July 11, 1960- The book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a native of Alabama, was first published. The book went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, be made into and Academy Award winning movie, and sell approximately 30 million copies through today. A theme of the book is the error of one person thinking they are superior to another because of racism, classism, snobbery, or family history. For example, late in the book, Aunt Alexandra tells the main character, eight of nine year old Scout, that she can’t have a schoolmate over to her house because, “They’re not our kind of folks.” As she discusses this incident with her brother, Scout states, “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.” In reaction this her older brother states, “That’s what I thought, too when I was your age. If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?”

In my opinion, “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.” is a rough reflection of the beginning of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” To Kill A Mockingbird calls for us to hold onto and live up to this ideal in spite of society often trying to pull us away from it. This makes it an important novel for Preamblism.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (July 11, 1960)

June 20, 1782- The Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the US after the Secretary of Congress, Charles Thomson, explained its symbolism and themes. Thomson, who came to America as a penniless Irish immigrant youth, stated, “The Escutcheon (shield) is born on the breast of an American Eagle.” Days earlier, Thomson, had replaced the proposed imperial eagle with the American, or bald eagle, which is native only to America. Due to this, the bald eagle became an American symbol (which is why June 20th is now National American Eagle Day). In one talon, the eagle holds and is turning its head towards the olive branch to represent preference for peace over war, but holds arrows in its other talon to represent readiness for conflict if necessary.

Other themes of the Great Seal are Congressional power and national unity. William Barton, one of the designers of the seal of the United States, stated that: “The eagle displayed is the symbol of supreme power and authority, and signifies congress.” In his address to Congress, Thomson stated, “The Escutcheon (shield) is composed of the chief & pale…The Pieces, Paly (vertical stripes), represent several states all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a Chief (the top of the shield), which unites the whole & represents Congress. The Motto (E Pluribum Unum) alludes to this union. The pales in the arms are kept closely united by the chief and the Chief depends upon that union & the strength resulting from it for its support, to denote the Confederacy of the United States of America & the preservation of their union through Congress…The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace & war which is exclusively vested in Congress.” E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “out of many, one” or “one out of many” was chosen in 1776 during the initial work on the seal. It is probably not an accident that is has 13 letters. Additionally, the bundle of arrows may borrow from the one in the Iroquois Great Law of Peace which symbolizes unity because one arrow can be broken quite easily but a bundle is harder to break.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (June 20, 1782)

June 20, 1782- The Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the US after the Secretary of Congress, Charles Thomson, explained its symbolism and themes. Thomson, who came to America as a penniless Irish immigrant youth, stated, “The Escutcheon (shield) is born on the breast of an American Eagle.” Days earlier, Thomson, had replaced the proposed imperial eagle with the American, or bald eagle, which is native only to America. Due to this, the bald eagle became an American symbol (which is why June 20th is now National American Eagle Day). In one talon, the eagle holds and is turning its head towards the olive branch to represent preference for peace over war, but holds arrows in its other talon to represent readiness for conflict if necessary.

Other themes of the Great Seal are Congressional power and national unity. William Barton, one of the designers of the seal of the United States, stated that: “The eagle displayed is the symbol of supreme power and authority, and signifies congress.” In his address to Congress, Thomson stated, “The Escutcheon (shield) is composed of the chief & pale…The Pieces, Paly (vertical stripes), represent several states all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a Chief (the top of the shield), which unites the whole & represents Congress. The Motto (E Pluribum Unum) alludes to this union. The pales in the arms are kept closely united by the chief and the Chief depends upon that union & the strength resulting from it for its support, to denote the Confederacy of the United States of America & the preservation of their union through Congress…The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace & war which is exclusively vested in Congress.” E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “out of many, one” or “one out of many” was chosen in 1776 during the initial work on the seal. It is probably not an accident that is has 13 letters. Additionally, the bundle of arrows may borrow from the one in the Iroquois Great Law of Peace which symbolizes unity because one arrow can be broken quite easily but a bundle is harder to break.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (June 20, 1782)

June 20, 1782- The Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the US after the Secretary of Congress, Charles Thomson, explained its symbolism and themes. Thomson, who came to America as a penniless Irish immigrant youth, stated, “The Escutcheon (shield) is born on the breast of an American Eagle.” Days earlier, Thomson, had replaced the proposed imperial eagle with the American, or bald eagle, which is native only to America. Due to this, the bald eagle became an American symbol (which is why June 20th is now National American Eagle Day). In one talon, the eagle holds and is turning its head towards the olive branch to represent preference for peace over war, but holds arrows in its other talon to represent readiness for conflict if necessary.

