On This Day

Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government

Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of…

Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable.

Colt's first two business ventures were producing firearms in Paterson, New Jersey, and making underwater mines. His business expanded rapidly after 1847, when the Texas Rangers ordered 1,000 revolvers during the American war with Mexico. During the American Civil War, his factory in Hartford supplied firearms both to the North and the South. Later, his firearms were used widely during the settling of the western frontier. When Colt died in 1862, he was one of the wealthiest men in the United States.

Historical Significance

Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable.

Key People

Samuel Colt

industrialist and inventor

American industrialist and inventor

Events Before

  1. Legislative Assembly of Yucatán declares independence from Mexico

    Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to...

  2. Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War

    Texas ( TEK-səss) is the most populous state in the South of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and an...

  3. First officially recognized baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) - NY Nine defeats the NY Knickerbockers 23-1 in H

    First officially recognized baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) - NY Nine defeats the NY Knickerbockers 23-1 in Hoboken, New Jersey

  4. US Act of Congress passes establishment of the Smithsonian Institution, now the world's largest museum and research comp

    US Act of Congress passes establishment of the Smithsonian Institution, now the world's largest museum and research complex

  5. Italian "The Barber of Seville" opera composer Gioachino Rossini (54) marries 2nd wife, French model Olympe Pélissier (4

    Italian "The Barber of Seville" opera composer Gioachino Rossini (54) marries 2nd wife, French model Olympe Pélissier (47) in Paris, France

Events After

  1. British forces forcibly seize the port of San Juan del Norte (later Greytown) from Nicaragua

    British forces forcibly seize the port of San Juan del Norte (later Greytown) from Nicaragua

  2. James Marshall finds gold in Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California [1]

    The California gold rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush in California, which began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California.

  3. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican–American War. Mexico loses 55 percent of its territory to the US, including

    Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican–American War. Mexico loses 55 percent of its territory to the US, including California, Nevada and Utah in exchange for $15 million.

  4. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish "The Communist Manifesto" in London

    The Communist Manifesto (German: Das Kommunistische Manifest), originally the Manifesto of the Communist Party (Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei), is a political pamphlet written by Karl Marx and…

  5. Confederate General James Longstreet (27) weds Maria Louisa Garland in Lynchburg, Virginia

    Confederate General James Longstreet (27) weds Maria Louisa Garland in Lynchburg, Virginia

More from the 1840s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on January 4, 1847?
Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable. Colt's first two business ventures were producing firearms in Paterson, New Jersey, and making underwater mines. His business expanded rapidly after 1847, when the Texas Rangers ordered 1,000 revolvers during the American war with Mexico.
Why is Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government significant?
Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862) was an American inventor, industrialist, and businessman who established Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company and made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable.
Who was involved in Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the United States government?
Key figures include Samuel Colt (industrialist and inventor).

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