- 1870
| Jan 03 | Brooklyn Bridge construction begins; completed May 24, 1883. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 08 | US mint at Carson City NV begins issuing coins. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 10 | John D. Rockefeller and his brother William found the Standard Oil Company of Ohio, in Cleveland. | Ref: 2 |
| Feb 02 | Jonathan Jasper becomes the first African American justice of a state supreme court. (XDG, p 4A, 2/2/2001) | Ref: 83 |
| Feb 03 | 15th Amendment (Black suffrage) passed. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 09 | The United States Weather Bureau is authorized by Congress. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 10 | The City of Anaheim incorporated (first time) | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 25 | Hiram Rhoades Revels, a Republican from Natchez, Mississippi, is sworn into the U.S. Senate, becoming the first African American to ever sit in Congress. | Ref: 3 |
| Mar 18 | First US National Wildlife Preserve (Lake Meritt in Oakland CA). | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 30 | The 15th amendment to the Constitution, giving black men the right to vote, was declared in effect. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 26 | Sojourner Truth visits the Capitol and Congress. Charles Sumner writes in her Book of Truth, "Equality of rights is the first of rights." (Claflin, Edward, "Sojourner Truth and the Struggle For Freedom", 1987, ISBN 0-8120-3919-X) | |
| Jun 22 | Congress created the Department of Justice | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 26 | The first section of Atlantic City, New Jersey's Boardwalk was opened to the public. A 1 mile long 10 foot wide path cost $5,000. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 01 | James W Smith of SC is first black to enter West Point. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 08 | Congress authorizes registration of trademarks. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 08 | Gov Holden of NC declares Casswell County in a state of insurrection. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 06 | White conservatives suppresed black vote & captured Tenn legislature. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 17 | The 1st ascent of Mt Rainier, Washington. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 25 | The first U.S. trademark was awarded -- to the Averill Chemical Paint Company of New York City. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 01 | The U.S. Weather Bureau made its first meteorological observations, using reports gathered by telegraph from 24 locations. Up to that time, the observations had been the responsibility of the Signal Corps of the U.S. War Department. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 08 | Democratic governor elected in Tennessee. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 27 | After accepting 15th amendment, Virginia is readmitted to Union. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 01 | Brigham Young incorporates first ‘department store' in Salt Lake City, UT. | Ref: 10 |
- 1871
| Jan 26 | US income tax repealed. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 09 | Federal fish protection office authorized by Congress. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 27 | Meeting of Alabama claims commission. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 28 | 2nd Enforcement Act gives federal control of congressional elections. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 03 | Congress changes Indian tribes status from independent to dependent. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 03 | Congress establishes the civil service system. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 16 | The state of Delaware, the first state to enter the union, enacted the first fertilizer law. | Ref: 4 |
| Mar 22 | William Holden of North Carolina is first governor removed from office by impeachment. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 20 | With passage of the Third Enforcement Act, popularly known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, Congress authorized President Ulysses S. Grants to use military force against the Ku Klux Klan. | Ref: 3 |
| May 08 | English-US treaty ends Alabama dispute. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 11 | Great Chicago fire ends with 300 dead, 17,500 buildings destroyed, 100,000 homeless. (TWA, 1958) | Ref: 95 |
| Oct 17 | President Grant suspends writ of habeas corpus. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 27 | Boss Tweed (William Macy Tweed), Democratic leader of Tammany Hall, arrested after NY Times exposed his corruption. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 24 | The National Rifle Association is incorporated in New York City. | Ref: 4 |
- 1872
| Feb 14 | First state bird refuge authorized (Lake Merritt CA). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 22 | (Prohibition) First national convention of the Prohibition Party (Columbus OH). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 22 | Labor Reform Party formed at Columbus OH. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 01 | The world's first national park was established, when Pres. Ulysses S. Grant signed an act of Congress designating more than 2 million acres (800,000 hectares), mostly in Wyoming, as Yellowstone National Park. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 10 | Gov Morton of Nebraska suggests a holiday for planting trees to be known as Arbor Day | Ref: 5 |
| May 16 | Metropolitan Gas Company lamps lit for first time. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 05 | The Republican National Convention, the first major political party convention to includes blacks, commences in Philadelphia. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 17 | George M. Hoover begins selling whiskey in Dodge City, Kansas--a town which had previously been "dry." | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 01 | The first long-distance gas pipeline in the U.S. is completed. Designed for natural gas, the two-inch pipe ran five miles from Newton Wells to Titusville, Pennsylvania. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 04 | The U.S. brigantine Marie Celeste is found adrift and deserted with its cargo intact, in the Atlantic Ocean between the Azores and Portugal. | Ref: 2 |
- 1873
| Jan 13 | PBS Pinchback relinquishes office at Louisiana Governor. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 12 | Congress abolishes bimetallism & authorizes $1 & $3 gold coins. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 03 | US Congress & government raise own salary, retroactively. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 04 | New York Daily Graphic, first illustrated daily newspaper in US, published. | Ref: 5 |
