. [There are] a hundred different places in Washington in which valuable Government papers are stored. In this situation Washington stands alone among the capitals of the world. All other countries of importance have their archives concentrated in a special building furnished […]