Today in history

March 9

1839
The U.S. Supreme Court freed slaves who had seized the slave ship Amistad in 1839. The slaves had taken control of the ship off the shore of Cuba (then a colony of Spain)and demanded to be taken back to Africa but wound up in U.S. waters off the coast of Long Island, New York.

Slave Ship

1945
“Foodless Lunch” to publicize the plight of the hungry people of Europe held at Waldorf hotel in London.

1964
The Supreme Court issues its New York Times vs. Sullivan decision, which said public officials who charged they’d been libeled could not recover damages for a report related to their official duties unless they proved actual malice on the part of the news organization.

1969
CBS cancelled the Smothers Brothers Hour after the brothers refused to censor a comment made by Joan Baez.
She wanted to dedicate her song to her husband, David who was about to go to jail for objecting to the draft during the Vietnam War.

Smothers brothers

David Harris and Joan Baez