Joe's Daily U.S. History Lesson -- July 3

JULY 3 -- 1890 Idaho joins the Union; 1988 America shoots down Iranian commercial flight; 1863 Pickett's Charge

JULY 3 1890- Happy birthday Idaho! ...It’s the 43 state admitted to the union, it’s the 14th largest, the 39th most populous, and the 7th least densely populated of the country. Idaho was part of the Oregon Country, which was claimed by the US and Great Britain until the US gained possession in 1846. Some fun facts about Idaho, courtesy of 50states.com. The Elk River is the home of the Idaho champion Western Red Cedar Tree, the largest tree in the state.

Estimated to be over 3000 years old, this giant is more than 18 feet in diameter and stands 177 feet tall. In Idaho the law forbids a citizen to give another citizen a box of candy that weights; more than 50 pounds! The world famous hot springs of Idaho are located in Lava Hot Springs. Sun valley is recognized as the home of America’s first destination ski resort. Finally if you’re into fly fishing, Anderson Dam is the place you want to be for catching blue ribbon.

1988 – American shoot down Iranian flight 655, …killing hundreds on board.

In 1979, the Islamic revolution led to the Iran-Iraq war. When Iraq invaded Iran in 1980, according to the Washington post, the US supported Iraq leader Saddam Hussein against the two countries mutual Iranian enemy. Toward the end of the war, on July 3, 1988, a US aNavy ship called the Vincennes was exchanging fire with small Iranian ships in the Persian Gulf. The US Navy kept ships there, and still does, to protect oil trade routes.

As the American and Iranian ships skirmished, Iran Air Flight 655 took off from nearby Bandar Abbas International Airport, bound for Dubai. The Vincennes allegedly mistook the airliner for an F-14 and shot it down, killing all 290 passengers and crew members on board.

US officials defended the action, stating the airliner was out of its commercial flight path and lying too low. However a month later, US authorities reversed that angle,m acknowledging that the plane was within it’s commercial flight path and did not appear to be a threat. In 1996, the US agreed to pay $62 million in damages to the families of the Iranians killed in the attack. The impact of that is believed to have tensions between the US and Iran to this day.

1863 – Picketts Charge. ...It was the last day of fighting during the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point for the Union in the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee’s confidence took over the best of him, and on July 3rd he concentrated his full force against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade’s Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg.

The Charge’s commander, Lt. gen. James Longstreet predicted that this would be an epic fail. During the last two days, the Confederates were unable to take Cemetery Ridge from the left and right Union flanks,

On the night of July 2nd, Meade correctly predicted that Lee would attack on his lines in the center, and sure enough the next day, after a preliminary artillery bombardment by 150 or so Confederate guns they began advancing.

Initially they were able to pierce the Union line but the Union regiments from New York, Vermont and Ohio had opened fire on both flanks of Pickett’s Charge. The Confederates were completely overwhelmed, and wound up losing about half of their men within a few hours, about 28,000 men.

In fact, it was such a crushing defeat on the Confederates, Lee’s campaign into Pennsylvania was over. Lee was so deflated he offered his resignation to Confederate President Jefferson Davis but was refused.

According to encyclopediavirginia.org, films like Gettysburg, 1993, glorified the attack even while historians continued to debate Lee’s decision, sometimes comparing it to Union general Ulysses S Grant’s equally futile attacks at Cold harbor in Hanover County in 1864.