Modern Era
McCormick Reaper (1831): Mechanising the American Grain Harvest
The horse-drawn reaper cut grain many times faster than hand tools and, after a slow start, became the basis of a large farm-machinery business centred on Chicago.
Region
Americas
Modern Era
Slavery Abolition Act 1833: Ending Slavery in the British Empire
Slavery was abolished in most of the British Empire from 1 August 1834, followed by an apprenticeship system that ended in 1838, with 20 million pounds paid to slave owners.
Modern Era
Battle of San Jacinto (1836): Texas Wins Its Independence
Decisive Texian victory; Santa Anna was captured and signed the Treaties of Velasco, and the Republic of Texas secured its independence.
Modern Era
Battle of the Alamo (1836): The Siege That Shaped Texas
Mexican victory; nearly all the Alamo's defenders were killed, but the loss became a rallying cry that helped Texas win independence weeks later.
Modern Era
Rebellions of 1837-1838: Uprisings in Upper and Lower Canada
Both uprisings were crushed, but the Durham Report led to the union of the Canadas in 1841 and responsible government by 1848.
Modern Era
Amistad Case (1839-1841): The Revolt and the Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court ruled in March 1841 that the Africans had been illegally enslaved and were free; 35 survivors returned to Sierra Leone.
Modern Era
Vulcanized Rubber (1839): Charles Goodyear's Accidental Discovery
Vulcanization turned natural rubber into a durable material that stayed elastic in heat and cold, founding the modern rubber industry.
Modern Era
Oregon Trail: The Great Overland Migration to the Northwest
Tens of thousands of settlers reached Oregon, helping the United States secure the Pacific Northwest, at heavy cost to Native nations along the route.
Modern Era
Morse Telegraph (1844): 'What Hath God Wrought' and Morse Code
The first long-distance electric telegraph line in the United States proved the system, which spread across the country and became the basis of a worldwide network.
Modern Era
Annexation of Texas (1845): The Lone Star Joins the Union
Texas became the 28th US state on 29 December 1845; Mexico broke off relations, and war followed in 1846.
Modern Era
Donner Party (1846-1847): Trapped in the Sierra Nevada Snows
Of the 87 members of the party, about 48 survived; the rest died of starvation, cold, violence or exhaustion.
Modern Era
Mexican-American War (1846-1848): War for the American West
US victory; under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexico ceded California and most of the Southwest and accepted the Rio Grande border.