January 6 – The North Carolina General Assembly authorizes nine commissioners to purchase 100 acres (0.40 km2) of land for the county seat of
Chatham County. The town is named Pittsborough (later shortened to
Pittsboro) for
William Pitt the Younger.
February 28 – A charter is granted establishing the institution known today as the
University of Pittsburgh.
July 13 – The
U.S. Congress enacts the
Northwest Ordinance establishing governing rules for the
Northwest Territory. It also establishes procedures for the admission of new states including gridded townships and limits the expansion of
slavery.
August 27 – Launching a 45-foot (14 m) steam powered craft on the Delaware River,
John Fitch demonstrates the first U.S. patent for his design.
October 27 – The first of The Federalist papers, a series of essays, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay calling for ratification of the
U.S. Constitution, is published in a
New York paper.