RPTM Podcast Episode 59: Blue Jeans, the Derby, and the Page Act

On March 27, 2019, Scotty Hendricks posted a piece on Big Think titled:  "Atheism is Inconsistent with Science." It is founded on some fundamental opinions from Brazilian physicist and astronomer Marcelo Gleiser. Dr. Gleiser looks at people living on an "island of knowledge" in the middle of an "ocean of the unknown." As understanding advances, we become more cognizant of what we don't know. The dichotomy of learning is that as it grows and the border between the known and the unfamiliar shifts, you inevitably start to ask inquiries that you couldn't even ask earlier.

Dr. Gleiser makes a fair point about not declaring to know more than you do and the necessity for a bit of unpretentiousness. We should not be too proud of what we know and be open to the idea that we might find something hereafter that changes. Everything isn't without precedent. Distrust of the assertion that "X doesn't exist" is also crucial in history since "X" might show up eventually.

Dr. Gleiser doesn't want to prevent people from pursuing agreeable causes of events. Many histories are founded on this aim to streamline the past and bring things together. But on the other hand, the blank statement that there could ever be a complete recorded historical understanding is fundamentally faulty from a historical standpoint. This idea of finality is just an attempt to turn history into a sacred design.

In the past few years, history has scarcely left the headlines. In particular, there has been a fervent and often heated argument about how we celebrate people and circumstances of the past and about the suitableness of sculptures and monuments inherited from earlier generations. It's a complicated subject, and as stewards of history, it's only fitting that we confront it.
For instance, Columbus's legacy has been critically examined and, in the process, tainted. Growing up as a boy, I was taught that Columbus was an astute adventurer. Today, we are inundated with stories of his shameful exploits. Columbus was no martyr. He was a tragic outcome of his period and his era. But the established theocratic historical society does not wish to poke and provoke events considered "settled." Luckily, there are many willingly and openly challenging the status quo and avoiding the brand of a heretic. 

The analysis is not about the definitive answer but the method of discovery. It's what you find along the way that counts and an inquisitiveness that moves the human soul along.

HIGHLIGHTS

• On May 20, 1873, San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and Reno, Nevada, tailor Jacob Davis are given a patent to create work pants reinforced with metal rivets, marking the birth of one of the world's most famous garments: blue jeans.
• The Lowry War was a conflict in and around Robeson County, North Carolina, from 1864 to 1874 between a group of primarily Native American outlaws and civil local, state, and federal authorities. 
• The Resumption Act of January 14, 1875, was a law in the United States that restored the nation to the gold standard through the redemption of previously-unbacked United States Notes and reversed inflationary government policies promoted directly after the American Civil War. 
• The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was a United States federal law enacted during the Reconstruction era in response to civil rights violations against African Americans. The 43rd United States Congress passed the bill, signed into law by United States President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1875. The act was designed to "protect all citizens in their civil and legal rights, " providing equal treatment in public accommodations and public transportation and prohibiting exclusion from jury service. 
• The Page Act of 1875 was the first restrictive federal immigration law in the United States, which effectively prohibited the entry of Chinese women, marking the end of open borders.
• The Kentucky Derby, first held in 1875 at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, is the longest-running sports event in the United States. 

CHAPTERS
0:00 Start
0:37 Intro
2:28 Lowry War
7:15 Resumption Act
14:03 Civil Rights Act of 1875
19:01 The Page Act
29:32 Kentucky Derby
32:16 Outro

RESOURCES
Atheism is inconsistent with science, says Dartmouth physicist Marcelo Gleiser
Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive patent for blue jeans
Lowry War
Specie Payment Resumption Act
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Page Act of 1875
Kentucky Derby