It finally closes its doors, its capital being lost.... .Sept. 4, 1841 Use of wire rope as cables introduced on the inclined planes of the Alleghany and Portage Railroad by John A. Roebling 1842 Philadelphia and Reading Railroad completed... ....1842 Riots between the native Americans and Irish in Philadelphia suppressed by the military... .April-May, 1844 Petroleum is obtained while boring for salt on the Alleghany, a few miles above Pittsburg... ...1845 Pittsburg nearly destroyed by fire; loss, $10,000,000... ..April 10, 1845 communication between Telegraphic Philadelphia and Fort Lee, opposite New 4 miles of the capital on....June 28, 1863 York, completed.... Confederate advance called back by [During the Civil War the State furnished 269,645 troops (three-years' standard); among them 8,612 were colored. An swering the first call of the President for troops, the State furnished 20,979 threemonths' troops.] .Jan. 20, 1846 Philadelphia and Pittsburg connected by telegraph.... .Dec. 26, 1846 State forbids the use of jails to hold fugitive slaves.... ....May 3, 1848 Resurvey of Mason and Dixon's line completed.... ..Nov. 19, 1849 Judiciary made elective... .1850 Manufacture of galvanized iron begun in Philadelphia.... .1852 Railroad track torn up at Harbor Creek, near Erie, by the opposition to the railroad.... ...Dec. 9, 1853 Chambersburg again raided and mostly Pennsylvania State Agricultural College burned by McCausland's Confederate cav. organized in Centre county.. April 13, 1854 alry............. .....July 30, 1864 Zine works at Bethlehem go into oper- Citizens of the counties bordering on ation..... .Oct. 12, 1854 Maryland reimbursed by the State for Entire traffic-line of State improvements damages sustained during the Civil War from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, completed by the State in 1831, sold to the Penn- All the miners in the Avondale coal sylvania Railroad Company for $7,500,000 mine (108) suffocated by the burning of July 31, 1857 the main and only shaft....Sept. 6, 1869 State divided into twelve (afterwards [Investigation results in effecting need thirteen) normal school districts....1857 ed reform in working the coal mines of the Banks suspend specie payment....1857 First normal school in the State opened at Millersville.... 1859 First oil-well drilled in the United States by E. L. Drake, near Titusville; depth, 71 feet; yield, 1,000 gallons per day... Governor Curtin's inaugural pledges the State to the national cause against seces.Jan. 15, 1861 sion...... State.] April 9, 1868 Bureau of labor statistics established Centennial Exposition, at Fairmount May 10, 1876 Five companies of State troops (530 Great strike of railroad employés, men) reach Washington, D. C., the first rapidly extending over most of the lines troops to arrive there for its defence, on of the northern United States, inaugurated the evening of...... .. April 18, 1861 July 19, 1877 [The strike was not entirely quieted until November.] Natural gas used as fuel in western counties.... .1884 Johnstown flood.. ..June 1, 1889 William D. Kelley, born in 1814, the oldest member of the House of Representatives, dies in Washington, D. C. Jan. 9, 1890 Proposal of Mr. Carnegie to expend $1,000,000 for a public library in Pittsburg accepted.... ... Feb. 10, 1890 Cyclone at Wilkesbarre and other towns, killing fourteen, injuring 180, and damaging property to $1,000,000 Aug. 19, 1890 Boundary between Pennsylvania and New York agreed upon by commissioners, March 26, 1886, and confirmed by both legislatures, is approved by Congress Aug. 19, 1890 International Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers is organized at Pittsburg Oct. 15, 1890 Over 100 miners killed by an explosion of fire-damp in the shaft of Frick & Co.'s coke works, near Mount Pleasant Jan. 27, 1891 Strike in Connellsville coke regions begins; 10,000 miners involved.. Feb. 9, 1891 Eleven strikers killed and forty wounded....... ....... April 2, 1891 Governor Pattison vetoes the compulsory education bill..........June 18, 1891 Governor signs the Baker ballot reform bill..... ...June 19, 1891 Governor