An invention that sometimes drives us to distraction — but without which we would scarcely be driving at all — went into operation on this date in 1914. A traffic light system, credited with being the first in the U.S., flashed red and green at the intersection of 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. To further prompt drivers, the words “Stop” and “Move” were emblazoned on the operating red and green lights. At the time, there were about 1.8 million motor vehicles in the U.S., six times more than just five years earlier. Now, there are more than 250 million motor vehicles crowding our roads. Traffic lights control the flow of this congestion, leaving Americans with an average one-way commute of 25 minutes. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.
Sunday, August 4th. On this date in 1790, the young federal government issued its first bonds, promising to pay between 3 and 6 percent interest. The borrowed money was used for liquidating state debts related to the Revolutionary War, and assumed by the new national government. At the time, the national debt approached $75 million. Today, the national debt is put at about $16 trillion. But we, the people, have a government reflective of its citizens, as Americans individually carry great debt. The percentage of U.S. households with debts declined from 74 percent to 69 percent between 2000 and 2011. But the median amount increased over this period from about $51,000 to $70,000. You can find current data on the country’s economy by downloading the new America’s Economy mobile application at <www.census.gov/mobile>.
Saturday, August 3rd. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Poet Emma Lazarus composed those words in 1883 to help raise funds for a pedestal for the Statue of Liberty. But on this date just a year earlier, Congress enacted the first immigration limitation in our history. The law barred entry to people thought likely to become what is called a “public charge,” or burden on society. Immigration laws have been much revised since 1882 and remain a topic of much political contention to this day. But the U.S. has for some time accepted more immigrants than any other nation. Of the roughly 309 million residents counted in the 2010 Census of Population, nearly 40 million were foreign-born, and another 40 million were naturalized citizens, or noncitizen immigrants. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.