Articles by Steven Gilchrist

Boston, MA. -  December 16, 2023 marks the 250 th Boston Tea Party mural by Robert Reid anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. At the Massachusetts State House in Boston, there is a mural depicting the colonial era protest. The mural was painted by Robert Lewis Reid (1862-1929). Reid was born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Reid's Tea Party mural is located in the Senate Staircase Hallway/Nurses Hall.

Originally established in 1980, the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) was created to reduce the amount of paperwork that individuals, businesses, nonprofit institutions, schools and local & state governments would be responsible for pertaining to information disseminated from the federal government. Section 3504 of the PRA authorizes the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop and implement policies related to paperwork reduction, records management, and maintaining the privacy of consumer information. Updates were made to the PRA when the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub.L.104-13) was enacted. The Act was established on October 1, 1995 by the 104th United States Congress. For more information about the Paperwork Reduction Act visit:  Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) | Bureau of Justice Assistance (ojp.gov)

Brockton, MA. - On March 10, 1941 the Strand Theatre in Brockton, Massachusetts was destroyed by a fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown.  Thirteen Brockton firefighters died in the Strand Theatre fire. Their names are inscribed on the Brockton Fighters Strand Theatre Fire Memorial outside of Brockton city hall. Brockton Firefighters Memorial The names of the thirteen firefighters are inscribed in gold on the front of a granite memorial.  The memorial was dedicated on May 10, 2008. For more information about the Memorial visit Skylight Studios: Brockton Firefighters Strand Theatre Fire Memorial – Skylight Studios, Inc. (skylightstudiosinc.com)

The Taft-Hartley Act, also known as the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, is a federal law in the United States that restricts the influence of labor unions.  Despite being vetoed by U.S. President Harry S. Truman, t he Act was passed into law on June 23, 1947. The legislation was initially introduced by U.S. Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (R-NJ) on April 10, 1947. The Taft-Hartley Act amended the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).  According to the National Labor Relations Board: "The Taft-Hartley Act made major changes to the Wagner Act. Although Section 7 was retained intact in the revised law, new language was added to provide that employees had the right to refrain from participating in union or mutual aid activities except that they could be required to become members in a union as a condition of employment. Taft-Hartley defined six additional unfair labor practices, reflecting Congress' perception that some union conduct also needed correction. The Act...

Frank Grant plaque - Williamstown, MA. Williamstown, MA. - Ulysses Franklin "Frank" Grant was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on August 1, 1865. Grant was considered to be one of the best African American baseball players of the 19th century. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Grant was one of the most influential baseball players in the early Negro Leagues. In 2006, Grant was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. There is a plaque dedicated to Frank Grant in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he lived with his family for several years.

H.R. 7207, also known as the Raker Bill and the Hetch Hetchy Bill, was introduced into the U.S. Congress by Congressman John E. Raker (D-CA). Also referred to as the Raker Act, this legislative act granted the city of San Francisco, California the right to dam the Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park. More specifically, the Raker Act allowed for the building of the O'Shaughnessy Dam and flood the Hetch Hetchy Valley. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill into law on December 19, 1913. Construction of the O'Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1923.

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.

Named after U.S. Senator Edward William Brooke III (October 26, 1919 - January 3, 2015); the "Brooke Amendment" refers to section 213 (a) of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Act of 1969 (Public Law 91-152). The Brooke Amendment capped the amount for rent in public housing areas at 25% of a tenant's income. In addition to placing a cap on the amount that public housing residents had to pay for rent; the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1969 also allowed HUD to offer funding to local public housing authorities (PHAs) for maintenance repairs.

According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 1 in 4 women in Nigeria are sexually abused before they turn 18. Furthermore, the majority of sexual abuse cases in Nigeria are not prosecuted. According to Reuters, coronavirus-related lockdowns led to an increase in domestic violence and sexual assaults worldwide.  The increase of domestic violence and sexual assaults has been particularly noticeable in Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari declared a nationwide state of emergency in June 2020 because of the ongoing rape, domestic and sexual violence epidemic in the country. In 2018, the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey noted that 30% of girls and women between 15 - 49 reported being sexually abused. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa. In 1960, the country gained independence from Great Britain. From 1967 to 1970, Nigeria endured a civil war. Facts about Nigeria: Population: 225,082,083 (2022 est.) Land Area: 356,669 sq miles Languages: English (official), Ha...

According to a new report by the Kaiser Family Foundation an estimated 41% of Americans or about 100 million adults have some form of health care debt. The medical debt that Americans owe ranges from under $500 (16%) to $10,000 or more (12%). As of 2019, Americans carried over $195 billion in medical debt. The largest amount of unexpected medical bills typically arise from out-of-network providers being involved in patient care.  Approximately 15% of people with medical debt say they have been denied access to a hospital, doctor's office, or another provider because of unpaid bills. According to a June 16, 2022 Kaiser Health News article by Noam N. Levey: "Medical debt is piling additional hardships on people with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Debt levels in U.S. counties with the highest rates of disease can be three or four times what they are in the healthiest counties, according to an Urban Institute analysis.  Compared to other forms of consumer debt, medical bills ...

