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Laws

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Crowd at pro-choice rally, re possible SCrowd at pro-choice rally, re possible Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade decision. (Photo by Andrew Holbrooke/Getty Images)

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Roe v. Wade

Abortion Before Roe v. Wade Until the late 19th century, abortion was legal in the United States before “quickening,” the point at which a woman could first feel movements of the fetus, typically around the fourth month of pregnancy. Some of the early regulations related to abortion were enacted in the 1820s and 1830s and […]

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Executive Order

What is an Executive Order? The U.S. Constitution does not directly define or give the president authority to issue presidential actions, which include executive orders, presidential memoranda and proclamations. Instead, this implied and accepted power derives from Article II of the Constitution, which states that as head of the executive branch and commander in chief […]

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Veto

What Does Veto Mean? The word “veto” means “I forbid” in Latin. In the United States, Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution gives the president the authority to reject legislation that has been passed by both houses of Congress, though the word “veto” doesn’t actually appear in the Constitution. Congress can override a presidential […]

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ACLU

Birth of the ACLU The National Civil Liberties Bureau (NCLB) formed in 1917 to provide legal aid for conscientious objectors of World War I and those being prosecuted for espionage and sedition. Conscientious objectors are individuals who refuse to perform military services—often on religious grounds. During World War I, Quakers made up a large portion […]

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Stories

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The Chicago 8 Trial

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7 Reasons Why the Chicago 8 Trial Mattered

Fifty years ago, the trial raised questions about the First Amendment and exposed a culture clash in America.

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Elizabeth Freeman

Meet Elizabeth Freeman, one of the First Enslaved Women to Sue for Her Freedom—and Win

Nearly 80 years before the Dred Scott decision, a midwife used the Massachusetts constitution to fight for her liberty.

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Jack Johnson

The ‘White Slavery’ Law That Brought Down Jack Johnson is Still in Effect

The Mann Act was designed to prevent human trafficking—but used to punish interracial relationships.

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Two members of the Black Panther Party are met on the steps of the State Capitol in Sacramento, May 2, 1967, by Police Lt. Ernest Holloway, who informs them they will be allowed to keep their weapons as long as they cause no trouble and do not disturb the peace.

The NRA Supported Gun Control When the Black Panthers Had the Weapons

Back in the 1960s, even the NRA supported gun control to disarm the group.

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This Day in History

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1993

New floating bridge opens in Seattle; I-90 stretches from coast to coast

Inventions & Science
1933

Standard Oil geologists arrive in Saudi Arabia

Inventions & Science
1934

Nissan Motor Company founded

Inventions & Science
1897

First drunk driving arrest

19th Century
1914

ASCAP is founded

Art, Literature and Film History
1984

PG-13 rating debuts

Art, Literature and Film History
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