Year 1790: Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

This quick read presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1790. 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.

1. President of the United States: George Washington (Independent-Virginia)
2. Vice President: John Adams (Federalist Party-Massachusetts)
3. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: John Jay (New York)
4. In 1790, the first U.S. Congress was in session.
5. Inflation rate: 4.55%
6. $100.00 in 1790 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,619.78 today. The U.S. dollar had “an average inflation rate of 1.53% per year” between 1790 and 2026, “producing a cumulative price increase of 3,519.78%.” In other words, a U.S. dollar today buys about 2.763% of what it could purchase back in 1790.
7. It’s worth noting that the U.S. dollar has lost 97% of its value since 1790.
8. $1.00 in 1790 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $36.20 today.
9. $10.00 in 1790 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $361.98 today.
10. As mentioned above, $100.00 in 1790 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,619.78 today.
11. In 1790, there were 13 U.S. states. In order of admission to the Union, they were Delaware (1787), Pennsylvania (1787), New Jersey (1787), Georgia (1788), Connecticut (1788), Massachusetts (1788), Maryland (1788), South Carolina (1788), New Hampshire (1788), Virginia (1788), New York (1788), North Carolina (1789), and Rhode Island (1790).
12. Consumer price index (CPI): 9.200
13. American companies and brands established in 1790 included the King Arthur Baking Company (the oldest flour company in the United States) and the Phoenix Iron Works (a Phoenixville, Pennsylvania-based iron manufacturer).
14. In 1790, the first U.S. census was conducted, and there were 3,939,214 mouths to feed throughout the country.
15. Farmers accounted for about 90% of the U.S. labor force.
16. On January 8, President Washington delivered the first State of the Union message to Congress in New York City.
17. On February 1, the U.S. Supreme Court met for the first time in the Royal Exchange Building in New York City, with Chief Justice John Jay of New York presiding.
18. On March 22, Thomas Jefferson became the first U.S. secretary of state.
19. On March 27, Harvey Kennedy of England received a patent for the modern shoelace.
20. On April 10, President Washington signed the Patent Act of 1790, thereby establishing the U.S. patent system.
21. On April 17, Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers, died in Philadelphia at age 84.
22. On May 29, Rhode Island became the 13th U.S. state.
23. On June 9, John Barry, a Philadelphia schoolmaster, received the first U.S. copyright for his book, The Philadelphia Spelling Book.
24. On July 16, Congress passed the Residence Act, declaring that Washington, DC, would become the nation’s permanent capital.
25. On July 31, Samuel Hopkins from Vermont received the first U.S. patent. His patent was for a method of making potash and pearlash. Potash was used in soap and fertilizers, “while pearlash played a role in baking by producing carbon dioxide gas in dough, which was essential for the early forms of 'quick breads.'”
26. On August 9, the merchant vessel Columbia Rediviva “sailed into Boston Harbor under the command of Captain Robert Gray, making history as the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe.”
27. On October 7, Obed Hussy was born in Hallowell, Maine. He is credited for inventing a horse-drawn reaper.
28. On November 11, chrysanthemums were introduced to England from China.
29. On December 6, the U.S. Congress moved from New York City to Philadelphia.
30. On December 20, the first successful cotton mill in the United States “started spinning yarn” in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. “This mill was established by Samuel Slater and was modeled after Richard Arkwright's design.”
31. Key fiction books published in 1790 included Mary Pilkington’s Delia, Ann Radcliffe’s A Sicilian Romance, and Helen Maria Williams’ Julia.
32. A noteworthy non-fiction work published during 1790 was Samuel Ayscough’s An Index to the Remarkable Passages and Words Made Use of by Shakespeare.
33. Notable poetic works for the year were William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell and Robert Burns’ Tam ‘o' Shanter.
34. Famous people born in 1790 were George Everest (explorer) and John Tyler (U.S. president).
35. Famous people who died in 1790 included Adam Smith (a Scottish economist), Benjamin Franklin (an American statesman and inventor), and Thomas Warton (a British poet).
36. In 1790 as well, the words “aside from,” “citric acid,” “crate,” “decided,” “digestive system,” “eraser,” “guillotine,” “headfirst,” “Indian summer,” “laughing hyena,” “municipality,” “paisley,” “parcel post,” “peacoat,” “preoccupied,” “promised land,” “ragweed,” “referral,” “sort of,” “steamship,” “subhuman,” “superstrong,” “uranium,” and “veterinary medicine” all appeared in print for the first time.
37. Beef: $2.00 to $3.00 per 100 pounds
38. Chicken: 12 cents each
39. Coffee: 25 cents to 33 cents per pound
40. Corn: 50 cents per bushel
41. Flour: $5.00 per barrel
42. Oats: 33 cents per bushel
43. Salt Pork: Eight cents per pound
44. Turkey: 50 cents each
45. Wheat: $1.00 to $1.25 per bushel

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1790_in_the_United_States
2. https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1790
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_companies_established_in_1790
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1790_in_literature
5. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1790.html
6. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/deceased/1790.html
7. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1790
8. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-history-1790.html
9. https://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1790
10. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1790
11. https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1780-1789

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