The History of the Statue of Liberty
The history of the Statue of Liberty: Laboulaye's 1865 idea, Bartholdi and Eiffel's work in Paris, Pulitzer's pedestal drive, the 1886 dedication and beyond.
1789 to 1899
The Young Republic and the Civil War Era
The History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day began as Decoration Day after the Civil War. Here is who claims to be first, Logan's 1868 order, the Monday move and today's moment of silence.
The History of Juneteenth
How Juneteenth began with General Order No. 3 in Galveston on June 19, 1865, why freedom came late to Texas, and how it became a federal holiday in 2021.
Why Did the Civil War Start?
Why did the Civil War start? What the seceding states said in their own words, the fight over slavery in the West, Lincoln's election, and Fort Sumter.
The History of Labor Day
Labor Day began with a New York parade on September 5, 1882, spread through state laws from 1887 and became a federal holiday in June 1894. Here is the story.
On This Day in This Era
Events from 1789 to 1899, by date.
- February 4, 1789Presidential electors cast their votes and unanimously choose George Washington as the first president.
- November 26, 1789Americans observed the first national day of thanksgiving under the Constitution.
- December 15, 1791The Bill of Rights became law when Virginia ratified the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
- December 14, 1799George Washington died at his Mount Vernon estate in Virginia at age 67.
- January 18, 1803President Thomas Jefferson secretly asked Congress for $2,500 to send an expedition west to the Pacific.
- February 24, 1803The Supreme Court decided Marbury v. Madison, establishing the power of judicial review.
- December 20, 1803France formally transferred the Louisiana Territory to the United States in New Orleans.
- February 19, 1807Former Vice President Aaron Burr is arrested on charges linked to a plot in the West.
- December 22, 1808Beethoven's Fifth Symphony received its world premiere in Vienna.
- February 12, 1809Abraham Lincoln is born in a one-room log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky.
- January 28, 1813Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice is first published in London.
- December 24, 1814American and British diplomats signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.