1832 Upon the passage of a tariff bill by Congress in July, the representatives of South Carolina issued an address to the people of that State, asserting that, by the act passed, the burden of government was thrown exclusively on the Southern States, and meetings were held in South Carolina, denouncing the tariff, and pledging the persons attending to support the State government in any measures it might adopt to resist it. In December the Legislature of South Carolina passed acts prohibiting the enforcement of the United States revenue laws within the State, and authorizing the governor to call the militia into service to resist any attempt of the national government to enforce them. Ten thousand stand of arms, and the requisite quantity of military munitions, were ordered to be purchased. At this crisis the President determined to enforce the revenue acts, with an entire disregard to the pretended rights of sovereignty which were assumed by the State of South Carolina, and he, accordingly, ordered all the disposable military force to assemble at Charleston, and a sloop of war to be sent to that port to protect the revenue officers, in case of necessity, in the execution of their duty. On the 10th of December, the President issued a proclamation, in which he plainly and forcibly stated the nature of the American government, and the supremacy of the Federal authorities in all matters intrusted to their care, and exhorted the citizens of South Carolina not to persist in a course which must bring upon their State the force of the confederacy, and expose the Union to the hazard of dissolution. The revenue laws under the protection of the United States forces were carried into effect without any opposition by violence, and, at a meeting of the leading nullifiers at Charleston, it was resolved that all collision between the State and Federal authorities should be avoided, in the hope that the controversy might be satisfactorily adjusted in Congress by the passage of bills modifying the tariff. That hope was realized, and the tariff controversy in South Carolina ended.

At the presidential election of this year the Democratic party voted for General Andrew Jackson for re-election as President, and Martin Van Buren for Vice-President, and those candidates were successful; General Jackson receiving two hundred and nineteen electoral votes, and Mr. Van Buren one hundred and eighty-nine. At this time an Anti-Masonic party had been instituted, which nominated William Wirt for President and Amos Ellmaker for Vice-President, and they received seven electoral votes. The old Federal party had gone out of existence, and the opponents of the administration were now denominated National Republicans. That party nominated Henry Clay for President, and John Sergeant for Vice-President, and they each received forty-nine votes. The State of South Carolina gave its eleven electoral votes to John Floyd for President and Henry Lee for Vice-President.

A war broke out in Illinois between the Indians and the whites. In the year 1830, some Indians of the tribe of the Sacs and Foxes-two tribes united in one-made some depredations

on the white settlers near the mouth of Rock River. In conse quence the United States Government made a treaty with Keokuk, the chief of that tribe, by which he agreed to remove with his Indians across the Mississippi. Black Hawk, a noted warrior, however, refused to recognize the authority of Keokuk to make that treaty, and, with many of the Indians, declined to remove from Illinois. He gathered about him all the restless spirits of the tribe, set himself up as their chief, and commenced depredations on the white settlements. Troops were called out by the governor, and the United States Government sent de tachments of the army to assist in breaking up the war. Successive engagements were fought, with various success, and many atrocities committed by the savages. On the 2d of August, a battle took place with the main body of the Indians, which closed hostilities. The Indians were defeated with great loss, and Black Hawk, with his two sons and seven other warriors, were captured, and sent prisoners to Fortress Monroe, Va.

The source of the Mississippi was discovered on the 13th of July by an exploring expedition under the command of Henry R. Schoolcraft.

The Asiatic cholera, which had been devastating Montreal and Quebec for some time, made its first appearance in the United States at the city of New York on the 21st of June. The disease spread in various directions, reaching Philadelphia, Albany, and Rochester in July, and Boston, Baltimore, and Washington in August. In October it reached New Orleans, having previously appeared at Cincinnati and the intermediate cities. In Quebec, Montreal, New York, and Philadelphia, alone, there were eighteen thousand cases and eight thousand deaths.

