The Great Blackout of 1965 While the power outages in the NY-NJ region caused by hurricane Sandy made life difficult for millions, a far larger blackout in November 1965 plunged some 30 million Americans across eight states into darkness. In New York City 800,000 people were trapped during the … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2012
What Have We Got to Hide? The Origins of Secret Balloting in America
This month, when Americans head to the polls to elect men and women to public offices, they will cast their ballots in secret, beyond the watchful eyes of their fellow citizens. Few Americans would have it any other way. We are accustomed to think of voting as a very private matter, akin to a visit … [Read more...]