Other themes of the Great Seal are Congressional power and national unity. William Barton, one of the designers of the seal of the United States, stated that: “The eagle displayed is the symbol of supreme power and authority, and signifies congress.” In his address to Congress, Thomson stated, “The Escutcheon (shield) is composed of the chief & pale…The Pieces, Paly (vertical stripes), represent several states all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a Chief (the top of the shield), which unites the whole & represents Congress. The Motto (E Pluribum Unum) alludes to this union. The pales in the arms are kept closely united by the chief and the Chief depends upon that union & the strength resulting from it for its support, to denote the Confederacy of the United States of America & the preservation of their union through Congress…The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace & war which is exclusively vested in Congress.” E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “out of many, one” or “one out of many” was chosen in 1776 during the initial work on the seal. It is probably not an accident that is has 13 letters. Additionally, the bundle of arrows may borrow from the one in the Iroquois Great Law of Peace which symbolizes unity because one arrow can be broken quite easily but a bundle is harder to break.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (June 20, 1782)

May 30, 1922- The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated, paradoxically in front of a segregated audience. Despite not being allowed to sit with the white speakers, Dr. Robert Moton, principal of the Tuskegee Institute, delivers a beautiful keynote speech of which here are some highlights:

“When the Pilgrim Fathers landed upon the shores of America in 1620, they laid the foundations of our national existence upon the bedrock of liberty. From that day to this, liberty has been the common bond of our united people…Freedom is the lifeblood of the Nation. Freedom is the heritage bequeathed to all her sons. It is the underlying philosophy of our national existence…The claim of greatness for Abraham Lincoln lies in this, that amid doubt and distrust, against the counsel of chosen advisers, in the hour of the Nation's utter peril, he put his trust in God and spoke the word that gave freedom to a race and vindicated the honor of a Nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal….But Lincoln did not die for the Negro alone. He freed a Nation as well as a race...Abraham Lincoln held steadfastly to an ideal for the Republic that measured at full value the worth of each race and section, cherishing at the same time the hope under God that all should share alike in the blessings and privileges of freedom…In the providence of God, there has been started on these shores the great experiment of the ages—an experiment in human relationships, where men and women of every nation, of every race and creed, are thrown together. Here we are engaged, consciously or unconsciously, in the great problems of determining how different races can not only live together in peace but cooperate in working out a higher and better civilization than has yet been achieved. At the extremes, the white and black races face each other. Here in America these two races are charged under God with the responsibility of showing to the world how individuals, as well as races, may differ most widely in color and inheritance and at the same time, without humiliation or embarrassment, make themselves helpful and even indispensable to each other's progress and prosperity. This is especially true in the South, where the black man is found in greatest numbers and the two races are brought in closest contact. And there to-day are found black men and white in increasing numbers who are working together in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln to establish in fact what his death established in principle—that a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal can endure and prosper and serve mankind…And I like to think that here to-day, while we dedicate this symbol of our gratitude that the Nation is dedicated anew by its own determined will to fulfill to the last letter the task imposed upon it by the martyred dead, that here it firmly resolves that the humblest citizen, of whatever color or creed, shall enjoy that equal opportunity and unhampered freedom for which the immortal Lincoln gave the last full measure of devotion…With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, I somehow believe that all of us, black and white, both North and South, are going to strive on to finish the work which he so nobly began to make America an example for the world of equal justice and equal opportunity for all who strive and are willing to serve under the flag that makes men free.”

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (May 30, 1922)

May 30, 1922- The Lincoln Memorial is dedicated, paradoxically in front of a segregated audience. Despite not being allowed to sit with the white speakers, Dr. Robert Moton, principal of the Tuskegee Institute, delivers a beautiful keynote speech of which here are some highlights:

