"The Power of One"

Watch the Video

Claims Made:

By: Emily Carney

Bush became president by one vote of the Supreme Court

True?

• No; the vote in Bush v. Gore was 7-2

Background

• In 2000, George W. Bush was running against Al Gore for the presidency of the United States. The election was extremely close and in the end would be determined by Florida.
• However, in some reports, Florida went to Bush, and in others, Florida went to Gore. Thus, there was a recount. However, since there were different methods of voting in different places, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a 3rd recount would be unconsitutional because the methods violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment.
• Thus, the state went with whatever the machines said, and the machine vote put Bush in the lead, making him the 43rd president of the U.
• The court was nearly unanimous in voting for a unfirom method for a recount

Source: "BUSH v. GORE." Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School. 23 Feb. 2008 <http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-949.Z>

1923: 1 Vote made Adolf Hitler the leader of the Nazi Party -- Melissa Cole and Sara Griffis

True?

• No; in 1921 Hitler became the leader of the Nazi Party. Afer leaving to get more support for himself and the Party, he returned to find the committee thought that Hitler was now too overbearing. Hitler threatened to leave the Party, taking all of his resources with him. He set an ultimatum for the Party to either accept him as leader, or forfeit his monetary resources. The vote turned out that "Hitler received 543 votes for, and only one against." NOT the one vote for Hitler. Germany's constitution required a two thirds majority to elect a someone as President of the Reichstag which Hitler and his Nazi party were never able to acquire.
• This claim is confusing and inaccurate because it twist what really happened to make it appear as something else.
  • ::History Learning Site::. 18 Feb. 2008 <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/

"The Rise of Hitler - July 1921 Hitler Named Leader of Nazi Party." The History Place. 18 Feb. 2008 <http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/

 

1649- 1 vote approved the beheading of Charles the First. -Danielle Rodriguez

True?

 

• No; King Charles I was put on trial in London in 1649 charged with treason. He was to be tried by 135 judges but only 68 actually attended. The presiding Judge was a lawyer named John Bradshaw. Under the circumstances no one wanted to be the chief judge. During his trial the king refused to defend himself denying the validity of the court. It wasn't until he had already been sentenced that he tried to speak in his own defense but it was too late. Of the 68 judges 59 signed his death warrant, a clear majority. Later when King Charles II took the throne in 1660 these 59 men (those who were still living) were tried and executed as regicides. On January 30 1649 Charles I was executed, his last words were 'I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown, where no disturbance can be.'
• The claim made in the video is emotionally compelling but completely inaccurate.

 

"::The Trial and Execution of Charles I::." ::History Learning Site::. 18 Feb. 2008 <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/CharlesI_execution.htm>.

"The Regicides." British Civil Wars, Commonwealth and Protectorate, 1638-60. 18 Feb. 2008 <http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/regicides.htm>.

 

California Becoming a State

By: Carolyn Ehlinger

Did only one vote determine California's fate of becoming a U.S. state? I think not. Over 150 years ago, California was no more than a rural territory that held many ranches. It wasn't until the discovery of Gold that California started drawing attention to itself. At first, the government did not want to recognize California as a state because of it being a free area where slavery was not permitted. At the time, there was still tension between the north and south dealing with slavery. However, with the ever increasing number of people settling in California, they believed that they should be recognized as a state, so they took matters into their own hands. They held conventions to determine issues such as slavery, suffrage, and boundries. In 1849, they elected a governor, legislature, and other officers. It would take ten long months of debate and discussion in congress on whether or not to recognize California as a state. Three men in particular would play a very important role in determining California's fate: John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, Henry Clay of Kentucky, and Daniel Webster of Massachusetts. Finally, on August 13, 1850 the act admitting California would pass through the Senate and on September it would pass through the House of Represenatives and finally would be signed two days later by President Millard Fillmore. The citizens of California finally gained the recognition that they deserved.

 

LearnCalifornia.org - California Becomes A State. (n.d.). Retrieved February 19, 2008, from http://www.learncalifornia.org/doc

 

 

Women Right to Vote in the state of Tennessee

By: Andrea Flores

Did one vote gave the right of suffrage to women in the state of Tennessee?

True? : YES

According to my research the struggle of Women for the right to vote began in 1848. After many fighting state by state started giving women the right to vote for their governors. This right included marches, letters, picketing the White House, and even some women that chained themselves to a courthouse door. When the struggle came to Tennessee already 35 of the necessary 36 six states accepted the amendment. It was Tennessee's turn to decide on the future for women's rights. During the year of 1919 many anti-suffrage and pro-suffrage groups gathered in Nashville. And the final date for voting was schedules on August 18, 1920, the ONE vote that made this statement true was from a young legislator named Harry Burn. He initially supported the anti-suffrage forces, but when his mother urged him to vote in favor, and he realized that with his vote in favor of anti-suffrage then it would be tied 48-48. He decided to vote on the pro-suffrage side and because of that vote, on August 18, 1920, Tennesse became essential for the amendment to pass. After that, women were given the right to vote.

 

Lewis, Jone Johnson. "August 20, 1920 The date the suffrage battle was won." About.com 19 February 2008 <http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrage1900/a/august_26_wed.htm>.

 

 

The Election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800

By: Aimee Belanger

Did Thomas Jefferson win the election of 1800 by one vote?

No. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received the same number of electoral votes. The tie had to be settled by the House of Representatives. The representatives from each state voted to determine how the state would cast its one vote. To win, a candidate needed support from at least nine states. The first thirty-four times the House of Representatives voted, Jefferson had 8 votes, Burr had 6 votes, and two states abstained. The thirty-fifth time they voted, Jefferson received 10 votes and Burr got 4.

The video was emotionally compelling until it becomes apparent that the facts are not true. Then, it loses its credibility

Larson, Edward J.. A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign. New York City: Free Press, 2007.

 

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