January 24
January 24
Gold discovered at Sutter’s Creek
A millwright discovers gold along the banks of Sutter’s Creek in California, forever changing the course of history in the American West. A tributary to the South Fork of the…
A Year In History: 1848
Also Within This Year in History:
1848
Known as the “Year of Revolutions,” 1848 saw simultaneous uprisings against entrenched monarchies across much of Europe, including Italy, France, Austria and more. In a signal of things to come, it was also the year Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published “The Communist Manifesto.” In the U.S., prospectors discovered gold at Sutter’s Creek in California, precipitating the Gold Rush of 1849, while in Seneca Falls, New York, women’s rights advocates held their first national convention.
February 2
February 2
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed
On February 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, ending the Mexican‑American War in favor of the United States. The Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo added an additional 525,000…
February 16
February 16
Chopin plays his final Paris concert
“Bach is like an astronomer who, with the help of ciphers, finds the most wonderful stars….Beethoven embraced the universe with the power of his spirit….I do not climb so high.…
February 21
February 21
Karl Marx publishes Communist Manifesto
On February 21, 1848, The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx with the assistance of Friedrich Engels, is published in London by a group of German‑born revolutionary socialists known as…
February 21
February 21
John Quincy Adams suffers a stroke
On this day in 1848, just as he stands up from his desk in the House of Representatives to defend his no vote on a bill, former President John Quincy…
February 25
February 25
Railroad baron Edward Harriman is born
Edward Harriman, the controversial savior of the transcontinental Union Pacific Railroad, is born in Hempstead, New York. The son of an Episcopal minister, Harriman disliked school and dropped out to…
May 29
May 29
Wisconsin enters the Union
Following approval of statehood by the territory’s citizens, Wisconsin enters the Union as the 30th state. In 1634, French explorer Jean Nicolet landed at Green Bay, becoming the first European…
July 19
July 19
Seneca Falls Convention begins
At the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, a woman’s rights convention—the first ever held in the United States—convenes with almost 200 women in attendance. The convention was organized…
July 29
July 29
Tipperary Revolt ends in failure
At the height of the Potato Famine in Ireland, an abortive nationalist revolt against English rule is crushed by a government police detachment in Tipperary. In a brief skirmish in…
August 22
August 22
Ulysses S. Grant marries
On this day in 1848, future President Ulysses S. Grant marries Julia Boggs Dent. The couple had a relatively lengthy engagement, caused first by Julia’s father’s disapproval of his daughter…
