Politics

A constitutional convention meets in Philadelphia to frame a Constitution; the Constitution of the U.S. is signed.

Government

New State: Delaware ratifies the Constitution and becomes the 1st state in the Union; Pennsylvania is 2nd state in the Union; New Jersey becomes the 3rd.

Government

National Capital: The new Constitution provides the the creation of a separate national capital, and the search for a site begins.

Government

Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

Inventions

American inventor John Fitch (1743-1798) launches a steamboat on the Delaware River.

Education

Higher Education: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia opens.

Education

Children''s Books: The first American edition of "Mother Goose Rhymes" is published by Isaiah Thomas (1749-1831

Arts and Letters

Mozart (1756-1791) composes "Don Giovanni;" it premieres in Prague.

Ideas

John Adams (1735-1826) writes "A Defense of the Constitution of Government of the U.S.A."

Ideas

James Madison (1751-1836) writes "The Vices of the Political System of the United States."

Washington, Martha

George Washington (1732-1799) attends a concert given by Alexander Reinagle (c.1750-1809), finest pianist in the U.S. at the time; he later engages Reinagle to give music lessons to his daughter.

Economics

The first American cotton mill opens in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Daily Life

One of the first non-religious song books, A Select Collection of the Most Favorite Scots Tunes, is published in the U.S. by Alexander Rienagle.

Religion

Lucy Wright (1760-1821), successor to Ann Lee, dominates the period of the Shaker society’s greatest growth.

Religion

Black preacher Richard Allen (1760-1831) founds the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Reform

Abolition Movement: The Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade is formed by British Quakers.

Government

New State: Georgia ratifies the new Constitution and becomes the 4th state admitted to the Union; Connecticut becomes the 5th; Massachusetts is the 6th; Maryland is the 7th; South Carolina is the 8th; New Hampshire is the 9th; Virginia is the 10th; New York is the 11th.

Government

National Capital: New York City becomes the federal capital of the U.S.

Government

National Capital: Maryland and Virginia give land for a new federal capital.

Science

The Marquis Pierre Simon de Laplace (1749-1827) writes "Laws of the Planetary System."

Medicine

Mobs riot in New York and Boston protesting the use of cadavers for dissection in medical schools.

Inventions

Andrew Meikle (1719-1811), Scottish millwright, patents a thrasher for removing husks from grain.

Education

Hannah More (1745-1833) opens a school for illiterates in England and receives much opposition for educating laborers.

Education

Public Education: The Constitution gives the power to establish schools and license teachers to individual states rather than to the federal government.

Ideas

"The Federalist Papers" are published.

Ideas

Emmanuel Kant (1724-1804) writes "A Critique of Pure Reason."

Adams, Abigail

Abigail (1744-1818) and John Adams (1735-1826) return to Braintree, MA from abroad.

Taylor, Margaret

Margaret “Peggy” Mackall Smith (1788-1852), future wife of President Zachary Taylor (1784–1850), is born in Calvert County, MD on September 21.

Economics

"Northwest America," the first American ship built on the west coast, is launched.

Daily Life

Crime and Punishment: Botany Bay in Australia becomes an English penal colony.

Daily Life

The first hortensia and fuchsia are imported to Europe from Peru.

Daily Life

Disasters: Fire destroys more than 800 buildings in New Orleans.

Social Issues

Slavery: Connecticut and Massachusetts forbid residents from participating in the slave trade.

Social Issues

Slavery: New York passes a new comprehensive slave law, confirming that all current slaves are slaves for life.

Law

The Constitution of the United States goes into effect; the first ten amendments to the Constitution are introduced by the Congress.

Law

The Federal Judiciary Act creates the Supreme Court.

Law

Chief Justices: President George Washington (1732-1799) nominates John Jay (1745-1829) as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on September 24th. The Senate confirms the appointment on September 26th. After serving as Chief Justice for five years, Jay resigns from the Supreme Court on June 29, 1795. He is elected Governor of New York in 1796.

Politics

George Washington (1732-1799) is elected President of the U.S., and John Adams (1735-1826)is elected Vice President.

Politics

First Political Parties: The Federalist Party is formed.

Politics

Tammany (Hall) is founded in New York City.

Politics

Political buttons first appear.

Government

New State: North Carolina ratifies the Constitution and becomes the 12th state admitted to the Union.

War

French Revolution: The French Revolution begins.

