William P. Meyers
Justice Rising articles

Alliance for Democracy home page

Justice Rising home page

William Meyers has been writing a series of short "History Notes" articles for Justice Rising, the newletter of the Alliance for Democracy. Here are the links:

Most Recent: 19th Century Election Reform [Summer 2011] "In 1888 the Republicans perfected their new campaign finance system. They raised an unprecedented $3 million from industrial capitalists... "

The Farmers Alliance Cooperative [Fall 2010] "The most widespread cooperative system in
United States history was organized by the Farmers Alliance during the 1890s ..."

Money and Politics [Spring 2005, page 15] "...Thomas Jefferson's wealth came from a system of corruption in the nation of Virginia in which legislators awarded themselves and their friends "empty," formerly Indian, land..."

Slave Nation [Fall 2005, page 19] "In 1776 ... slaves in the American colonies were trying to escape to ships bound for Britain."

Corporate Trade [Winter 2005/06, page 15] "The Turkish Empire of the 15th century served as the harbinger of modern economic globalization..."

Factories as Commons [Spring 2006, page 14] "...Only a few decades ago the idea of factories
being private property was much disputed..."

War Against Asia [Fall 2006] "The War Against Asia was originally driven by the needs of New England trading corporations..." [See also The U.S. War Against Asia]

Human Weeds [Summer 2007] "Let a breeding couple get to a previously unexploited land, whether a tiny island or a continent, and soon enough it will be overrun by people at the expense of most other species."

62 Year Delay for National Medical Insurance - So Far [Winter 2008] "On September 6, 1945, Harry S. Truman, then President of the United States, announced to Congress that he would be submitting a national health program proposal."

Law and Economics of U.S. Immigration [Spring 2008] "Most indentured white slaves died before they were due to fe freed at the end of their term of indenture."

Energy Corporations in U.S. History [Summer 2008] "The recent ethanol debacle, fueled by taxpayer subsidies and the quaint role of the state of Iowa in selecting presidential nominees, illustrates the danger."

A History of Money [Winter 2009] "The main problem with any form of money, whether gold, wampum, dollar bills, or electronic dollars, is maintaining its value in relation to goods and services."

The Gruel of Law [Spring 2010] "To keep our minds on reality instead of theory, I suggest we refer to our legal system as the Gruel of Law."

"In June 1772, in what is known as the
Somerset case, Mansfield ruled that any person setting
foot on English soil became free, no matter
what the prior status of the person. Slave Nation
demonstrates that the Somerset case led directly to
the Declaration of Independence in 1776."