A Year In History: 1819

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This Year in History:

1819

Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

February 22

The U.S. acquires Spanish Florida

Spanish minister Do Luis de Onis and U.S. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams sign the Florida Purchase Treaty, in which Spain agrees to cede the remainder of its old…

19th Century

May 31

Poet Walt Whitman, author of “Leaves of Grass,” is born

May 31, 1819 is the birthday of poet Walt Whitman, born in West Hills, Long Island, and raised in Brooklyn. Although Whitman loved music and books, he left school at…

Art, Literature, and Film History

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The U.S. acquires Spanish Florida

Poet Walt Whitman, author of “Leaves of Grass,” is born

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