Today in Legal History: U.S. Declares War on Spain, NY Mandates Car Plates, ‘Dixie’ Flag Retired

On this day in 1898, the U.S. declared war against Spain, involving America in Cuba's struggle for independence. For details, see this Library of Congress Web page.

On this day in 1901, New York became the first state to require car owners to register and get license plates for their vehicles. The state earned $954 in registration fees that year, at a fee of $1 per car. For more details, see this History.com Web page.

On this day in 2003, the Georgia legislature voted to remove the so-called Dixie cross, a symbol of the Confederate-era, slave-holding South, from the state's flag. For details of the underlying controversy, which involved several Southern states, see this AP article and the bill.