Hamden Historical Society

• December 1846 - The Donner Party, a party of American settlers in wagon trains, became stranded in the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and resorted to cannibalism to survive.
• February 22, 1847 - U.S. troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican Army at the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican War.
• March 29, 1847 -  U.S. troops commanded by General Winfield Scott captured Veracruz in the Mexican War.
• June 1, 1847 - Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of America's richest and most competitive men, raced a steamboat against rival Daniel Drew in the Hudson River. Many thousands of New Yorkers lined the city's docks to watch the paddle wheelers race.

-  Some of this information obtained from Wikipedia  -

• December 1846 - The Donner Party, a party of American settlers in wagon trains, became stranded in the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountains in California and resorted to cannibalism to survive.
• February 22, 1847 - U.S. troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican Army at the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican War.
• March 29, 1847 -  U.S. troops commanded by General Winfield Scott captured Veracruz in the Mexican War.
• June 1, 1847 - Cornelius Vanderbilt, one of America's richest and most competitive men, raced a steamboat against rival Daniel Drew in the Hudson River. Many thousands of New Yorkers lined the city's docks to watch the paddle wheelers race.

-  Some of this information obtained from Wikipedia  -

• July 4, 1845 – Near Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau embarks on a 2-year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond.
• July 19 – Great New York City Fire of 1845 breaks out in Lower Manhattan.
• July–August – In the United States Magazine and Democratic Review editor John L. O'Sullivan declares that foreign powers are trying to prevent American annexation of Texas in order to impede "the fulfillment [sic] of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions," [2] the first use of the phrase "Manifest Destiny."
• August 28 – The journal Scientific American begins publication.
• October 10 – In Annapolis, Maryland, the Best School (later renamed the United States Naval Academy) opens with 50 midshipmen students and 7 professors.
• October 13 – A majority of voters in the Republic of Texas approve a proposed constitution, that if accepted by the United States Congress, will make Texas a U.S. state.
• October 21 – The New York Herald becomes the first newspaper to mention the game of baseball.
• October 22 – The New York Morning News becomes the first newspaper to include a box-score of a baseball game.
• December 2 – Manifest Destiny: U.S. President James K. Polk announces to Congress that the Monroe Doctrine should be strictly enforced and that the United States should aggressively expand into the West.
• December 5 – The Templars of Honor and Temperance is founded in the United States.
• December 27 - Anesthesia is used for childbirth for the first time (Dr. Crawford Long in Jefferson, Georgia). American journalist John L. O'Sullivan claims in a newspaper article (in connection with the annexation of the Oregon Country) that the United States has a "Manifest Destiny" to expand its borders, the second time he uses the term; it will have a huge influence on the American imperialistic movement of the 19th century.
• December 29 – Texas is admitted as the 28th U.S. state (see History of Texas).
• January 4 – The United States House of Representatives votes to stop sharing the Oregon Territory with the United Kingdom.
• February 11 – Many Mormons begin their migration west from Nauvoo, Illinois to the Great Salt Lake, led by Brigham Young.
• February 18 – In Austin, Texas, the newly formed Texas state government is officially installed.
• February 27 – The Liberty Bell is cracked while being rung for George Washington's birthday.
• April 26 – Mexican–American War: Open conflict begins over border disputes of Texas' boundaries.
• May 8 – Mexican–American War – Battle of Palo Alto: Gen. Zachary Taylor defeats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande at Palo Alto, Texas in the first major battle of the war.
• May 14 – Mexican–American War: The United States declares war on Mexico.
• May 23 – The Associated Press is founded in New York City.
• June 14 – Mexican–American War: The California Republic declares independence from Mexico.
• June 15 – Bear Flag Revolt: American settlers in Sonoma, California start a rebellion against Mexico and proclaim the California Republic. June 16 – The Oregon Treaty establishes the 49th parallel as the border between the United States and Canada, from the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
• June 20 – The first officially recorded baseball game using modern rules developed by Alexander Cartwright is played in Hoboken, New Jersey.

• January 6, 1838 – Samuel Morse first publicly demonstrates the telegraph.
• January 27, 1838 – Abraham Lincoln speaks at the Springfield Young Men's Lyceum
• June 12, 1838 – Iowa Territory is created.
• November 11, 1839 – The Virginia Military Institute is founded in Lexington, Virginia.
• November 7, 1840 – William Henry Harrison defeats Martin Van Buren in 1840 election.
• March 4, 1841 - Pres. William Henry Harrison inaugurated
• April 4, 1841 - Pres. Harrison dies of pneumonia and is succeeded by V.P. John Tyler.
• November 26, 1842 - Notre Dame University founded in South Bend, Indiana.
• December 19, 1843 - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published.
• June 15, 1844 – Charles Goodyear receives a patent for vulcanization, a process to strengthen rubber.
• March 3, 1845 - Florida admitted to the Union.

• August 30, 1836 - City of Houston, Texas founded.
• December 14, 1836 - Toledo War officially ends.
• January 26, 1837 - Michigan admitted mto the Union.
  
• February 8, 1837 - Richard Johnson becomes first vice president chosen by the Senate.
• March 4, 1837 - Chicago incorporated.
• May 10, 1837 - Panic of 1837; New York City banks fail and unemploymeny at a record high.
• June 20, 1837 - Victoria becomes Queen of United Kingdom.

Hamden First Selectmen:  Harvey Bradley (1836) and Amos Peck (1837)

-  Some of this information obtained from Wikipedia  -

• 1820 – Massachusetts divided in two with the admission of Maine as a state.
• 1820 - James Monroe reelected president unopposed, Daniel D. Tompkins reelected vice president.
• 1821 – Missouri becomes a state
• 1821 – Florida becomes a U.S. territory

-  Some of this information obtained from Wikipedia  -