What Happened in 1857

Douglas Founds Baptist Seminary - The University of Chicago

A deeply religious man, but one also dedicated to the enterprise of higher education, Stephen Douglas founded a Baptist Seminary in Chicago which... Read more

Mark Twain Begins Two-Year Apprenticeship to Become a River Pilot

On a voyage to New Orleans down the Mississippi, the steamboat pilot, Horace E. Bixby, inspired Twain to pursue a career as a steamboat pilot; it... Read more

Joseph Gayetty Invents Modern Commercial Toilet Paper

Gayetty's paper, first introduced in 1857, was available as late as the 1920's. Gayetty's Medicated Paper was sold in packages of flat sheets,... Read more

James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok Meets William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody

In 1855, at the age of 18, Hickok moved to Kansas Territory following a fight with Charles Hudson, which resulted in both falling into a canal.... Read more

James Buchanan is inaugurated as the 15th president of the United States

The Democratic Party chose another candidate instead of their incumbent President when they nominated James Buchanan at the national convention.... Read more

Dred Scott v. Sandford, aka "Dred Scott Decision"

Dred Scott v. Sandford, commonly referred to as the Dred Scott decision, was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent... Read more

Fannie Merritt Farmer, Standardizer of Measurements For Recipes, born

Born on March 23, 1857, Bostonian Fannie Merritt Farmer significantly influenced the way Americans cook. By standardizing measurements in her... Read more

Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell open New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children

Known worldwide as the first woman to receive her degree as a Doctor of Medicine, Elizabeth Blackwell represents a historic moment in modern... Read more

The New York Branch Of The Ohio Life Insurance And Trust Company Fails

The major financial catalyst for the panic of 1857 was the August 24, 1857, failure of the New York branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust... Read more

The Panic of 1857

The major financial catalyst for the panic of 1857 was the August 24, 1857, failure of the New York branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust... Read more

Sinking of the SS Central America

SS Central America, sometimes called the Ship of Gold, was a 280-foot (85 m) sidewheel steamer that operated between Central America and the... Read more

William Howard Taft Is Born

William Howard Taft served as both president of the United States and chief justice of the Supreme Court. He was born on September 15, 1857, in... Read more

Louis Pasteur Is Appointed Director of Scientific Studies of the Ecole Normale Superieure

In October, 1857, Pasteur returned to Pairs, having accepted appointments as Administrator of the Ecole Normale as Director of Scientific... Read more