Pattison calls an extra session of the Senate, to meet Oct. 13, to investigate charges against the State's finan cial officers... .....Sept. 26, 1891 Human Freedom League organized at Independence Hall, Philadelphia Oct. 12, 1891 David Hayes Agnew, surgeon, born 1818, dies at Philadelphia puted cures on St. Anthony's day, dies at Pittsburg, aged seventy years June 15, 1892 Lockout of strikers at mills of the Carnegie Steel Company begins.. July 1, 1892 Governor Pattison orders the entire division of National Guard to Homestead July 10, 1892 Chairman Crawford, Hugh O'Donnell, John McLuckie, and thirty others, members of the advisory committee of the Amalgamated Association, are arrested on charge of treason against the commonwealth of Pennsylvania....Sept. 30, 1892 Strike at Carnegie Steel Mills, Homestead, declared off.......... Nov. 20, 1892 Ex-Gov. Henry M. Hoyt dies at Wilkesbarre..... ....Dec. 1, 1892 Agitation regarding the desecration of the battle-field of Gettysburg by electric cars for carrying sight-seers........ 1893 Twenty-five thousand dollars appropri ated to buy the land at Valley Forge, used by the Continental army............ 1893 Free text-books authorized and $500,000 appropriated...... .1893 First summer meeting for university extension students opens at Philadelphia under the auspices of the American Society .... ..July 5, 1893 One million dollars for the erection of an art gallery bequeathed by Mr. Drexel July 20, 1893 Hon. Charles O'Neill, of Philadelphia, born in 1821, who had been a member of the United States House of Representatives for thirty years, styled "Father of the House," dies.. .Nov. 25, 1893 George W. Childs dies at Philadelphia Coxey army, moving on Washington, reach Pittsburg, April 2, and leave on the 5th and enter Maryland from Pennsylvania near Cumberland....April 13, 1894 American liner St. Paul launched at Philadelphia............ April 10, 1895 State capitol at Harrisburg burned Feb. 2, 1897 Great fire at Pittsburg, loss $3,000,000 May 3, 1897 Washington statuary of the Pennsyl vania Society of the Cincinnati unveiled by the President of the United States May 15, 1897 International commercial conference opened at Philadelphia....June 2, 1897 Coal-miners went on strike July 2, 1897. Ended by compromise Sept. 11, 1897 Strike in the anthracite coal regions Sept. 13-Oct. 13, 1900 [Ended by mutual concessions.] Mayor Ashbridge signs the Philadelphia street-railway ordinances June 13, 1901 [John Wanamaker offered to give $2,500,000 for the franchises which were signed away without consideration.] Iron, steel, and tin workers of Amalgamated Association strike..July 15, 1901 Anthracite miners strike.. May 12, 1902 Naphtha explosion at Sheraden, twentythree killed, 200 injured.... May 12, 1902 RHODE ISLAND Rhode Island, one of the thirteen Form of government, twelve articles of original States of the Union, and the agreement, framed and adopted by the insmallest of the United States, is bounded habitants of Providence....July 27, 1640 on the north and east by Massachusetts, Rev. Robert Lenthel called by vote to on the west by Connecticut, and on the open a public school in Newport....1640 south by the Atlantic Ocean. Block General Assembly asserts Rhode Island Island, about 9 miles from the mainland, to be a democracy, saving only the right is a portion of the State's territory. of the King, and grants freedom of reArea, 1,250 square miles, in five counties. ligious opinions.... Population 1890, 345,506; 1900, 428,556. Capitals, Providence and Newport. Roger Williams, banished from Plymouth colony, with five companies settles at a spot which he calls Providence June, 1636 Aquedneck Island settled by eighteen proprietors at Portsmouth, now New Town, first called Pocasset.. ...1637 Canonicus and his nephew Miantinomo, sachems of the Narragansets, deed to Roger Williams all lands between the Pawtucket and Pawtuxet rivers.......March 24, 1638 Roger Williams and Governor Winthrop make a joint purchase of Prudence Island...... .Nov. 10, 1638 First general training or militia muster in Rhode Island held at Portsmouth Nov. 12, 1638 Aquedneck purchased from the Indians by "William Coddington and his friends" Nov. 22, 1639 First Baptist Church in America founded in Providence... 