1872 in the U.S.

See also: 1871 in the U.S, other events of 1872, 1873 in the U.S and the list of 'years in the U.S.'.

Table of contents

1 Events
2 Births
3 Deaths

Events

January 2 - Brigham Young, is arrested for bigamy (25 wives).
February 20 - In New York City the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens.
March 1 - Yellowstone National Park is established as the world's first national park
March 5 - George Westinghouse patents the air brake.
March 26 - Earthquake at Lone Pine, California with an estimated magnitude of 7.2 .
May 10 - Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States.
May 22 - Reconstruction: President Ulysses S. Grant signs the Amnesty Act of 1872 into law restoring full civil rights to all but about 500 Confederate sympathizers.
November - Ulysses S. Grant defeats Horace Greeley in the U.S. presidential election
November 5 - Womens suffrage: In defiance of the law, suffragist Susan B. Anthony votes for the first time (on November 18 she was served an arrest warrant and in the subsequent trial she was fined $100 - she never paid the fine).
November 9 - Great Boston Fire of 1872: In Boston, Massachusetts, a large fire begins to burn on Lincoln Street (the two day event destroyed about 65 acres of city, 776 buildings, much of the financial district and caused US$60 million in damage).