The first country to formally recognize the United States was Morocco in 1777. The treaty between these two countries, known as the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, was signed in 1786 and ratified in 1787 by the Confederation Congress. It remains … Continue reading
Ian C. Pilarczyk
A proclamation by President George Washington and a congressional resolution established the first national Thanksgiving Day on November 26, 1789. The holiday was intended to give thanks for the new government formed under the Constitution. It became an official federal … Continue reading
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which sought to guarantee equal rights for women, was introduced in 1923 but not submitted for ratification until 1972. It was ultimately ratified by 35 states (although five of these later voted to rescind their … Continue reading
While common in Europe, only 3 US states have ‘duty to rescue’ laws, otherwise known colloquially as ‘bad Samaritan laws’, on the books. These laws, which exist in Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont, make it a crime to not provide … Continue reading
Only one Supreme Court justice has faced impeachment: Samuel Chase, justice from 1796 to 1811. A signer of the Declaration of Independence (representing Maryland), Chase faced impeachment precipitated by President Thomas Jefferson’s belief that Chase had shown inappropriate political bias … Continue reading
In 1971 a plaintiff filed a pauper’s suit in U.S. District Court, on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated, against Satan and his servants. Plaintiff alleged that Satan had “threatened him, caused him misery, impeded his course in … Continue reading
Only one state, Oregon, allows for non-unanimous verdicts for non-homicide felonies, allowing conviction on a 10-2 or 11-1 vote. A bill that would have brought this to a public referendum was not passed by the state legislature. The Supreme Court … Continue reading
Title 50, §21.12(d) of the Code of Federal Regulations prohibits removing a bald or golden eagle from a building without a permit from the Regional Migratory Bird Permits Office. So if one flies into your house, make sure you have … Continue reading
In the case of Nix v. Gedden (1893), the Court had to decide the weighty issue of whether a tomato should be considered a fruit or vegetable. Due to the Tariff Act of 1883, imported tomatoes were subject to a … Continue reading
Only one president is known to have acted as a legal executioner: Grover Cleveland, who in an earlier career as sheriff of Erie County, NY, personally hanged two murderers in 1872 and 1873. Cleveland also remains the only president to … Continue reading
A growing number of municipalities are outlawing texting and walking. Honolulu was the first to do so in 2017 under the “Distracted Walking Law”, which bans texting while crossing an intersection. Other cities have followed suit, although some laws are … Continue reading
Connecticut and Rhode Island were the only two states to fail to ratify the 18th amendment, which ushered in Prohibition following its ratification in January 1919. The 18th Amendment is the only constitutional amendment to have been repealed in its … Continue reading