History
POP Culture: 1850
ICONS: Oil, Republican Party, Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Nathaniel Hawthorne publishes The Scarlet Letter in 1850.
- Millard Fillmore is sworn into office as the 13th President of the United States, following Zachary Taylor’s death on July 9, 1850.
- "America" wins the first America's Cup yacht race on August 22, 1851.
- Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin is published in 1852.
- The Republican Party is founded in Ripon, WI, on February 28, 1854.
- The U.S. Supreme Court's March 6, 1857, "Dred Scott Decision" rules that slaves do not become free when transported into a free state.
- Elisha Otis installs the first elevator on March 23, 1857.
- Drilling is completed on the first productive commercial oil well in Titusville, PA, on August 27, 1859.
The 1850 Census |
10 Largest Urban Places |
||||
| U.S. Resident Population: | 23,191,876 | Rank | Place | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population per square mile of land area: | 7.9 | 1 | New York City, NY | 515,547 | |
| Percent increase of population from 1840 to 1850: | 35.9 | 2 | Baltimore, MD | 169,054 | |
| Official Enumeration Date: | June 1 | 3 | Boston, MA | 136,181 | |
| Number of States: | 30 | 4 | Philadelphia, PA | 121,376 | |
| Cost: | $1,423,000 | 5 | New Orleans, LA | 116,375 | |
| Cost per Capita (cents): | 6.1 | 6 | Cincinnati, OH | 115,435 | |
| Total Pages in Published Reports: | 2,165 | 7 | Brooklyn, NY | 96,838 | |
| Number of Enumerators: | 3,231 | 8 | St. Louis, MO | 77,860 | |
| Number of Office Staff: | 160 | 9 | Spring Garden District, PA | 58,894 | |
| Census Bureau Director: | Joseph C.G. Kennedy | 10 | Albany, NY | 50,763 | |
| Number of Questions Asked: | 13 | Other lists of largest urban places. | |||
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