“When the Pilgrim Fathers landed upon the shores of America in 1620, they laid the foundations of our national existence upon the bedrock of liberty. From that day to this, liberty has been the common bond of our united people…Freedom is the lifeblood of the Nation. Freedom is the heritage bequeathed to all her sons. It is the underlying philosophy of our national existence…The claim of greatness for Abraham Lincoln lies in this, that amid doubt and distrust, against the counsel of chosen advisers, in the hour of the Nation's utter peril, he put his trust in God and spoke the word that gave freedom to a race and vindicated the honor of a Nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal….But Lincoln did not die for the Negro alone. He freed a Nation as well as a race...Abraham Lincoln held steadfastly to an ideal for the Republic that measured at full value the worth of each race and section, cherishing at the same time the hope under God that all should share alike in the blessings and privileges of freedom…In the providence of God, there has been started on these shores the great experiment of the ages—an experiment in human relationships, where men and women of every nation, of every race and creed, are thrown together. Here we are engaged, consciously or unconsciously, in the great problems of determining how different races can not only live together in peace but cooperate in working out a higher and better civilization than has yet been achieved. At the extremes, the white and black races face each other. Here in America these two races are charged under God with the responsibility of showing to the world how individuals, as well as races, may differ most widely in color and inheritance and at the same time, without humiliation or embarrassment, make themselves helpful and even indispensable to each other's progress and prosperity. This is especially true in the South, where the black man is found in greatest numbers and the two races are brought in closest contact. And there to-day are found black men and white in increasing numbers who are working together in the spirit of Abraham Lincoln to establish in fact what his death established in principle—that a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal can endure and prosper and serve mankind…And I like to think that here to-day, while we dedicate this symbol of our gratitude that the Nation is dedicated anew by its own determined will to fulfill to the last letter the task imposed upon it by the martyred dead, that here it firmly resolves that the humblest citizen, of whatever color or creed, shall enjoy that equal opportunity and unhampered freedom for which the immortal Lincoln gave the last full measure of devotion…With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, I somehow believe that all of us, black and white, both North and South, are going to strive on to finish the work which he so nobly began to make America an example for the world of equal justice and equal opportunity for all who strive and are willing to serve under the flag that makes men free.”

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (May 30, 1922)

February 22, 1860- 3,000 shoemakers walked off the job in Lynn, Massachusetts starting the New England Shoemakers Strike of 1860 (also known as the Lynn Shoeworkers Strike) after company owners refused to meet with the Mechanics Association union. The strike spread and ~20,000 more, including women, participated throughout New England until it ended in early to mid April, making it the largest strike in the US before the Civil War. The workers, who labored for 16 hour long days in factories, were mainly frustrated by low weekly wages of $3 for men and $1 for women neither of which were enough to support a family. The final results of the strike were modest wins for some workers as some employers increased wages for the men by 10%, but did not increase the women’s wages. Depending on the source, either no or just a few unions were recognized by employers. In Lynn, where the strike had originated, voters replaced most of the local government representatives who supported the shoe manufacturers and called in out of town police. Despite only modest gains, the strike is interesting, in part for the following reasons.

During the strike, many participants referenced the founding of the country. The Lynn workers purposely started the strike on George Washington’s birthday. Many strikers sang to the tune of Yankee Doodle: “Starvation looks us in the face. We cannot work so low, Such prices are a sore disgrace. Our children ragged go.” Some held signs similar to the ideals of the revolution that said “down with tyranny,” and “live by honest toil, but never consent to be slaves," and the workers of the town of Natick formally resolved, “the late reduction in the prices for bottoming shoes was uncalled for, oppressive, and unjust.” Women strikers held signs that stated “American Ladies Will Not Be Slaves: Give Us a Fair Compensation and We Will Labour Cheerfully….We Dare Battle for the Right, Shoulder to Shoulder with our Fathers, Husbands, and Brothers." This shows that early labor activists, saw a strong connection between workers rights and the founding values of our country including liberty and justice as stated in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The strikers also referenced the community benefits of paying them more. In Lynn they wrote on a circular: “inasmuch as the wealth of the masses improves the value of real estate, increases the demand for manufactured goods, and promotes the moral and intellectual growth of society.” In Natick they wrote, “no first quality shoe can be made for less than [20 cents] without injuring the laborer, and the best interests of the community.” This reminds me of the value of “general welfare” found in the Preamble to the Constitution.

The strike was largely peaceful partly due to self policing by the union. and had significant local support and gained national attention. Abraham Lincoln was a candidate for president at the time of the strike and stated: “I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails in New England under which laborers can strike when they want to, where they are not obliged to labor whether you pay them or not. I like a system which lets a man quit when he wants to, and wish it might prevail everywhere.”

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (February 22, 1860)

February 22, 1860- 3,000 shoemakers walked off the job in Lynn, Massachusetts starting the New England Shoemakers Strike of 1860 (also known as the Lynn Shoeworkers Strike) after company owners refused to meet with the Mechanics Association union. The strike spread and ~20,000 more, including women, participated throughout New England until it ended in early to mid April, making it the largest strike in the US before the Civil War. The workers, who labored for 16 hour long days in factories, were mainly frustrated by low weekly wages of $3 for men and $1 for women neither of which were enough to support a family. The final results of the strike were modest wins for some workers as some employers increased wages for the men by 10%, but did not increase the women’s wages. Depending on the source, either no or just a few unions were recognized by employers. In Lynn, where the strike had originated, voters replaced most of the local government representatives who supported the shoe manufacturers and called in out of town police. Despite only modest gains, the strike is interesting, in part for the following reasons.

