On March 16 …
1648 First Tavern License in New York City (Then Called New Amsterdam): Gov. Peter Stuyvesant issued the first tavern license in what was still the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. Many more flowed forth, and by the end of the year “one-fourth of the buildings in New Amsterdam had been turned into tap-houses for the sale of beer, brandy, and tobacco,” according to a Quinnipiac University article. Tavern owners had to receive unanimous consent from the City Council before setting up shop and they were prohibited from selling to Native Americans.
1827 First African American Newspaper Printed: The Freedom's Journal, the very first African-American-run newspaper in the country, was launched on March 16, 1827. It started up in response to the racist attacks prevalent in New York City's newspapers at the time. It also provided a forum for news about African-American weddings, deaths, and accomplishments—all the events missing from the papers of the day.
“Before 1827, blacks didn't exist in the newspapers, unless they committed a crime,” reads an entry on Columbia University's “Mapping the African American Past ” Web page. Two young African-American men decided to change that. Presbyterian clergyman Samuel E. Cornish and John B. Russwurm were the founders and editors of the Freedom's Journal.
Slavery was abolished in New York State in July of the same year.
1830 All Time Low at New York Stock Exchange: Only 31 shares were traded on March 16, 1830 in the New York Stock Exchange , making it the slowest day ever. A typical day even in 1830 saw 1,000 or more shares traded, according to the “Inside the Apple ” blog.
1939 Nazi Propaganda Magazine Founded: The American Fellowship Forum was a covert Nazi propaganda tool embedded in New York City. The magazine was founded by Dr. Friedrich Ernest Ferdinand Auhagen, professor of German Literature at Columbia University and a Nazi agent. On March 16, 1939, Auhagen began printing a magazine called “Today's Challenge.”
“The forum attempted to unify German-Americans behind a peace platform” in the months leading up to the beginning of the second world war, according to Francis MacDonnell in her book, “Insidious Coes: the Axis Fifth Column and the American Home Front .” The magazine promoted an isolationist platform, suggesting America break all economic and political ties with Germany rather than take military action.
The House of Un-American Activities (HUAC), which was formed the year before in 1938, played an important role in revealing Auhagen as a Nazi agent. Auhagen was arrested for failing to inform the U.S. government of his propaganda-related activities.
