This Year in History:
1803
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
Two months after his defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s colonial forces, Jean‑Jacques Dessalines proclaims the independence of Saint‑Domingue, renaming it Haiti after its original Arawak name. In 1791, a revolt erupted…
On January 18, 1803, Thomas Jefferson requests funding from Congress to finance the Lewis and Clark expedition. Jefferson officially asked for $2,500 in funding from Congress, though some sources indicate…
On February 24, 1803, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice John Marshall, decides the landmark case of William Marbury versus James Madison, Secretary of State of the United States…
In one of the great surprises in diplomatic history, French Foreign Minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand makes an offer to sell all of Louisiana Territory to the United States. Talleyrand…
On April 30, 1803, representatives of the United States and Napoleonic France conclude negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, a massive land sale that doubles the size of the young American…
On October 20, 1803, the U.S. Senate approves a treaty with France providing for the purchase of the territory of Louisiana, which would double the size of the United States.…
