Today, the city of Frankfurt-am-Main is the largest financial hub in Continental Europe, home to the European Central Bank (ECB), the Deutsche Bundesbank and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The same city was at one time the epicenter of a liberal uprising that swept the German states. The Frankfurt Parliament was convened in May 1848; its members were elected by direct (male) suffrage, representing the full political spectrum. In the end, the revolution of 1848 failed and was suppressed with excessive force and retribution. [Read more…] about Justus Schwab & East Village Radicalism
New York City
New York State & Washington’s Cherry Trees
On March 27th, 1912, the first two of thousands of Japanese cherry trees were planted along the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, DC by First Lady Helen Taft, the wife of President William Howard Taft, and the Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador to the United States. [Read more…] about New York State & Washington’s Cherry Trees
2022 US Census Estimates: 89% Of NYS Counties Lost Population
The US Census recently released its estimates for changes in U.S. population for 2021-2022. These are estimates that are based on samples and models from across the country and are not the complete counts that we see with the decennial census.
This new estimate for New York State projected that the state lost just over 180,000 residents in the last two years, with losses projected from every part of the state. Across New York, 55 of the state’s 62 counties were estimated to have lost population. [Read more…] about 2022 US Census Estimates: 89% Of NYS Counties Lost Population
The Sewing Girl’s Tale: Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America
In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, John Wood Sweet, a Professor of History at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and author of the book, The Sewing Girl’s Tale: A Story of Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America (Henry Holt & Co., 2022), winner of the 2023 Bancroft Prize in American History, joins Liz Covart to investigate the first published rape trial in the United States and how one woman, Lanah Sawyer, bravely confronted the man who raped her by bringing him to court for his crime. [Read more…] about The Sewing Girl’s Tale: Crime and Consequences in Revolutionary America
The Italian Squad: Immigrant Cops Who Fought The Rising Mafia
The story begins in Sicily, on Friday, March 12th, 1909, at 8:45 pm. Three gunshots thundered in the night, and then a fourth. Two men fled, and investigators soon discovered who they had killed: Giuseppe Petrosino, the legendary American detective whose exploits in New York were celebrated even in Italy.
The book The Italian Squad: The True Story of the Immigrant Cops Who Fought the Rise of the Mafia (NYU Press, 2023) by veteran New York City journalist and historian Paul Moses explores the lives of the nationally celebrated detectives who followed in the slain Petrosino’s footsteps as leaders of the New York City investigative squad: Anthony Vachris, Charles Corrao, and Michael Fiaschetti. [Read more…] about The Italian Squad: Immigrant Cops Who Fought The Rising Mafia
State Sues 29 Companies for Illegal Dumping in Ulster County; Owner Charged In Killing
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced a lawsuit against 29 waste haulers and brokers for illegally dumping waste at a site in Saugerties, Ulster County, owned by a man who also faces up to 25 years in state prison in the beating death of a 66-year-old excavation company owner. [Read more…] about State Sues 29 Companies for Illegal Dumping in Ulster County; Owner Charged In Killing
Steam-Powered Lighthouse Tender Lilac in Dry Dock
Lilac, America’s only surviving steam-powered lighthouse tender, is turning 90 this year. Its birthday celebration is being launched with a dry docking. [Read more…] about Steam-Powered Lighthouse Tender Lilac in Dry Dock
The Rockland County Work Camp That Inspired The Civilian Conservation Corps
Ninety years ago this month, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill that created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC established labor camps around the nation where unemployed men did forestry work and park improvements.
Much of their hard work is evident in state and national parks, which are still enjoyed by the public. At the time of its creation, the CCC was described as a “novel work-relief plan.” But it was not entirely novel. A similar program was being run in Rockland County, New York. [Read more…] about The Rockland County Work Camp That Inspired The Civilian Conservation Corps
Andy Warhol Exhibition Opens In NYC May 10th
The Brant Foundation has announced “Thirty Are Better Than One,” an exhibition of over 100 artworks by Andy Warhol, at its East Village location in New York City. On view from May 10th through July 31st, 2023, the survey spans the entirety of Warhol’s career, from his early drawings and intimate Polaroids to instantly recognizable silkscreens and sculptures. [Read more…] about Andy Warhol Exhibition Opens In NYC May 10th
Manhattan DA Returns Stolen Antiquities to Turkey
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., recently announced the return of 12 antiquities to the Republic of Türkiye valued at over $33 million. Nine of the objects were recovered pursuant to the recently concluded criminal investigation into antiquities possessed by Shelby White, which resulted in the seizure of 89 stolen antiquities, valued at $69 million and originating from 10 different countries. [Read more…] about Manhattan DA Returns Stolen Antiquities to Turkey