History for December 20- A small step for free men, Bigger is better, A tax even a mother would love, An old friend now banned, Probably would be a slur today

History for December 20 - On-This-Day.com:
1606 - The "Susan Constant," "Godspeed" and "Discovery" set sail from London.
Their landing at Jamestown, VA, was the start of the first permanent English settlement in America.



1803 - The United States Senate ratified a treaty that included the Louisiana Territories from France for $15 million. The transfer was completed with formal ceremonies in New Orleans.








1820 - The state of Missouri enacted legislation to tax bachelors between the ages of 21-50 for being unmarried. The tax was $1 a year.








1879 - Thomas A. Edison privately demonstrated his incandescent light at Menlo Park, NJ.









1880 - New York's Broadway became known as the "Great White Way" when it was lighted by electricity.