Historical Events for the Year 1840
- 13th January » The steamship 'Steamship Lexington e.g Lexington' burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives.
- 19th January » Captain Charles Wilkes circumnavigates Antarctica, claiming what became known as Wilkes Land for the United States.
- 6th February » Signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, establishing New Zealand as a British colony.
Full Answer
What are facts about the 1840s?
- January 23: The U.S. ...
- March 1: President John Tyler signed a bill annexing Texas.
- March 4: James Knox Polk was inaugurated as President of the United States.
- May: Frederick Douglass published his autobiography "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave."
- May 20: The Franklin Expedition sets sail from Britain. ...
What was the weather like in the 1840s?
Using the wider England & Wales series, the total was 801mm (~88% of LTA), with March & April very dry: March 1840, with 10mm (~13%) of rain was the third driest such-named month in the entire series. (LW/EWP)[ contrast with Scotland in the autumn - below ] 8, EWP 1840/41 (winter) Severe winter.
Why did people move west in the 1840s?
Some of the people who moved west in the 1840s were doing so for the same reasons as in the 1740s and the 1640s -- to find livelihoods of their own further from the growing city centers further east.
What kind of food did they have in the 1840s?
There were no big grocery stores where families could go to purchase food, and eating out was truly a rare treat, usually possible only when traveling. Most fruits and vegetables were grown on the farmstead, and families processed meats such as poultry, beef, and pork. People had seasonal diets.
What happened in 1840?
Where was Bashir II sent to?
How many people died in the Great Natchez Tornado?
What Happened from 1840 to 1849 - The People History
Wagon Trains Start The Journey To California, Covered Wagon Trains took immigrants on a journey from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California.The trip was about 2,000 miles and each night the Covered Wagon Train would form a circle for shelter from wind and extreme weather, they would put all the animals in the center to prevent them from running away or being stolen by ...
Historical Events in 1840 - On This Day
Jan 5 Records show 95,820 licensed public houses in England on this date; Jan 10 Uniform Penny Post mail system starts throughout the United Kingdom; Jan 13 The steamship Lexington burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives; Jan 18 The Electro-Magnet, and Mechanics Intelligencer, 1st US electrical journal, appears; Jan 20 Dumont D'Urville discovers ...
What Happened in 1840 - On This Day
Historical Events. Jan 25 American naval expedition under Charles Wilkes is first to identify Antarctica as a new continent; Feb 6 The Treaty of Waitangi is signed between 40 Māori Chiefs (later signed by 500) and representatives of the British crown in Waitangi, New Zealand. The treaty was designed to share sovereignty between the two groups.
When was the transporting of British convicts to the New South Wales colony abolished?
May 22 The transporting of British convicts to the New South Wales colony is abolished
Where did Bashir II go into exile?
Oct 14 Maronite leader Bashir II surrenders to the British forces and goes into exile in Malta.
When will the Housatonic Railroad open?
Feb 12 Housatonic Railroad opens, running from Bridgeport, Connecticut, north to the Massachusetts state line
Who published the story of the Potato Famine?
Alexander Cartwright and his New York Knickerbockers codify the "Rules of Baseball" in 1845. Frederick Douglass publishes Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in 1845. Elias Howe patents the sewing machine on ...
Who circumnavigated Antarctica?
Captain Charles Wilkes circumnavigates Antarctica, claiming it for the United States on January 19, 1840.
What was the year 1840-1850?
Updated July 03, 2019. The years from 1840 to 1850 were marked by war, political changes, a gold rush in California, and many other important events in America and around the world.
What happened on April 25th?
April 25: Mexican troops ambushed and killed a patrol of U.S. soldiers. Reports of the incident inflamed tensions between the two nations. April-August: Francis Parkman traveled from St. Louis, Missouri to Ft. Laramie, Wyoming, and later wrote of the experience in the classic book "The Oregon Trail.".
What was the decade of the Telegraph?