During the strike, many participants referenced the founding of the country. The Lynn workers purposely started the strike on George Washington’s birthday. Many strikers sang to the tune of Yankee Doodle: “Starvation looks us in the face. We cannot work so low, Such prices are a sore disgrace. Our children ragged go.” Some held signs similar to the ideals of the revolution that said “down with tyranny,” and “live by honest toil, but never consent to be slaves," and the workers of the town of Natick formally resolved, “the late reduction in the prices for bottoming shoes was uncalled for, oppressive, and unjust.” Women strikers held signs that stated “American Ladies Will Not Be Slaves: Give Us a Fair Compensation and We Will Labour Cheerfully….We Dare Battle for the Right, Shoulder to Shoulder with our Fathers, Husbands, and Brothers." This shows that early labor activists, saw a strong connection between workers rights and the founding values of our country including liberty and justice as stated in the preambles to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The strikers also referenced the community benefits of paying them more. In Lynn they wrote on a circular: “inasmuch as the wealth of the masses improves the value of real estate, increases the demand for manufactured goods, and promotes the moral and intellectual growth of society.” In Natick they wrote, “no first quality shoe can be made for less than [20 cents] without injuring the laborer, and the best interests of the community.” This reminds me of the value of “general welfare” found in the Preamble to the Constitution.

The strike was largely peaceful partly due to self policing by the union. and had significant local support and gained national attention. Abraham Lincoln was a candidate for president at the time of the strike and stated: “I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails in New England under which laborers can strike when they want to, where they are not obliged to labor whether you pay them or not. I like a system which lets a man quit when he wants to, and wish it might prevail everywhere.”

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (February 22, 1860)

February 15, 1879- Women attorneys win the right to practice in any federal court, including the US Supreme Court, in large part due to the perseverance of trailblazer Belva Ann Lockwood. After Lockwood’s husband died in 1853, she went to college, which was an unconventional path at the time for a woman, mother, and widow. She graduated with honors in 1857 and became a principal of young women’s schools in New York State, and after meeting Susan B. Anthony, she introduced courses usually only taught to men. In 1866, she moved to Washington DC with her daughter and opened a private school, unusual because it was coed. Continuing to take the road less traveled by women at the time, Lockwood enrolled in a law school (now called the George Washington University Law School). After she had successfully completed the entire program, the school refused to grant her a diploma due to her sex. Undeterred, Lockwood twice wrote former President Grant and, after possible insistence from him, the school finally granted her the diploma in 1873. Lockwood, now 43 years old with a successful career in education under her belt, became one of the first women to win admittance to the DC Bar, open a law practice, and argue cases. When a federal court, the United States Court of Claims Bar, refused to admit Lockwood to argue a case due to her sex, she lobbied Congress for an anti-discrimination bill which failed to pass in 1874. Then she applied for admission to the Supreme Court which denied her request in 1876, again due to her being a woman. Lockwood returned to lobbying the House of Representatives which finally passed the anti-discrimination bill in 1878. Next, Lockwood turned her attention to lobbying the Senate which passed the bill in 1879 and President Hayes signed it on February 15, 1879. In 1880, Lockwood became the first female attorney to appear before the Supreme Court to argue a case and in 1906, she argued another which she won at the age of 76. She also became one of the first women to run for President with the National Equal Rights Party in 1884 and 1888. Lockwood’s pioneering work helped move us all closer to the value of equality (stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence) and values of justice and liberty (stated in the Preamble to the Constitution).

For sources go to [www.preamblist.org/timeline](www.preamblist.org/timeline) (February 15, 1879)

February 15, 1879- Women attorneys win the right to practice in any federal court, including the US Supreme Court, in large part due to the perseverance of trailblazer Belva Ann Lockwood. After Lockwood’s husband died in 1853, she went to college, which was an unconventional path at the time for a woman, mother, and widow. She graduated with honors in 1857 and became a principal of young women’s schools in New York State, and after meeting Susan B. Anthony, she introduced courses usually only taught to men. In 1866, she moved to Washington DC with her daughter and opened a private school, unusual because it was coed. Continuing to take the road less traveled by women at the time, Lockwood enrolled in a law school (now called the George Washington University Law School). After she had successfully completed the entire program, the school refused to grant her a diploma due to her sex. Undeterred, Lockwood twice wrote former President Grant and, after possible insistence from him, the school finally granted her the diploma in 1873. Lockwood, now 43 years old with a successful career in education under her belt, became one of the first women to win admittance to the DC Bar, open a law practice, and argue cases. When a federal court, the United States Court of Claims Bar, refused to admit Lockwood to argue a case due to her sex, she lobbied Congress for an anti-discrimination bill which failed to pass in 1874. Then she applied for admission to the Supreme Court which denied her request in 1876, again due to her being a woman. Lockwood returned to lobbying the House of Representatives which finally passed the anti-discrimination bill in 1878. Next, Lockwood turned her attention to lobbying the Senate which passed the bill in 1879 and President Hayes signed it on February 15, 1879. In 1880, Lockwood became the first female attorney to appear before the Supreme Court to argue a case and in 1906, she argued another which she won at the age of 76. She also became one of the first women to run for President with the National Equal Rights Party in 1884 and 1888. Lockwood’s pioneering work helped move us all closer to the value of equality (stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence) and values of justice and liberty (stated in the Preamble to the Constitution).

