On April 29, 1862, Union Admiral David Farragut captured New Orleans from Confederate forces. Capturing one of the Confederacy’s largest cities, known as the “Jewel of the South,” this was a major victory and turning point in the Civil War.
James Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, on April 28, 1758, to successful plantation owners. America’s fifth president, Monroe presided over the “Era of Good Feelings” and issued the Monroe Doctrine, a policy that was invoked by presidents well into the 20th century.
On April 21, 1898, Spain ended diplomatic relations with America and the US Navy established a blockade of Cuba, marking the official start of the Spanish-American War. The war would last less than four months, but saw the downfall of the Spanish Empire and the rise of America as a major world power with several new possessions.
The first battles of the American Revolutionary War were fought on April 19, 1775 at Lexington and Concord. The American colonists’s brave stand showed the British, and the world, how dedicated they were to the cause of independence.
On April 17, 1900, chiefs on the island of Tutuila signed the Treaty of Cession of Tutuila, transferring control of American Samoa to the United States. The US Navy governed the island for half a century before it became self-governing, but remains an unincorporated US territory.
On April 12, 1861, North and South clashed for the first time at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. It was the opening battle of the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history.
On April 9, 1942, the largest number of US forces was captured at the end of the Battle of Bataan, leading to the Bataan Death March. Today, this date is commemorated as National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day.
Haym Salomon was born on April 7, 1740, in Leszno, Poland. Salomon raised funds and gave his own money to help the American war effort during the Revolutionary War.
On April 6, 1866, in Springfield, Illinois, Dr. Benjamin F. Stephenson founded the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) to bring together Civil War veterans. The GAR provided veterans with support and camaraderie and was influential in the creation of Memorial Day and more…