July 20: George Rogers Clark

On this date in History .... July 20, 1778:

George Rogers Clark captured the fort at Vincennes, Indiana, from the French.  

When Clark informed the French that France has declared war against the British, making France and the colonists now on the same side, the French were elated, and those at the Vincennes fort pledged allegiance to the Americans. When the British learned of this, troops were sent to capture the fort, and was held under British control through the winter. 

Clark recaptured the fort the following February with significantly fewer troops than the British had and in effect, tricked the British into surrendering the fort. Because of how Clark’s men had survived the winter in their approach to the fort and how Clark tricked the British into surrendering, Clark is described as “a true military genius and patriot.”

George Rogers Clark Memorial
Vincennes, Indiana

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A memorial for Clark was built in Vincennes when, in the 1920s as the 150th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War was approaching, an "intense interest" arose in recognizing the accomplishments of Clark and how he secured the West for the Americans.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the memorial on June 14, 1936. 

June 7: King George VI visits U.S.

On this date in history ... June 7, 1939:

King George VI becomes the first British monarch to visit the U.S. 

FDR’s invitation to the royal couple did not go unnoticed as no reigning British Monarch had ever set foot on American soil, not even in colonial times.  With Europe poised on the brink of war, Franklin Roosevelt realized the necessity of building a closer relationship between the two countries.

In addition to hosting a White House state dinner, the Roosevelts also hosted a picnic style luncheon at their home in Hyde Park (NY) where FDR’s mother was “horrified” that the King and Queen were served hot dogs on the front porch!  

George VI at the picnic at Top Cottage, seated with Sara Delano Roosevelt (FDR's mother, right), New York Governor Herbert Lehman, and Elinor Morgenthau (wife of Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr., left), June 11, 1939, Hyde Park, NY. (FDR Library)

February 5: FDR's Announces Court Packing Plan

On this date in History .... 1937:

Franklin Roosevelt announced plans to expand the Supreme Court to up to 15 judges, his argument being to make it “more efficient.”  FDR had become irritated with the Court as they had struck down several of his New Deal bills. FDR plan was to pack the Supreme Court with more liberal judges who would vote with his New Deal ideas.  Before he could put the plan in place, two of the judges switched over to “the liberal side”, making FDR’s reorganization plan unnecessary.  FDR had his first chance to appoint a new justice soon after and by 1942, all but two of the judges were FDR appointees anyway.

Businessmen who found themselves heavily taxed and regulated by FDR’s new programs, pushed back through the courts.  In one of them, the Supreme Court ruled against FDR’s Agricultural Adjustment Act, stating in a 6-3 split that the tax was unconstitutional and that only the states had the power to regulate agriculture.

FDR didn’t want the states to try to piecemeal changes. He believed that only “sweeping federal reforms” could fix the problems of the Depression.  He claimed the court was overwhelmed with cases as his reasoning for adding more judges …. judges that HE would appoint to make sure his programs were passed without problem.

It is historical irony that FDR almost achieved his plan when five justices retired and two died, giving FDR the opportunity to appoint seven of the nine seated justices anyway


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January 15: FDR Makes Plea for Baseball

On this date in History .... 1942:

The day after FDR signs Presidential Proclamation #2537 requiring people from enemy countries to register with the government, he switched his attention to the national pasttime of baseball, and sent his famous “Green Light Letter” to the baseball commissioner, encouraging the continuation of baseball games during WWII.

Roosevelt said his comments were “solely a personal and not an official point of view”.  The letter ensured that the 1942 season would be played as planned, negating rumors of a shutdown.

Despite a loss of many star players to military service, such Joe DiMaggio & Ted Williams, all 16 teams played regular schedules for the duration of WWII.

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December 11: Hitler declares war on U.S.

On this date in History .... 1941:

Hitler declares war on the United States. 

Hitler had a verbal agreement with Japan that Germany would join Japan in a war against the U.S. but was unsure on how that would come about. The bombing of Pearl Harbor was the perfect opening, even though the attack had surprised even Germany.  

German Foreign Minister von Ribbenthrop feared the addition of the U.S. would overwhelm Germany’s war effort but Hitler didn’t agree. He thought Japan was stronger than they actually were and figured once Japan defeated the U.S. then Japan would help Germany defeat Russia.

Once the declaration of war had been delivered, Hitler addressed the Reichstag, claiming the true cause of the war was entirely the fault of Roosevelt and his failed New Deal, accusing FDR of inciting war, falsifying causes, then wrapping himself in “Christian hypocrisy and slowly but surely leads mankind to war”.  At the end of this speech, the Reichstag “leaped to their feet in thunderous applause.” 

FDR’s request to Congress for a Declaration of War was unanimously approved.


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November 7: FDR Wins 4th Term

On this date in History .... 1944:

FDR wins an unprecedented 4^th term and is the first and only president to serve more than 2 terms. This prompted Congress to pass the 22^nd amendment 1947 to limit the president to two consecutive terms.  Until this point, 2 terms had been either voluntarily following George Washington’s example, or failed attempts at a 3^rd term (T. Roosevelt ran for a 3^rd term but lost in 1912).   He was president during two of America’s worst crisis periods:  The Great Depression and World War II.

Roosevelt pioneered the 100-day yardstick that measures a President’s effectiveness in office soon after elected. "The first hundred days of the New Deal have served as a model for future presidents of bold leadership and executive-legislative harmony," said Anthony Badger in his book “FDR: The First Hundred Days.”

He was first elected in the fourth year of a depression that was affecting countries the world over. He called Congress into a special session and kept them busy for three months, passing what is called his Alphabet Soup of programs and bills to get America working, such as the WPA, CWA, NRA (Nat’l Recovery Administration), TVA, SEC, FHA, PWA, NLRB, and more.

That first year, “Roosevelt got 15 major bills through Congress in his first 100 days. "Congress doesn't pass legislation anymore—they just wave at the bills as they go by," said humorist Will Rogers.”

(quote source: http://www.usnews.com/news/history/