West Virgina Votes to Secede from Virginia
On October 24, 1861, the people of West Virginia voted to secede from the Confederate state of Virginia. They would achieve statehood less than tow years later.
Civil War
Thanksgiving Day Proclamations
On October 3, 1789 and 1863, two sitting presidents called on Americans to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving in November.
First USS Constellation Launched
Ordered by a Congressional Act in 1794, the first American ship to be christened the Constellation was launched on September 7, 1797. It was the first ship commissioned into the United States Navy; the first put to sea; and the first to fight, defeat, and capture an enemy vessel.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
On August 21, 1858, Abraham Lincoln participated in the first of seven debates against Stephen Douglas. Part of a race for an Illinois seat in the US Senate, they became known as the Lincoln-Douglas Debates or the Great Debates of 1858.
Encased Postage
On August 12, 1862, John Gault received a patent for a design to encase postage stamps to use as currency as coins were being hoarded during the Civil War.
New York Becomes 11th State to Join the Union
On July 26, 1788, New York ratified the US Constitution, becoming America’s 11th state. It has grown to be America’s fourth most populous state, with more than 20 million residents.
Creation of the Veterans Administration
On July 21, 1930, President Hoover signed legislation forming the Veterans Administration, often called simply, the VA.
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park was established on June 11, 1940, along the Kentucky-Virginia border. The park preserves and honors the “first great gateway to the West.”
The First Memorial Day
On May 30, 1868, the first Memorial Day, then called Decoration Day, was held in the United States. It’s grown to become a federal holiday dedicated to remembering the sacrifices of our fallen soldiers.