America’s 250th birthday is coming up in July, so over the next few months Balladeer’s Blog will take a look at various anniversary years. Last month I did 1826, so this time it’s 1876. Next will be 1926 and 1976.
Centennial Mirror
1876
U.S. President: Ulysses S. Grant Vice President: Vacant. Henry Wilson had died on Nov 22nd, 1875 and the 25th Amendment requiring a new Vice President to fill any such vacancy would not be passed until 1967. Speaker of the House: Michael C. Kerr Chief Justice: Morrison R. Waite
Number of Senators: 76 Number of House Representatives: 293 Number of Supreme Court Justices: 9
JANUARY
12th – Future writer Jack London is born.
13th – Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, noted for his anti-slavery position even before the U.S. Civil War, passes away.
26th – The Northampton Bank in Massachusetts is robbed of $1,600,000 (worth $49,400,000 here in 2026), the largest such robbery in U.S. history at the time. The robbery was planned by America’s “King of the Bank Robbers” George Leonidas Leslie. George Leslie was involved in an astonishing EIGHTY PERCENT of U.S. bank robberies from 1869-1878.
After this caper, Leslie broke ties with accomplices Thomas Dunlap and Robert Scott over their gratuitous use of violence since George preferred bloodless affairs.
FEBRUARY
Exact Date Unknown – The first issue of the satirical publication The Harvard Lampoon was nailed to a tree on campus.
2nd – The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs is formed. Significantly, the organization replaced the National Association of Baseball Players, setting the stage for owner and management abuse of players. Continue reading
Balladeer's Blog 