Articles by Steven Gilchrist

SAN FRANCISO, C.A. - Phoebe Apperson Hearst (December 3, 1842 - April 13, 1919) was born in St. Clair, Missouri. Hearst was a philanthropist and suffragist. Her husband, George Hearst, was a U.S. senator. Throughout Phoebe Hearst's life she advocated for various social causes. She was the founder of the University of California Museum of Anthropology and the co-founder of the National Parent-Teacher Association. Phoebe Hearst was also the first woman to serve as a regent for the University of California, Berkeley.  Hearst Fountain - San Francisco, CA There is a memorial dedicated to Phoebe Hearst at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The Phoebe Hearst Fountain is located in front of the California Academy of Sciences.

On July 14, 1870, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the Naturalization Act of 1870. Prior to the signing of the law, the act was passed by the 41st United States Congress. This federal law established a system of controls for the citizenship process and penalties if this process were to be violated. Furthermore, the Naturalization Act of 1870 extended naturalization rights to "aliens of African nativity and to persons of African descent." Consequently, this process denied access to U.S. citizenship for other nonwhite immigrant groups. For more information about the Naturalization Act of 1870 visit:  Naturalization Act of 1870 - Immigration History

Boston, MA. - Known as the "Father of the American Navy" John Barry (March 25, 1745 - September 13, 1803) was born in Wexford, Ireland.  On December 7, 1775, Barry was selected as a captain in the Continental Navy.  He was the first captain appointed to command a United States warship commissioned under the Continental flag.  John Barry plaque - Boston, MA. In 1797, Barry was selected as the first commissioned United States naval officer. He was granted the rank of commodore by President George Washington. During his 13-year naval career, Barry commanded the following U.S. warships: Alliance,  Delaware, Lexington, Raleigh, and United States.  Barry died at the age of 58 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is a plaque dedicated to John Barry located on the Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts.