While New York City is home to that famous gift from the French — the Statue of Liberty and has more than one street named for Lafayette, it would be hard to dispute that Louisiana, and New Orleans in particularly, is the most French place within the United States.
So while many Americans admire French fashions and that certain je ne sais quoi of the Gallic people, it’s interesting to reflect that the early origins of modern French Republic were rooted in an admiration of our own Spirit of ’76!
Hope you had a Happy Fourth of July… & Happy Bastille Day to France… & all Francophiles near & far!!
Something to contemplate as you attend Holiday Office parties and tree trimmings….. On December 5, 1933, the 18th Amendment – popularly known as “Prohibition,” was repealed… The 21st Amendment is the only one that repeals a previous amendment. Additionally, it is the the only time an amendment was sent out for ratification by state conventions…
Inspired by both the American and French Revolutions, particularly by the writings of Thomas Paine, historians consider the Irish Rebellion of 1798 as the greatest threat to English Rule between 1641 revolt and the Easter Uprising of 1916. And the participants and sons of this rebellion would help shape 19th Century American Law and help…
This Martin Luther King Day… remember him by learning more about the Civil Rights Act (1964)…. Martin Luther King Jr’s life was dedicated to ensuring Civil Rights. For more on the passage of the 1964 Act, check out this source….. Congressional Research Service documents… available to NYLI members through PQ Congressional …. MLK’s vision was…
95 years after the 15th Amendment’s ratification, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 promised to enforce the right to vote by eliminating obstacles such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic restrictions imposed by many Southern state legislatures during the post-Reconstruction period. In 1964, nearly 100 years after the Civil War ended, numerous peaceful…
September 17th is Constitution Day. Why September 17th? That’s the day the U.S. Constitution was signed in Philadelphia is 1787… And while the OED gives multiple meanings for every word — including constitution — most Americans (and certainly most librarians!) immediately associate it with the document, often amended, that is the basis of our government….
“Ask a Stupid Question Day” originated in the 1980s — too many teachers observed that students were unwilling to ask questions , probably for fear of ‘losing face’ and appearing stupid…. And so as the holiday emphasizes, there are no stupid questions… As librarians, we agree — there are no stupid questions… or seemingly easily…
