shed by a bequest from the British scientist James Smithson.
15/6/1846. Britain agreed with the USA that Oregon was US territory. All land west of the Rockies and below the 49th parallel was to be US territory.
14/6/1846, The start of the Black Bear revolt against Mexican rule in California. Settlers in the Sacramento Valley demanded in independent republic.
13/5/1846. The USA declared war on Mexico. US Congress authorised US$ 10 million to fund the war and to recruit 50,000 troops. Mexican troops had crossed the Rio Grande into US territory (Texas), sparking the war.
26/2/1846, Buffalo Bill, American Army Scout and showman, was born on a farm in Scott County, Iowa, as William Frederick Cody.
13/1/1846, US troops were directed to advance to the Rio Grande, in anticipation of the failure of negotiations with Mexico.
1845, The US Naval Academy was founded in Annapolis, Maryland.
29/12/1845, Texas became the 28th State of the Union.
29/3/1845, The UK and France laid proposals before Mexico, that Texas should become independent but should not seek to ally with any other country; they were concerned about the rapid growth of the US (see 1/3/1845).
28/3/1845. Mexico severed relations with the USA following America’s ratification of the annexation of Texas on 1/3/1845, after an almost unanimous vote in favour by the Texas electorate. On 29./12/1845 Texas became the 28th state of the USA.
1/3/1845, US President Tyler approved the decision to annex Texas to the United States, just three days before the accession of President James K Polk. Both the UK and France were now concerned at the great expansion of the USA. See 29/3/1845.
7/3/1844, Anthony Comstock, US moralist, was born in Connecticut (died 21/9/1913 in New York).
28/5/1843, Noah Webster, American lexicographer who first compiled Webster’s Dictionary in 1828, died in New Haven, Connecticut aged 84.
11/1/1843, Francis Scott Key, the American lawyer and poet who wrote the words of the US national anthem The Star Spangled Banner in 1814, died.
See also Mexico for events with USA at this time
4/11/1842, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd, member of a slave-owning family in Kentucky.
9/8/1842. The USA and Britain settled a dispute over the US-Canada border in the Maine region.
6/11/1841, Nelson Aldrich, US politician, was born in Foster, Rhode Island.
10/4/1841, The New York Tribune was first published.
8/3/1841, Oliver Wendell Jr, US Supreme Court Justice, was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
for map of growth of the USA.
1840, From New York to Boston took 6 hours by train, or an overnight steamer journey; cost of the journey was 7 US$. From New York to Philadelphia by train and ferry took 6 ½ hours, down from 3 days in 1817. However if the Delaware river froze over the journey time was longer as passengers had to walk across the ice rather than use the ferry.
9/2/1840, William Sampson, US naval commander, was born (died 6/5/1902)
8/7/1839, John D Rockerfeller, American philanthropist, was born in Richford, New York State.
4/7/1838. The territory of Iowa was established, with Robert Lucas as governor.
10/5/1838, John Wilkes Booth, American actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, was born in Baltimore, Maryland.
1837, Atlanta, Georgia, was founded as a railhead.
25/11/1837, Andrew Carnegie, US industrialist and philanthropist, was born in Dunfermline, Scotland.
25/8/1837. The Government in Washington refused to admit Texas to the Union. The US was anxious to maintain its neutrality in the dispute between Texas and Mexico, and did not want to, therefore, take the step of admitting one of the belligerents to the Union.
18/3/1837, Grover Cleveland, Democrat, and twice US President, was born in Caldwell, New Jersey, the son of a Presbyterian Minister.
3/3/1837. On his last day in office, President Jackson recognised the Lone Star Republic of Texas.
26/1/1837. Michigan became the 26th State of the USA.
15/6/1836, Arkansas became the 25th State of the Union.
21/4/1836. The Texan Army led by General Sam Houston inflicted a crushing defeat on the Mexicans, at the battle of San 