United States History On This Date: March 12

1804 — House Impeaches Justice Samuel Chase
The House of Representatives impeached Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase, accusing him of openly partisan behavior on the bench. Although the Senate later acquitted him, the case helped define judicial independence and set limits on using impeachment for political disagreements.

1864 — Red River Campaign Begins
Union forces under General Nathaniel Banks launched the Red River Campaign in Louisiana, aiming to capture Shreveport and assert control over Texas. The operation quickly faltered due to poor planning, difficult terrain, and Confederate resistance, becoming one of the war’s notable Union failures.

1894 — Coca‑Cola First Sold in Bottles
Coca‑Cola was sold in bottles for the first time in Vicksburg, Mississippi, marking a turning point in its transformation from a regional fountain drink into a national brand. Bottling allowed mass distribution, helping establish Coca‑Cola as an enduring American commercial icon.

1933 — FDR Delivers First Fireside Chat
President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his first “fireside chat,” speaking directly to Americans during the banking crisis. His calm, conversational tone reassured a frightened public, strengthened trust in federal action, and redefined how presidents communicate during moments of national uncertainty.

FDR delivered his first fireside chat from the White House in Washington, D.C., speaking from a small room set up as a temporary radio studio.

United States History On This Date: March 19th

The American Revolution: Naval: On this day in 1776 the Continental Congress authorizes privateering raids on British Shipping.

The New American Nation - National:  On this day in 1824 in the case of Osborn v. Bank of the United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall holds that the state of Ohio cannot tax the Bank of the United States. Ohio state auditor Ralph Osborn and other state officials who had seized bank assets had been assessed damages and had appealed this earlier decision.  Marshall finds that if a agent of a state executes an unconstitutional statue, he will be personally liable for damages resulting from his enforcement of the act.  In this opinion, Marshall denies the state the protection of the 11th Amendment in such cases. 

Testing a Union - Regional:  On this day in 1860 Elizabeth Cady Stanton appears befor the New York legislature to promote the cause of women's suffrage. 

Spanish-American War - Approach:  The battleship Oregon leaves San Francisco for Key West.  The ship will play an important part in the Gulf of Mexico during the war, and the fact it will take 67 days to round Cape Horn brings to urgent attention the need for a Central American canal. 

Expanding Resourses - National:  Congress reorganizes its Committee on Rules in a successful attempt to liberate it from the firm hand of the archconservative Speaker "Uncle" Joe Cannon.  Henceforth the committee members will be elected by the House rather than apppointment by the Speaker.  The move has been untertaken by "insurgent" Republicans and Democrats after Cannon has rammed the Payne-Aldrige Tariff Bill through Congress, allowing 847 amendments which raised tariffs while withstanding the extreme pressure from the Progressives to liberalize them.  Now Cannon is bypassed since he may no longer appoint, and the Speaker is ruled ineligible for membership on this committee.