Year 1796: Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

This quick read presents a mix of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1796. 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: Oliver Ellsworth (Connecticut)
4. Speaker of the House of Representatives: Jonathan Dayton (Federalist-New Jersey)
5. In 1796, the fourth U.S. Congress was in session. It met at Congress Hall, located at 6th and Chestnut Streets in Center City Philadelphia. The Senate “had a Federalist majority, and the House had a Democratic-Republican majority.”
6. Inflation rate: 4.76%
7. Consumer price index (CPI): 13.200
8. $100.00 in 1796 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $2,522.88 today. The U.S. dollar had “an average inflation rate of 1.41% per year” between 1796 and 2026, “producing a cumulative price increase of 2,422.88%.” In other words, a U.S. dollar today buys about 3.964% of what it could purchase back in 1796.
9. It’s worth noting that the U.S. dollar has lost 96% of its value since 1796.
10. In 1796, there were 16 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), Rhode Island (1790), Kentucky (1792), and Tennessee (1796).
11. American companies established in 1796 included Binny & Ronaldson (a Philadelphia-based foundry business).
12. On April 13, America’s first elephant arrived in New York City from Bengal, India.
13. On May 14, Edward Jenner—an English country doctor—administered the world’s first smallpox vaccination.
14. On May 27, New Jersey resident James S. McLean received a U.S. patent for his piano enhancements.
15. On June 1, Tennessee became the 16th U.S. state.
16. On July 4, the first Independence Day celebration was held in the United States.
17. On July 8, the U.S. State Department issued the first passport.
18. On July 22, General Moses Cleaveland founded Cleveland, Ohio.
19. On September 17, George Washington prepared a final draft of his presidential farewell address. Two days later, “the carefully crafted words appeared in Claypoole’s American Daily Advertiser, published in Philadelphia, officially notifying the American public that Washington would voluntarily step down as the nation’s first president.”
20. October 15: A writer, mysteriously named “Phocion,” published an essay in the Gazette of the United States in which they maliciously attacked presidential candidate Thomas Jefferson. History.com tells us that Phocion turned out to be former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. The essay typified the nasty, personal nature of political attacks in late 18th-century America.”
21. On November 3, John Adams became the second president of the United States.
22. On December 18, the Baltimore Monitor became America’s first Sunday newspaper.
23. The Public Land Act of 1796 authorized the sale of federal lands in the Northwest Territory to the public. “Intended to generate revenue for the young U.S. government, the legislation set a minimum purchase price of $2.00 per acre with a minimum plot size of 640 acres.”
24. Key fiction books published in 1796 included Eliza Parsons’ The Mysterious Warning, a German Tale, Matthew Lewis’ The Monk, and Regina Maria Roche’s The Children of the Abbey: a Tale.
25. British stockjobber and satirical poet Ralph Broome published Observations on Mr. Paine's Pamphlet Entitled the Decline and Fall of the English System of Finance, and Strictures on Mr. Burke's Two Letters, Addressed to a Member of the Present Parliament.
26. Amelia Simmons published American Cookery, the first known cookbook written by an American.
27. Famous people born in 1796 were Benjamin Bonneville (an explorer), Jim Bowie (an explorer), and Noah Hingley (an entrepreneur).
28. Famous people who died in 1796 included David Rittenhouse (an astronomer); Robert Burns (a poet); and Samuel Seabury (the first bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States).
29. In 1796 as well, the words “at first glance,” “brussels sprout,” “cashew nut,” “cost of living,” “cotton gin,” “dharma,” “dramatization,” “echelon,” “family physician,” “fishbowl,” “flirtatious,” “heartthrob,” “long shot,” “Mr. Right,” “nouveau riche,” “oilcloth,” “packinghouse,” “plain sailing,” “published,” “restaurateur,” “schnapps,” “self-absorbed,” and “tungsten” 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. Chickens: 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. Turkeys: 50 cents each
40. Wheat: $1.00 to $1.25 per bushel

References:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1796_in_the_United_States
2. https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1796
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_companies_established_in_1796
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1796_in_literature
5. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1796.html
6. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/deceased/1796.html
7. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1796
8. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-timeline-1795-1799.html
9. https://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1796
10. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1796

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