http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=1753
Here are some one liners...
Between Prejudice and Principle -- The Jews are made naturalized citizens.... and then not. I talk about how in the Age of Enlightenment certain people understand that prejudice is wrong, but they can't make the right thing happen.
The Marriage Act... A Comedy -- A marriage license is now required and you must be 21 or have permission of your parents. I also talk about one of the first comic books that addresses this subject.
Oh Say Can You See? -- James McHenry is born. I talk a little bit about the Star Spangled banner.
Between Prejudice and Principle
Something profound is changing in the thinking of Europe and Great Britain. This is the Age of Enlightenment and it is expressed in a change in British Law this year. The law treats Jews as foreigners, so Jews must pay a foreigners tax to do business. The law also states that overseas trade with its colonies can only be conducted between British subjects. With 1% of the Jews in New York doing 12% of the overseas business with Great Britain, the law has come into conflict with reality... and for no good reason. Most of Parliament and King George the 2nd find it barbaric that the Jews should be treated differently from any other British subject, so they pass a law making Jews into naturalized citizens. Unfortunately, his law causes such an uproar with the rank-and-file that it will be repealed next year. The basic elements of naturalization will have to be won in the courts. [1] [2] [3]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
FYI: one of the fellows who pushed for this law was Josiah Tucker, an economist. He predicted that once the American colonies no longer required British support, they would break away. He didn't exactly predict war, but he was the first to anticipate the American Revolution. And keep in mind that Europe will bounce back and forth on the issue of how to treat "the others who are not like us". That is why they are struggling today with the issue of Syrian refugees flooding across their borders. They are worried that they are still prejudiced like their ancestors were. Yet, instead of thinking about how many people can they fit into the boat called Europe without sinking, they are worried about being called racists. As a consequence Europe is well on its way to sinking AND being called racist. We can look back and laugh at our ancestors as they struggled between their prejudices and their principles, but I wonder what future generations will find to laugh at when they look back at our generation? [4] [5] [6] (Optional) What would I do? I'd take only women and children refugees, hand a rifle to every able-bodied man under 60 and send him back. If he wants to fight for freedom in his own country, I'm willing to help him out. If he doesn't care, then why should I care about his country or him, for that matter?
FYI: one of the fellows who pushed for this law was Josiah Tucker, an economist. He predicted that once the American colonies no longer required British support, they would break away. He didn't exactly predict war, but he was the first to anticipate the American Revolution. And keep in mind that Europe will bounce back and forth on the issue of how to treat "the others who are not like us". That is why they are struggling today with the issue of Syrian refugees flooding across their borders. They are worried that they are still prejudiced like their ancestors were. Yet, instead of thinking about how many people can they fit into the boat called Europe without sinking, they are worried about being called racists. As a consequence Europe is well on its way to sinking AND being called racist. We can look back and laugh at our ancestors as they struggled between their prejudices and their principles, but I wonder what future generations will find to laugh at when they look back at our generation? [4] [5] [6] (Optional) What would I do? I'd take only women and children refugees, hand a rifle to every able-bodied man under 60 and send him back. If he wants to fight for freedom in his own country, I'm willing to help him out. If he doesn't care, then why should I care about his country or him, for that matter?
The Marriage Act... A Comedy
If you say you are married, then you are married. (A religious ceremony is acceptable but not required.) Promises are made. Gifts on condition of marriage are given. Contracts are negotiated and when everyone is agreeable, you consummate the marriage... or maybe before that. If something goes wrong in the midst of these negotiations, you need some serious legal help sorting out who-said-what-to-whom. If I put out money for an expensive ring and then find out that she is already engaged to three other guys and her pet cat, I should be able to get the ring back. And it works the other way too. If a young miss has given up on other suitors in order to marry me and then I skip out, she should be able to keep the ring. In order for the courts to sort out these cases, the English Parliament passes a law requiring that all marriages be licensed by the state, and that a ceremony take place or that a public announcement be made. Both parties must be 21 years of age or older, unless given permission by their parents. (Jews and Quakers are exceptions to this marriage law.) This is the first time that modern law imposes regulations rather than guidelines for marriage. [2] [7]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Well... this was a popular law because after the 1750s people were worried about verbal promises not being fulfilled or being misunderstood. In fact, the first comic books appear at this time and the most popular one covers what happens when young Tom promises marriage to a fair young lass, AND she is pregnant. Then Tom's father dies so Tom comes into a considerable inheritance. Suddenly he forgets his promises and starts frequenting bordellos. It is called sequential art. It won't be called a "comic" until the 1840s. Also two of the most popular plays in the 1700s are comedies based on this idea of making promises to marry and then everything falling apart on technicalities. I have seen this theme over and over again in situational comedies where a couple is married for a long time and suddenly find out that because the preacher failed to do something correctly (fill-in-the-blank-with-some-technicality) the couple is not really married. They have a second chance to decide if they want to be married. This actually happened to my wife and me when we discovered a flaw in our marriage contract. (Yes. I married her again.) [2] [8] [9]
Well... this was a popular law because after the 1750s people were worried about verbal promises not being fulfilled or being misunderstood. In fact, the first comic books appear at this time and the most popular one covers what happens when young Tom promises marriage to a fair young lass, AND she is pregnant. Then Tom's father dies so Tom comes into a considerable inheritance. Suddenly he forgets his promises and starts frequenting bordellos. It is called sequential art. It won't be called a "comic" until the 1840s. Also two of the most popular plays in the 1700s are comedies based on this idea of making promises to marry and then everything falling apart on technicalities. I have seen this theme over and over again in situational comedies where a couple is married for a long time and suddenly find out that because the preacher failed to do something correctly (fill-in-the-blank-with-some-technicality) the couple is not really married. They have a second chance to decide if they want to be married. This actually happened to my wife and me when we discovered a flaw in our marriage contract. (Yes. I married her again.) [2] [8] [9]
Oh Say Can You See?
- James McHenry is born. He will be a surgeon during the American Revolution, an aide to General George Washington and the 3rd Secretary of War under President George Washington and President John Adams. Fort McHenry will be named after him and during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key will write an inspirational poem about the Battle of Baltimore called the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", or better known as the Star-Spangled Banner. [2] [10]
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