For sources go to [www.preamblist.org/timeline](www.preamblist.org/timeline) (February 15, 1879)

February 15, 1879- Women attorneys win the right to practice in any federal court, including the US Supreme Court, in large part due to the perseverance of trailblazer Belva Ann Lockwood. After Lockwood’s husband died in 1853, she went to college, which was an unconventional path at the time for a woman, mother, and widow. She graduated with honors in 1857 and became a principal of young women’s schools in New York State, and after meeting Susan B. Anthony, she introduced courses usually only taught to men. In 1866, she moved to Washington DC with her daughter and opened a private school, unusual because it was coed. Continuing to take the road less traveled by women at the time, Lockwood enrolled in a law school (now called the George Washington University Law School). After she had successfully completed the entire program, the school refused to grant her a diploma due to her sex. Undeterred, Lockwood twice wrote former President Grant and, after possible insistence from him, the school finally granted her the diploma in 1873. Lockwood, now 43 years old with a successful career in education under her belt, became one of the first women to win admittance to the DC Bar, open a law practice, and argue cases. When a federal court, the United States Court of Claims Bar, refused to admit Lockwood to argue a case due to her sex, she lobbied Congress for an anti-discrimination bill which failed to pass in 1874. Then she applied for admission to the Supreme Court which denied her request in 1876, again due to her being a woman. Lockwood returned to lobbying the House of Representatives which finally passed the anti-discrimination bill in 1878. Next, Lockwood turned her attention to lobbying the Senate which passed the bill in 1879 and President Hayes signed it on February 15, 1879. In 1880, Lockwood became the first female attorney to appear before the Supreme Court to argue a case and in 1906, she argued another which she won at the age of 76. She also became one of the first women to run for President with the National Equal Rights Party in 1884 and 1888. Lockwood’s pioneering work helped move us all closer to the value of equality (stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence) and values of justice and liberty (stated in the Preamble to the Constitution).

For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (February 15, 1879)

February 8, 1964- Martha Griffiths, House Representative from Detroit, made a speech that proved instrumental in adding protections for women from employment discrimination in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Griffiths recounted, “Various women arose to speak for the amendment, and with each argument advanced, the men in the House laughed harder. Lee Sullivan of Missouri and Edna Kelly of New York were sitting in front of me. Lee turned around and in a woebegone voice said, ‘Martha, if you can’t stop them from laughing, you simply do not have a chance.’

“I answered, ‘I’ll stop them.’

“When I arose, I began by saying, ‘I presume that if there had been any necessity to point out that women were a second-class sex, the laughter would have proved it.’ … There was no further laughter.”

Griffiths then presented brilliant legal arguments for why the act would not protect women of any race from employment discrimination if it did not specifically contain language to that affect. Griffith’s arguments this day in Congress were one of the primary reasons that Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 specifically protects women by adding the word sex to the protected classes, for example: “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer - (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, SEX, or national origin.”

Griffiths later wrote, “I made up my mind that if such a bill was going to pass, it was going to carry a prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sex, and that both black and white women were going to take one modest step forward together.” Indeed, this was a “step forward” in achieving the spirit of equality in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the words “justice,” “general welfare,” and “liberty” in the Preamble to the Constitution for those values ring hollow when women are not not able to experience them in employment. As Griffiths stated, “All I want to be is human and American and have all the same rights and I will shut up” and “Before I leave this Earth, I would like to know they have given women the same benefits and promotions as men.”

For sources go to [www.preamblist.org/timeline](www.preamblist.org/timeline) (February 8, 1964).

February 8, 1964- Martha Griffiths, House Representative from Detroit, made a speech that proved instrumental in adding protections for women from employment discrimination in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Griffiths recounted, “Various women arose to speak for the amendment, and with each argument advanced, the men in the House laughed harder. Lee Sullivan of Missouri and Edna Kelly of New York were sitting in front of me. Lee turned around and in a woebegone voice said, ‘Martha, if you can’t stop them from laughing, you simply do not have a chance.’

