1776-1799 1777 Declaration of Independence; Articles of Confederation adopted by Continental Congress; Terrible winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; 1781 American Revolution ends; British surrender at Yorktown; 1783 Treaty of Paris signed by U.S. and Great Britain; 1787 Northwest Ordinance enacted by Congress; 1789 First session of the U.S. Congress; George Washington inaugurated President of the United States; Thanksgiving Day celebrated for first time as a national holiday; 1790 First U.S. Census authorized by Congress; 1793 Cotton gin patented (Eli Whitney); 1796 Amelia Simmons' cookbook; 1798 First manufacturing of interchangeable parts (to produce firearms). 1800-1810 1800 Library of Congress established; four-tined forks in common use; Washington D.C. becomes capital of United States; 1801 Johnny Appleseed; 1803 Louisiana Purchase (from France for $15,000,000); 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition; First automobile built (Oliver Evans); 1806 Exploration of southwestern territory (Zebulon Pike); First street lighting (gas lights); 1807 Trade in slaves prohibited by Congress; First steamboat run from New York to Albany (Robert Fulton); 1808 Start of Napoleonic War (between England and France). 1811-1820 1811 Strongest earthquake in America (New Madrid, Missouri); 1812 Lead pencils first produced in America; War of 1812 proclaimed (June 18th); 1813 Battle of Lake Erie; 1815 Contestoga wagon (prairie schooner) developed; 1817 Public school for the deaf founded (Thomas Gallaudet); Erie Canal construction begins; 1818 Tin can introduced to America (Peter Durand); First scheduled Trans-Atlantic ship crossings between U.S. and England; 1819 Florida purchased from Spain; First food canning business (New York City). |
|
1821-1830 1821 First American settlement in Texas (San Felipe de Austin); Coffee accepted into general use; 1823 Monroe Doctrine enunciated by President James Monroe; 1824 Gateway through Rocky Mountains identified (Jedediah Smith); Sequoyah develops first American Indian written language (Cherokee); 1826 First railway steam locomotive built in America; First design for internal combustion engine; 1829 Typewriter patented; 1830 Invention of the T-rail for railroad track; First birth control book published in America. 1831-1839 1831 Invention of mechanical reaper (Cyrus McCormick); 1832 Oranges and lemons shipped from Sicily to America; 1833 Colt revolver invented; 1834 Electric motor invented (Thomas Davenport); 1835 Telegraph invented (Samuel Morse); Return of Halley's comet; 1836 Texas declared an independent republic; Alamo mission at San Antonio attacked by General Santa Anna (March 6th); Santa Anna defeated at battle of San Jacinto (April 21st); 1837 Invention of steel plow; 1838 Transportation of fugitive slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad; Forced removal of the Cherokee Indians (Trail of Tears); 1839 First daguerreotype portraits taken in America; Vulcanized rubber invented by Charles Goodyear. 1840-1848 1840 Ten-hour work-day established; 1841 First wagon train to California; 1842 Fremont expedition explores route to Oregon; Children under 12 years of age limited to a 10-hour work day; 1843 Oregon Trail opened; 1844 First telegraph message transmitted ("What hath God wrought"); 1845 Fremont expedition to California; Baseball rules refined (Alexander Cartwright); 1846 Mormon migration west; Mexican War begins; Bear Flag Revolt (California); Sewing machine patented (Elias Howe); Anesthesia demonstrated; First recorded baseball game (Elysian Field, Hoboken, New Jersey); 1847 Donner party disaster; Mormon emigrants arrive in Utah, Salt Lake City founded; Stamps first issued by Post Office Department; 1848 Gold discovered in California. |