Ridgefield Allies

Today in “Hidden” History is a daily listing of important but little-known events illustrating the range of innovators, contributors, or incidents excluded from formal history lessons or common knowledge. Hidden history is intended not as an exhaustive review, but merely as an illustration of how popular narratives "hide" many matters of fundamental importance. Bookmark this page and check daily to quickly expand your knowledge. Suggest entries for Today in “Hidden” History by clicking the Contact Us link. Entries for September 18:

Date	Type	Event
1850		The Fugitive Slave Act or Fugitive Slave Law is passed by the United States Congress as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern interests in slavery and Northern Free-Soilers. The Act was one of the most controversial elements of the 1850 compromise and heightened Northern fears of a slave power conspiracy. It required that all escaped slaves, upon capture, be returned to the slaver and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate. Abolitionists nicknamed it the "Bloodhound Bill", after the dogs that were used to track down fugitives from slavery. The Act contributed to the growing polarization of the country over the issue of slavery, and is considered one of the causes of the Civil War. It is arguably the most hated and openly violated piece of federal legislation in the nation's history. Learn more.
1923		The NAACP and the governor of Pennsylvania publicly denounced remarks by Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Mayor Joseph Cauffiel, who had threatened Black and Mexican migrants, telling them to leave town or risk violence. The denunciations occur after over 2,000 Black or Mexican families had fled Johnstown in fear. No attempt was made to facilitate their return or compensate them for their losses. Such backlash against African Americans and other non-white communities in the North became more prominent in the years following the great migration, during which demographic shifts brought latent tensions to the forefront. Learn more.
1967		One of the early outbreaks of racial violence in a multi-year series of such incidents erupts in Hartford, Connecticut, when the Black Caucus of North End Hartford led a march to protest housing conditions and neighborhood segregation, in response to the murder of a Black youth by a police officer. They were met by 250 armored policemen before they could reach the South End. Chaos ensued with window breaking, fire setting, looting, and assaults on property, buildings, and cars including police cruisers. Periodic incidents of racial violence would persist for the next two years, while the struggle for racial justice in Hartford and across Connecticut continues to this day. Learn more.