During the 1800s, the United States was a major importer of Hawaiian agricultural products. Queen Lili'uokalani was the last monarch of Hawaii. On January 17, 1893, she was overthrown during a bloodless coup led by the "Committee of Safety" and John Stevens - the U.S. Minister to Hawaii. The "Committee of Safety" was a group of non-native U.S. citizens with interests in the sugar industry. Most native Hawaiin's were opposed to the coup. The United States Congress passed the Newlands Resolution on July 7, 1898. The resolution known as House Joint Resolution 259, 55th Congress, 2nd session, was signed into law by President William McKinley.  The Newlands Resolution was written by Francis G. Newlands (D-Nevada). The resolution created a five-member commission to study the laws that would be necessary to govern Hawaii.  The Newlands Resolution annexed the Republic of Hawaii.  In 1900, Congress designated Hawaii as a U.S. territory. On August 21, 1959, President ...

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the United States. Strokes are also a leading cause of long-term disability. Although strokes can occur at any age, stroke risk increases with age. 3/4 of all strokes occur in people older than 65 years old. The majority of strokes are caused when blood clots in an artery of the brain. These blood clots can block adequate blood flow to the brain. On May 11, 1989, President George H.W. Bush signed Proclamation 5975 declaring May as National Stroke Awareness Month. When he signed the proclamation, President Bush shared the following about the devastation that strokes can cause. "It strikes between 400,000 and 600,000 Americans each year. Many of its victims, their brain cells damaged by impaired circulation, never fully regain their physical and mental abilities. Stroke costs this country more than $11 billion annually in medical treatment and lost productivity, but far more regrett...

Cabot Bradley estate - Canton, MA. Canton, MA. - Covering 90 acres of land just south of Boston, the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate offers visitors scenic views of plants, a farm, hiking trails, and a mansion built in the 20th century. In 1902, Dr. Arthur Tracy Cabot hired an architect named Charles Platt to design a country estate. In 1945, Dr. Cabot's niece, Eleanor Cabot Bradley acquired the property. Today, the Cabot Bradley estate is managed by the Trustees of Reservations.  

Since December 2012, the Central African Republic (CAR) has been embroiled in a civil war. In March 2013, the 5th coup in CAR's history took place. The coup, led by a mostly Muslim rebel group, displaced then President Francois Bozize.  Since 2017, Russia has played an increasingly pivotal role as a foreign partner for the CAR's government. Russia has been aligned with the President of CAR Faustin-Archange Touadera. In addition to assisting President Touadera's government, Russia's involvement with CAR serves as a potential link for expanded economic, military, and political influence in Central Africa. Russia seeks to expand its influence in other surrounding countries such as: Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Republic of Congo.  In early 2018, Russia donated military equipment to the Central African Republic. Russia has argued for reducing sanctions against CAR's diamond industry imposed by the United Nations. A peace agreement was ...

Later this year, from November 13 - November 19, 2022, International Fraud Awareness Week will be held. Globally, International Fraud Awareness Week is observed during the third week of November. This awareness week is a part of a global effort to reduce the amount fraud by advocating for anti-fraud awareness and education. According to Occupational Fraud 2022: A Report to the Nations, companies lose an estimated 5% of their annual revenue as a result of fraud. Fraud is an intentional act of deceiving someone to obtain an unlawful or unfair gain. Fraudulent activity can manifest in various forms including: consumer fraud, corporate fraud, healthcare fraud, identity theft, romance scams, tax fraud, and voter fraud. As technology has become more complicated and prevalent, fraud has become more difficult to detect and to track. Fraud schemes occur in every aspect of human life and schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated. For more information about International Fraud Awareness Wee...

An October 2018 audit conducted by officials in Missouri indicated that the whereabouts of 1,259 registered sex offenders was unknown. At the time of the audit, Missouri had approximately 16,000 convicted sex offenders listed on record. In addition to the audit results from Missouri officials, the Associated Press identified other states with similar challenges pertaining to sex offender registries. The state of Wisconsin had 2,735 missing registered sex offenders. A 2017 audit in Massachusetts indicated that nearly 1,800 registered sex offenders were missing from registry records. According to a New York Times article from October 2, 2018: "Federal law requires states to register sex offenders and to notify the public when a convicted sex offender moves into a community. But despite the law's good intentions, it has been criticized for invading the privacy of those who have already been punished, then continuing to punish them. Those who remain on the sex offender registry of...

On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Title VIII of the Act is also referred to as the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination by direct providers of housing regarding the financing, rental, and sale of housing based on disability, family status, gender, race or color, religion, and national origin. Direct providers of housing include: banks, homeowners insurance companies, landlords, local governments, and real estate companies.  The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was an additional legislative act that followed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Fair Housing Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate shortly after the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Marting Luther King, Jr. In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed the Fair Housing Amendments Act which enhanced the Fair Housing Act to include prohibiting discrimination in housing based on disability or family status.  The Fair Housing Act...

In October 2020, researchers from the City University of New York's Hunter College and Harvard Medical School analyzed information gathered by the federal government regarding health insurance coverage in the United States. The researchers discovered that the number of Americans with health insurance decreased by approximately 2.3 million between 2016 - 2019. The decrease in the number of uninsured Americans led to as many as 25,180 deaths. Researchers estimate that if more Americans cannot gain access to health insurance, then the number of deaths caused by lack of health insurance coverage could triple in the United States. "Gutting the Affordable Care Act would throw another 19.9 million Americans off of insurance, and cause up to 68,345 extra deaths each year. We need to expand insurance, not shrink it. With 30 million uninsured today, we could save thousands of lives by achieving universal coverage," says Dr. Adam Gaffney a Harvard Medical School physician and lead a...