What Happened in September?

The United States Congress approves the Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. More

The First Congress of the U.S. proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution with its own Preamble. Ten of the proposed 12 amendments were ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures on December 15, 1791. They form what is now referred to as The Bill of Rights.

The US Senate approves President George Washington appointments to the first Supreme Court; John Jay to preside as chief justice, and John Blair, William Cushing, Robert Harrison, John Rutledge and James Wilson to be associate justices. Expand +

The First Republic of France is established. At their first meeting, the Convention decides to try King Louis XVI for treason, finds him guilty, and executes him on January 21, 1793. More

The Reign of Terror during the French Revolution begins as the revolutionary government, led by the Committee of Public Safety and Maximilien de Robespierre, executes thousands of perceived enemies of the state, conducts mass arrests, swift trials by the Revolutionary Tribunal, and frequent use of the guillotine. The Terror ended with Robespierre's own execution in Paris on July 28, 1794. More

President George Washington crosses the Potomac to lay the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol. The ceremony held in the federal city included the Alexandria Volunteer Artillery, members of Masonic lodges from Virginia and Maryland. and large crowd, with a procession and a Masonic ritual. More

The British capture the Cape Town Colony, ending the Dutch East India Company’s role in the region but relinquished the colony to the Dutch in 1802 with the signing of the Treaty of Amiens. The British reannexed it in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars with the Cape becoming a very important base prior to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. More

George Washington Farewell address to the nation is published. Washington composed his political statement to the nation with the assistance of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. It was designed to inspire and guide future generations, and embodied a classic statement of Federalist doctrine. Expand +

The USS Constellation, the first American warship under the Constitution, is launched on September 7, 1797 in Baltimore, Maryland. The 38-gun frigate was one of the original six frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794, it became the first U.S. Navy vessel to capture an enemy ship, defeating the French frigate L'Insurgente in 1799 during the Quasi-War.

September 20 - After more than two years exploring the western wilderness, the returning Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery arrives at the frontier village of La Charette, in modern Missouri. More

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, returns to St. Louis after a 28-month journey to the Pacific Ocean completing their journey to explore and map the western portion of the United States. Expand +

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Catholic Parish priest, launches the Mexican War of Independence by issuing his "Grito de Dolores" (The Battle Cry of Dolores) from the church pulpit in the town of Dolores, calling for the end of of 300 years of the Spanish rule of Mexico, the redistribution of land and racial equality.  Expand +

Chile's Independence Day . Officially The Republic of Chile. (Establishment of the Government Junta of Chile).

The Battle of Borodino takes place during Napoleon's invasion of Russia, resulting in a costly victory for the French forces.

Napoleon and his Grande Armée enter the city of Moscow and find it almost deserted with most of the 275,00 residents gone and lacking the supplies the French army needed. Then, the Russians started fires throughout the city. Three days later, more than two-thirds of the city was destroyed. Expand +

The United States adopts the nickname "Uncle Sam" originating with the legend of Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York. Wilson supplied the army during the War of 1812. Soldiers began calling his barrels of beef, stamped with "U.S.", "Uncle Sam's".  Expand +

The U.S. Receives The Nickname 'Uncle Sam". During the War of 1812, Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York. was one of the suppliers to the U. S. Army. He labeled his barrels of beef with “U.S.” to indicate U.S. government property, but soldiers referred to the “U.S.” as Uncle Sam (Wilson). On September 7, 1813, a local newspaper picked up the story which eventually led to the widespread use of the nickname. Congress passed a resolution in 1961 that recognized Samuel Wilson as the inspiration for the symbol Uncle Sam.

The battle of Plattsburgh, also called the Battle of Lake Champlain concludes with an important American victory that saved New York from a British invasion via the Hudson River valley.  Expand +

The poem "The Star-Spangled Banner" is written by Francis Scott Key during the bombardment of Fort McHenry, later becoming the national anthem of the United States. More

El Salvador Independence Day (Act of Independence of Central America).