William Morton (1857 - 1957)

Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during William's lifetime.

In 1857, in the year that William Morton was born, on March 2nd, the largest slave auction in US history was begun. Called "The Weeping Time", the auction lasted 2 days. Slave owner Pierce M. Butler - who had inherited the slaves 20 years before but was now deeply in debt - sold 436 men, women, children, and infants, all of whom were kept in stalls at a racetrack in Savannah, Georgia. The people were held for weeks before the auction in the horse stalls.

In 1868, William was merely 11 years old when on July 9th, The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified. The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed African Americans full citizenship and equal protection under the law. It also gave all persons in the United States due process of law. The former Confederate states hotly contested the amendment but were forced to go along so that they could regain representation in Congress

In 1873, he was 16 years old when on May 27th, German archaeologist and businessman Heinrich Schliemann found what he said was "Priam's Treasure" - confirming the existence of ancient Troy. The find in Hissarlik Turkey is still disputed as being a part of Troy.

In 1913, by the time he was 56 years old, the 17th Amendment, establishing the direct election of U.S. Senators, was adopted. Previously, Senators were elected by state legislatures. As early as 1826, a call to elect senators through popular vote was championed and previous to the 17th amendment, two states had already changed their process. Governors are still able to appoint senators to vacant seats until an election can be held.

In 1957, in the year of William Morton's passing, on October 4th, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first man made earth-orbiting satellite - and triggered the Space Race. Sputnik I was only 23 inches in diameter and had no tracking equipment, only 4 antennas, but it had a big impact.