1840 in the United States

1840 in the United States
Years:	1837 1838 1839 – 1840 – 1841 1842 1843
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26 stars (1837–45)
Timeline of United States history History of the United States (1789–1849)

Events from the year 1840 in the United States.

Incumbents

Federal Government

• President: Martin Van Buren (D-New York)
• Vice President: Richard Mentor Johnson (D-Kentucky)
• Chief Justice: Roger B. Taney (originally now residing in from of the U.S. state of Maryland)
• Speaker of the House of Representatives: Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (W-Virginia)
• Congress: 26th

Governors and Lieutenant Governors

Governors Governor of Alabama: Arthur P. Bagby (Democratic) Governor of Arkansas: James Sevier Conway (Democratic) (until November 4), Archibald Yell (Democratic) (starting November 4) Governor of Connecticut: William W. Ellsworth (Whig) Governor of Delaware: Cornelius P. Comegys (Whig) Governor of Georgia: Charles J. McDonald (Democratic) Governor of Illinois: Thomas Carlin (Democratic) Governor of Indiana: David Wallace (Whig) (until December 9), Samuel Bigger (Whig) (starting December 9) Governor of Kentucky: Charles A. Wickliffe (Whig) (until September 2), Robert P. Letcher (Whig) (starting September 2) Governor of Louisiana: André B. Roman (Whig) Governor of Maine: John Fairfield (Democratic) Governor of Maryland: William Grason (Democratic) Governor of Massachusetts: Edward Everett (Whig) (until January 18), Marcus Morton (Democratic) (starting January 18) Governor of Michigan: Stevens T. Mason (Democratic) (until January 7), William Woodbridge (Whig) (starting January 7) Governor of Mississippi: Alexander G. McNutt (Democratic) Governor of Missouri: Lilburn W. Boggs (Democratic) (until November 16), Thomas Reynolds (Democratic) (starting November 16) Governor of New Hampshire: John Page (Democratic) Governor of New Jersey: William Pennington (Whig) Governor of New York: William H. Seward (Whig) Governor of North Carolina: Edward Bishop Dudley (Whig) Governor of Ohio: Wilson Shannon (Democratic) (until December 16), Thomas Corwin (Whig) (starting December 16) Governor of Pennsylvania: David R. Porter (Democratic) Governor of Rhode Island: Samuel Ward King (Rhode Island) Governor of South Carolina: until April 7: Patrick Noble (Democratic) April 7-December 9: Barnabas Kelet Henagan (Democratic) starting December 9: John Peter Richardson II (Democratic) Governor of Tennessee: James K. Polk (Democratic) Governor of Vermont: Silas H. Jennison (Whig) Governor of Virginia: David Campbell (Democratic) (until March 31), Thomas Walker Gilmer (Whig) (starting March 31) Lieutenant Governors Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: Charles Hawley (Whig) Lieutenant Governor of Indiana: David Hillis (Whig) (until December 9), Samuel Hall (Whig) (starting December 9) Lieutenant Governor of Illinois: Stinson Anderson (Democratic) Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky: vacant (until September 2), Manlius Valerius Thomson (political party unknown) (starting September 2) Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: George Hull (political party unknown) Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Edward Mundy (Democratic) (until month and day unknown), James Wright Gordon (Whig) (starting month and day unknown) Lieutenant Governor of Missouri: Franklin Cannon (Democratic) (until November 16), Meredith Miles Marmaduke (Democratic) (starting November 16) Lieutenant Governor of New York: Luther Bradish (Whig) Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: vacant (until month and day unknown), Byron Diman (political party unknown) (starting month and day unknown) Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: until April 7: Barnabas Kelet Henagan (Democratic) April 7-December 9: vacant starting December 9: William K. Clowney (Democratic) Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: David M. Camp (Whig)

Events

• January 13–14 – The steamship Lexington burns and sinks in icy waters, 4 miles off the coast of Long Island; 139 die, only 4 survive.
• January 19 – Captain Charles Wilkes circumnavigates Antarctica, claiming what becomes known as Wilkes Land for the United States.
• March 9 – The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad is completed from Wilmington, North Carolina to Weldon, North Carolina. At 161.5 miles, it is the world's longest railroad.
• April – The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad is completed from Raleigh, North Carolina to near Weldon, North Carolina.
• May 7 – The Great Natchez Tornado: A massive tornado strikes Natchez, Mississippi during the early afternoon hours. Before it is over, 317 people are killed and 109 injured. It is the second deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
• November 7 – U.S. presidential election, 1840: William Henry Harrison defeats Martin Van Buren.

Undated

• US Census Bureau reports 6,000 free Negroes holding slaves in the nation.

Ongoing

• Second Seminole War (1835–1842)

Births

• January 1 – Patrick Walsh, Ireland-born United States Senator from Georgia from 1894 till 1895. (died 1899)
• May 4 – George Gray, United States Senator from Delaware from 1885 till 1899. (died 1925)
• September 23 – Simon B. Conover, United States Senator from Florida from 1873 till 1879. (died 1908)
• October 1 – Anthony Higgins, United States Senator from Delaware from 1889 till 1895. (died 1912)

Deaths

• April 7 – Thaddeus Betts, United States Senator from Connecticut from 1839 till 1840. (born 1789)

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons