How Anita Hill influenced an election

Plus: World War I and Colette |

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. SUBSCRIBE to TIME Magazine September 27, 2018 By Lily Rothman All eyes turned to Washington, D.C., on Thursday for the Senate testimony of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and that of Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses him of sexual assault, which he denies. History suggests that what happens there could have an impact even beyond the Supreme Court confirmation process. In 1991, when Anita Hill testified during a similar hearing that then-nominee Clarence Thomas has sexually harassed her when they worked together, the results of that day contributed to 1992 seeing a record number of women elected to Congress. You can click here to read more about how 1992 became the "Year of the Woman." Here's more of the history that made news this week: HISTORY ON TIME.COM The Surprising Modern History of Contraception "You hear women in the present saying that men should take responsibility, but men were given responsibility for millennia and they didn't do it very well." Everything You Know About How World War I Ended Is Wrong On September 26th, 1918, Americans launched an attack that would defeat the Germans and end WWI, but they don't get the credit they deserve How a Coca-Cola Lawsuit Convinced Americans to Love Caffeine The Coca-Cola trial of 1911 helped establish caffeine as America's pick-me-up of choice—not that it was planned that way A Perfect Lie Detector Has Never Been Found Here's where polygraphs like Christine Blasey Ford's come in What to Know About the Author Who Inspired the Movie Colette She wrote 'Gigi' and helped discover Audrey Hepburn, but that's not all FROM THE TIME VAULT Oct. 21, 1991: ‘Sex, Lies & Politics’ “Anita Hill's accusations against Clarence Thomas raised the question of sexual harassment to national prominence, only to reduce it again to its toughest and most intractable kernel: her word against his. Neither Hill nor Thomas was able to bring decisive evidence before the committee last week to support their widely differing versions of their dealings in the past. Thus the evidence of character counts all the more heavily. But even that appeared to weigh equally on both sides. Based on their backgrounds, Hill and Thomas seemed to be the two least likely people in the world to be involved in an exchange of accusations about sexual misconduct or false charges. Both have devoted their lives to hard work and public service. He is said to be sensitive to women. She has a reputation for integrity. One of them is lying.” (Oct. 21, 1991) Read the full story Today in 1954: The American Character “In a generation of change so rapid that the pace cannot be appreciated, the American self-picture has gone out of focus. The intellectuals, to whom a society looks for its picture, understandably failed to keep up. In the 1930s they were looking backward at the ruin that war, depression and fascism had made of the 19th century's high confidence in rationality, progress and perfectibility. Some clung stubbornly to fragments of the exploded dream. More, resolving never again to be taken in by progress, settled for a program of anti-regression; economic stability and antifascism were timid goals. Since World War II, the intellectual climate has been changing. Social scientists, drawn back to the exciting and challenging present, have begun to update the future." (Sept. 27, 1954) Read the full story Today in 1963: Civil Rights in Alabama “To much of the nation, it seemed that [George] Wallace had acted out a charade, then abjectly surrendered. But not to most white Alabamians, who admired their Governor more than ever as a doughty little defender of segregation. In that atmosphere came the opening this month of Alabama's public elementary and high schools. Birmingham, Mobile, Tuskegee and Huntsville were scheduled to start their integration. Wallace got state troopers, in cars with tags emblazoned by the Confederate flag, to interfere with integration in all four cities.” (Sept. 27, 1963) Read the full story HIGHLIGHTS FROM AROUND THE WEB San Francisco Threat For Collectors Weekly, Hunter Oatman-Stanford looks at the city of San Francisco’s housing crisis with the help of historical maps, ads and other documents. Light Up In light of concern over teen e-cigarette use, Sarah Milov writes at the Washington Post about how the tobacco industry enticed young consumers in the past. “The Gardener” Jason Daley writes for Smithsonian.com about how an expert on Vincent van Gogh came to believe that he has identified the previously unknown subject of a portrait by the artist. Intense Tents In the U.K., an organization is attempting to reconstruct part of Henry VII’s tents, in which he stayed when traveling, and Dalya Alberge has the story at The Guardian. Teenage Years Ashwini Tambe writes at The Conversation about what the history of the idea of adolescence indicates about the idea that “boys will be boys.” To Unsubscribe Unsubscribe here if you do not want to receive this newsletter. Update Email Click here to update your email address. Privacy Policy Please read our Privacy Policy. TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For Further Communication Please email history@time.com TIME Customer Service 3000 University Center Drive Tampa, FL 33612-6408 Connect with TIME Find TIME on Facebook Follow TIME on Twitter Subscribe to more TIME Newsletters Get TIME on your Mobile Device Get TIME on your iPad Subscribe to RSS Feed