July 3, 1863: On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg,
Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s last attempt at breaking
the Union line ended in disastrous failure, bringing the most
decisive battle of the American Civil War to an end.
In less than an hour, more than 7,000 Confederate troops
had been killed or wounded.
Robert E. Lee by Pompeo Coppini – University of Texas
at Austin, Austin, Texas.
On July 3, 1890, Idaho entered the Union as the 43rd state.
The name of the new state was first used during the 1850s
to designate a region in what is now Colorado that was later
known as Idaho Springs.
The word Idaho is derived from the Shoshone Ee-Da-How,
referring possibly to the ubiquitous purple flowers of the
area, but also translated as “gem of the mountains” or
“behold the sun coming down the mountain.”
Idaho was originally part of the vast northwest Oregon, or
Columbia River, country claimed by Spain, Russia, Great
Britain, and the United States.
In 1818 a treaty provided for joint rule of the area by the
United States and Great Britain. At first limited to ten years,
joint rule was later extended.
In 1846 the United States gained sole possession of the
Oregon country below the 49th parallel.
The American claim to this northwestern area stemmed
primarily from the explorations by Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark (below) in 1805.
https://portland.salvationarmy.org/portland2/ways-to-give/
In the East End of London on July 2, 1865, revivalist preacher
William Booth and his wife Catherine (above) establish the
Christian Mission, later known as the Salvation Army.
Determined to wage war against the evils of poverty and
religious indifference with military efficiency, Booth modeled
his Methodist sect after the British army, labeling uniformed
ministers as “officers” and new members as “recruits.”
Today, the Salvation Army, still based in London, is active in
more than 130 countries. The Army operates evangelical
centers, hospitals, emergency and disaster services, alcohol
and drug rehabilitation programs, community centers, social
work centers, secondhand stores, and recreation facilities.
Voluntary contributions and profits from the sale of its
publications fund the organization.
On July 2, 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed
into law the historic Civil Rights Act in a nationally televised
ceremony at the White House.
The most sweeping civil rights legislation passed by Congress
since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, the Civil Rights
Act prohibited racial discrimination in employment and
education and outlawed racial segregation in public places
such as schools, buses, parks and swimming pools.
