College of William and Mary
On February 8, 1693, a royal charter officially established the College of William and Mary. Today it’s the second-oldest college in America (behind Harvard).
Civil War
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First Paper Money Issued in America
On February 3, 1690, the Massachusetts Bay Colony issued the first paper money in America. Known as a “bill of credit,” it was a popular experiment that was quickly put into use in the other colonies.
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Kansas Becomes 34th State
On January 29, 1861, Kansas was admitted to the Union as America was on the brink of Civil War.
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Birth of Explorer John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont was born on January 21, 1813 in Savannah, Georgia. An explorer and soldier, he developed the first scientific map of the American West and was known as “The Pathfinder.”
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Death of Admiral George Dewey
George Dewey, the only man to hold the rank of Admiral of the Navy, died on January 16, 1917. He was a hero of the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.
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New Mexico Admitted as 47th State
On January 6, 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state admitted to the Union.
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Birth of President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 29, 1808. The Reconstruction President, he faced the difficult task of replacing Abraham Lincoln and leading the US through the years following the Civil War. His greatest legacy is as the first US president to be impeached.
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Battle of Fredericksburg
On December 13, 1862, Union forces launched a bloody attack during the Battle of Fredericksburg. However, the tide turned and it became one of the most one-sided battles of the war.
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Wyoming Grants Women’s Suffrage
On December 10, 1869, the Wyoming territory became the first government in the US to grant women the right to vote. This is one of several event’s in Wyoming’s history that earned it the nickname, “The Equality State.”
