Ridgefield Allies

Today in “Hidden” History is a daily listing of important but little-known events illustrating the range of innovators, contributors, or incidents excluded from formal history lessons or common knowledge. Hidden history is intended not as an exhaustive review, but merely as an illustration of how popular narratives "hide" many matters of fundamental importance. Bookmark this page and check daily to quickly expand your knowledge. Suggest entries for Today in “Hidden” History by clicking the Contact Us link. Entries for August 18:

Date	Type	Event
1907		African American composer Howard Swanson, best known for his art songs based on the poetry of Langston Hughes and Paul Lawrence Dunbar, is born into a middle class home in Atlanta, Georgia. Swanson’s first significant composition, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (1950), is a musical set to Langston Hughes’s famous poem of that name. His composition was performed in Carnegie Hall by Marian Anderson. Later that year his work Short Symphony was played by the New York Philharmonic orchestra. Swanson’s other works include “Music for Strings” (1952), “Concerto for Orchestra” (1957), and “Symphony No. 3” (1969). Howard Swanson’s style was of the neoclassical school. Although his music drew mostly from western European styles he did incorporate African American styles with the addition of rhythmic complexity, syncopation, and instances of beat phrasing. Learn more.
1920		The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution is ratified by the 36th state and thereby takes effect, essentially guaranteeing women the right to vote. Specifically, the amendment prohibits the United States and its states from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex. The amendment was the culmination of a decades-long movement for women's suffrage in the United States, at both the state and national levels, and was part of the worldwide movement towards women's suffrage and part of the wider women's rights movement. The first women's suffrage amendment was introduced in Congress in 1878. However, a suffrage amendment did not pass the House of Representatives until May 21, 1919, which was quickly followed by the Senate, on June 4, 1919. It was then submitted to the states for ratification, achieving the requisite 36 ratifications to secure adoption, and thereby go into effect, on August 18, 1920. The Nineteenth Amendment's adoption was certified on August 26, 1920. Learn more.