On This Day in History: July 13

Instead of resolving the schism, the Council of Pisa actually complicated the situation even more by electing Alexander V on June 26, 1409, and since neither Pope Gregory XII and Antipope Benedict XIII agree to resign, there were now three Pope claimants. It took the Council of Constance, years later to resolve it. (1414-1418).

The peace conference at Utrecht, Netherlands, known as the "Congress of Utrecht", officially began on January 29, 1712. Secret peace talks between Great Britain and France in 1711 paved the way for the formal conference. The major treaties, were signed on April 11, 1713, ending the War of the Spanish Succession, settling dynastic issues and reshaping European and colonial territories. The treaties included, Philip V, grandson of France's Louis XIV, renouncing his claim to the French throne, preventing a Bourbon superstate and establishing European balance of power. The treaties also granted Britain key territories like Gibraltar, Minorca and Nova Scotia plus the lucrative Asiento (slave trade monopoly) marking Britain rise as a world power The conflict officially ended with later treaties in 1714 and 1715.

The Ordinance chartered a government for the Northwest Territory, provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory, and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory. Three principal provisions were ordained in the document:

1) A division of the Northwest Territory into "not less than three nor more than five States".
2) A three-stage method for admitting a new state to the Union .
3) A bill of rights protecting religious freedom, the right to a writ of habeas corpus, the benefit of trial by jury, and other individual rights; in addition the ordinance encouraged education, and forbade slavery. The ordinance mandated the creation of at least three but no more than five states from the region.

The territory eventually formed six States:
Ohio (1803)
Indiana (1816)
Illinois (1818)
Michigan (1837)
Wisconsin (1848)
Minnesota (1858) Borders adjusted later. More

Schoolcraft's expedition, which included the Ojibwe guide Ozawindib, explored the Upper Mississippi River region and pinpointed the lake as the river's origin. Schoolcraft named the lake "Itasca," combining the Latin words "veritas" (truth) and "caput" (head), to signify its role as the true source.

For four days,(July 13-17, 1863) violent groups of people wreaked havoc on the streets of New York, looting stores, setting fire to homes and businesses, attacking police, soldiers, and African American civilians. Union soldiers had to be called in from Gettysburg to put an end to the chaos. The riots were sparked by the first federal draft in U.S. history instituted by President Lincoln as the Union struggled to recruit enough soldiers. More

Over 70 performances were featured, including Queen, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, The event was broadcasted to a global audience estimated at 1.5 billion viewers. It is estimated that the concerts raised over $100 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. It also inspired similar benefit concerts and projects, such as USA for Africa's "We Are the World".