1847

Events from the year **1847 in the United States**.

* Speaker of the House of Representatives: John Wesley Davis (D-IN) (until March 4), Robert Charles Winthrop (W-MA) (starting December 6)
* Congress: 29th (until March 4), 30th (starting March 4)

Governors
* Governor of Alabama: Joshua L. Martin (Independent) (until December 16), Reuben Chapman (Democratic) (starting December 16)
* Governor of Arkansas: Thomas Stevenson Drew (Democratic)
* Governor of Connecticut: Isaac Toucey (Democratic) (until May 5), Clark Bissell (Whig) (starting May 5)
* Governor of Delaware: William Temple (Whig) (until January 19), William Tharp (Democratic) (starting January 19)
* Governor of Florida: William Dunn Moseley (Democratic)
* Governor of Georgia: George W. Crawford (Whig) (until November 3), George W. Towns (Democratic) (starting November 3)
* Governor of Illinois: Augustus C. French (Democratic)
* Governor of Indiana: James Whitcomb (Democratic)
* Governor of Iowa: Ansel Briggs (Democratic)
* Governor of Kentucky: William Owsley (Whig)
* Governor of Louisiana: Isaac Johnson (Democratic)
* Governor of Maine: Hugh J. Anderson (Democratic) (until May 12), John W. Dana (Democratic) (starting May 12)
* Governor of Maryland: Thomas Pratt (Democratic)
* Governor of Massachusetts: George N. Briggs (Democratic)
* Governor of Michigan: Alpheus Felch (Democratic) (until March 3), William L. Greenly (Democratic) (starting March 3)
* Governor of Mississippi: Albert G. Brown (Democratic)
* Governor of Missouri: John C. Edwards (Democratic)
* Governor of New Hampshire: Anthony Colby (Whig) (until June 3), Jared W. Williams (Democratic) (starting June 3)
* Governor of New Jersey: Charles C. Stratton (Whig)
* Governor of New York: John Young (Whig)
* Governor of North Carolina: William Alexander Graham (Whig)
* Governor of Ohio: William Bebb (Whig)
* Governor of Pennsylvania: Francis R. Shunk (Democratic)
* Governor of Rhode Island: Byron Diman (Law and Order) (until May 4), Elisha Harris (Law and Order) (starting May 4)
* Governor of South Carolina: David Johnson (Democratic)
* Governor of Tennessee: Aaron V. Brown (Democratic) (until October 17), Neill S. Brown (Whig) (starting October 17)
* Governor of Texas: James Pinckney Henderson (Democratic) (until December 21), George T. Wood (Democratic) (starting December 21)
* Governor of Vermont: Horace Eaton (Whig)
* Governor of Virginia: William Smith (Democratic)

Lieutenant Governors
* Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: Noyes Billings (Democratic) (until May 5), Charles J. McCurdy (Whig) (starting May 5)
* Lieutenant Governor of Illinois: Joseph Wells (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Indiana: Paris C. Dunning (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky: Archibald Dixon (Whig)
* Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana: Trasimond Landry (Whig)
* Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: John Reed Jr. (political party unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: William L. Greenly (Democratic) (until month and day unknown), Charles P. Bush (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Missouri: James Young (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of New York: Addison Gardiner (Democratic) (until July 5), Albert Lester (Democratic) (starting July 5)
* Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: Elisha Harris (Whig) (until May 4), Edward W. Lawton (political party unknown) (starting May 4)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: William Cain (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Texas: Albert Clinton Horton (Democratic) (until December 21), John Alexander Greer (political party unknown) (starting December 21)
* Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: Leonard Sargeant (Whig)

## Events

### January - March

* January 2 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Santa Clara.
* January 4 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol, the Colt Walker, to the U.S government for the Texas Rangers.
* January 8 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Rio San Gabriel.
* January 9 – Mexican–American War: Battle of La Mesa.
* January 13 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends the fighting in the Mexican–American War in California.
* January 16 – John C. Fremont is appointed Governor of the new California Territory.
* January 17 – Saint Anthony Hall is founded at Columbia University in New York City.
* January 24
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of Cañada.
	+ Mexican–American War: First Battle of Mora.
* January 29 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Embudo Pass.
* January 30 – Yerba Buena, California is renamed San Francisco, California.
* February 1 – Mexican–American War: Second Battle of Mora.
* February 3 – Mexican–American War: Siege of Pueblo de Taos begins.
* February 5
	+ A rescue effort, called the First Relief, leaves Johnson's Ranch to save the ill-fated Donner Party. These California bound emigrants became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, and some have resorted to cannibalism to survive.
	+ Siege of Pueblo de Taos ends.
* February 22 – Mexican–American War: The Battle of Buena Vista begins: 5,000 American troops under General Zachary Taylor use their superiority in artillery to drive off 15,000 Mexican troops under Antonio López de Santa Anna, defeating the Mexicans the next day.
* February 23 – Mexican–American War: The Battle of Buena Vista ends.
* February 28 – Mexican–American War: Battle of the Sacramento.
* March 1 – The state of Michigan formally abolishes the death penalty.
* March 9 – Mexican–American War: Siege of Veracruz begins: United States forces under General Winfield Scott invade Mexico near Veracruz in the first large-scale amphibious assault conducted by U.S. military forces.
* March 28 – The Massachusetts Donation of 1847 for Ireland sails from Boston on USS *Jamestown*.
* March 29 – Mexican–American War: Siege of Veracruz ends: United States forces led by General Winfield Scott take Veracruz after a siege.

