Year 1785: Fun Facts, Trivia, and History
This quick read presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1785.
This quick read presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1785. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, historic firsts, U.S. economic data, entertainment trivia, and much more.
Take a journey through history in just minutes.
President of the Confederation Congress: Richard Henry Lee—Until November 4, 1785
President of the Confederation Congress: John Hancock—Starting on November 23, 1785
Sixth Confederation Congress: January 11, 1785, to November 4, 1785
Seventh Confederation Congress: November 7, 1785, to November 3, 1786
Inflation rate: -4.90%
Consumer price index (CPI): 9.700
$100.00 in 1785 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,442.45 today. The U.S. dollar had “an average inflation rate of 1.48% per year” between 1785 and 2026, “producing a cumulative price increase of 3,342.45%.” In other words, a U.S. dollar today buys about 2.905% of what it could purchase back in 1785.
It’s worth noting that the U.S. dollar has lost about 97% of its value since 1785.
The average daily wage for a common laborer in the United States averaged $1.00.
Farmers accounted for over 90% of the U.S. labor force.
American companies established in 1785 included Bixler’s (a jewelry company) and the Valley View Ferry (a Kentucky-based ferry service).
On January 1, The Daily Universal Register (later renamed The Times) began publishing in London.
On January 7, Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries traveled from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in a gas balloon, “becoming the first to cross the English Channel by air.”
On January 11, the Sixth Confederation Congress convened in New York City, having previously convened in Trenton, New Jersey.
On January 27, the Georgia General Assembly incorporated the University of Georgia, America’s first state-funded institution of higher learning.
On March 1, the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture was established.
On May 9, British inventor Joseph Bramah received a patent for the beer pump handle.
On May 10, a hot air balloon crashed in Tullamore, Ireland, “triggering what is considered by many to be the world's first aviation disaster.” History.com tells us that “Launched during a local fair, the unmanned balloon drifted off course and ignited a fire that tore through the town, destroying nearly 100 houses and businesses. The blaze, later known as the Great Fire of Tullamore, exposed the unexpected dangers of early ballooning experiments.”
On May 23, in a letter to his friend George Whatley, Benjamin Franklin described his invention of bifocals.
On July 6, the Continental Congress established the dollar as the official currency of the United States.
On August 1, Caroline Herschel, the sister of astronomer William Herschel, became the first woman to discover a comet.
On November 17, King's Chapel in Boston became the first congregation in North America “to officially adopt Unitarian doctrine.”
On November 28, the Treaty of Hopewell was signed at the Hopewell plantation in South Carolina “to establish official peace, boundaries, and trade between the United States and the Cherokee people.”
Around 1785, Oliver Evans of Newport, Delaware, invented “a fully automated, continuous-process milling system that cut labor needs and improved flour quality.”
Popular fiction works for the year: Anna Maria Bennett’s Anna and Elizabeth Blower’s Maria.
Noteworthy non-fiction works: Immanuel Kant’s Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals (Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten) and William Paley’s The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy.
Famous people born in 1785 were Jacob Grimm (German novelist), Karl Drais (German inventor who created an early version of the typewriter as well as the hobby horse, a precursor to the bicycle), and Oliver Hazard Perry (War of 1812 hero).
Famous people who died in 1785 included James Oglethorpe (British explorer who founded the colony of Georgia) and Joseph Reed (American attorney and military officer who served in the Revolutionary War).
In 1785 as well, the words “bedspread,” “boring,” “bowwow,” “cast one’s lot with,” “coal tar,” “donate,” “donkey,” “earlobe,” “Godiva,” “goody-goody,” “grandpa,” “greenbrier,” “guideline,” “half-mast,” “in retrospect,” “kingdom come,” “memorabilia,” “Mother Goose,” “nanny,” “Pacific Islander,” “placebo,” “rye whiskey,” “senatorial district,” “show window,” “silver bell,” “snitch,” “spellbound,” “squatter,” “state university,” “steamboat,” “stylish,” “T square,” and “yoga” all appeared in print for the first time.
24 pounds of cheese: $2.00
40 pounds of pork: $3.33
Maslin (two kinds of grain mixed together): 76 cents a bushel
One-half bushel of onions: 42 cents
One-half bushel of potatoes: 17 cents
One pair of bridle bits: 17 cents
One pair of new stockings: 33 cents
One pair of shoes: $1.25
One petticoat: 17 cents
Six pounds of butter: 75 cents
Tobacco: Three pounds for 25 cents
Wages for one day of hoeing corn: 50 cents
Wages for one day of mowing: 67 cents
Wages for one day of reaping: 58 cents
Wages for one day of threshing: 42 cents
Wheat: $1.17 a bushel
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_companies_established_in_1785
https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-timeline-1785-1789.html
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015035798035&seq=16
Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.
© 2026 Gregory DeVictor
About the Creator
Gregory DeVictor
Gregory DeVictor is a trivia enthusiast who likes to write articles about American history and nostalgia. Each of his articles presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and historic events about a specific calendar year, decade, or century.
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