1790 Timeline: Events, People and History

Events in 1790 23

1706 – 1790 Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Died 17 April 1790, aged 84 Benjamin Franklin, statesman, scientist, and diplomat, died in Philadelphia. A signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, he was one of the most influential figures of the American founding.
1710 – 1790 William Cullen (1710-1790) Died 5 February 1790, aged 79 William Cullen, Scottish physician and chemist, died in Edinburgh. A leading medical teacher of his era, he influenced generations of physicians through his lectures at the University of Edinburgh.
1714 – 1790 Nikolaus Esterhazy (1714-1790) Died 28 September 1790, aged 75 Nikolaus I, Prince Esterhazy, the Hungarian noble and long-serving patron of composer Joseph Haydn, died at Eisenstadt. His lavish court patronage shaped much of Haydn's most celebrated work.
1723 – 1790 Adam Smith (1723-1790) Died 17 July 1790, aged 67 Adam Smith, the Scottish economist and philosopher, died in Edinburgh. His work "The Wealth of Nations" laid the intellectual foundations of modern economics.
1728 – 1790 Thomas Warton (1728-1790) Died 21 May 1790, aged 62 Thomas Warton, English poet and literary historian, died at Oxford. He served as Poet Laureate of Great Britain and authored an influential early history of English poetry.
1741 – 1790 Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1741-1790) Died 20 February 1790, aged 48 Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor and a leading figure of enlightened absolutism, died in Vienna. His sweeping reforms to religion, serfdom, and administration provoked unrest that unraveled in the final years of his reign.
1790 – 1869 Alphonse de Lamartine (1790-1869) Died 28 February 1869, aged 78 Alphonse de Lamartine was a French poet, writer, and statesman who briefly led the provisional government of France during the 1848 revolution. His Romantic poetry, including "Meditations Poetiques," made him one of the most celebrated French writers of his generation. He died in Paris after years of declining health and financial hardship.
1790 – 1845 John Frederic Daniell (1790-1845) Died 13 March 1845, aged 55 John Frederic Daniell was an English chemist and physicist who invented the Daniell cell in 1836. It gave a far steadier current than earlier batteries and was widely used in early telegraphy. He also invented a dew-point hygrometer.
1790 – 1865 Leopold I of Belgium (1790-1865) Died 10 December 1865, aged 74 Leopold I was the first King of the Belgians, reigning from Belgian independence in 1831 until his death. He was widely respected as a shrewd diplomat and helped establish the young kingdom's stability among the European powers.
1790 – 1842 Letitia Tyler (1790-1842) Died 10 September 1842, aged 51 Letitia Christian Tyler was the first wife of President John Tyler. She was the first First Lady to die while her husband was in office. She had been disabled by a stroke and made only one public appearance at the White House.
1790 Austria Crushes the United Belgian States Brief revolutionary republic in the Austrian Netherlands is reconquered The United Belgian States, a short-lived confederation formed after the Brabant Revolution against Habsburg rule, collapsed as Austrian troops reoccupied Brussels and restored imperial authority. Internal divisions between conservative and democratic factions had already weakened the fledgling republic.
1790 Hamilton Submits Report on Public Credit Treasury secretary proposes federal assumption of state Revolutionary War debts Alexander Hamilton delivered his First Report on Public Credit to Congress, proposing that the federal government assume and consolidate state debts from the Revolutionary War. The plan became a cornerstone of the new nation's financial system after fierce political debate.
1790 – 1862 John Tyler 10th President — His Accidency John Tyler (Mar 29, 1790 – Jan 18, 1862) was the 10th President 1841-1845, first to assume office following a presidential death. He was expelled from his own party and is the only former president to have joined the Confederacy.
1790 United States Patent Act Signed First U.S. federal law establishing a patent system President George Washington signed the Patent Act of 1790, creating the first federal system for granting patents in the United States. The first patent under the act was issued to Samuel Hopkins for a potash-making process.
1790 Rhode Island Ratifies the U.S. Constitution Last of the original thirteen states joins the Union Rhode Island narrowly ratified the U.S. Constitution by a vote of 34 to 32, becoming the thirteenth and final original state to do so. Its late ratification came after two years of resistance over states' rights and the absence of a bill of rights.
1790 United States Copyright Act Signed First U.S. federal statute protecting authors' works Congress enacted the Copyright Act of 1790, granting authors exclusive rights to their books, maps, and charts for fourteen years. It was the first federal copyright statute in the United States.
1790 Civil Constitution of the Clergy Enacted French National Assembly subordinates the Catholic Church to the state The French National Assembly passed the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, reorganizing the Catholic Church in France and requiring clergy to swear an oath of loyalty to the state. The measure deeply divided the French clergy and population, fueling counter-revolutionary sentiment.
1790 Residence Act Establishes U.S. Capital Site Congress selects the Potomac River site for a new federal city The Residence Act, signed by President Washington, authorized creation of a permanent national capital on the Potomac River, land that would become Washington, D.C. Philadelphia was designated the temporary capital for the following decade while the new city was built.
1790 United States Conducts First Federal Census Nationwide population count begins under the new Constitution The United States carried out its first decennial census as mandated by the Constitution, recording a population of about 3.9 million people. The count determined each state's representation in the House of Representatives.
1790 Treaty of Värälä Ends Russo-Swedish War Russia and Sweden restore prewar borders after two years of conflict Russia and Sweden signed the Treaty of Värälä, ending the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-1790 without territorial changes. The peace confirmed Sweden's political independence from Russian influence under King Gustav III.
1790 Leopold II Crowned Holy Roman Emperor Succeeds his brother Joseph II amid unrest across the Habsburg lands Leopold II was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Frankfurt after succeeding his brother Joseph II, who died in February. He moved quickly to reverse unpopular reforms and pacify revolts in the Austrian Netherlands and Hungary.
1790 Harmar's Defeat in the Northwest Indian War Native American confederacy routs a U.S. Army expedition in the Ohio Country A U.S. Army force under General Josiah Harmar was defeated by a confederacy of Native American nations led by Miami chief Little Turtle near present-day Fort Wayne, Indiana. The rout was an early and significant setback for the United States in the Northwest Indian War.
1790 Nootka Convention Signed Spain and Britain avert war over Pacific Northwest territorial claims Spain and Great Britain signed the Nootka Convention, resolving a dispute over control of Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island. The agreement ended Spain's claim to exclusive sovereignty over the Pacific coast of North America and opened the region to British trade and settlement.