| May 07 | US marines attack Panama. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 01 | Henry Flipper of Ga is 2nd black to enter West Point. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 14 | The first issue of "Field and Stream" magazine was published. | Ref: 4 |
| Dec 30 | American Metrological Society forms (New York NY) weights, measures & money. | Ref: 5 |
- 1874
| Jan 14 | I D Shadd elected Speaker of the lower house of the Mississippi legislature. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 17 | Armed Democrats seize Texas government ending Radical Reconstruction. | Ref: 5 |
| May 12 | US Assay Office in Helena MT authorized. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 20 | First US Lifesaving Medal awarded (Lucian Clemons). | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 01 | The first zoo in the United States opened in Philadelphia, PA. Over 3,000 visitors paid 25 cents (adults) or 10 cents (children) to see the 1,000 animals housed in the Philadelphia Zoological Society zoo. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 18 | The Nebraska Relief and Aid Society is formed to help farmers whose crops were destroyed by grasshoppers swarming throughout the American West. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 08 | First American trial for pointing breed dogs held in Memphis, Tennessee. | Ref: 10 |
- 1875
| Jan 05 | President Grant sends federal troops to Vicksburg MS. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 03 | A 20-cent coin is authorized by Congress (It only lasted 3 years). | Ref: 5 |
| May 01 | 238 members of "Whiskey Ring" accused of anti-US activities. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 19 | Formal opening of US Marine Hospital at Presidio. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 22 | Sons of the American Revolution organized. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 06 | 44th Congress (1875-77) convenes. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 07 | Natives Sons of the West organized. | Ref: 5 |
- 1876
| Mar 01 | Guernsey Cattle Club forms (Farmington CT). | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 04 | US Congress decides to impeach Minister of War Belknap. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 01 | (new state) Colorado, the 38th state, entered the United States of America this day. It is the only state to enter the union in the one hundredth year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Consequently, Colorado is called the Centennial State. The Rocky Mountains are Colorado’s most famous feature; which explains why the Rocky Mountain columbine is the state flower. The lark bunting is the state bird. Denver, Colorado’s largest city, is also the state capital. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 03 | John L. Routt, the Colorado Territory governor, is elected the first state governor of Colorado in the Centennial year of the U.S. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 06 | American Library Association organized in Philadelphia. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 23 | New Orleans Mint reopens as an assay office. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 26 | President sends federal troops to SC. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 06 | The city of Anaheim incorporated for a second time | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 06 | First crematorium in US begins operation, Washington PA. | Ref: 5 |
- 1877
| Jan 15 | US Assay Office in Helena, Montana opens. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 07 | The first Guernsey Cattle Club was organized in, where else? New York City. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 20 | First cantilever bridge in US completed, Harrodsburg KY. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 12 | 1st department store opened (Wanamaker's, Philadelphia). | Ref: 51 |
| Mar 18 | President Hayes appoints Frederick Douglass marshal of Washington DC. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 04 | First telephone is placed in a private home in Boston. | Ref: 10 |
| May 01 | President Ruthoford B. Hayes withdraws all Federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 01 | US troops authorized to pursue bandits into Mexico. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 05 | New York state passes Oleomargarine tax. (2˘ Margarine tax of 1886 made it a federal issue.) | Ref: 10 |
| Jul 08 | Bell Telephone Co. formed (predecessor of AT&T) | Ref: 62 |
| Oct 09 | American Humane Association organized in Cleveland. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 15 | 45th Congress (1877-79) convenes. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 09 | American Chemical Society chartered in NY. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 06 | Washington Post publishes first edition. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 26 | Socialist Labor Party of North America holds first national convention. | Ref: 5 |
- 1878
| Jan 28 | George W Coy hired as first full-time telephone operator. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 16 | Silver dollar became US legal tender. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 22 | Greenback Labor Party formed (Toledo OH). | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 10 | California Street Cable Car Railroad Company starts service | Ref: 5 |
| May 02 | US stops minting 20˘ coin. | Ref: 5 |
| May 19 | Blanche Kelso Bruce appointed register of treasury by President Garfield. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 13 | The Luray Caverns are discovered in Virginia. | |
| Aug 21 | A group of 100 lawyers got together at Saratoga Springs, New York and formed the American Bar Association. | Ref: 4 |
| Sep 01 | The first female telephone operator, Emma Nutt in Boston, starts work for the Telephone Dispatch Company of Boston. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 26 | First US store to install electric lights, Philadelphia. | Ref: 5 |
- 1879
| Jan 22 | James Shields (D), who had previously served Illinois and Minnesota, begins a term as a U.S. Senator from Missouri. He was the first Senator to serve three states. | Ref: 4 |
| Jan 29 | Custer Battlefield National Monument, Montana established. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 25 | Congress passed first Timberland Protection Act. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 03 | US geological survey director authorized in Department of the Interior. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 13 | First federal fish hatching steamer launched (Wilmington DE). | Ref: 5 |
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US History 1870 to 1879 Chronology