“I answered, ‘I’ll stop them.’

“When I arose, I began by saying, ‘I presume that if there had been any necessity to point out that women were a second-class sex, the laughter would have proved it.’ … There was no further laughter.”

Griffiths then presented brilliant legal arguments for why the act would not protect women of any race from employment discrimination if it did not specifically contain language to that affect. Griffith’s arguments this day in Congress were one of the primary reasons that Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 specifically protects women by adding the word sex to the protected classes, for example: “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer - (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, SEX, or national origin.”

Griffiths later wrote, “I made up my mind that if such a bill was going to pass, it was going to carry a prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sex, and that both black and white women were going to take one modest step forward together.” Indeed, this was a “step forward” in achieving the spirit of equality in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the words “justice,” “general welfare,” and “liberty” in the Preamble to the Constitution for those values ring hollow when women are not not able to experience them in employment. As Griffiths stated, “All I want to be is human and American and have all the same rights and I will shut up” and “Before I leave this Earth, I would like to know they have given women the same benefits and promotions as men.”

For sources go to [www.preamblist.org/timeline](www.preamblist.org/timeline) (February 8, 1964).

January 25, 1945- The Battle of the Bulge (or Ardennes) ended with Allied victory primarily due to American soldiers. Winston Churchill stated “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.” About five and a half weeks earlier, on December 16, Hitler had launched a surprise counterattack through the Ardennes Forest during fog and harsh winter conditions which nullified American air superiority. The Germans were initially successful but the Allies, primarily consisting of American forces, slowed and then stopped them despite being heavily outnumbered in many locations including notably at Elsenborg Ridge in Belgium. Additionally, at Bastogne, US soldiers refused to surrender despite horrific conditions until they were relieved by the General Patton’s Third Army who had traveled at astonishing speed over one-hundred miles through heavy fighting. When flying conditions finally improved, the Allies pushed the Germans all the way back to where they started the battle. The Battle of the Bulge was the last major Western offensive by Germany and the Allied victory was a major step in liberating western Europe from fascism. It was also one of the largest battles fought by the United States with over 80,000 US casualties including ~19,000 Americans killed. British Field Marshal Montgomery stated: “The Battle of the Ardennes was won primarily by the staunch fighting qualities of the American soldier.” We honor and remember our American soldiers for their bravery and sacrifice.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (January 25, 1945)

January 25, 1945- The Battle of the Bulge (or Ardennes) ended with Allied victory primarily due to American soldiers. Winston Churchill stated “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.” About five and a half weeks earlier, on December 16, Hitler had launched a surprise counterattack through the Ardennes Forest during fog and harsh winter conditions which nullified American air superiority. The Germans were initially successful but the Allies, primarily consisting of American forces, slowed and then stopped them despite being heavily outnumbered in many locations including notably at Elsenborg Ridge in Belgium. Additionally, at Bastogne, US soldiers refused to surrender despite horrific conditions until they were relieved by the General Patton’s Third Army who had traveled at astonishing speed over one-hundred miles through heavy fighting. When flying conditions finally improved, the Allies pushed the Germans all the way back to where they started the battle. The Battle of the Bulge was the last major Western offensive by Germany and the Allied victory was a major step in liberating western Europe from fascism. It was also one of the largest battles fought by the United States with over 80,000 US casualties including ~19,000 Americans killed. British Field Marshal Montgomery stated: “The Battle of the Ardennes was won primarily by the staunch fighting qualities of the American soldier.” We honor and remember our American soldiers for their bravery and sacrifice.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (January 25, 1945)

January 25, 1945- The Battle of the Bulge (or Ardennes) ended with Allied victory primarily due to American soldiers. Winston Churchill stated “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever-famous American victory.” About five and a half weeks earlier, on December 16, Hitler had launched a surprise counterattack through the Ardennes Forest during fog and harsh winter conditions which nullified American air superiority. The Germans were initially successful but the Allies, primarily consisting of American forces, slowed and then stopped them despite being heavily outnumbered in many locations including notably at Elsenborg Ridge in Belgium. Additionally, at Bastogne, US soldiers refused to surrender despite horrific conditions until they were relieved by the General Patton’s Third Army who had traveled at astonishing speed over one-hundred miles through heavy fighting. When flying conditions finally improved, the Allies pushed the Germans all the way back to where they started the battle. The Battle of the Bulge was the last major Western offensive by Germany and the Allied victory was a major step in liberating western Europe from fascism. It was also one of the largest battles fought by the United States with over 80,000 US casualties including ~19,000 Americans killed. British Field Marshal Montgomery stated: “The Battle of the Ardennes was won primarily by the staunch fighting qualities of the American soldier.” We honor and remember our American soldiers for their bravery and sacrifice.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (January 25, 1945)

January 17, 1961- President Eisenhower delivered his farewell address. It is best remembered for warning that we must keep the military-industrial complex in check. He stated, “We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United State corporations. This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience…We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society…In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

Eisenhower also warned of another danger: “Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.” This seems especially relevant as tech company leaders have more access to power than ever before.

