Continuing with our unusual laws series, we turn to Tudor Vermin Acts. These acts allowed officials to hinder the growth of vermin by placing a bounty on nuisance animals, creating an incentive for private citizens to take it upon themselves to eradicate what were believed to be agricultural pests. Since the United States inherited its common …
This week’s interview is with Emily Carr, a Senior Legal Research Specialist in our Public Services Division. Describe your background. As a native of northern Virginia born into a Red Sox-Yankees household, I choose to be neutral and am actually a Nationals fan. Growing up in suburban Washington, I was fortunate to have access to the capital’s …
New Jersey was once “the Two Jerseys” (East and West). Kentucky started out as Virginia’s backyard. Connecticut once harbored imperial dreams—claiming a Western Reserve that stretched all the way to the banks of the Mississippi. The shapes of our States have a complex and unexpected history. It’s easy to forget that history owes a debt to …
With all the news this week surrounding the 100th anniversary of the sailing (and, of course, sinking) of the RMS Titanic in April 1912, I’m sure everyone has read or seen at least something related to this event. However, if you really want to learn about the disaster from different perspectives and get a sense …
In my January 31, 2012 post, Ethiopian Emperors and Slavery, I briefly discussed slavery in Ethiopia and the unsuccessful attempts made by various Emperors to rid the country of the institution through the reign of Emperor Menelik II (1889-1913). In this post I have highlighted effective measures that were put in place, mainly during Emperor …
This weeks’ interview is with Judith Gaskell, former Librarian of the Supreme Court of the United States. Judy is currently volunteering at the Law Library and is working in the office next door to mine. I couldn’t resist popping over and asking her to do an interview for our blog. She kindly and graciously accepted. Please …