1804
Haiti Declares Independence
At Gonaives, Jean-Jacques Dessalines tore the white from the French tricolor and proclaimed the first Black republic in the Americas.
Napoleonic Code Promulgated
After four years of legal drafting supervised by Napoleon himself, France received a single civil code: clear, secular, patriarchal, and brutally efficient.
Sokoto Jihad Begins
Driven from Gobir by a suspicious sultan, Usman dan Fodio raised his green banner and declared holy war on the Hausa kings.
Napoleon Crowns Himself Emperor
In Notre-Dame, beneath Pius VII's startled gaze, Napoleon lifted the laurel crown from the altar and placed it on his own head, then crowned Josephine.
Lewis and Clark Set Out
From a muddy camp near St. Louis, a young army captain and his reckless partner pushed a keelboat against the Missouri current, under secret orders…
Napoleon Proclaimed Emperor
The Senate voted and the Tribunate acquiesced: Napoleon Bonaparte was declared Emperor of the French, with the title to be hereditary.
Hamilton-Burr Duel
At dawn on the Weehawken bluffs, the sitting Vice President of the United States shot the former Secretary of the Treasury.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1804?
Saeculum lists 8 events from 1804. The most significant is Haiti Declares Independence: At Gonaives, Jean-Jacques Dessalines tore the white from the French tricolor and proclaimed the first Black republic in the Americas.
What era was 1804 part of?
1804 falls within the Industrial Age (1801-1900). Steam, empire, and the unmaking of the old order.
Which regions saw notable events in 1804?
The events from 1804 span North America, Europe and Africa.