Video: 'Robert Fulton Invents the Steamboat'
(Monday, August 17, 1807) — The North River Steamboat, Robert Fulton’s first American steamboat, left New York City today for Albany up the Hudson River, inaugurating the first commercial steamboat service in the world. Continue reading First commercial steamboat service inaugurated 210 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 17 1807)
Video: 'United States v. Aaron Burr 1977 Judicial Conference of the United States' (trial at 45:45)
(Monday, August 3, 1807) — Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr went on trial today before a federal court in Richmond, Virginia, charged with treason (for assembling an armed force to take New Orleans and separate the Western from the Atlantic states) and high misdemeanor (for sending a military expedition against territories belonging to Spain). Continue reading Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr stands trial for treason 210 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 3 1807)
Video: 'United States v. Aaron Burr 1977 Judicial Conference of the United States'
(Wednesday, June 24, 1807) — Former Vice President Aaron Burr was indicted today by a grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, on charges of treason (for assembling an armed force to take New Orleans and separate the Western from the Atlantic states) and high misdemeanor (for sending a military expedition against territories belonging to Spain). Continue reading Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr indicted on treason, high misdemeanor 210 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 24 1807)
Video: 'Zebulon Pike'
(Saturday, November 15, 1806; during the Pike expedition) — During his second exploratory expedition, Lieutenant Zebulon Pike saw a distant mountain peak today while near the Colorado foothills of the Rocky Mountains (later named Pikes Peak in his honor). Continue reading Explorer Zebulon Pike spots mountaintop now known as Pikes Peak 210 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 15 1806)
Video: 'Fort Clatsop 1805-1806' (Mar. 23, 1806, at 5:25)
(Monday, March 23, 1806; during the Lewis and Clark Expedition) — Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, having reached the Pacific coast, left Fort Clatsop in the Oregon Country near the mouth of the Columbia River today to begin their journey back east.
Video: 'Tripoli War 1801 - 1805'
(Monday, June 10, 1805; during the First Barbary War) — The First Barbary War, the first of two Barbary Wars between the United States and the four North African states known collectively as the Barbary States to battle pirates seizing American merchant ships and holding the crews for ransom, ended today when Yusuf Karamanli, the best-known Pasha of the Karamanli dynasty of Tripolitania (in present-day Libya) signed a treaty ending hostilities.
Video: 'J. F. Lesueur & N. Roze: Coronation music for Napoleon I (Paris, 1804) / V. Tchernouchenko'
(Sunday, December 2, 1804) — Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of the French today at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the first French Emperor in a thousand years.
Video: 'Lewis and Clark Expedition Documentary'
(Monday, May 14, 1804, 4:00 p.m. local time) — The Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest left camp today near present-day Hartford, Illinois.
(Thursday, February 16, 1804, evening) — Lt. Stephen Decatur led a successful raid into Tripoli Harbor, the principal sea port in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, to burn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia, which had fallen into the hands of pirates during the First Barbary War.
Video: 'The Louisiana Purchase in a Nutshell'
(Saturday, April 30, 1803) — On the authorization of President Thomas Jefferson, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France today for 60 million francs, the equivalent of about $15 million, by signing the Louisiana Purchase Treaty in Paris. The move doubled the size of the U.S., adding 828,000 square miles to American territory.
