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Native Americans Ordered To Reservations
Original date issued by the United States government ordering all Native Americans onto a system of reservations throughout the western lands of the United States. Although the date would be extended by President Grant, this issue would lead to the Great Sioux War of 1876. -
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The Battle of Little Big Horn
June 25-26, 1876 - The Battle of Little Big Horn occurs when Lt. Colonel George Custer and his 7th U.S. Cavalry engage the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians on the bluffs above the Little Big Horn River. All 264 members of the 7th Cavalry and Custer perish in the battle, the most complete rout in American military history. -
Washington Monument
Legislation is approved for the federal government to complete the privately sponsored, until that time, Washington Monument with an appropriation of $2 million. -
Rutherford B. Hayes Elected President
A joint session of the U.S. Congress convenes on the presidential election dispute, reaching the Compromise of 1877 and electing Rutherford B. Hayes as President and William A. Wheeler as Vice President. They would be inaugurated two days later on March 4. Hayes would appoint Carl Schurz Secretary of the Interior, who began efforts to prevent forest destruction. -
Oglala Sioux Surrender
Indian leader of the Oglala Sioux, Crazy Horse, surrenders to the United States Army in Nebraska. His people had been weakened by cold and hunger. -
The Nez Perce War
The Nez Perce War begins when Nez Perce Indians route two companies of United States Army cavalry in Idaho Territory near White Bird. This is the first battle of the war. On August 9 Colonel John Gibbon commands the 7th U.S. Infantry as they clash with Nez Perce Indians at the Battle of the Little Big Hole. This war was fought when the Nez Perce tribe attempted to avoid confinement within the reservation system. -
First commercial telephone exchange opened
In New Haven, Connecticut, the first commercial telephone exchange is opened. -
The Lincoln County War
The Lincoln County War begins in New Mexico between two groups of wealthy businessmen, the ranchers and the Lincoln County general store. William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, fought alongside the ranchers in a dispute over seizure of horses as a payment of an outstanding debt. -
President Rutherford B. Hayes Signs Female Attorney Bill
February 15, 1879 - President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a bill that allowed female attorneys to argue in Supreme Court cases. -
Panama Canal Construction
The construction of the Panama Canal begins under French auspices, although it would eventually fail on the sea level canal in 1893, and would be bought out by the United States twenty-four years later under President Theodore Roosevelt. -
The Yorktown Column
The Yorktown Column, now part of Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia, is commissioned by the United States Congress. Its construction would commemorate the victory of American forces in the Revolutionary War. -
James A. Garfield Elected President
James A. Garfield, Republican is elected president over Winfield S. Hancock, the Democratic candidate. Garfield receives 214 Electoral College votes to 155 for Hancock, but barely wins the popular vote with a majority of only 7,023 voters. -
James A. Garfield Is Shot
The 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield, is shot by lawyer Charles J. Guiteau in the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station in Washington, D.C. He would die two months later on September 19, 1881 from an infection and be succeeded in the presidency by Vice President Chester Arthur on September 20. -
The Tuskegee Institute Opens
The Tuskegee Institute for black students training to be teachers opens under the tutelage of Booker T. Washington as instructor in Tuskegee, Alabama. -
The Standard Oil Company Established
The Standard Oil Company trust of John D. Rockefeller is begun when Rockefeller places his oil holdings inside it. -
The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act Passed
The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act is passed by Congress, overhauling federal civil service and establishing the U.S. Civil Service agency. -
The Brooklyn Bridge Is Opened
The Brooklyn Bridge is opened. It was constructed under a design by German-American Johann A. Roebling and required fourteen years to build. Six days later, a stampede of people fearing a rumor about its impending collapse causes twelve people to be killed. -
Eight-Hour Workday Proposed
May 1, 1884 - The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions in the U.S.A. call for an eight-hour workday. -
Democrat Candidate Grover Cleveland Elected
Grover Cleveland claims victory for the Democratic Party, gaining 277 Electoral College votes to the 182 Electoral College votes for the Republic candidate James G. Blaine. -
Washington Monument Dedicated
The Washington Monument is dedicated at a ceremony by President Chester A. Arthur. The obelisk was completed under federal auspices after construction had been started by private concerns thirty-seven years earlier in 1848. -
The Statue of Liberty Arrives
The Statue of Liberty arrives for the first time in New York harbor. -
The Haymarket Riot
May 4, 1886 - The Haymarket riot and bombing occurs in Chicago, Illinois, three days after the start of a general strike in the United States that pushed for an eight hour workday. This act would be followed by additional labor battles for that worker right favored by unions. Later this year, on December 8, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) was formed by twenty-five craft unions. -
Coca-Cola Is Invented
Dr. John Pemberton, a Georgia pharmacist, invents coca-cola, a carbonated beverage. On May 29, Pemberton began to advertise Coca-Cola in the Atlanta Journal. -
Geronimo Surrenders
At Fort Bowie in southeastern Arizona, Geronimo and his band of Apaches surrender to Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles. This signaled the end of warfare between the United States Army and Indian tribes. -
The first Groundhog Day Is Observed
The first Groundhog Day is observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and the tradition of checking the shadow of a groundhog to predict the coming spring began. October 22, 1887 - The statue of Abraham Lincoln, "Standing Lincoln," by Augustus Saint-Gaudens is unveiled in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois. -
Emile Berliner Granted Gramophone Patent
Naturalized as a citizen in 1881, Emile Berliner is granted a patent for the gramophone. Berliner, born in Hanover, Germany, had previously worked with Bell Telephone after selling his version of the microphone to the company. -
Thomas A. Edison Completes Phonograph Prototype
The prototype for the commercial phonograph is completed by Thomas A. Edison and staff at his laboratory near Glenmont, his estate in West Orange, New Jersey. -
President Grover Cleveland Sets Aside First Public Lands
Legislation signed by President Grover Cleveland sets aside the first public lands protecting prehistoric features at the Casa Grande ruin in Arizona Territory. These lands could not be settled or sold. -
First Long Distance Electric Power Transmission Line Completed
Running between the Willamette Falls and Portland, Oregon, a distance of fourteen miles, the first long distance electric power transmission line in the United States is completed. -
First Wall Street Journal Issue Published
The first issue of the Wall Street Journal is published. -
U.S Congress Passes The International Copyright Act
The 51st Congress of the United States passes the International Copyright Act of 1891. -
Carnegie Hall Opens
Carnegie Hall, then known as Music Hall, opens its doors in New York with its first public performance under the guest conductor, Tchaikovsky.