The Decade of the Telegraph, the Mexican War, and the Gold Rush. The California Gold Rush is a highlight of the 1840s, an event that shaped American history. Robert J. McNamara is a history expert and former magazine journalist.
Where did the British retreat from in January?
January: The British retreated from Kabul, Afghanistan and were massacred by Afghan troops.
Where was the land purchased in the autumn?
Autumn: Land was purchased in Massachusetts for Brook Farm, an experimental farming community frequented by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and other writers and thinkers of the era. November 9: Edward VII of England, son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was born.
What happened to John Tyler's cabinet?
February 28: An accident with a cannon on US Navy warship killed two members of John Tyler’s cabinet.
What happened in 1842?
1842 British Massacred in Afghanistan A revolt against the British in Kabul forced them to agree to withdraw from the city and return to India. They did so under a safe conduct agreement. The Afghans instead attacked the British and massacred 4,500 soldiers and 12,000 civilians.
What happened in 1848 in France?
1848 Revolution in France King Louis-Philippe of France refused to institute political reforms and extend suffrage. In response riots led by workers and students broke out. They force the king to abdicate in February 1848. As a result the Second French Republic began. In June unemployed workers protested in Paris and were brutally supressed.
What was the Viennesse Revolution?
1848 The Viennesse Revolution -Viennese students and workers inspired by events in France began in March to protest the policies of the Austrian government. Austrian foreign ministers Metternich resigned. Austrian emperor Ferdinand I attempted to placate the protesters by issuing a reform constitution. Conservative elements however, gained control and brutally put down the revolt. Ferdinand was forced to resign and was succeeded by Francis Joseph I.
When did Emily Jane Bronte write Wuthering Heights?
1847 Bronte Writes Wuthering Heights In 1847 Emily Jane Bronte an English Writer completed her work Wuthering Heights. In the same year her sister wrote Jane Eyre.
When was the first inter-city telegraph built?
1844 Telegraph Begun -The first inter-city telegraph was demonstrated by Samuel Morse. A telegraph line had been built for $30,000 between Washington and Baltimore. The telegraph was to open a new era of communication in the world.
Who was the slave who began a speaking tour throughout the North protesting against slavery?
1843 Soujourner Truth on Tour - Soujourner Truth, a deeply religious former slave, began a speaking tour throughout the North protesting against slavery. She had been a slave most of her life, and had seen most of her 13 children sold before her eyes.
Who died in 1843?
1843 John Trumball Dies -In 1843 John Trumball the American painter died. He is best known for the series of historical paintings, particularly of the Revolutionary War period.
How many people were on the wagon train in 1843?
The 1843 wagon train was comprised of about nine hundred people. Bidwell's immigrants had been split on going to California and Oregon. The definition of this as the first wagon train is made by its number of participants. The earlier ones had only been small expeditionary groups.
Who was the British envoy killed in December?
Sir William MacNaghten, the senior British envoy, was killed in December. Wagon Trains Start The Journey To California , Covered Wagon Trains took immigrants on a journey from Missouri River towns to what is now the state of California.
How many miles did the covered wagon train travel?
The trip was about 2,000 miles and each night the Covered Wagon Train would form a circle for shelter from wind and extreme weather, they would put all the animals in the center to prevent them from running away or being stolen by Native Americans.
Why did the British send a representative to New Zealand?
The British government had sent a representative to New Zealand to calm Maori tribesmen. At Waitangi, in February 1840, the majority of the Maori chiefs agreed to cede sovereignty of the islands to Queen Victoria. In exchange for this they wanted the precedence of own lands and a guarantee of protection.
What was the first opium war?
It was the First Opium War that had made it an important port to the British merchants, and it was appointed a Crown dependency. Hong Kong was, in the treaty, ceded to Britain in perpetuity, but in 1997 Hong Kong was handed back to China and went back to Chinese Rule.
When was the first stamp issued?
In 1840, the first stamp is issued which featured a black and white portrait of Queen Victoria costing one penny (more often referred to as the "Penny Black").
