In this week’s installment of our recurring series, an alum encourages political revolution, a newspaper speculates on the reasons 32 Princeton students have flunked, and more.

August 2, 1781—Preaching to “a large assembly,” James Power (Class of 1766) urges support for the American Revolution. “Think of ye cruel acts of ye British parliament,” he says, “by which we and our children ar[e] to be made slaves forever, and the money which we had earned by the sweat of our brows taken from us without a reason rendered for so doing.”

August 3, 1901—The Trenton Evening Times speculates that the failure of 32 students at Princeton on their recent exams—meaning they will all drop back one year—is the fault of an overemphasis on athletics.

August 4, 1942—To support the local Community Canning Kitchen, a group of undergraduates picks 13 bushels of apples from a local garden, which other volunteers will turn into applesauce.

August 5, 2010—The U.S. Senate votes 63-37 to confirm Elena Kagan ’81 as a Supreme Court justice.

For the previous installment in this series, click here.

Fact check: We always strive for accuracy, but if you believe you see an error, please contact us.