Year 1791: Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

This quick read presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1791. 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. U.S. Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson (Virginia)
5. In 1791, the first U.S. Congress was in session until March 4. On that date, the second U.S. Congress convened, and both chambers had a “pro-administration” majority.
6. Inflation rate: 2.17%
7. $100.00 in 1791 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,542.77 today. The U.S. dollar had “an average inflation rate of 1.53% per year” between 1791 and 2026, “producing a cumulative price increase of 3,442.77%.” In other words, a U.S. dollar today buys about 2.823% of what it could purchase back in 1791.
8. It’s worth noting that the U.S. dollar has lost 97% of its value since 1791.
9. $1.00 in 1791 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $35.43 today.
10. $10.00 in 1791 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $354.28 today.
11. As mentioned above, $100.00 in 1791 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $3,542.77 today.
12. Consumer price index (CPI): 9.400
13. In 1791, 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).
14. American companies and brands established in 1791 included the First Bank of the United States (a national bank chartered for a term of 20 years by the U.S. Congress); Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company (a company established to improve river navigation); and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (a state-sponsored corporation founded “to promote industrial development along the Passaic River in New Jersey”).
15. Farmers accounted for about 90% of the U.S. labor force.
16. On February 25, the U.S. Congress chartered the First Bank of the United States for a term of 20 years.
17. On March 4, Vermont became the 14th U.S. state.
18. March 4: The Tariff Act of 1791 became the first “internal revenue act” enacted by the U.S. government. “Championed by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, it levied excise taxes on domestically distilled spirits and carriages to help pay down the Revolutionary War debt.”
19. On March 11, Samuel Mulliken from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became the first person in the U.S. “to receive multiple patents on a single day, including one for a machine to thresh corn and grain, along with three others.”
20. On August 2, Samuel Briggs and his son were granted a joint U.S. patent for a nail-making machine.
21. On November 15, Georgetown, the first Roman Catholic college in the United States, opened in Washington, DC.
22. On November 26, the first U.S. cabinet meeting took place at George Washington's home in Philadelphia. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph attended the gathering.
23. On December 15, after Virginia's ratification, the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, became the law of the land.
24. On December 26, British inventor Charles Babbage was born. He is probably best known for inventing the adding machine.
25. Key fiction books published in 1791 included Elizabeth Inchbald’s A Simple Story, Ann Radcliffe’s The Romance of the Forest, and Susanna Rowson’s Charlotte, a Tale of Truth.
26. A noteworthy non-fiction work published during 1791 was James Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson.
27. Famous people born in 1791 were James Buchanan (U.S. president), Michael Faraday (chemist), and Samuel Morse (inventor).
28. Famous people who died in 1791 included John Wesley (religious leader) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (composer).
29. In 1791 as well, the words “bell the cat,” “centennial,” “corduroy,” “corn flour,” “cottage pie,” “decorative,” “drawing room,” “dunce cap,” “grizzly bear,” “Independence Day,” “journalism,” “matchstick,” “odometer,” “overtime,” “panorama,” “powder keg,” “pyrometer,” “semiannual,” “semiweekly,” “stained glass,” “Tam ‘o’ Shanter,” and “woman of color” all appeared in print for the first time.
30. Beef: $2.00 to $3.00 per 100 pounds
31. Butter: 12 to 15 cents a pound
32. Chicken: 12 cents each
33. Coffee: 25 cents to 33 cents per pound
34. Corn: 50 cents per bushel
35. Flour: $5.00 per barrel
36. Milk: Eight cents a quart
37. Oats: 33 cents per bushel
38. Salt Pork: Eight cents per pound
39. Turkey: 50 cents each
40. Wheat: $1.00 to $1.25 per bushel

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1791_in_the_United_States
2. https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1791
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_companies_established_in_1791
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1791_in_literature
5. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1791.html
6. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/deceased/1791.html
7. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1791
8. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-history-1790.html
9. https://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1791
10. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1791
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