1639 March, 1641 Four landholders, three of them original proprietors, at Pawtuxet dissatisfied with the opposition of one Samuel Gorton and his partisans to the government, offer themselves and their lands to Massachusetts, and are received by the General Court... ...Sept. 8, 1642 Samuel Gorton and his companions remove to Shawomet, where they had purchased lands from the Indians, and commence the settlement of Warwick Committees from Providence, Ports- Simon Ray and eight associates in 1660; they begin a settlement... ....1661 Settlement of Misquamicut, now Westerly, begun.. mouth, Newport, and Warwick at Portsmouth, adopt the charter of 1643, choose John Coggeshall president of the colony, and give a tax of £100 to Roger Williams for obtaining the charter May 19-21, 1647 Canonicus, sachem of the Narragansets, dies... ...June 4, 1647 William Coddington receives from the council of state in England a commission, signed by John Bradshaw, to govern Rhode Island and Connecticut during his life, with a council of six, to be named by the people and approved by himself. Authority procured April 3, 1651, and asserted.... ...August, 1651 Roger Williams sent as agent of Providence to obtain a confirmation of their charter, and Dr. John Clarke, agent of Portsmouth and Newport, to obtain a repeal of Coddington's commission, sail for England... ....October, 1651 Island towns submit to Coddington, but the mainland towns, in legislative session, elect John Smith president, and appoint other officers. They enact that no man, negro or white, shall be held to service more than ten years after coming into the colony.... ....May, 1652 General Assembly in Providence passes a libel law, also an alien law; no foreigner to be received as a freeman or to trade with Indians but by consent of the Assembly... ....October, 1652 William Dyer, secretary of the province, and husband of Mary Dyer (afterwards executed in Boston as a Quaker), arrives from England with news of the repeal of Coddington's power........ Feb. 18, 1653 Assembly of island towns, Portsmouth and Newport, restore code of 1647, and elect John Sandford as president May 17-18, 1653 Providence and Warwick with Portsmouth and Newport in one General Assembly re-establish code of 1647, forbid sale of liquors to Indians, and prohibit French and Dutch trade with them ....1661 Charter of Rhode Island and Providence plantations obtained from Charles II. by John Clarke, agent for the colony July 8, 1663 [This charter continued in force till 1843-180 years.] John Clarke presented with £100 and payment of his expenses attendant upon' the procuring of the charter Nov. 24, 1663 Boundary dispute between Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut settled by a royal commission..... ...1664 Westerly incorporated as a town May, 1669 Seventh-Day Baptist Church established at Newport.. ....1671 George Fox, Quaker, preaches in Newport, 1672, and Roger Williams, seventythree years old, holds a controversy with three disciples of Fox at the Quaker meeting-house at Newport Aug. 9-12, 1672 Block Island incorporated by the General Assembly, and at the request of the inhabitants named New Shoreham Nov. 6, 1672 King Philip's War opens by an Indian massacre at Swanze, Mass. June 24, 1675 Troops repulsed by King Philip, intrenched in a swamp at Pocasset, and he withdraws into Massachusetts July 18, 1675 First event of King Philip's War in Rhode Island is the massacre of fifteen persons in Bull's garrisoned house at South Kingston about Dec. 15, 1675. Governor Winslow attacks the fort of the Narragansets in a swamp at South Kingston, and after about three hours' fighting fires the fort and wigwams Dec. 19, 1675 Warwick destroyed by Indians March 16, 1676 Aug. 31, 1654 Canonchet, chief of the Narragansets, Pawtuxet men withdraw allegiance to captured, refuses to ransom his life by Massachusetts, given in 1642, and trans- making peace, is turned over for execu fer it to Rhode Island..... . May 26, 1658 tion to friendly