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First Override of a Veto
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President John Tyler veto a bill that would deny him the power to commission military ships without congressional approval, his tenth veto during his term (second only to Andrew Jackson, who used veto 12 times). Congress used the power of override for the first time to pass the bill, voting with a two-thirds majority to pass the bill. -
Religious Murder by Mormons
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Phineas Wilcox was killed by the Mormons of Illinois because they thought he was a Christian spy. This is merely one in a string of violent religious conflicts between the Christians and the Mormons. -
U.S. Naval Academy Created
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The Naval School was opened in Annapolis, Maryland. It was officially christened the US Naval Academy in 1850, and the basic curriculum established since is still in use today. -
War is Declared on Mexico
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Congress voted in favor of President Polk's proposition to declare war on Mexico on this day. The US had been hesitant to annex Texas for fear of war, but later it was decided to accept it. Mexico did not declare war, but America eventually did over disputed land. -
Founding of Smithsonian
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James Smithson, an English scientist who had made many contributions to the science of geology during his lifetime, died and left a request in his will that if his nephew died without any heirs (which he did), everything would be left to the US to create a Smithsonian Institution. Smithson had never visited America, and the reasons for his request are unknown. -
Discovery of Neptune
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Johann Gottfried Galle was the German astronomer who discovered the eighth planet. French astronomer Le Verrier calculated its position and the same night Galle saw it using the telescope at the Berlin University. -
Donner Party Is Rescued
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89 people set out for California from Springfield, Illinois, with George Donner as their elected captain. They decided to take Hastings Cutoff instead of the ususal route, and ended up taking too long and running out of supplies. The was stranded near a lake for several weeks during winter. Rescuers reached the survivors on this day. -
Mormons Reach Salt Lake Valley
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Birghim Young and his 148 Mormon followers finally reached Salt Lake Valley after 17 months of travel. In the years later, thousands of Mormons followed, led by Young who had taken the responsibilities of the religion's founder, Joseph Smith, after Smith's murder. -
Mexico City Captured
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General Winfield Scott led troops into Mexico City and raised the American flag over the Hall of Montezuma, which marked the end of a six month advance towards the capital. -
Gold Discovered in California
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Swiss immigrant John Sutter owned 50,000 acres in Sacremento Valley. He supported the Americans in the Mexican-American war, and when they won he hired millwright James Marshall to build a mill in Sutters Creek. Marshall discovered gold in the creek, and thus began the California Gold Rush, which drastically changed american migration to the west. -
John Quincy Adams Has a Stroke
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Son of the second president John Adams, John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the U.S. He followed the footsteps of his father and was a prominent figure in politics until the end of his life, when he had a stroke at his desk at the House of Representatives. His last words allegedly were "This is the end of earth, but I am content." -
Beginning of Seneca Falls Convention
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Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the first women's rights convention in the U.S. Nearly 200 women attended the rally. Stanton read the "Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances" to the crowd, which paralleled the Declaration of Independence and encouraged women to petition for their rights. -
Blackwell Becomes First Woman Physician
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Elizabeth Blackwell was awarded her M.D. on this day from Geneva College in New York (now Hobart College). She graduated with the highest grades, and she and her sister founded the New York Infirmary for Women and Children. -
New York Establishes Cholera Hospital
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Cholera was a big problem in New York, as it was spread by the deplorable living conditions of the poor. The epidemic killed 5000 people by the time it ended, and on this day the Board of Health established a hospital above a tavern on Orange Street. -
Russian Rebel Sentenced to Death
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Fyodor Dostoevsky was a Russian man who was arrested for his involvment with a radical antigovernment group called the Petrashevsky. He was sentenced to death, but at the last minute he was assigned to a Siberian labor camp for four years. -
The Scarlet Letter is Published