### April - June

* April 18
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of Cerro Gordo.
	+ Mexican–American War: First Battle of Tuxpan.
* April 22 – Mexican–American War: Capture of Perote.
* May 7 – The American Medical Association (AMA) is founded in Philadelphia.
* May 26 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Red River Canyon.
* June 1 – Zeta Psi fraternity of North America is founded at New York University.
* June 2 – Mexican–American War: Second Battle of Tuxpan.
* June 10 – The *Chicago Tribune* begins publication.
* June 15 – Mexican–American War: Second Battle of Tabasco begins.
* June 16 – Mexican–American War: Second Battle of Tabasco ends.
* June 30 – Mexican–American War: Third Battle of Tuxpan.

### July - September

* July 1 – The United States issues its first postage stamps, featuring George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
* July 6 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Las Vegas.
* July 9 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Cienega Creek.
* July 24 – After 17 months of travel, Brigham Young leads 148 Mormon pioneers into Salt Lake Valley, resulting in the establishment of Salt Lake City.
* July 29 – The Cumberland School of Law is founded at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. At the end of 1847 only 15 law schools exist in the United States.
* August 12 – U.S. troops of General Winfield Scott begin to advance along the aqueduct around Lake Chalco and Lake Xochimilco in Mexico.
* August 19 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Contreras begins.
* August 20
	+ US troops defeat Mexican troops in Valencia, Mexico.
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of Contreras ends.
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of Churubusco.
* September 8
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of Molino del Rey.
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle for Mexico City begins.
* September 12 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Chapultepec begins.
* September 13
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of Chapultepec ends.
	+ Mexican–American War: Siege of Puebla begins.
* September 14 – Mexican–American War: Siege of Puebla.
* September 15
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle for Mexico City ends.
	+ Mexican–American War: Fall of Mexico City.

### October - December

* October 2 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Mulegé.
* October 9 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Huamantla.
* October 12 – Mexican–American War: Siege of Puebla ends.
* October 19 – Mexican–American War: Action of Atlixco.
* October 20 – Mexican–American War: Bombardment of Guaymas.
* October 31
	+ Theta Delta Chi is founded as a social fraternity at Union College, Schenectady, New York.
	+ Mexican–American War: Bombardment of Punta Sombrero.
* November 11 – Mexican–American War: Occupation of Mazatlán.
* November 16 – Mexican–American War: Battle of La Paz begins.
* November 17
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of La Paz ends.
	+ Mexican–American War: Affair at Guaymas.
* November 19 – Mexican–American War: Skirmishes of Palos Prietos and Urias begins.
* November 20
	+ Mexican–American War: Skirmishes of Palos Prietos and Urias ends.
	+ Mexican–American War: Battle of San José del Cabo begins.
* November 21 – Mexican–American War: Battle of San José del Cabo ends.
* November 23 – Mexican–American War: Skirmish at Matamoros.
* November 24 – Mexican–American War: Affair at Galaxara Pass.
* November 27 – Mexican–American War: Siege of La Paz begins.
* November 29 – The Whitman massacre: Oregon missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa, and eleven others are killed in the Oregon Country by Cayuse and Umatilla Indians, starting the Cayuse War.
* December 8 – Mexican–American War: Siege of La Paz ends.
* December 13 – Mexican–American War: Action of San Sebastián.

## Memoriam

* January 19 – Charles Bent, first civilian Governor of the New Mexico Territory (aged 47; Taos, Mexico (Now NM, USA))
* January 30 – Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, wife of Edgar Allan Poe (aged 24; New York City, NY, USA)
* May 1 – Jesse Speight, U.S. Senator from Mississippi from 1845 to 1847 (aged 51; Columbus, MS, USA)
* May 11 – Jane Irwin Harrison, Acting First Lady of the United States (aged 42; Cincinnati, OH, USA)
* July 22 – Henry W. Edwards, U.S. Senator from Connecticut from 1823 to 1838 (aged 67; New Haven, CT, USA)
* August 6 – Henry M. Ridgely, U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1827 to 1829 (aged 68; Dover, DE, USA)
* November 1 – Jabez W. Huntington, U.S. Senator from Connecticut from 1840 to 1847 (aged 58; Norwich, CT, USA)
* November 29 – Narcissa Whitman, pioneer missionary (aged 39; Waiilatpu, OR Country (Now WA), USA)