Today in history

February 11

1777
Vermont is the first state to abolish slavery.

1790
The Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery composed of Quakers and Mennonites petitioned Congress for the Emancipation of slaves. Benjamin Franklin had become vocal as an abolitionist and in 1787 began to serve as President of the Society which not only advocated the abolition of slavery, but made efforts to integrate freed slaves into American society.
The resolution was immediately denounced by pro-slavery congressmen and sparked a heated debate in both the House and the Senate.

1911
Emma Goldman was arrested for lecturing on birth control. She also organized for womens’ suffrage, opposed U.S. involvement in World War I and was imprisoned for obstructing military conscription.

Emma Goldman speaking on Birth Control – Emman Goldman’s mugshot
Union Square, New York City May 20, 1916

1937
Forty-eight thousand General Motors workers won a 44-day sit-down strike in Flint, Michigan. On December 30th, 1936 workers at Fischer Plants 1 & 2 sat down and refused to leave forcing workers around them to stop work and preventing the next shift from working. The sit-down strike ended with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union.

1967
Death of A.J. Muste, age 82
There is no way to peace — peace is the way”

1971
Treaty on non-militarization of sea bed signed, London, Moscow & Washington.

1978
Native Americans began The Longest Walk, a march from San Francisco to Washington, DC.
This march was used to symbolize the forced removal of American Indians from their homelands and to draw attention to the continuing problems plaguing the Indian community.

Photo by Ilka Hartmann

1990
Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in a South African prison. In 1952, he became deputy national president of the African National Congress (ANC), and advocated nonviolent resistance to apartheid–South Africa’s institutionalized system of white supremacy and racial segregation. He was awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1993.