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The classic piece of literature The Scarlet Letter was published on this date. It is the most famous work by author Nathaniel Hawthorne. -
President Zachary Taylor Dies
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President Zachary Taylor died after sixteen months of presidency of cholera. He most likely contracted the bacteria at a festival at the newly dedicated grounds for the Washington Monument. -
California Becomes 31st State
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After only being part of the United States for two years, Califormia became a state without ever being a territory first. The Gold Rush of 1849 meant that California reached the required population of 60,000 people in record time and became the 31st state of the union. -
First America's Cup
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The schooner America beat a fleet of British ships in a race around the Isle of Wight. The Silver Cup won was donated to the New York Yacht Club. The cup was successfully defended for 24 subsequent races, until it was lost for the first time in 132 years in 1983 to the Australia II. -
Christiana Riot in Pennsylvania
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A group of white and black abolitionists attacked a posse from Maryland in Christiana, Pennsylvania who were attempting to find and return four escaped slaves. One posse member died and two others were injured. One white rioter and 37 blacks were arrested. They were charged for treason for resisting the Fugitive Slave Law, which stated that all escaped slaves had to be returned to their rightful owners. -
Fire at the Library of Congress
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On this day, a fire at the Library of Congress destroyed about two-thirds of the 55,000 volume collection. Many of the books were a part of Thomas Jefferson's personal library. However, Congress acted quickly and most of the lost volumes were replaced. Today the Library of Congress has some 17 million books and is one of the largest libraries in the world. -
Wells Fargo Company Established
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Henry Wells and William Fargo joined a few other investors in New York and created their business. With the Gold Rush in the West, there was great demand for shipping goods to mining towns in California, and the company capitalized on that demand. The company maily focused on freight transport until 1905, when it joined Nevada National Bank, and is still a major bank today. -
Uncle Tom's Cabin Published
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Harriet Beecher Stowe's book Uncle Tom's Cabin was published on this date.The book was wrtiten in response to fugitive slave laws, and sold 300,000 in three months.It raised white awareness about the situation in the South, and arguably had a hand in starting the Civil War. -
Calamity Jane Born
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Born Martha Jane Canary, Calamity Jane was essentially her stage persona. Jane attracted attention through stunts such as riding a bull down Rapid City streets. She eventually came to symbolize the fading Wild West through her public performances and rumors and legends cultivated by herself and her fans. -
Commodore Perry Reaches Tokyo Bay
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Perry, representing the United States, took four ships and sailed into Tokyo Bay, Japan. Officials accepted letters from U.S. President Millard Fillmore under threat of attack. Perry later returned to Japan and signed the Treaty of Kanagwa, which made America the first country to establish relations with Japan in 200 years. -
Joaquin Murrieta is Killed
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Joaquin Murrieta led a band of outlaws that terrorized central California in the early months of 1853. Eventually a group of California rangers was formed to hunt him down, and when they did, they cut off his head to prove it and collect their $6000 reward. Furthur profit was made by exhibiting the head in mining camps and charging a $1 to see it. -
Indians Attack Survey Crew for Transcontinental Railroad
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Paiute Indians attacked a survey crew of 37 men led by Captain John Gunnison. Eight died, including Gunnison, but his second in command E.G. Beckwith took over the remaining crew and the job was finished. The crew contributed to the route of the railroad by discovering a path through Weber Canyon and two passes over the Sierra Nevadas. -
Republican Party Founded
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The Republican party was created by members of the Whig party who opposed the spread of slavery. The Whig party disbanded after the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, and the former Whigs formed the Republican Party. -
Ship Collision Tragedy
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Two ships collided off the coast of Newfoundland in 1854. Heavy fog restricted visibility and the wooden Arctic hit the the steamer Vespa. 322 people died. -
Lincoln Gives Speech About Kansas-Nebraska Act
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Lincoln spoke out against the Kansas-Nebraska Act, at that time still a lawyer. He campaigned in the new States for the Republicans of Illinois, trying to convince them to vote against slavery. Despite this, Kansas chose pro-slavery.