Indians, who send his Block Island is granted for public ser- head "as a token of love and loyalty" vices to Governor Endicott and three to the commissioners at Hartford others, Oct. 19, 1658, who sell it to April 4, 1676 Massacre in a cedar swamp near War- of admiralty court on the general council wick of 171 Indians by a party of English who did not lose a man..July 3, 1676 King Philip shot through the heart by an Indian while attempting to escape from a swamp near Mount Hope Aug. 12, 1676 Governor Benedict Arnold dies June 20, 1678, and is succeeded by William Coddington... .Aug. 28, 1678 Governor Coddington dies Nov. 1, 1678, and is succeeded by deputy-governor John Cranston... .Nov. 15, 1678 Maj. Peleg Sandford succeeds Cranston as governor, who dies....March 12, 1680 Custom-house established at Newport to enforce the navigation acts published by the beat of drums...... April 1, 1681 Assembly first meets at Providence under new charter.... .......Oct. 26, 1681 Roger Williams dies, aged eighty-four, and is buried in Portsmouth.... .1683 Royal government established in Narraganset, with a court of records, civil and military officers, and Connecticut and Rhode Island excluded from jurisdiction June, 1686 of Rhode Island............Jan. 7, 1695 Law dividing the legislature into an upper House, the council, and a lower House of Delegates from the people May, 1696 Yearly meeting of Friends established at Newport...... .....1700 Boundary with Connecticut established May 12, 1703 Two sloops, manned by 120 men, Capt. John Wanton, capture a French privateer with its prize, a sloop loaded with provisions captured the day before near Block Island... ....June, 1706 Colony of Rhode Island first issues paper money (£5,000), to defray the expenses of war. ...Aug. 16 1710 Latin school in Newport opened by Mr. Galloway.... ...1711 First quarantine act, against small-pox 1711 First edition of the laws of Rhode Island printed in Boston..........1719 Thirty-six pirates, captured by Captain Solgard, of British ship Greyhound, off the southeast coast of Long Island, are brought to Newport, tried, and twenty-six sentenced and hanged on Gravelly Point, opposite the town........July 12, 1723 Property qualification for suffrage established, requiring a freehold of value of £100 or an annual income of £2 Feb. 18, 1724 Boundary-line with Connecticut signed at Westerly.... ..Sept. 27, 1728 George Berkely, dean of Derry, afterwards bishop of Cloyne, arrives in Rhode Island and purchases a farm in Middletown, near New York..............Jan. 23, 1730 The "Atherton claim" to land purchased near Warwick from the Indians by Humphrey Atherton, John Winthrop, and others, in 1659, is thrown out by Governor Andros; but other lands are granted the company by the royal council....1687 Gov. Sir Edmund Andros, stopping at Newport for the charter of Rhode Island, is foiled by Governor Clarke, who sends the charter to his brother to be hidden. Andros destroys the seal of the colony and departs. ...November, 1687 Learning of the accession of William and Mary, Rhode Island resumes the charter government... May 1, 1689 Sir Edmund Andros, who had fled to Rhode Island from Boston, is captured by Major Sandford at Newport, sent back, and is again imprisoned....Aug. 3, 1689 Seven French privateers capture Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Block Island, but part of the fleet, entering the harbor of Newport by night, fails in its surprise. .July 14, 1690 Capt. Thomas Paine, from Newport, at- A private company petitions the legis tacks five French privateers near Block lature to sanction a lottery; suppressed Island, who withdraw after several hours' by statute under a penalty of £500 and fighting... ....July 21, 1690 £10 for any one who takes a ticket Admiralty act passed, conferring power [After two and a half years he returned to England, giving his farm and a collection of books to Yale College.] Assembly passes an act for the relief of poor sailors; 6d. a month to be de ducted for the purpose from the wages of every Rhode Island seaman.. May, 1730 Rhode Island Gazette published by Jan. 23, 1733 |