The Spanish crown, against the forced labor of indigenous people, passed the Laws of Burgos in an attempt to reform the system. The attempt failed, as encomenderos ignored the laws and revolted against any attempt to weaken their power of the their laborers. Unfortunately, many Spanish encomenderos committed abuses, such…
In England and America in the 19th century, housework was incredibly laborious. If you could afford it, you got a servant. A household with just one servant had what was called a “Maid-of-all-Work,” a lone woman that was responsible for all the cooking, cleaning, and general maintenance of the members…
The first phone call made on a handheld cellular phone was made on April 3, 1973. The first handheld cellular phone call was made on April 3, 1973, by Motorola engineer Martin Cooper from Sixth Avenue in New York while walking between 53rd and 54th streets. In 1973, Motorola showed…
Mammoths roamed North America until their disappearance about 11,700 years ago, and the remains of only 30 of the massive prehistoric animals have previously been found in Michigan. “Michigan was under ice when mammoths were the only elephants on the landscape,” Widga says, the elephants grazing the cold grasslands south…
The first photographs were taken in the late 1820s, and the new medium developed throughout the rest of the century as a practical tool, artistic form and social activity. What were photos called in the 1800’s? The daguerreotype, the first photographic process, was invented by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851) and spread…
From about 200 to 800 B.C.E., a monarchy, or king, ruled most of Greek city-states. In a monarchy, the governing power is in the hands of one individual, usually a king. Greek settlements did not allow queens to govern. Initially, the people of a Greek city-state chose the kings. Ancient…
While Penzance was indeed a respectable town in the years the opera was performed, just 100 years before the show was created, the famous Cornish town was inhabited with real-life pirates. It was a difficult time for the people of Penzance who were affected by what was called Barbary Piracy.…
It went extinct about 11,500 years ago, at the end of the ice age. Glotzhober said this is the ninth time stag moose remains have been found in Ohio. Most of the previous finds have been limited to a handful of bones. The specimen found in Medina had 34 bones,…
747s in the 70s: On January 21, 1970, Pan Am flew passengers from New York City to London aboard the very first commercial 747 flight. Spiral staircases connected two decks. Widescreen movies were played in the cabins for more than 500 passengers in some configurations. Another trend, this one much…
The current thought is that about 20 percent of the colonists were Loyalists — those whose remained loyal to England and King George. Another small group in terms of percentage were the dedicated patriots, for whom there was no alternative but independence. • A patriot is more concerned about the…