What Happened in July?

The Ordinance of 1787, a landmark act by the single camera Congress of the Confederation is passed on July 13, 1787. It established the Northwest Territory (The lands north and west of the Ohio River) and created a blueprint for westward expansion. Expand +

The State of New York ratifies the Articles of Confederation becoming the 11th State of the Union.

The Bastille, a French royal fortress and prison and a symbol of the absolute power and tyranny of the French monarchy, is stormed by Paris revolutionaries. It marked the beginning of a tumultuous period in the French Revolution, ultimately leading to the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the French Republic. It is now commemorated in France as Bastille Day, a national holiday. More

President George Washington signs the Residence Act bill which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River. The bill declared that the exact location was to be selected by President Washington. The initial shape of the federal district was a square from land donated by Maryland and Virginia, measuring 10 miles (16 km) on each side and totaling 100 square miles (259 km2). More

The United States takes possession of Detroit from the British during the American Revolutionary War, in accordance with the terms of the Jay Treaty, officially the Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, was an agreement signed in 1794 between the United States and Great Britain. More

The U.S. House of Representatives notifies the Senate of the Impeachment of North Carolina's Senator William Blount for high crimes and misdemeanors. The Senate trial which did not begin until December,1798 ended on January 14, 1799, as the Senate dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds, leaving many issues unsettled, most importantly the question, "was a senator a civil officer of the United States and therefore liable to impeachment?" Although the Senate failed to voice its opinion on that matter, its dismissal of the Blount case set a precedent that still holds today—a U.S. senator cannot be impeached. More

The U.S. Marine Corps, initially established on November 10, 1775, as the Continental Marines and disbanded after the Revolutionary War is formally re-established under President John Adams. Marines saw action in the quasi-war with France, landed in Santo Domingo, and took part in many operations against the Barbary pirates along the shores of Tripoli. The birth date of the United States Marine Corps is celebrated as November 10, 1975 More

After capturing Alexandria and crossing the desert, Napoleon Bonaparte and his French troops defeat the infantry and cavalry of the Mamluks, the soldiers of the Ottoman Turks, in a decisive victory at the Battle of the Pyramids, (also known as the Battle of Embabeh). The victory opened the doors to the conquest of Cairo. More

The Rosetta Stone is found in the Egyptian village of Rosetta, providing a key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. The large inscribed stone fragment was uncovered by the French officer Pierre François Xavier Bouchard on a tributary of the Nile near the Mediterranean coast east of Alexandria where Napoleon’s forces were constructing fortifications. More

President Thomas Jefferson officially announces the Louisiana Purchase from Francia on July 4, 1803, doubling the nation's size. The deal, which was finalized in Paris on April 30, 1803, added over 800,000 square miles, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. doubling the size of the country and supporting westward expansion.

Vice President Aaron Burr fatally shoots his long-time political antagonist Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton, a leading Federalist and the chief architect of America’s political economy, died the following day. More

Shawnee Chief Tecumseh calls on all Native peoples to unite and resist the growing loss land to the white settlers. proposing that if united, the various tribes had enough strength to stop the white settlers. More

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, declares Independence from Spain. Colombia is located  primarily located in South America with insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east and northeast, Brazil to the southeast, Peru and Ecuador to the south and southwest, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Panama to the northwest.

Venezuela declares its independence from Spain.

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, declares its independence from Spain. Argentina is located in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of 2,780,085 km², making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourth-largest country in the Americas, and the eighth-largest country in the world. Argentina's capital is Buenos Aires and has a 2023 reported population of 45.5 Million people. 

Peru, officially The Republic of Peru, declares its independence from Spain. Peru is a country in western South America. It is bordered to the north by Ecuador and Colombia, to the east by Brazil, to the southeast by Bolivia, to the south by Chile, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. Peru has a population of over 32 million, and its capital and largest city is Lima Peru's with a metropolitan population exceeding 11 Million people.  Expand +

The United States adopts a new flag on July 4, 1822 featuring 24 stars to represent the number of states in the union after Missouri's admission on July 4, 1821. This flag, authorized by the 1818 Act of Congress added a star for each new state while keeping 13 stripes. It was used for 14 years until 1836.

American geographer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft officially identifies Lake Itasca in south-eastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north-central Minnesota as the source of the Mississippi River.  Expand +

Enslaved Africans on the Cuban schooner Amistad, led by Joseph Cinque revolt  against the Spanish officers and crew who were their captors and gained control of the ship near the coast of Cuba. They were being transported to a sugar plantation at Puerto Principe, Cuba after been captured In February of 1839 by Portuguese slave hunters from Sierra Leone.  Expand +

The Act of Union to merge Upper Canada and Lower Canada into a single entity, called the Province of Canada, was passed by the British Parliament on July 23, 1840, with the effective date of February 10, 1841.  Expand +