Good morning.
Saturday brings a day of scattered showers and a high of seventy-eight to Whitewater.
On this day in 1215, King John affixes his seal:
Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John puts his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter.” The document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation’s laws. Although more a reactionary than a progressive document in its day, the Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by later generations.
Here’s a link to the text as it remains in force to this day, from the United Kingdom’s legislative website, a service of the British government’s National Archives.
He’s used up one life, but he has eight left — cat survives boa constrictor (with help):
On this date in 1832, The Black Hawk War gets a new commander:
1832 – General Winfield Scott Ordered to Assume Command in Black Hawk War
On this date General Winfield Scott was ordered by President Andrew Jackson to take command at the frontier of the Black Hawk War. Scott was to succeed General Henry Atkinson, thought to be unable to end the war quickly. General Scott moved rapidly to recruit troops and obtain equipment for his army. However, while in New York, the troops were exposed to an Asiatic cholera. Just outside of Buffalo, the first cases on the ships were reported and death often followed infection.
By the time the ships reached Chicago, the number of soldiers had dropped dramatically from 800 to 150, due to disease and desertion. Rather than going on to the front, Scott remained with his troops in Chicago, giving Atkinson a brief reprieve. [Source: Along the Black Hawk Trail, by William F. Stark, p. 90-91]