On May 9, 1800 Future Abolitionist John Brown was born in Torrington, Connecticut. Brown was raised in a deeply religious white family that vehemently opposed black slavery. In the eighteen fifties Brown began hypothesizing that the slaves could only be freed by force of arms. Brown led 21 men on an armed raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia on October 16, 1859. His intent was to inspired and armed insurrection made up of members of the local slave population to begin a war to end black slavery in the United States. Brown’s forces were easily captured and disarmed by Federal troops led by then Federal and future Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Brown has tried, convicted of treason and hanged on December 2, 1859 and since has become known as an Absolutist martyr.
In relation, the American Civil War began on April 12, 1861 when Confederate Forces fired on the U.S. Army Base – Fort Sumter which is located on a small island in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
Here’s a link to a PBS page that offers a bio of John Brown:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1550.html
And if you’d like to know more about the American Civil War check out Ken Burn’s The Civil War documentary series – you can check it out at the library or stream it online from Amazon Instant Video.
60 Minutes journalist extraordinaire Mike Wallace was born in Brookline, Massachusetts on May 9, 1918. Wallace began his career working as a radio announcer in the nineteen thirties, he served in the U.S. military during World War II and in the nineteen fifties he began working as a television journalist. He became a household name in America as a co-host and hard-hitting interviewer for the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes which debuted in 1968. He was known for his investigative reporting and the many prominent people he interviewed which included presidents, politicians, artists and musicians over a television journalism career that lasted until he retired at age 90 in 2008.
During his years at 60 Minutes he interviewed many notable people including: John D. Ehrlichman (President Richard Nixon’s right hand man during the White Gate scandal), singer Barbara Streisand, actor Russell Crow, actor Walter Matthau Iranian religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini, Johnny Carson (Tonight Show host), President Ronald Reagan and Oprah Winfrey.
You’ll find a short bio of Mike Wallace on the Biography website via the following link:
http://www.biography.com/people/mike-wallace-9522454
And the 60 Minutes portion of the CBS website offers links to clips from some of his most famous interviews/reports:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-504803_162-57413924-10391709/mike-wallace-a-year-since-we-lost-him/
Have a great day!
Linda R.
References
Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.
Civil War: Fort Sumter Photo Gallery. History Chanel. Online. Accessed May 9, 2013.
http://www.history.com/photos/civil-war-fort-sumter
Mike Wallace. Biography. Online. Accessed May 9, 2013.
Mike Wallace: A year since we lost him. (2013, April 7). 60 Minutes. Online. Accessed May 9, 2013.
Weiner, Tim. (2012, April 8). Mike Wallace, CBS Pioneer of ‘60 Minutes,’ Dies at 93. New York Times. Online. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/business/media/mike-wallace-cbs-pioneer-of-60-minutes-dead-at-93.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
The American Dream Starts @ The Southeast Steuben County Library 