This Week in American History

Here is what happened this week in American History.

• July 9. On this day in 1776, during the Revolutionary War the Sons of Liberty topple the statue of King George III located in Bowling Green, New York City. Appropriately the statue will be melted down and used to make bullets to be shot at the British. Much blood had already been shed on both sides and it was about to get much worse. The Sons of Liberty was a confederation of those supporting the ideals of freedom. The organization will remain active through the Revolutionary War and until about 1783.

• July 10. In 1951, armistice negotiations begin in the North Korea city of Kaesong to bring the Korean War to an end. It will not happen. While South Korea, UN and US diplomatic staff are willing to end the war along the 38th Parallel, the Chinese and North Koreans are not. Even as peace negotiations are being held, North Korean Army and Chinese Peoples Volunteer Army units are actively attacking South Korean, UN and US forces.

• July 11. Today in 1921, William Howard Taft is sworn is as 10th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Taft had previously served as President of the United States. To date, he is the only person to have served both as President and as a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

• July 12. On this day in 1942, Jerry Williams, Jr. is born in Portsmouth, Virginia. Coming from musically talented parents and family, Williams is just 12 years old when he records “Hardsick Troublesome Downout Blues”, or “HTD Blues”, with his parents and uncle serving as background musicians. Performing as Little Jerry Williams, in 1966 his “Baby You’re My Everything” reaches #32 on the R&B chart. His career remains steady and he focuses on writing songs performed by others. Williams adopts the name Swamp Dog in 1970. Today he is 83 and remains active.

• July 13. In 2024, former President Donald Trump is campaigning for re-election near Butler, Pennsylvania, and speaking when gunshots ring out. Trump narrowly misses being killed as a bullet strikes the top of his right ear. The assassination attempt ends with the shooter, identified as 20-year old Thomas Crooks, being shot and killed by the US Secret Service. The image of Trump’s blood-splattered ear and face with fist held in the air becomes a compelling image.

• July 14. Today in 1769, America is not yet an independent country and California is not a state when an expedition led by Spanish Army officer Gaspar de Portola leaves it base in San Diego and founds the Port of Monterey, now known as Monterey.

• July 15. On this day in 1954, the Boeing 367-80 makes its maiden flight. Later referred to as the “Dash 80” Boeing used the aircraft to display the feasibility of civilian jet airliners when American civilian aviation was still using propeller aircraft. Never intended for commercial use, only one Dash 80 was ever built, however its construction and successful testing led to the development of the Boeing 707 airliner and the C-135 military transport. The Dash 80 is currently on display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a part of the National Air and Space Museum, located in Chantilly, Virginia.