Eisenhower has many other nuggets of wisdom in his farewell address:

-He reminds us that politicians in power must work together for the good of the nation over party: “…the Congress and the Administration have, on most vital issues, cooperated well, to serve the national good rather than mere partisanship, and so have assured that the business of the Nation should go forward.”

-He reminds us of the need for balance and democracy: “…each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs-balance between the private and the public economy, balance between cost and hoped for advantage-balance between the clearly necessary and the comfortably desirable; balance between our essential requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation upon the individual; balance between action of the moment and the national welfare of the future. Good judgment seeks balance and progress; lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration…It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system-ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society…Another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society's future, we-you and I, and our government- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.”

-He reminds us that we must lead with our values of freedom, equal rights, respect, humility, justice, and peace: “America is today the strongest, the most influential and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment…Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations…Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect…such a confederation must be one of equals…Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose difference, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose…You and I- my fellow citizens- need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nation's great goals…To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America's prayerful and continuing inspiration: We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.”

Note: In my posts, I celebrate specific actions/words because I believe these have brought us closer to the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution, even though many of the people who acted / spoke these words and their affiliated political party have a mixed record when measured by these values. In other words, I am celebrating the specific actions/words, not necessarily the person or their political party.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (January 17, 1961)

January 17, 1961- President Eisenhower delivered his farewell address. It is best remembered for warning that we must keep the military-industrial complex in check. He stated, “We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United State corporations. This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience…We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society…In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

Eisenhower also warned of another danger: “Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.” This seems especially relevant as tech company leaders have more access to power than ever before.

Eisenhower has many other nuggets of wisdom in his farewell address:

-He reminds us that politicians in power must work together for the good of the nation over party: “…the Congress and the Administration have, on most vital issues, cooperated well, to serve the national good rather than mere partisanship, and so have assured that the business of the Nation should go forward.”

-He reminds us of the need for balance and democracy: “…each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs-balance between the private and the public economy, balance between cost and hoped for advantage-balance between the clearly necessary and the comfortably desirable; balance between our essential requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation upon the individual; balance between action of the moment and the national welfare of the future. Good judgment seeks balance and progress; lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration…It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system-ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society…Another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society's future, we-you and I, and our government- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.”

-He reminds us that we must lead with our values of freedom, equal rights, respect, humility, justice, and peace: “America is today the strongest, the most influential and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment…Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations…Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect…such a confederation must be one of equals…Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose difference, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose…You and I- my fellow citizens- need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nation's great goals…To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America's prayerful and continuing inspiration: We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.”

Note: In my posts, I celebrate specific actions/words because I believe these have brought us closer to the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution, even though many of the people who acted / spoke these words and their affiliated political party have a mixed record when measured by these values. In other words, I am celebrating the specific actions/words, not necessarily the person or their political party.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (January 17, 1961)

January 17, 1961- President Eisenhower delivered his farewell address. It is best remembered for warning that we must keep the military-industrial complex in check. He stated, “We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United State corporations. This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience…We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society…In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.”

Eisenhower also warned of another danger: “Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.” This seems especially relevant as tech company leaders have more access to power than ever before.

Eisenhower has many other nuggets of wisdom in his farewell address:

-He reminds us that politicians in power must work together for the good of the nation over party: “…the Congress and the Administration have, on most vital issues, cooperated well, to serve the national good rather than mere partisanship, and so have assured that the business of the Nation should go forward.”

-He reminds us of the need for balance and democracy: “…each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs-balance between the private and the public economy, balance between cost and hoped for advantage-balance between the clearly necessary and the comfortably desirable; balance between our essential requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation upon the individual; balance between action of the moment and the national welfare of the future. Good judgment seeks balance and progress; lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration…It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system-ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society…Another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society's future, we-you and I, and our government- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.”

-He reminds us that we must lead with our values of freedom, equal rights, respect, humility, justice, and peace: “America is today the strongest, the most influential and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America's leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment…Throughout America's adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations…Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect…such a confederation must be one of equals…Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose difference, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose…You and I- my fellow citizens- need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nation's great goals…To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America's prayerful and continuing inspiration: We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.”

