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 June 19:

Date	Type	Event
1864		Black United States Navy sailor Joachim Pease, serving as an artillery loader on the USS Kearsarge in battle against the Confederate sloop-of-war CSS Alabama off the coast of Cherbourg, France, during the Civil War, performs in a manner that “fully sustained his reputation as one of the best men in the ship.” For his conduct during this Battle of Cherbourg, Pease was awarded America's highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, with the citation: “Served as seaman on board the U.S.S. Kearsarge when she destroyed the Alabama off Cherbourg, France, 19 June 1864. Acting as loader on the No. 2 gun during this bitter engagement, Pease exhibited marked coolness and good conduct and was highly recommended by the divisional officer for gallantry under fire.” He left the Navy at the end of his enlistment never having received his Medal of Honor. It is on display in the National Museum of the United States Navy, located in the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Learn more.
1865		Two months after the surrender of the Confederacy, Union troops arrive in Texas and for the first time inform local Black men, women, and children that the Confederacy lost the war and that they were free under the Emancipation Proclamation. The date came to be known as “Juneteenth” in the African American community, and has for generations remained a day of remembrance, joyous celebration, and hope: remembrance of the hardships and pain of enslavement; joyous celebration of survival; and hope for the opportunity and peace that freedom ought to bring. Juneteenth does not denote a struggle completed or a finished line reached. Black Americans faced many threats to their liberty and their lives in the years after the Civil War, and face continued injustice today as the struggle continues. Learn more.
1953		African-American residents of Baton Rouge, Louisiana begin the Baton Rouge bus boycott of city buses in order to secure integration of the system. African Americans made up about 80% of the ridership of the city buses in the early 1950s but, under Jim Crow rules, Black people were forced to sit in the back of the bus, even when the front of the bus was empty. State laws prohibited Black citizens from owning private buses outside the city systems. The boycott ended after six hours when the city passed Ordinance 251, which directed that Black riders would fill the bus from the rear forward and whites from the front toward the back. Blacks and whites were prohibited from sitting next to each other in the same row. Two front seats were declared off-limits to Black riders, and only Black riders could occupy the wide rear seat that spanned the back of the bus. The 1953 Baton Rouge Bus boycott served as a model for the internationally known 1955 Montgomery bus boycott. The 1953 Baton Rouge Bus boycott also inspired residents to mobilize around other issues, such as securing the right to vote. Learn more.
1964		The United States Senate breaks an 83-day filibuster in order to vote on and pass, with an amendment, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation and gender identity. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements, racial segregation in schools and public accommodations, and employment discrimination. The act "remains one of the most significant legislative achievements in American history". The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Senate amendment on July 2, 1964, and President Lyndon Johnson signed the full Act that same day. Learn more.