Under the direction of President John Adams, the Congress passed the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it a criminal offence to publish statements critical of the federal government. The first individual to be tried under the law was Rep. Matthew Lyon, who unsurprisingly had voted against its passage. Lyon was re-elected from jail.
The Senate narrowly votes to approve the Federal Air Highway Act, which funded construction of the Interstate system, linking America by car.
Robert Smalls, born enslaved in South Carolina, stole the CSS Planter and delivered it to Union troops. After the Civil War, Smalls was elected to the South Carolina legislature and later to the U.S. Congress where he served 5 terms during and after Reconstruction.
After reports that the USS Maddox had been attacked by North Vietnamese naval vessels, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 422-1 to authorize military action in Vietnam. Eugene Siler was the loan 'Nay' vote.
Map, visualize, and explore the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act in October 2001