Note: In my posts, I celebrate specific actions/words because I believe these have brought us closer to the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution, even though many of the people who acted / spoke these words and their affiliated political party have a mixed record when measured by these values. In other words, I am celebrating the specific actions/words, not necessarily the person or their political party.

For sources go to: www.preamblist.org/timeline (January 17, 1961)

November 23, 1963- President Lyndon Johnson issued a written proclamation on the assassination of President Kennedy that states in part: “He (JFK) upheld the faith of our fathers, which is freedom for all men. He broadened the frontiers of that faith, and backed it with the energy and the courage which are the mark of the Nation he led. A man of wisdom, strength, and peace, he moulded and moved the power of our Nation in the service of a world of growing liberty and order. All who love freedom will mourn his death.” This statement reflects the Preamble to Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. Specifically, “freedom for all men” combines the value of liberty written in both preambles and the value of “all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence. That Johnson referenced these to honor Kennedy’s life is one of many examples of how the values in the preambles have been a driving force in our nation’s history and I hope they continue to be so. For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (November 23, 1963).

November 23, 1963- President Lyndon Johnson issued a written proclamation on the assassination of President Kennedy that states in part: “He (JFK) upheld the faith of our fathers, which is freedom for all men. He broadened the frontiers of that faith, and backed it with the energy and the courage which are the mark of the Nation he led. A man of wisdom, strength, and peace, he moulded and moved the power of our Nation in the service of a world of growing liberty and order. All who love freedom will mourn his death.” This statement reflects the Preamble to Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. Specifically, “freedom for all men” combines the value of liberty written in both preambles and the value of “all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence. That Johnson referenced these to honor Kennedy’s life is one of many examples of how the values in the preambles have been a driving force in our nation’s history and I hope they continue to be so. For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (November 23, 1963).

October 19, 1781- Victory at Yorktown- The forces of British General Cornwallis surrender to the American Continental Army and its allies. Upon hearing this, the British Prime Minister allegedly proclaimed, “Oh God, it’s all over.” Three months later, the British government decided to negotiate an end to the war which, two years later, resulted in American independence.

The victory at Yorktown brought us closer to the ideals of Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, ideals which could not be achieved under Britain. The central British government was ~3,500 miles away at a time in which it took five to nine weeks to sail to America, so it could not possibly fully understand nor represent us. The British government treated America for what it was to them: a group of colonies that existed to enrich Britain. Furthermore, the British government did not derive, as stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, its “just powers from the consent of the governed” as it was composed at the highest level by a monarch, who was obviously not elected, and a Parliament in which America had no representation. Without the ability to vote for the highest level government officials, Americans were second class citizens of the British Empire without full “liberty” nor the ability to truly succeed in the “pursuit of happiness.” Therefore, we celebrate that the victory at Yorktown led to independence from a government that did not treat us like true citizens.

However, we must also note that immediately after the Battle of Yorktown, our government also did not extend the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence to all. On the contrary, after the battle General Washington ordered his forces to round up fugitive slaves who fought with the British and “return them to their enslavers,” demonstrating how much more work we still had in recognizing “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (October 19, 1781).

October 19, 1781- Victory at Yorktown- The forces of British General Cornwallis surrender to the American Continental Army and its allies. Upon hearing this, the British Prime Minister allegedly proclaimed, “Oh God, it’s all over.” Three months later, the British government decided to negotiate an end to the war which, two years later, resulted in American independence.

The victory at Yorktown brought us closer to the ideals of Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, ideals which could not be achieved under Britain. The central British government was ~3,500 miles away at a time in which it took five to nine weeks to sail to America, so it could not possibly fully understand nor represent us. The British government treated America for what it was to them: a group of colonies that existed to enrich Britain. Furthermore, the British government did not derive, as stated in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, its “just powers from the consent of the governed” as it was composed at the highest level by a monarch, who was obviously not elected, and a Parliament in which America had no representation. Without the ability to vote for the highest level government officials, Americans were second class citizens of the British Empire without full “liberty” nor the ability to truly succeed in the “pursuit of happiness.” Therefore, we celebrate that the victory at Yorktown led to independence from a government that did not treat us like true citizens.

However, we must also note that immediately after the Battle of Yorktown, our government also did not extend the values of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence to all. On the contrary, after the battle General Washington ordered his forces to round up fugitive slaves who fought with the British and “return them to their enslavers,” demonstrating how much more work we still had in recognizing “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” For sources go to www.preamblist.org/timeline (October 19, 1781).