[Amnorix]

December 22

1807. Congress passes, at President Jefferson's urging, the much-despised Embargo Act of 1807. The Act prohibits all trade with foreign countries. During the lead-up to the War of 1812, this Act was designed to (theoretically) protect America's interests as it was increasinbly being drawn into the war(s) between England and France during the Napoleonic era. The law was fairly effective at throttling trade between America and her trade partners, and Jefferson thought that he could bring Europe to heel by this method of economic coercion. Instead, American ships rotted at their wharves and American crops could not find their way to markets. England switched to South America as a primary trade partner, and English shipping interests were thrilled to have competition from America eliminated. This Act, without doubt one of the stupidest law in early American history, was replaced in...

1809. ...with the Non-Intercourse Act, which repealed the Embargo Act, four days before Jefferson's Presidency ended. The Non-Intercourse Act prohibited foreign trade only with England and France, and was basically completely unenforceable.

It should be noted, however, that the Embargo Act and Non-Intercourse Act had an unintended side-benefit -- due to the inability to import manufactured goods from Europe and the stifling of foreign trade, the development of America's manufacturing sector boomed during this period, as investors sought something to invest in, and there was a serious shortage of manufactured products.

1864. William T. Sherman captures Savannah, Georgia, and sends a note to President Lincoln about it.

Originally Posted by Willam T. Sherman (to President Lincoln)[/quote

I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton

to which Lincon replied

Originally Posted by Abraham Lincoln

Many, many thanks for your Christmas gift – the capture of Savannah. When you were leaving Atlanta for the Atlantic coast, I was anxious, if not fearful; but feeling that you were the better judge, and remembering that 'nothing risked, nothing gained' I did not interfere. Now, the undertaking being a success, the honour is all yours; for I believe none of us went farther than to acquiesce. And taking the work of Gen. Thomas into the count, as it should be taken, it is indeed a great success. Not only does it afford the obvious and immediate military advantage; but, in showing to the world that your army could be divided, putting the stronger part to an important new service, and yet leaving enough to vanquish the old opposing force of the whole – Hood's army – it brings those who sat in darkness, to see a great light. But what next? I suppose it will be safer if I leave Gen. Grant and yourself to decide. Please make my grateful acknowledgements to your whole army – officers and men.

This concludes Sherman's March to the Sea, as he had successfully reached the coast and replenishment via the US Navy. He would go on, however, to march North, through the Carolinas, inflicting as much damage there as he had in Georgia.

1894. The Dreyfus Affair begins when French officer Alfred Dreyfus is wrongly convicted of treason, mainly on antisemitic grounds.

1944. German troops demand the surrender of Bastogne, Belgium, which is stubbornly being held and defended by American troops of the 101st Airborne Division actively commanded by General Anthony McAuliffe. The 101st's usual commanding officer was in the United States at a staff meeting when the Germans launched their surprise assault. The 101st was soon completely encircled by German forces, prompting this exchange.

Originally Posted by German General von Luttwitz

To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne.

The fortune of war is changing. This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Our near Ortheuville, have taken Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompre-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. troops from total annihilation: that is the honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with the presentation of this note.

If this proposal should be rejected one German Artillery Corps and six heavy A. A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hours term.

All the serious civilian losses caused by this artillery fire would not correspond with the well-known American humanity.

The German Commander.

Originally Posted by General Anthony McAuliffe

To the German Commander,

NUTS!

The American Commander

The response was not really understood by the Germans, and the Americans delivering the message under truce explained that it meant "Go to hell".

Following this exchange, the American forces under McAuliffe held out for four days until relief arrived from American forces rolling back the German assault. Shortly after this, McAuliffe received his own division, the 103rd. He would remain in the Army following the war, eventually retiring after serving as Commander in Chief of US Army forces in Europe.

1984. During a time when crime in New York City was at an all-time high, a white man named Bernhard Goetz shoots four African-American would-be muggers on an express train in New York, prompting national discourse regarding crime, race relations and vigilantes. All four victims were seriously wounded, but survived. Goetz would be charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and other crimes, but would be found not guilty by a Manhattan jury of all counts except the possession of an unlicensed firearm charge, for which he served an eight month sentence.

1989. Ion Iliescu takes over the government of Romania after a week of bloody demonstrations, ending Nickolai Ceausescu's repressive Communist regime.

1978. Deng Xiaoping reverses Mao's economic policies, and replaces them with plans that would lead to China's growing economic power and ascendancy which continues through today.

1992. Dr. Martin Almada, a human-rights activist and lawyer, trolls through files in Paraguay searching for information regarding a former prisoner. He instead finds the "Archives of Terror" -- detailed files regarding the murder of 50,000 people and imprisonment of 40,000 more Latin Americans by the former government under General Pinochet. The files detail the kidnapping, capture and brutal torture of victims, often before execution, and how other Latin American countries' military and intelligence services helped by providing information regarding the victims. Some of these other countries then used the files to prosecute certain fo their own military officers who had helped Pinochet.

2001. Richard Reid attempts his shoe-bombing.