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The Community History Archives: This Week In History July 22nd – July 28th

Discover History in The Community History Archives.
This week in history, we will reflect on the events that happened on these days years ago and take a look at the legacy they had. As we draw nearer to the start of this year’s summer Olympics, it is the perfect time to reflect on the Centennial Olympics that were held on these same days in 1996, as well as other important events. As always, I will be sharing the stories of the past with search tips to help you in the present.
(2000s – Present) The Fall of a Star: Amy Winehouse Dies, 2011

Amy Winehouse was a singer-songwriter who made a name for herself in the music industry. What set Amy Winehouse apart from everyone else was her unique voice and how her music combined multiple genres. Some styles she took inspiration from include jazz, soul, and blues. 

While Amy Winehouse only released two studio albums, she has a long list of songs and singles that became extremely popular. Winehouse is the voice behind the songs “Back to Black”, “Rehab”, and “Valerie”, and scored a total of 6 Grammy wins during her career.

The Community History Archives: This Week In History July 22nd – July 28th

Sadly, despite her popularity and success in the music industry, Amy Winehouse’s personal life was marked by struggles. She battled addiction for many years, and despite several attempts to quit, it ultimately led to her untimely death. On July 23rd, 2011, Amy passed away from alcohol poisoning at her home.

While her time in the spotlight was short, she made a huge impact on the music industry. Amy Winehouse has been credited as an inspiration by artists like Lady Gaga and John Legend. After she passed, her family set up a foundation in her honor to help vulnerable children and young adults so they don’t find themselves in a similar situation to what she struggled with.   A really insightful article I found is one published in The Daily Times on August 4th, 2011 where they discussed what Winehouse’s legacy would be. They asked the question of whether she would be remembered for her music or her history of addiction. More impactful for me though was their claim that even after her death, she has still been ridiculed for the things she struggled with in her lifetime, which is the same mistreatment that likely pushed her back into substance abuse. It shows how sometimes we can be out of touch and forget that celebrities are people too, and should be treated as such.

(1980s – 2000s) Centennial Celebration: Atlanta Hosts Olympics, 1996

The 2024 Olympics are set to begin later this week in Paris, France, where athletes will gather to compete against one another for the prize of being the best in the world. Every four years, Olympians travel to a new city to compete for medals in various athletic events. Did you know that 28 years ago, the United States had the honor of hosting the Olympic games? 

The 1996 Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta Georgia, and athletes from all over the world traveled to the United States for the event. It was the 100th anniversary of the Olympic Games, and Atlanta put together one of the most extravagant events in Olympic history. Between the facilities, creating the environment surrounding the area, and more the 1996 games cost a total of $1.7 Billion. On the front page of The Observer published on July 19th, 1996, they shared that 198 nations were expected to participate in the event. Despite the large number of attendees, they emphasized that each competitor is human and will share the smaller stories from the games as they run their course. 

The Olympics were not all fun and games that year. On July 27th, a domestic terrorist named Eric Rudolph set off a pipe bomb at the Centennial Olympic Park. Two deaths came from the bombing, as well as over a hundred injuries. This tragedy marred the otherwise spectacular 1996 Olympics. In the Observer, published on July 29th, 1996, they shared the story of someone who was injured in the bombing. She shares many feelings of gratitude to have survived and for the care she received following the attack, and also shares her perspective of the bombing. I found this to be quite interesting and helped put me into this tragedy’s story.

(1945 – 1980s) Political Violence: Guatemala President Assassinated, 1957

On July 26, 1957, Carlos Castillo Armas, the President of Guatemala, was assassinated at the Presidential Palace in Guatemala City. Armas was shot by a palace guard named Romeo Vásquez Sánchez. During his presidency, he was known for his authoritarian style and for reversing the progressive policies implemented by the previous president. The exact motive for his assassination remains unclear, but his death caused a period of instability in Guatemala.

In the 1950s, American politics were heavily influenced by the “Red Scare,” a period of fear and suspicion of communist infiltration. The assassination of a prominent anti-communist leader fueled many discussions about communism versus anti-communism. While the hysteria surrounding communism had started to wane by 1957, the assassination reignited concerns about the impact of communism. This was evident in a report by The Moline Daily Dispatch on July 27, 1957, which included a discussion about how communism played a role in the assassination.