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Ellis Island Immigration Center Opens
Ellis Island, in New York Harbor, opens as the main east coast immigration center, and would remain the initial debarkation point for European immigrants into the United States until its closure in 1954. More than 12 million immigrants would be processed on the island during those years. Ellis Island replaced Castle Garden, in Manhattan, as the New York immigration center. -
First Recital Of The Pledge Of Allegiance
The first recital of the Pledge of Allegiance in U.S. public schools is done to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus Day. -
Grover Cleveland Re-Elected
Grover Cleveland returns to the presidency with his victory in the presidential election over incumbent President Benjamin Harrison and People's Party candidate James Weaver. Weaver, who would receive over 1 million votes and 22 Electoral College votes, helped defeat Harrison, who garnered only 145 Electoral College votes to Cleveland's 277. -
The New York Stock Exchange Collapses
The New York Stock Exchange collapses, starting the financial panic of 1893. It would lead to a four year period of depression. -
Women In Colorado Granted The Right To Vote
Women in Colorado are granted the right to vote. -
Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope Motion Picture
The first public showing of Thomas Edison's kinetoscope motion picture is held. Edison had invented the process seven years earlier. -
Civil Rights Advocate Frederick Douglass Dies
Frederick Douglass, the ex-slave who rose to prominence in national politics as a civil rights advocate and abolitionist during Civil War times died at his home in Washington, D.C. -
First United States Patent For The automobile Granted
The first United States patent for the automobile, #549160, is granted to George B. Selden for his two stroke automobile engine. -
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U.S Participates In The First MordernThe first modern Olympic Games
The first modern Olympic Games is held in Athens, Greece. Thirteen nations participated, including the United States of America. It was held in Panathinaiko Stadium and had originated from an 1894 congress organized by Pierre de Coubertin who established the International Olympic Committee. -
Republican William McKinley Elected 25th US President
Republican William McKinley claims victory in the presidential election with a majority of Electoral College voters, 271 selected him over Democratic and People's Party candidate William J. Bryan with 176. -
The Klondike Gold Rush Begins
The Klondike Gold Rush begins with the arrival of the first prospectors in Seattle. The Gold Rush would be chronicled beginning eight days later when Jack London sails to the Klondike and writes his tales. -
Cuba Blockade Begins
The blockade of Cuba begins when the United States Navy aids independence forces within Cuba. Several days later, the U.S.A. declares war on Spain, backdating its declaration to April 20. On May 1, 1898, the United States Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet in the Philippines. On June 20, the U.S. would take Guam. -
American Navy Bombs San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico is bombed by the American navy under the command of Rear Admiral William T. Sampson. Puerto Rico is overtaken by the United States between July 25 with its landing at Guanica Bay and August 12. These acts during the Spanish-American War would ultimately result in Spain deciding in December to cede lands, including Puerto Rico, to the United States. -
U.S Annexes Hawaii
The United States annexes the independent republic of Hawaii. -
Spanish-American War Peace Treaty Signed
The Peace Treaty ending the Spanish-American War is signed in Paris. The Spanish government agrees to grant independence to Cuba and cede Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States. -
Congress Approves Voting Machines In Federal Elections.
The United States Congress approves the use of voting machines in federal elections. -
Mount Rainier National Park Established
Mount Rainier National Park is established in Washington State. -
The 1900 Census
The 1900 census is conducted. In the first census of the 20th century, the population of the United States rose to 76,212,168, a 21% increase since 1890. For the first time, all fifty entities that would become the fifty states are included after Hawaii had officially become a territory of the United States on February 22. The center of the United States population, geographically, is now six miles southeast of Columbus, Indiana. -
President William McKinley Re-Elected
President William McKinley wins his second term as president, this time with Theodore Roosevelt in the second spot on the ticket, again defeating William J. Bryan by an Electoral Margin of 292 to 155.