August 4th - Today in American History

August 4th - Today in American History

1735 - Freedom of the press was established with an acquittal of John Peter Zenger, printer of the New York Weekly Journal, who had been charged with seditious libel by the corrupt royal governor of New York. The jury decided that "the truth is not libelous." 

1753 - George Washington, a 21 yr old Virginia planter, becomes a Master Mason, the highest basic rank in the secret fraternity of Freemasonry. At least 15 presidents, five Supreme Court chief justices, and numerous members of Congress have been Masons.

1790 - The Revenue Marine was formed at the request of Alexander Hamilton to collect customs duties in the nation’s seaports, later becoming the U.S. Coast Guard, the oldest continuous seagoing service of the U.S.

1821 - “The Saturday Evening Post” was published for the first time. (pictured below)  

1914 - President Woodrow Wilson declared that the United States would remain “impartial in thought as well as in action.” as World War I erupted across Europe.  At the time, a vast majority of Americans approved of Wilson’s policy of strict U.S. neutrality.

1977 - U.S President Jimmy Carter signs legislation creating the Untied States Department of Energy in response to the 1973 oil crisis when OPEC announced an oil embargo against the U.S. due to American involvement in the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

2017 - Licensed Loan Originators begin originating residential loans in states they're NOT licensed by using American Mortgage Bank’s “Contract Originator Program”.  Contact: Trent@AmericanMB.com or (405) 285-1234 ext. 141.