1856 was a year of significant political upheaval, scientific advancements, cultural developments, and technological innovations. It was a particularly turbulent period in the United States, marked by escalating tensions over slavery and growing sectionalism that would ultimately lead to the American Civil War.
Political Events
January 29: Queen Victoria institutes the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
February 22: The Know-Nothing Party nominates former United States President Millard Fillmore for President. The Know-Nothings were an anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic political movement.
May 21-22: The Sack of Lawrence occurs in Lawrence, Kansas Territory. Pro-slavery forces attack and pillage the Free-State stronghold, escalating tensions in Bleeding Kansas. This directly relates to the debate over whether new territories would be admitted to the Union as slave or free states.
May 22: The Caning of Charles Sumner. In the United States Senate chamber, Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina attacks Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane, severely injuring him. This was in response to Sumner's anti-slavery speech, "The Crime Against Kansas". The event further inflamed passions on both sides of the slavery issue.
June 2-5: The Battle of Black Jack. One of the many violent confrontations during Bleeding Kansas, this battle saw abolitionist John Brown attack a pro-slavery camp.
June 17-19: The Republican Party holds its first National Convention in Philadelphia, nominating John C. Frémont for President. The Republican Party platform was explicitly anti-slavery expansion.
November 4: James Buchanan is elected President of the United States. Buchanan, a Democrat, defeated Republican John C. Frémont and Know-Nothing Millard Fillmore. His election reflected the deep divisions within the country.
November 28: Persia declares war on Great Britain. The Anglo-Persian War (1856-1857) erupts over control of Herat (in modern-day Afghanistan).
Scientific Events
August 9: The first known photograph of lightning is taken by physicist A. S. Davis.
William Perkin successfully synthesizes mauveine, the first aniline dye, laying the foundation for the synthetic dye industry. This was a major breakthrough in chemistry and had significant commercial implications.
Cultural Events
January 27: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario) opera is performed for the first time in United States.
April 13: The United States Sanitary Commission is established to provide health services to soldiers during the American Civil War.
Gustave Flaubert'sMadame Bovary is published in France. It sparks a scandal due to its depiction of adultery and bourgeois life, but is now considered a landmark novel.
Robert Schumann suffers a mental breakdown and is confined to an asylum, where he remains until his death in 1856.
Technological Events
Henry Bessemer patents the Bessemer process for steel production, revolutionizing the steel industry. This process significantly reduced the cost of steel production, leading to its widespread use in railroads, construction, and manufacturing.
Gail Borden patents the process for condensed milk. This invention proved crucial for preserving milk over long periods, especially for military rations and urban populations.
June 21: The first railway bridge over the Mississippi River opens, connecting Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. This was a vital step in expanding rail transportation and connecting the East and West. It would however, collapse in May, 1856.