African American men gain the right to vote in Washington, D.C.
On January 8, 1867, African American men gained the right to vote in the District of Columbia despite the veto of its most powerful resident, President Andrew Johnson.
Good News Links
First ‘Impressionist’ art exhibition opens in Paris, featuring Monet, Degas, Renoir, and others
Impressionism is an art movement that took the French art world—and later the artistic spheres of other countries —by storm in the 19th century.
The U.S. formally establishes Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park
Although individual countries designate their own national parks differently, there is a common idea: the conservation of ‘wild nature’ for posterity and as a symbol of national pride. As of 2023, there are over 6500 national parks worldwide.
The First Geneva Convention is signed by 12 nations
The 1864 Geneva Convention was the world’s first codified international treaty that covered the sick and wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
The Act of Independence of Central America proclaims the independence of Central America from the Spanish Empire
The Act led to the eventual formation of the modern nations of Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
U.S. Congress abolishes the African slave trade
The U.S. Congress passed an act to “prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States…from any foreign kingdom, place, or country.”
British physician Edward Jenner develops first-ever successful vaccine
In the West, Jenner is often called “the father of immunology”, and his work is said to have “saved more lives than the work of any other human”.
U.S. Bill of Rights ratified, become first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution
The Bill of Rights amendments add specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people.
The Mexica people found Tenochtitlan
Eventually, Tenochtitlan came to be the capital of the vast Aztec Empire. At its peak, it was likely home to more than 200,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time.
Roman Emperor Galerius issues Edict of Serdica, ending persercution of Christians in the Roman Empire
The Edict implicitly granted Christianity the status of religio licita, a worship that was recognized and accepted by the Roman Empire.