U.S. Congress abolishes the African slave trade
The U.S. Congress passed an act to “prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States…from any foreign kingdom, place, or country.”
North & Central America
Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin, revolutionizing the production of cotton
In 1794, U.S.-born inventor Eli Whitney (1765-1825) patented the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber.
U.S. Bill of Rights ratified, become first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution
The Bill of Rights amendments add specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people.
Thomas Paine publishes Rights of Man
Rights of Man (1791), a book by Thomas Paine, including 31 articles, posits that popular political revolution is permissible when a government does not safeguard the natural rights of its people
The United States Constitution is ratified
Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.
Constitutional Convention convenes in Philadelphia, marking new era of democracy
This idea formed the basis of the new U.S. Constitution, which became the law of the land in 1789.
Hans Egede founds Greenland’s capital Godthåb, now known as Nuuk
In 1728, a royal expedition under Major Claus Paarss arrived with four supply ships and moved the Kangeq colony to the mainland opposite, establishing a fort named Godt-Haab (“Good Hope”), the future Godthåb.
English lumber harvesters found Belize Town
Belize Town eventually became Belize City which now is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras.
Harvard College is founded
Harvard University is now the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Its influence, wealth, and rankings have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Spanish settlers found Tegucigalpa, now the capital and largest city of Honduras
Tegucigalpa was founded by Spanish settlers as Real de Minas de San Miguel de Tegucigalpa on September 29, 1578 on the site of an existing native settlement of the Pech, Tolupans and the Twahkas