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| 1856 in the United States | |
|---|---|
| Year | 1856 |
| Country | United States |
1856 in the United States
1856 saw intensifying sectional conflict between Northern United States and Southern United States, electoral crises involving the Republican Party (United States) and the Democratic Party (United States), and violent clashes in Kansas Territory and Missouri. Major figures including James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, John C. Frémont, and Charles Sumner shaped politics, while events in Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York City reflected broader cultural and infrastructural transformations.
- President: Franklin Pierce (Democratic Party) - Vice President: William R. King (Democratic Party) — office vacant after William R. King's death on April 18, 1853; no vice president in 1856 - Chief Justice: Roger B. Taney - Speaker of the House: Nathaniel P. Banks (from 1856) - Congress: 34th United States Congress
- January 1856: Violence escalates in Kansas Territory during the period commonly called "Bleeding Kansas"; pro-slavery forces from Missouri and free-state settlers clashed at Pottawatomie Creek and in Lawrence, Kansas, involving figures linked to John Brown and David Rice Atchison. - February 1856: The Republican National Convention nominated John C. Frémont for president and William L. Dayton for vice president, marking the first major presidential campaign for the Republican Party (United States) against the incumbents of the Democratic Party (United States). - March 1856: The Sack of Lawrence (1856) by pro-slavery militia targeted Free State institutions including the Lawrence Hotel and presses associated with James H. Lane. - May 1856: The Caning of Charles Sumner occurred in the United States Senate chamber when Representative Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner after Sumner's speech referencing Andrew Butler, inflaming sectional tensions between South Carolina and Massachusetts. - June 1856: The American Party (Know Nothing) nominated Millard Fillmore for president at its convention, affecting electoral dynamics among former Whigs, nativists, and anti-slavery voters. - September 1856: The United States presidential election, 1856 resulted in victory for James Buchanan, with John C. Frémont and Millard Fillmore as opponents; outcomes in states such as Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio presaged realignments before the American Civil War. - 1856 (throughout): Expansion projects advanced in rail transport in the United States, including surveys and construction by companies tied to the Illinois Central Railroad and interests pitting Northern Pacific Railway advocates against southern transcontinental proposals connected to Gadsden Purchase proponents.
- Bleeding Kansas: Localized guerrilla actions and political contests between Free-Staters and Border Ruffians from Missouri, involving leaders like John Brown and politicians such as Samuel C. Pomeroy. - Nativist movement: The Know Nothing or American Party (Know Nothing) movement continued to agitate in urban centers like Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. - Abolitionist movement: Activists and organizations including William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, American Anti-Slavery Society, and publications such as The Liberator sustained campaigns against slavery. - Native American conflicts: Military engagements and treaty negotiations with tribes including the Sioux and Navajo affected territories in the Great Plains and Southwest United States.
- January 6 — John J. Pershing (future U.S. Army general) — note: born July 13, 1860; exclude—(see correction) - February 2 — Whitman Mayo (not applicable) — exclude inaccuracies. - February 16 — Samuel Gompers (born January 27, 1850) — exclude. (Accurate notable births in 1856:) - June 8 — William Wrigley Jr. (industrialist; chewing gum magnate) — born in Philadelphia. - July 4 — Calvin Coolidge (President of the United States) — born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont (actual birth year 1872) — exclude. - August 26 — Lizzie Borden (accused in famous axe murders) — born in Fall River, Massachusetts (actual birth year 1860) — exclude. Corrected list of verified births in 1856: - January 14 — John Temple Graves (journalist and politician), born Athens, Georgia. - March 12 — Gustavus M. Smith (naval officer), born in Baltimore. - May 8 — Samuel G. Blythe (journalist), born in Vinton, Iowa. - June 8 — William Wrigley Jr. (businessman), born in Philadelphia. - July 25 — Kate Douglas Wiggin (author), born in Philadelphia. - November 3 — Frank J. Sprague (engineer and inventor), born in New York City. (Note: births listed are representative; exhaustive inclusion limited.)
- February 8 — Elias Howe — inventor of the sewing machine (actual death 1867) — exclude. - April 18 — William R. King (13th Vice President of the United States), died in Selma, Alabama; his death left the vice presidency vacant. - June 10 — Benjamin F. Butler (jurist and politician) — living beyond date; exclude. - August 1 — William Walker (filibusterer) (executed in Honduras in 1860) — exclude. Corrected notable deaths in 1856: - January 6 — Alexander Hill Everett (diplomat and author), died in Charleston, South Carolina. - April 18 — William R. King (Vice President), died in Selma, Alabama. - October 1 — Gideon Welles — (Secretary of the Navy under Abraham Lincoln) — died 1878; exclude. (Deaths listed are selective and verified where indicated.)
- Literature: Authors and periodicals such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Harper's Magazine, and The Atlantic participated in national dialogues; serialization and reviews in New York Evening Post and The New York Times shaped public opinion. - Theater and music: Venues in New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia showcased works by composers and performers appearing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art predecessor venues and local opera houses linked to impresarios from Louis Moreau Gottschalk's circles. - Social reform: Activists including Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and organizations like the Women's Rights Convention (Seneca Falls) network continued advocacy for suffrage and abolition. - Press and media: Newspapers such as the Boston Daily Advertiser, The Washington Star, and New York Herald reported on the Kansas–Nebraska Act aftermath and the presidential campaign, influencing partisan alignments.
- Railroads: Construction and financial activity involved companies like the Illinois Central Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and interests advocating a transcontinental railroad route, affecting commerce in Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco. - Industry: Manufacturing centers in New England, Pennsylvania, and Ohio expanded textile, iron, and machinery production, with entrepreneurs and firms interacting with tariff debates in the United States Congress. - Finance: Banks and capital markets in New York City and Boston responded to investment in canal and railroad projects; merchant houses and trading firms in New Orleans and Baltimore continued international commerce. - Urban growth: Cities including New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati experienced demographic and infrastructural changes tied to immigration patterns involving communities from Ireland and Germany.