Medicine

Edward Holyoke (1728-1829), physician, publishes life expectancy table showing the Americans live longer than Europeans.

Inventions

Englishman William Jessup designs first wagons with flanged wheels.

Education

Higher Education: Georgetown University is established in what is now Washington, D.C.

Education

The first modern chemistry textbook, "Elements of Chemistry," is published by Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794); all illustrations are provided by his wife, Marie.

Education

One of the earliest complaints about a textbook is made by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison against a geography book written by Jedidiah Morse, who object to the popular text’s characterization of the young men of Virginia, as “gamblers, cockfighters, and horse-jockies”.

Ideas

Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), English barrister, publishes "An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation."

Washington, Martha

Martha Washington (1731-1802) becomes the nation’s first First Lady. She does not attend her husband''''s presidential inauguration, but joins him several weeks later in New York City, the nation''s first capital.

Adams, Abigail

John Adams (1735-1826) becomes Vice President; serves two terms under George Washington.

Madison, Dolley

Dolley Paine’s (1764-1849) father loses his business in Philadelphia and is expelled from the Pine Street Monthly Meeting for failure to pay his debts.

Economics

Christopher Colles (c.1738-1821) publishes the first American road map.

Economics

Women''s Firsts: Mary Katherine Goddard (1738-1816) opens a Baltimore bookstore, probably the first woman in America to do so.

Daily Life

Chrysanthemums are introduced to Britain from the Orient.

Daily Life

Holidays: Thanksgiving Day is celebrated as a national holiday for the first time.

Daily Life

Magazines: The first periodical designed for children, "The Children’s Magazine," is published in Hartford, CT.

Reform

Temperance Movement: The first organized temperance group is formed by 200 farmers in Connecticut, who pledge not to drink alcoholic beverages during farming season.

Reform

Abolition Movement: The Maryland Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and the Relief of Free Negroes and Others Unlawfully Held in Bondage is founded.

Law

The first session of the Supreme Court takes place.

Government

The Copyright Act is passed with the help of Noah Webster.

Government

Congress gives George Washington (1732-1799) the power to choose the site for the new capitol.

Government

U.S. President George Washington (1732-1799) delivers the first State of the Union address.

Government

New State: Rhode Island becomes the 13th state to ratify the Constitution and join the United States.

Government

Presidents: John Tyler (1790-1862), 10th President of the U.S., is born in Greenway, Virginia.

Medicine

Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) rages against the prevalent practice of bloodletting as a universal cure and founds homeopathy.

Inventions

A foot-powered dental drill is invented by John Greenwood (1760-1819).

Education

Education of Women: Catherine Macaulay’s (1731-1791) "Letters on Education" influences Mary Wollstonecraft’s thinking in "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" (1792).

Education

Public Education: Pennsylvania state constitution calls for free public education but only for poor children. It is expected that rich people will pay for their children's schooling.

Washington, Martha

The Washingtons move to Philadelphia when the capital does.

Madison, Dolley

Dolley Payne (1764-1849) marries John Todd, Jr., a Quaker lawyer, on January 7.

Tyler, Letitia

Letitia Christian (1790-1842), first wife of President John Tyler (1790–1862), is born on her family''''s plantation, Cedar Grove, in Virginia on November 12.

Economics

The first American steam-powered cotton-processing machines are built, marking the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the U.S.

Economics

Population: The first national census shows the American population at 4 million—about 25% in New England, 25% in the Middle States, and 50% in the South.

Religion

The first Roman Catholic bishop consecrated in America is John Carroll (1735-1815) of Baltimore.

Religion

Women’s Firsts: Mother Bernardina Matthews (1732-1800) establishes a Carmelite convent near Port Tobacco, Maryland, and the first community of Roman Catholic nuns in the Thirteen Colonies.

Religion

The first Roman Catholic Bible is published in the U.S. by Mathew Carey.

Social Issues

Slavery: The First United States Census reveals that nearly 700,000 slaves live and toil in a nation of 3.9 million people.

Social Issues

Slavery: Congress denies naturalization to anyone who is not a free white.

Social Issues

Slavery: Congress advocates the expansion of slavery into the Southwest.

Social Issues

Immigration: The federal government requires two years of residency for naturalization.

Reform

Women''s Rights Movement: French philosopher Condorcet (1743-1794) writes "On the Admission of Women to Citizens’ Rights."