1790 in the United States

Events from the year 1790 in the United States.

Federal government

 * President: George Washington (no political party-Virginia)
 * Vice President: John Adams (F-Massachusetts)
 * Chief Justice: John Jay (New York)
 * Speaker of the House of Representatives: Frederick Muhlenberg (Pro-Admin.-Pennsylvania)
 * Congress: 1st

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" ! Governors and lieutenant governors

Governors

 * Governor of Connecticut: Samuel Huntington (Federalist)
 * Governor of Delaware: Joshua Clayton (Federalist)
 * Governor of Georgia: George Walton (Democratic-Republican) (until November 9), Edward Telfair (Democratic-Republican) (starting November 9)
 * Governor of Maryland: John E. Howard (Federalist)
 * Governor of Massachusetts: John Hancock (no political party)
 * Governor of New Hampshire: John Sullivan (Federalist) (until June 5), Josiah Bartlett (Democratic-Republican) (starting June 5)
 * Governor of New Jersey:
 * until July 25: William Livingston (no political party)
 * July 25-October 29: Elisha Lawrence (Federalist)
 * starting October 29: William Paterson (Federalist)
 * Governor of New York: George Clinton (Democratic-Republican)
 * Governor of North Carolina: Alexander Martin (Anti-Federalist)
 * Governor of Pennsylvania: Thomas Mifflin (no political party)
 * Governor of Rhode Island: Arthur Fenner (Country) (starting May 29)
 * Governor of South Carolina: Charles Pinckney (Federalist)
 * Governor of Virginia: Beverley Randolph (no political party)

Lieutenant governors

 * Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: Oliver Wolcott (Federalist)
 * Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: Samuel Adams (Democratic-Republican)
 * Lieutenant Governor of New York: Pierre Van Cortlandt (political party unknown)
 * Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: Samuel J. Potter (Democratic-Republican) (starting May 29)
 * Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: Alexander Gillon (Federalist)


 * }

January–March

 * January 8 – President of the U.S. George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City.
 * February 1 – In New York City the Supreme Court of the United States convenes for the first time.
 * February 11 – Two Quaker delegates petition the United States Congress for the abolition of slavery.
 * March 1 – The first United States census is authorized.
 * March 21 – Thomas Jefferson reports to President George Washington in New York City as the new United States Secretary of State.

April–June

 * April 10 – The United States patent system is established.
 * May 26 – Southwest Ordinance creates a Southwest Territory.
 * May 29 – Rhode Island ratifies the United States Constitution and becomes the last of the 13 original states to do so (see History of Rhode Island).
 * June 20 – Compromise of 1790: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton come to an agreement: Madison agrees to not be "strenuous" in opposition for the assumption of state debts by the federal government; Hamilton agrees to support the capital site being above the Potomac.

July–September

 * July 10 – The House of Representatives votes on where to locate the national capital.
 * July 16 – The signing of the Residence Act establishes a site along the Potomac River as the District of Columbia, the capital district of the United States.
 * July 31 – Inventor Samuel Hopkins becomes the first to be issued a U.S. patent (for an improved method of making potash).
 * August 2 – The first United States Census is taken.
 * August 4 – A newly passed U.S. tariff act creates the United States Revenue Cutter Service, the forerunner of the Coast Guard.

Undated

 * The first United States federal budget bill is introduced by Alexander Hamilton.
 * 5.1% of Americans are living in centers of 2,500 or more people.

Ongoing

 * Northwest Indian War (1785–1795)

Births

 * January 6 – Arnold Naudain, U.S. Senator from Delaware from 1830 to 1836 (died 1872)
 * January 13 – Richard Saltonstall Rogers, shipping merchant and politician (died 1873)
 * January 17 – Powhatan Ellis, U.S. Senator from Mississippi from 1825 to 1826 and from 1827 to 1832 (died 1863)
 * March 29 – John Tyler, tenth president of the United States from 1841 to 1845, tenth vice president of the United States from March to April 1841 (died 1862)
 * May 20 – Micajah Thomas Hawkins, politician (died 1858)
 * June 1 – Chester Ashley, U.S. Senator from Arkansas from 1844 to 1848 (died 1848)
 * July 8 – Fitz-Greene Halleck, poet (died 1867)
 * July 18 – John Frazee, portrait sculptor (died 1852)
 * October 1 – Henry H. Chambers, U.S. Senator from Alabama from 1825 to 1826 (died 1826)
 * November 12 – Letitia Christian Tyler, First Lady of the United States (died 1842)
 * Unknown
 * Willis Buell, politician and portrait painter (died 1851)
 * James Moore Wayne, politician and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (died 1867)
 * Probable – Lone Horn, Miniconjou chief (died 1875)

Deaths

 * January 25 – Meriwether Smith, Continental Congressman for Virginia (born 1730)
 * January 31 – Thomas Lewis, Virginia settler (born 1718 in Ireland)
 * February 20 – Leonard Lispenard, merchant, politician and landowner (born 1714)
 * March 4 – Henry Wisner, Continental Congressman for New York (born 1720)
 * March 12 – William Grayson, Continental Congressman and U.S. Senator for Virginia (born 1740)
 * April 17 – Benjamin Franklin, publisher, inventor, congressman, ambassador, abolitionist and American icon (born 1706)
 * May 4 – Matthew Tilghman, Continental Congressman for Maryland (born 1718)
 * May 9 – William Clingan, Continental Congressman for Pennsylvania (born c. 1721)
 * May 20 – Nathan Miller, Continental Congressman for Rhode Island (born 1743)
 * May 26 – Nathaniel Folsom, Continental Congressman for New Hampshire and Revolutionary War major general (born 1726)
 * May 29 – Israel Putnam, Revolutionary War general (born 1718)
 * June 1 – Theodorick Bland, Continental Congressman and U.S. Representative for Virginia (born 1741)
 * July 25 – William Livingston, signer of the U.S. Constitution and Governor of New Jersey from 1776 to 1790 (born 1723)
 * August 16 – David Brearley, Revolutionary War colonel, signer of the U.S. Constitution for New Jersey and federal judge (born 1745)
 * October 14 – William Hooper, signer of the Declaration of Independence (born 1742)
 * October 19 – Lyman Hall, signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Georgia from 1783 to 1784 (born 1724)
 * October 31 – Michael Schlatter, Swiss-born clergyman (born 1716)
 * November 6 – James Bowdoin, Governor of Massachusetts (born 1726)
 * November 16 – Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Continental Congressman and signer of the U.S. Constitution for Maryland (born 1723)
 * November 27 – Robert Livingston, member of the New York colonial assembly from 1737 to 1758 (born 1708)
 * December 16 – Benjamin Andrew, Continental Congressman for Georgia and member of the Georgia House of Representatives (born 1713)
 * Unknown – John Hawks, architect (born c.1731 in England)