Changes

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|1600s

|1600s

|36

|37

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|1700s

|1700s

|72

|73

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|1800s

|1800s

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|act of God

|act of God

|1787<ref>From ''Pollard v. Shaaffer'', 1 U.S. 210, 213 (1 Dall. 210) (Pa. S.Ct. 1787): "In the case before the court, if the lessee had covenanted for himself and his assigns, to deliver up the tenements in good order and repair, notwithstanding they should be destroyed by act of God or of an Enemy, then this action would certainly lie, because of the special express words; but when there are no such words, but only generally to repair &c. would it be reasonable to construe these words so as to extend to the cases put?"</ref><ref>Merriam-Webster asserts a date of origin of 1635 in its online version [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20of%20god], but 1859 in its 10th edition print version.</ref>

|1635<ref>From ''Pollard v. Shaaffer'', 1 U.S. 210, 213 (1 Dall. 210) (Pa. S.Ct. 1787): "In the case before the court, if the lessee had covenanted for himself and his assigns, to deliver up the tenements in good order and repair, notwithstanding they should be destroyed by act of God or of an Enemy, then this action would certainly lie, because of the special express words; but when there are no such words, but only generally to repair &c. would it be reasonable to construe these words so as to extend to the cases put?"</ref><ref>Merriam-Webster asserts a date of origin of 1635 in its online version [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/act%20of%20god], but 1859 in its 10th edition print version.</ref>

|an extraordinary, unforeseeable event, such as a massive flood or earthquake; term was probably inspired as a reference to the [[Great Flood]]

|an extraordinary, unforeseeable event, such as a massive flood or earthquake; term was probably inspired as a reference to the [[Great Flood]]. Merriam-Webster date the term as originating in 1635, having previously had it at 1859 (10th edition, published in 1998). The term is often misused in law by liberals trying to absolve themselves of responsibility

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|[[action-at-a-distance]]

|[[action-at-a-distance]]