American Poetry: Famous Poets, History, & Poems
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Tales of the Wild West
Today marks the anniversary of thePony Express, which launched in 1860 asthe United States expanded west, and closed in 1861 once a transcontinentaltelegraph system was built. One of the most celebrated Pony Express riders wasBuffalo Bill Cody, who would go on to start aWild West show that included other legendary figures, such asAnnie Oakley andSitting Bull. His show, much like the Pony Express itself, lives on in the public imagination and its romantic vision of the Old West.
Bill Cody, from the Pony Express to Stardom
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Sharpshooter Annie Oakley, Star of Wild West Shows
Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division, Washington, D.C.
Who Was Sitting Bull?
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Talk of the Town
U.S. Sen.Cory Booker set arecord this week for the longest speech delivered on theSenate floor, toppling the mark set by Sen.Strom Thurmond. Here’s more on the historicfilibuster.
On Monday evening,Booker took to the Senate floor and, invoking the memory of the late Rep.John Lewis, said he intended to make some “good trouble” in what he described as a “moral moment” for the country.For the next 25 hours, Booker spoke in protest of the actions of Pres.Donald Trump, ending the speech on Tuesday evening by again invoking Lewis.
John LewisJohn Lewis was a leader of theAmerican civil rights movement, known for his chairmanship of theStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and forleading the march halted by police violence in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. He was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and served in Congress until his death in 2020.
Strom ThurmondBooker’s address surpasses that of South Carolina Sen.Strom Thurmond, who in 1957 spoke for 24 hours 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. As Booker eclipsed the record, he cited Thurmond. “I’m not here, though, because of his speech. I’m here despite his speech. I’m here because, as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful.”
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