1840 in the United States
| 1840 in the United States | |
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| Years: | 1837 1838 1839 – 1840 – 1841 1842 1843 |
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 26 stars (1837–45) | |
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Timeline of United States history
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Events from the year 1840 in the United States.
Incumbents
Federal Government
- President: Martin Van Buren (Democratic)
- Vice President: Richard Mentor Johnson (Democratic)
- Chief Justice: Roger B. Taney
- Speaker of the House of Representatives: Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (Whig-Virginia)
- Congress: 26th
| Governors and Lieutenant Governors |
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Governors
Lieutenant Governors
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Events
- January 13–14 – The steamship Lexington burns and sinks in icy waters, 4 miles off the coast of Long Island; 139 die, only 4 survive.
- January 19 – Captain Charles Wilkes circumnavigates Antarctica, claiming what becomes known as Wilkes Land for the United States.
- March 9 – The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad is completed from Wilmington, North Carolina to Weldon, North Carolina. At 161.5 miles, it is the world's longest railroad.[1]
- April – The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad is completed from Raleigh, North Carolina to near Weldon, North Carolina.[2]
- May 7 – The Great Natchez Tornado: A massive tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi during the early afternoon hours. Before it is over, 317 people are killed and 109 injured. It is the second deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
- November 7 – U.S. presidential election, 1840: William Henry Harrison defeats Martin Van Buren.
Undated
- US Census Bureau reports 6,000 free Negroes holding slaves in the nation.
Ongoing
- Second Seminole War (1835–1842)
Births
- January 1 – Patrick Walsh, Ireland-born United States Senator from Georgia from 1894 till 1895. (died 1899)
- May 4 – George Gray, United States Senator from Delaware from 1885 till 1899. (died 1925)
- September 23 – Simon B. Conover, United States Senator from Florida from 1873 till 1879. (died 1908)
- October 1 – Anthony Higgins, United States Senator from Delaware from 1889 till 1895. (died 1912)
Deaths
- April 7 – Thaddeus Betts, United States Senator from Connecticut from 1839 till 1840. (born 1789)
References
- ↑ CommunicationSolutions/ISI, "Railroad — Wilmington & Raleigh (later Weldon)", North Carolina Business History, 2006, accessed 1 February 2010
- ↑ CommunicationSolutions/ISI, "Railroads — prior to the Civil War", North Carolina Business History, 2006, accessed 1 February 2010
External links
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Media related to 1840 in the United States at Wikimedia Commons