Articles by Steven Gilchrist

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...