This Day In History

On March 10, 1862, the United States government issued its first widely circulated national paper money. These new notes, soon nicknamed “greenbacks,” were created during the financial strain of the American Civil War and transformed how the federal government financed itself.

On March 9, 1841, the US Supreme Court issued its final ruling in the case of United States v. Schooner Amistad. The decision ended a two-year legal battle over whether a group of kidnapped Africans were property—or free people who had fought for their liberty.

William Howard Taft died on March 8, 1930, after nearly fifty years in public service. His passing marked the end of a career that uniquely bridged the presidency and the nation’s highest court.

On March 7, 1903, Maud Lewis was born in South Ohio, Nova Scotia. Few could have guessed that this child, who would face lifelong physical pain and poverty, would become one of Canada’s most recognized folk artists.

On February 16, 1909, stamps printed on an experimental bluish paper were issued. These stamps were part of an effort to prevent paper shrinkage.

On February 3, 1990, the US Postal Service issued a small, colorful stamp that marked a quiet shift in how everyday American mail could look. That Beach Umbrella stamp became the first release in the short-lived but distinctive Mini-Scapes Series.

After a yearlong campaign, the USPS held a special midnight first-day ceremony on January 8, 1993, for the long-awaited Elvis Presley stamp.

On January 7, 1785, the sky briefly became part of the postal system. In a daring balloon flight watched by astonished crowds, mail was carried through the air for the first time, marking a bold experiment in communication and transportation that captured the imagination of the world.

On March 11, 1824, US Secretary of War John C. Calhoun created the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Today, the federal agency works with Native American and Alaskan Native tribal governments to maintain their quality of life.

On March 11, 1941, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act to provide aid to Allied forces in World War II. Over the course of the war, the US provided $50.1 billion worth of supplies to our Allies.

On March 11, 1980, the USPS removed all the stamps it had issued for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Moscow from sale as part of an American boycott of the games.  According the USPS, this was the first time they removed stamps from sale for political reasons since the Civil War.

Ezra Jack Keats was born on March 11, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York.  Keats was a writer and illustrator of children’s books, most famously, The Snowy Day.