 

(1914 – 1945) Top-Heavy Tragedy: SS Eastland Sinking, 1915

The SS Eastland was a passenger ship that would take passengers on lake excursions through the Great Lakes from Chicago. It is best known for the tragic sinking that occurred on July 24th, 1915 as the ship was preparing for its next voyage.

After the Titanic sank, many ships started to implement additional safety measures, including equipping ships with enough lifeboats to accommodate every passenger and crew member on board. However, in 1915, many ships, including the SS Eastland, were not built to handle the weight of all these lifeboats. The Eastland, which was already known for being top-heavy, became further destabilized by the additional lifeboats, causing it to tilt and eventually capsize. This tragic event resulted in the loss of 844 lives. 

 

The catastrophe led to extensive investigations to determine who was at fault, with the company and crew members coming under scrutiny. Various news publications speculated on the responsible parties. For instance, the Amesbury Daily News, in its publication on July 27th, 1915, cited the state attorney allegedly having evidence that the company oversold tickets for the excursion.

The general conclusion was that the sinking was caused by a combination of overcapacity in terms of passengers, more lifeboats than the ship could handle, and the resulting top-heaviness, which led to the ship tipping

(1824 – 1914) New Beginnings: Wyoming Territory Formed, 1868

Before Wyoming became a state, it was known as the Wyoming Territory. It was established on July 25th, 1868, when President Andrew Johnson signed the Wyoming Organic Act. Wyoming operated as a territory for just a few days short of 22 years. It existed on the same land that is now the state of Wyoming, and its capital city was also Cheyenne.

The territory of Wyoming was also one of the first places to grant women suffrage in the United States. In 1869, women in Wyoming were granted the right to vote, something that was denied to women all around the United States. As a territory they also had the first woman to serve on a jury and the first female court bailiff in 1870. As mentioned in The Cedar Rapids Times on February 24th, 1870, Wyoming set an example of women’s suffrage that soon influenced other territories to grant similar rights. Wyoming was granted statehood on July 10, 1890.

 

This event is what inspired my search tip of the week, which is to not be afraid of searching far and wide. What you’re looking for might not be where you expect it. For example, when I was looking for pieces talking about the Wyoming Territory, I tried looking at places located in the same geographical areas as the Wyoming Territory. However, I did not have much success here. Instead, I looked in the Cedar Rapids CHA, and had a lot better luck! Sometimes you have to branch further than where you expect to find something, and that is why it’s so nice that Advantage Archives has an extensive database of partners available to everyone for free!

I hope this week in history was able to give you a new perspective on something you already know about! Join me again next week to discover more of history’s hidden gems and timeless tales! 

 

 

Explore the “Read All About It” archives to read stories that spotlight our partners and their communities, announcements from our team, updates on current projects, and so much more. Discover articles about engagement, outreach, primary sources, community, digitization, education, and other topics of interest. Delve into the happenings in this week in history and take a deep dive into the events and people who helped shape our communities, our nation, and the world.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye, READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Partner With Advantage Archives

Advantage Archives works to build strong, community-based partnerships to provide free online access to local history, making it discoverable and easily accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time, on any device. This allows communities to understand and connect to their past in a meaningful way. Through the Community History Archive search platform, we provide the community with the means to explore, discover, learn from, connect with, and share the stories of the people, places, and events that shaped their community.

The Community History Archives are intended to serve as a “portal to the past”, allowing local primary source documents to give an accounting of history as told by the individuals that witnessed it. Advantage Archives guiding principals center around building strong community-based partnerships, which is why we enter into them with the intent of shouldering our fair share, and taking the burden off of the community for the ongoing costs associated with storage, hosting, development, and maintenance of the Community’s History Archive. We are an active participant in the community’s efforts to make their collective history more accessible. The Community History Archives are maintained for free by Advantage and do not require a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or any other ongoing costs or expenses to the institution or members of the community.

If you would like to see more local history online, please contact your local library, newspaper publisher, genealogical society, historical society, or educational institution, and encourage them to learn more about creating a Community History Archive or have them contact Advantage Archives at (855) 303-2727

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