Who was killed in the British embassy?
The insurrection followed after the stoppage of subsidies that were paid to the tribal chiefs. Alexander Burnes, the British political agent, was murdered in November and the embassy was overrun by the Ghilzais. Sir William MacNaghten, the senior British envoy, was killed in December.
What were the major events of the 1800s?
This decade of the 1800s featured several significant events in America and across the globe: a steam locomotive raced a horse, the U.S. President beat up the man who tried to assassinate him, Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, and a tragic siege at the Alamo became legendary . The history of the 1830s was marked by railroad building in America, ...
What was the history of the 1830s?
The history of the 1830s was marked by railroad building in America, Opium Wars in Asia, and the ascension to the British throne of Queen Victoria.
What happened to Jackson in 1835?
Jackson attacked the man with his walking stick and had to be pulled back. The failed assassin was later found to be insane. May 1835: A railroad in Belgium was the first on the continent of Europe. July 6, 1835: United States Chief Justice John Marshall died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of 79.
When did William Lloyd Garrison start publishing The Liberator?
1831. January 1, 1831: William Lloyd Garrison began publishing The Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper, in Boston, Massachusetts. Garrison would become one of America's leading abolitionists, though he was often derided as someone on the fringe of society.
When was slavery abolished in the British Empire?
August 1, 1834: Slavery was abolished in the British Empire.
When was Andrew Jackson censured?
March 27, 1834: President Andrew Jackson was censured by the U.S. Congress during a bitter disagreement over the Bank of the United States. The censure was later expunged.
Who led the rebellion in 1831?
August 21, 1831: Nat Turner led a rebellion by enslaved people in Virginia. Summer 1831: Cyrus McCormick, a Virginia blacksmith, demonstrated a mechanical reaper that would revolutionize farming in America and eventually worldwide.
What happened in 1840?
13th January » The steamship 'Steamship Lexington e.g Lexington' burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives. 19th January » Captain Charles Wilkes circumnavigates Antarctica, claiming what became known as Wilkes Land for the United States.
Where was Bashir II sent to?
14th October » The Maronite leader Bashir II surrenders to the British Army and then is sent into exile on the islands of Malta.
How many people died in the Great Natchez Tornado?
7th May » The Great Natchez Tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi killing 317 people. It is the second deadliest tornado in United States history.
1840
- January 10: Penny postage was introduced in Britain.
- January 13: In a shocking maritime disaster, the steamship Lexington burned and sank in Long Island Sound. Only four men survived and more than 150 passengers and crew perished.
- February 10: Queen Victoria of England married Prince Albertof Saxe Coburg-Gotha.
- May 1: The first postage stamps, Britain’s “Penny Black,” were issued.
1841
- March 4: William Henry Harrison was inaugurated as president of the United States. He delivered a two-hour inaugural addressin very cold weather. As a result, he caught pneumonia, from which he nev...
- Spring: A free Black New Yorker, Solomon Northup, was lured to Washington, D.C., drugged, kidnapped, and enslaved. He would tell his story in the powerful memoir "Twelve Years a Slav…
- March 4: William Henry Harrison was inaugurated as president of the United States. He delivered a two-hour inaugural addressin very cold weather. As a result, he caught pneumonia, from which he nev...
- Spring: A free Black New Yorker, Solomon Northup, was lured to Washington, D.C., drugged, kidnapped, and enslaved. He would tell his story in the powerful memoir "Twelve Years a Slave."
- April 4: President William Henry Harrison died after only one month in office. He was the first American president to die in office and was succeeded by Vice President John Tyler.
- Autumn: Land was purchased in Massachusetts for Brook Farm, an experimental farming community frequented by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and other writers an…
1842
- January: The British retreated from Kabul, Afghanistan and were massacred by Afghan troops.
- August 29: The First Opium War ended with the Treaty of Nanking.
- November: Showman Phineas T. Barnum tracked down a child in Connecticut said to be peculiarly small. The boy, Charles Stratton, would become a show business phenomenon known as General Tom Thumb.
