What to do with old Mexico’s land?
The debate quickly raged out of hand
Should it be slave or free?
Where would border lines be?
Most important: would compromise stand?

Event: Senator Henry Clay proposes the Compromise of 1850, which resolved the issue of slavery in the states and territories for less than the length of a presidential term
Year: 1850
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compromise_of_1850

Controversial? Oh, you could say so
Even to the old plaintiff, Jane Roe
The decision they made
Went against Henry Wade
‘Twas with privacy they chose to go

Event: The U.S. Supreme Court makes a decision in Roe v. Wade, stating that a constitutional right to privacy included a woman’s decision to have an abortion
Year: 1973
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roe_v._Wade

As technology onward advanced
Knowledge storage was also enhanced
Once held captive indoors
It’s no longer on floors
Onto internet tubes it has danced

Events: The British Museum opens to the public; Wikipedia goes online
Year: 1759; 2001
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

Just a hound dog, but boy could he sing
Even jailhouses he could make swing
And his swiveling hips
Caused some folks to lose grips
Nothing less from the rock-n-roll king

Event: Birth of Elvis Presley
Year: 1935
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley

From all over the planet they came
To new address, and sometimes new name
For the tired and poor
It was the golden door
Passing through, things would ne’er be the same

Event: Ellis Island opens
Year: 1892
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island