1790 in the United States explained

Events from the year 1790 in the United States.

Incumbents

• President: George Washington (no political party-Virginia)
• Vice President: John Adams (F-Massachusetts)
• Chief Justice: John Jay (New York)
• Speaker of the House of Representatives: Frederick Muhlenberg (Pro-Admin.-Pennsylvania)
• Congress: 1st

Events

January–March

• January 8  - President of the U.S. George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City.
• February 1  - In New York City the Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time.
• February 11  - Two Quaker delegates petition the United States Congress for the abolition of slavery.
• March 1  - The first United States census is authorized.
• March 21  - Thomas Jefferson reports to President George Washington in New York City as the new United States Secretary of State.

April–June

• April 10  - The United States patent system is established.
• May 26  - Southwest Ordinance creates a Southwest Territory.
• May 29  - Rhode Island ratifies the United States Constitution and becomes the last of the 13 original states to do so (see History of Rhode Island).
• June 20  - Compromise of 1790: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton come to an agreement: Madison agrees to not be "strenuous" in opposition for the assumption of state debts by the federal government; Hamilton agrees to support the capital site being above the Potomac.

July–September

• July 10  - The House of Representatives votes on where to locate the national capital.^[1]
• July 16  - The signing of the Residence Act establishes a site along the Potomac River as the District of Columbia, the capital district of the United States.^[2]
• July 31  - Inventor Samuel Hopkins becomes the first to be issued a U.S. patent (for an improved method of making potash).
• August 2  - The first United States Census is taken.
• August 4  - A newly passed U.S. tariff act creates the United States Revenue Cutter Service, the forerunner of the Coast Guard.

Undated

• The first United States federal budget bill is introduced by Alexander Hamilton.
• 5.1% of Americans are living in centers of 2,500 or more people.

Ongoing

• Northwest Indian War (1785–1795)

Births

• January 6  - Arnold Naudain, U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1830 to 1836 (died 1872)
• January 13  - Richard Saltonstall Rogers, shipping merchant and politician (died 1873)
• January 17  - Powhatan Ellis, U.S. Senator from Mississippi from 1825 to 1826 and from 1827 to 1832 (died 1863)
• March 29  - John Tyler, tenth president of the United States from 1841 to 1845, tenth vice president of the United States from March to April 1841 (died 1862)
• May 20  - Micajah Thomas Hawkins, politician (died 1858)
• June 1  - Chester Ashley, U.S. Senator from Arkansas from 1844 to 1848 (died 1848)
• July 8  - Fitz-Greene Halleck, poet (died 1867)
• July 18  - John Frazee, portrait sculptor (died 1852)
• October 1  - Henry H. Chambers, U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1825 to 1826 (died 1826)
• November 12  - Letitia Christian Tyler, First Lady of the United States (died 1842)
• Unknown
  • Willis Buell, politician and portrait painter (died 1851)
  • James Moore Wayne, politician and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (died 1867)
• Probable  - Lone Horn, Miniconjou chief (died 1875)

Deaths

• January 25  - Meriwether Smith, Continental Congressman for Virginia (born 1730)
• January 31  - Thomas Lewis, Virginia settler (born 1718 in Ireland)
• February 20  - Leonard Lispenard, merchant, politician and landowner (born 1714)
• March 4  - Henry Wisner, Continental Congressman for New York (born 1720)
• March 12  - William Grayson, Continental Congressman and U.S. Senator for Virginia (born 1740)
• April 17  - Benjamin Franklin, publisher, inventor, congressman, ambassador, abolitionist and American icon (born 1706)^[3]
• May 4  - Matthew Tilghman, Continental Congressman for Maryland (born 1718)
• May 9  - William Clingan, Continental Congressman for Pennsylvania (born c. 1721)
• May 20  - Nathan Miller, Continental Congressman for Rhode Island (born 1743)
• May 26  - Nathaniel Folsom, Continental Congressman for New Hampshire and Revolutionary War major general (born 1726)
• May 29  - Israel Putnam, Revolutionary War general (born 1718)
• June 1  - Theodorick Bland, Continental Congressman and U.S. Representative for Virginia (born 1741)
• July 25  - William Livingston, signer of the U.S. Constitution and Governor of New Jersey from 1776 to 1790 (born 1723)
• August 16  - David Brearley, Revolutionary War colonel, signer of the U.S. Constitution for New Jersey and federal judge (born 1745)
• October 14  - William Hooper, signer of the Declaration of Independence (born 1742)
• October 19  - Lyman Hall, signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Georgia from 1783 to 1784 (born 1724)
• October 31  - Michael Schlatter, Swiss-born clergyman (born 1716)
• November 6  - James Bowdoin, Governor of Massachusetts (born 1726)
• November 16  - Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Continental Congressman and signer of the U.S. Constitution for Maryland (born 1723)
• November 27  - Robert Livingston, member of the New York colonial assembly from 1737 to 1758 (born 1708)
• December 16  - Benjamin Andrew, Continental Congressman for Georgia and member of the Georgia House of Representatives (born 1713)
• Unknown  - John Hawks, architect (born c.1731 in England)

See also

• Timeline of United States history (1790–1819)

Further reading

• • Book: American Bibliography . Chicago . Columbia Press . 1914 . Charles Evans . Charles Evans (librarian) . 8 . 1790 . https://archive.org/stream/americanbibliogr08evanrich#page/n11/mode/2up . 1–111 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: US History Timeline: 1700–1800 . faculty.washington.edu.
2. Web site: Today in History: October 13 . The Library of Congress . American Memory. October 25, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091111210916/http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct13.html. November 11, 2009 .
3. Web site: Later Years and Death. live. September 17, 2021. Benjamin Franklin Historical Society. https://web.archive.org/web/20160627181743/http://www.benjamin-franklin-history.org:80/later-years-and-death/ . June 27, 2016 .