The 19th century timeline outlines major events from 1848 to 1905 including the publication of Marx's Communist Manifesto in 1848, the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 connecting the eastern and western United States, the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, and the Wright brothers' first successful flight in a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft in 1903. Key social movements and developments are also noted such as the rise of industrialization, expansion of railroads, women's suffrage movement, and social reforms addressing issues like child labor and poverty in urban areas.

1. 19 Century Timeline
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Created By: Elizabeth Lewis

2. 1848 1850 1857
Karl Marx The Bessemer Fredrick Law
published The Process Olmsted helped
Communist developed draw up a plan for
Manifesto, which independently by “greensward”,
outlined a theory of Henry Bessemer which was
class struggle. and William Kelly, selected to
it soon became become Central
widely used. Park in New York
City.

3. 1859 1864
Social Darwinism The Sand Creek Crédit Mobilier was
was philosophy, Massacre was one a construction
grew out of the of the most tragic company formed
English naturalist events. At dawn on in 1864 by owners
Charles Darwin’s November 29, of the Union
theory of biological 1864, over 150 Pacific Railroad.
evolution. Wrote inhabitants, mostly
the book On the women and
Origin of Species children were
and was published killed.
in 1859.

4. 1867 1869
Oliver Kelly started Grange is a social The Transcontinental
the Patrons of and educational Railroad was a
Husbandry, which organization railroad line linking
is an organization through which the Atlantic and
for farmers and farmers attempted Pacific coasts of the
became known as to combat the United States and
the Grange in power of the was completed in
1867. railroads in the late 1869.
19th century.

5. 1869 1870
George Westinghouse John D. Rockefeller’s Jacob Riis left the
invented the railroad Standard Oil United States and
braking system using Company of Ohio found work as a
compressed air when processed two or police reporter,
he was 22 years old. three percent of the this job took him
country’s crude oil. into the slums of
New York City.

6. 1873 1874 1876
The Gilded Age is George Armstrong Alexander Graham The battle of
a period of gross Custer reported Bell unveiled the Little Big Horn
materialism and that the Black Hills telephone in 1876 was in a
blatant political had gold “from the with Thomas Montana near
corruption during grass roots down”, Watson. the Little Big
the 1870’s. and a gold rush Horn River
was on in 1874. between U.S
Calvary under
Custer and
several groups
of Native
Americans.

7. 1877 1879 1880
Southern Alliance Dumbbell Ragtime was a
claimed more than tenements were blend of African-
3 million members, built on a 25-foot- American spirituals
many of them wide lot, and were and European
involved in cotton. pinched in the musical forms,
Only whites were middle, creating a originated in the
excepted into this dumbbell shape. 1880’s in the
group. The first major saloons of the
tenement house South.
law was passed.

8. 1880 1881
George Pullman Thomas Alva Sitting Bull led his
built a factory for Edison perfected people by the
manufacturing the incandescent strength of his
sleepers and other light bulb, patented character and
railroad cars on in 1880. He later purpose, and was
the Illinois prairie. invented an entire determined that
system for whites should
producing and leave Sioux
distributing territory. He died in
electrical power. December of
1890.

9. 1881 1883
Cornelius Vanderbilt Booker T. Washington Joseph Pulitzer was
built a 59-room headed the Tuskegee an immigrant who
mansion in 1881at Normal and Industrial bought the New York
640 Fifth Avenue, the Institute, now World in 1883, he
largest and most Tuskegee University pioneered popular
splendid house in in Alabama innovations, like a
Manhattan. large Sunday edition,
comics, and sports
coverage.

10. 1884 1886 1887
Mugwumps was a Samuel Gompers Dawes Act was a
slang term in U.S led the Cigar law enacted in
political history for Makers’ 1887, that was
the Republicans International Union intended to
who deserted their to join with other “Americanize”
party nominee craft unions. Native Americans
James G. Blaine. by disturbing
reservation land to
individual owners.

11. 1887 1888 1889
Interstate Commerce George Eastman Jane Addams and
Act was a law enacted introduced his first Starr founded The
in 1887, that Kodak camera in Hull House in
established the federal 1888, with a cost 1889.
government’s right to of $25 included a
supervise railroad 100-picture roll of
activities and created a film
five-member Interstate
Commerce
Commission to do so

12. 1890 July 2, 1892 July 4, 1892
Sherman Antitrust Populist is the Omaha Platform
Act was a law movement of the articulated the
enacted in 1890, people, Populist principles of the
that was intended Party Convention Populist movement, this
to prevent the was on July 2, was adopted by the
creation of 1892 in Omaha, Populist Party, at its
monopolies by Nebrasa. founding convention in
making it illegal to Omaha, Nebraska on
establish trusts July 4, 1892.
that interfered with
free trade.

13. 1894 1895
Eugene V. Debs Pullman’s refusal William Randolph
attempted to form to lower rents after Hearst was a
such an industrial cutting his wealthy man who
union, The employee’s pay had purchased the
American Railway led to a violent New York Morning
Union. In 1894, the strike in 1894. Journal in 1895.
new union won a
strike for higher
wages.

14. 1896 December 17, 1903 1905
In the Plessy V. Ferguson Orville and Wilbur W.E.B Dubois founded
case, the supreme court Wright built a glider, the Niagara
ruled that the separation their first successful Movement, this
of races in public flight was on insisted blacks should
accommodations was December 17, 1903 at seek a liberal arts
legal and did not violate Kitty Hawk, NC, and education, so that
the Fourteenth covered 120 feet and African-American
Amendment. lasted 12 seconds communities would
have well-educated
leaders

15. References:
 www.loc.gov