1844
- February 28: An accident with a cannon on US Navy warship killed two members of John Tyler’s cabinet.
- May 24: The first telegram was sent from the U.S. Capitol to Baltimore. Samuel F.B. Morsewrote, “what hath God wrought.”
- August: Karl Marxand Friedrich Engels met in Paris.
- February 28: An accident with a cannon on US Navy warship killed two members of John Tyler’s cabinet.
- May 24: The first telegram was sent from the U.S. Capitol to Baltimore. Samuel F.B. Morsewrote, “what hath God wrought.”
- August: Karl Marxand Friedrich Engels met in Paris.
- November: James Knox Polk defeated Henry Clayin the U.S. presidential election.
1845
- January 23: The U.S. Congress established a uniform date for federal elections, naming the first Tuesday after the first Mondayin November as Election Day.
- March 1: President John Tyler signed a bill annexing Texas.
- March 4: James Knox Polkwas inaugurated as President of the United States.
- May: Frederick Douglasspublished his autobiography "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Dougl…
- January 23: The U.S. Congress established a uniform date for federal elections, naming the first Tuesday after the first Mondayin November as Election Day.
- March 1: President John Tyler signed a bill annexing Texas.
- March 4: James Knox Polkwas inaugurated as President of the United States.
- May: Frederick Douglasspublished his autobiography "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave."
1846
- February 26: American frontier scout and showman William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was born in Iowa.
- April 25: Mexican troops ambushed and killed a patrol of U.S. soldiers. Reports of the incident inflamed tensions between the two nations.
- April-August: Francis Parkman traveled from St. Louis, Missouri to Ft. Laramie, Wyoming, an…
- February 26: American frontier scout and showman William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody was born in Iowa.
- April 25: Mexican troops ambushed and killed a patrol of U.S. soldiers. Reports of the incident inflamed tensions between the two nations.
- April-August: Francis Parkman traveled from St. Louis, Missouri to Ft. Laramie, Wyoming, and later wrote of the experience in the classic book "The Oregon Trail."
- May 13: The U.S. Congress declared war against Mexico.
1847
- February 22: U.S. troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican Army at the Battle of Buena Vistain the Mexican War.
- March 29: U.S. troops commanded by General Winfield Scottcaptured Veracruz in the Mexican War.
- June 1: Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of America's richest and most competitive men, raced a ste…
- February 22: U.S. troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican Army at the Battle of Buena Vistain the Mexican War.
- March 29: U.S. troops commanded by General Winfield Scottcaptured Veracruz in the Mexican War.
- June 1: Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of America's richest and most competitive men, raced a steamboat against rival Daniel Drew in the Hudson River. Many thousands of New Yorkers lined the city's dock...
- Late summer: The potato famine continued in Ireland, and the year became known as "Black '47."
1848
- January 24: James Marshall, a mechanic at John Sutter's sawmill in northern California, recognized some unusual nuggets. His discovery would set off the California Gold Rush.
- February 23: Former president John Quincy Adams, who served as a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts after leaving the presidency, died after collapsing in the U.S. Capitol building.
- July 12-19: A conference at Seneca Falls, New York, organized by Lucretia Mottand Elizbeth …
- January 24: James Marshall, a mechanic at John Sutter's sawmill in northern California, recognized some unusual nuggets. His discovery would set off the California Gold Rush.
- February 23: Former president John Quincy Adams, who served as a U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts after leaving the presidency, died after collapsing in the U.S. Capitol building.
- July 12-19: A conference at Seneca Falls, New York, organized by Lucretia Mottand Elizbeth Cady Stanton, took up the issue of Women's Rights and planted the seeds of the suffrage movement in the U.S.
- November 7: Zachary Taylor, Whig candidate and a hero of the Mexican War, was elected President of the United States.
1849
- March 5: Zachary Taylor was inaugurated as the 12th president of the U.S. He was the third, and last, candidate of the Whig Partyto hold the office.