Eight days after being shot by an assassin at the Pan-American Expo, President McKinley died on September 14, 1901. His passing sent a wave of grief across the nation, as more than 200,000 people attended memorial ceremonies in Washington, DC and his home state of Ohio.
On September 13, 1788, New York City was established as America’s first capital under the Constitution of the United States. This marked the beginning of a new era for the country, as the states moved from the loose Articles of Confederation to the stronger federal government outlined in the US Constitution.
On September 11, 1935, workers broke ground on the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway near Cumberland Knob in North Carolina. Though it would take more than 50 years to complete, it’s been the most visited National Park Service site nearly every year since 1946, earning the nickname, “America’s Favorite Drive.”
On September 9, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. This act was a landmark piece of legislation that changed the way Americans thought about cars and driving.
After more than eight years of fighting, the American Revolutionary War came to an end on September 3, 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
In the wake of the American Revolution, Congress established the Treasury Department on September 2, 1789.
On August 21, 1959, America became the 50-state country we know today with the addition of Hawaii. Hawaii’s path to becoming the 50th state was long, complicated, and sometimes controversial.
Explorer, soldier, and politician Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, in Ivy, Albemarle County, Virginia. Best known for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, he went on to serve as governor of the Louisiana Territory.
On August 12, 1955, the Presidential Libraries Act was passed, providing for the organized transfer of presidential papers and other items to the federal government.