A disastrous flood swept the valley of the Ohio in February. The water continued to rise from the 7th to the 19th, when it attained the height of sixty-three feet above low-water mark at Cincinnati. The towns and villages along the banks of the river were submerged in some instances so deeply as to force the inhabitants to take refuge on the neighboring hills. It was impossible to make any accurate estimate of the value of the property destroyed.

The steamboat Brandywine took fire on the evening of the 9th of April, on the Mississippi River, near Memphis, and of about two hundred persons on board all but seventyfive perished in the flames or by drowning.

The first instance of chloroform being used by inhalation was at New Haven in January.

The renowned gymnasts and pantomimists, the Ravel family, made their first appearance in America, at the Park Theatre in New York, on the 16th of July. The popularity of this troupe continued undiminished for more than thirty years.

Charles Kemble, the celebrated comedian, and Fanny Kemble, equally celebrated as an actress, made their first appearance in America, at the Park Theatre in New York, on the 17th of September.

1833

The manufacture of hosiery by steam or water power was first commenced in this country in October, at Cohoes, N. Y. The first steamboat seen at Chicago arrived there on the 10th of July, having on board General Winfield Scott and United States troops destined for the scene of the Black Hawk war. The first house built in Iowa was erected this year near the site of the city of Davenport.

The Paterson and Jersey City Railroad, the Schenectady and Saratoga, the West Chester in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia, Germantown and Norristown, and the Louisville and Bardstown railroads were all completed this year. On the 15th of November, Philadelphia and Harrisburg were connected by a continuous line of railroad. Operations were commenced on the Boston and Worcester Railroad in August.

The first street railroad in America was completed between the City Hall and Fourteenth Street in New York, and opened for travel in November. The road was built by the Harlem Railroad Company, and some time afterwards was extended up Fourth Avenue.

Andrew Jackson, as President, and Martin Van Buren, VicePresident, commenced their terms of office on the 4th of March.

There ensued great commercial distress throughout the country this year, caused by a general system of retrenchment that the directors of the United States Bank were obliged to institute, with a view to safety on account of an evident existing hostility to that corporation. The President of the United States was particularly opposed to the bank, and he caused all the public deposits, amounting to nearly ten millions of dollars, to be withdrawn from it, the greater part of which within a period of four months. Almost simultaneously with this step an attempt was made to destroy the credit of the bank, by suddenly presenting for payment at one of the distant branches a large amount of circulating notes which had been secretly accumulated.

Emigrations were made to Iowa this year. From this time the progress and extension of settlements in that district were rapid, and the population increased with far greater rapidity than in any new Territory heretofore.

The town of Chicago was incorporated on the 10th of August. At that time there were one hundred and seventy-five houses and five hundred and fifty inhabitants. The first newspaper published in the place was issued on the 26th of November, under the name of The Democrat. The first church organized was formed on the 26th of June, by the Presbyterians belonging to the garrison of Fort Dearborn. On the 19th of October, a Baptist society was formed.

Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania passed laws for the suppression of lotteries.

The United States Treasury building at Washington was consumed by fire on the 31st of March. Nearly all the valuable papers contained in it were saved.

On the 30th of April, a fire broke out in the extensive stables

of Kipp & Brown on Hudson and Bank streets, in New York, and spread until over one hundred and thirty buildings were consumed. It was estimated that three hundred families were thereby rendered homeless.

The city of Boston contracted for sperm-oil for street-lamps, -ninety cents per gallon for summer oil and one dollar for winter.

Nashville, Tenn., was supplied with water conveyed in pipes through the streets.

The first theatre erected in the United States expressly for operatic performances was opened on the 18th of November. It was built on the corner of Church and Leonard streets, in New York; but the enterprise proved a failure, and the building was used for theatrical purposes until it was destroyed by fire in the year 1841.

Millerism, as it was called, commenced making converts at this time. William Miller began to lecture upon the subjects of the millennium and the early destruction of the world, which he at first stated would take place in 1843. He secured disciples, who were called Millerites, to the number, as estimated, of nearly fifty thousand. After the failure of his predictions, several years and days were successively designated for the destruction of the world, and the sect existed for many years.

The first exportation of American ice to the East Indies was made by Mr. Frederick Tudor, of Boston. It was sent in May, and delivered at Calcutta in the autumn. In the following year he sent the first cargo to Brazil.

At this time there were seventy-six omnibuses running in the streets of New York, one hundred and ninety-four licensed hackney-coaches, twenty-four hundred and fifty-nine carts, and one hundred and fifty-seven porters with either barrows or hand-carts.

On the 5th of October, one hundred and fifty-one lots, each twenty-five feet front and one hundred in depth, on Prospect Hill in Brooklyn, L. I., three miles from Fulton Ferry, were sold at an average price of one hundred and twenty-five dollars apiece.

The first public trial of reaping-machines took place on the 2d of July, before the Hamilton County Agricultural Society in Ohio. The exhibition was of the machine patented by Mr. Obed Hussey.

The first newspaper issued in Wisconsin was published at Navarino on the 11th of December, and called The Green Bay· Intelligencer. The Boston Daily Journal made its first appearance this year. The first successful penny paper established in the United States issued its first number on the 8th of September at New York, and was called The New York Sun.

The progress of enterprise in American journalism took a step forward this year. The New York Journal of Commerce established a horse express from Philadelphia to New York, with relays of horses, by which the paper was enabled to publish Congressional news one day in advance of its contemporaries in

1834

New York. This example was soon followed by other papers, until the government itself established an express between those cities, whereupon the Journal of Commerce extended its relays to Washington.

The constitution of Massachusetts was amended, making the individual contributions for the support of the ministry voluntary, instead of obligatory as they had always been for about two hundred years.

The Ohio Canal, connecting the Ohio River at Portsmouth with Lake Erie at Cleveland, a distance of three hundred and seven miles, was completed and opened for navigation.

The South Carolina Railroad between Charleston and the Savannah River, one hundred and thirty-six miles in length, was entirely completed. This was the first railroad upon which the United States mails were carried, and the longest continuous line yet completed in this or any other country. The Camden and Amboy Railroad, between Amboy and Bordentown, N. J., was opened for travel in September. The Petersburg and Roanoke Railroad in Virginia, about sixty miles in length, was also completed. The ceremony of breaking ground for the commencement of the Providence and Stonington Railroad took place at Stonington on the 14th of August.

An unusual excitement and tumult took place in New York, ending in a riot, at the city election held on the 8th, 9th, and 10th days of April, caused by a bitter feeling existing between the Jackson men and their political opponents, who at this time were called by the new party name of " whigs." Great confusion and violence ensued; political meetings were disturbed and broken up, and in the Sixth and Eleventh wards proceedings were so riotous that the military were called out to quell the disturbances. Many of the citizens were dangerously injured, and several of the rioters were arrested and imprisoned. Čitizens remained under arms all night, fearing that the banks would be sacked, as an attack on them was loudly threatened. Business was almost entirely suspended in Wall and other down-town streets. The election resulted in favor of the "whigs," and the victory was celebrated by that party in many sections of the country. Salutes were fired, and other demonstrations of rejoicing were manifested. In Philadelphia, a grand barbecue was instituted, and fifty thousand people attended, as estimated.

A meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society held in New York on the 4th of July was broken up by a mob. A few days afterwards another mob sacked the house of Lewis Tappan, a noted abolitionist, and then assaulted and damaged several churches, school-houses, and homes of colored families. The anti-abolition excitement spread to other places. At Newark, N. J., on the evening of the 11th of July, a minister introduced a colored man into his pulpit, against the previously ascertained will of his people. When the populace found it out, they assembled in great numbers, took the colored man forcibly from the pulpit, conveyed him to jail, and threatened to tear it down unless the jailer received him. They then re