The 1800s were a century of incredible transformation for America but not all of it was pretty. These 34 photographs capture a nation growing up fast, from the early days of our democracy to the dawn of the industrial age. You’ll see images that might make you uncomfortable alongside others that fill you with pride, because that’s exactly what this era was: complicated, messy, and real. From Native American communities fighting for survival to waves of immigrants seeking new lives at Ellis Island, from the harsh realities of plantation life to the bustling energy of Wall Street, these pictures don’t sugarcoat history. They show us America as it actually was: a young country figuring itself out, making terrible mistakes and remarkable progress, often at the same time.
#1 Native American Prisoners Of The Red River War, 1875
Image credits: Dietmar Administrator
#2 Gold Miners In Aubine Ravine, California, 1852
Image credits: Fine Art Images/Heritage Images
#3 Crinoline Used To Support Victorian-Era Dresses, 1860
Image credits: London Stereoscopic Company
#4 The New York Stock Exchange, Late 1890s
Image credits: AP
#5 International Council Of Women, 1888
The international council of women became the first organization of women to promote the advancement of women’s rights and equality. Emerged from the growing discourse around gender- based injustice that was prevalent in the later part of the 19th century.
Image credits: Seneca Falls Historical Site
#6 Children Playing In Their Classroom, Iowa, 1892
Image credits: Historical Photos
#7 On The Lawn At The White House For The Easter Egg Roll, 1898
Image credits: obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
#8 James Hopkinsons Plantation Slaves Planting Sweet Potatoes, 1862
Image credits: Henry P. Moore
#9 The First Automobile Comes To Town! 1896
Henry Ford drives his first automobile. By the late 1800’s, people had traveled by wagon, stagecoach, train, bicycle, horseback and trolley. Automobiles had not yet been invented until Henry for created the quadricycle, his first attempt at a vehicle that was gas powered. It was constructed of cast iron for ther outer body and a leather belt and chairn for a transmission.
Image credits: Buttermilk Junction
#10 Telephone Exchange Employees In New York, 1896
Image credits: Historic Photographs
#11 The Annie, First Boat Ever Launched On Yellowstone Lake, William Henry Jackson Photo Taken During The 1871 Hayden Geological Survey
Image credits: William Henry Jackson
#12 “Nomads Of The Street”, Street Children In Their Sleeping Quarters, New York, 1890s
In the late 19th century, there were a large number of homeless children on the streets of New York. Some of the children who lived in the streets had homes, but preferred to sleep on the street, as their tenements were often too small, unsanitary, or overcrowded.
Image credits: Jacob Riis
#13 Bandits’ Roost, 59 1/2 Mulberry Street, 1889
Part of How the Other Half Lives, an early photojournalist publication pursuing better conditions for the lower class of New York City. The photo and publication’s impact was such that they contributed to the crime-ridden Bend’s replacement with Columbus Park.
Image credits: Jacob Riis
#14 The First Boardwalk, 1870
Image credits: Golden Age Of Travel 1830-1955
#15 Circus Day, 1880
In the late 1880’s families would await the arrival of ‘Circus Day’ when performers, animals, and acrobats from Ringling Bros. Circus would parade through town announcing the arrival of the circus.
#16 Recruitment Of Soldiers For The War Against Spain (Spanish-American War), Shortly After The Sinking Of The Maine, 1898
Image credits: E.J. Stanley
#17 Traveling Medicine Salesman In Oklahoma, 1895
Image credits: Historic Photographs
By now you’ve seen some of the harder truths about 19th century America, but there’s so much more to this complex story. The images you’re about to see continue to paint a picture of a nation caught between its ideals and its reality. A place where incredible innovation happened alongside unthinkable injustice. These next photos will take you from bustling city streets to quiet frontier towns, from grand government buildings to humble immigrant families starting over. Each image reminds us that the America we know today was built by real people making real choices, for better and worse.
#18 Street Vendors Selling Newspapers, Magazines And Comics, New York, 1893
Image credits: Hulton Archive
#19 Abraham Lincoln, Candidate For U.S. President, Three-Quarter Length Portrait, 1860
Image credits: Mathew Benjamin Brady
#20 “Ruins In Richmond” Damage To Franklin Paper Mill And Arsenal In Richmond, Virginia From The American Civil War, 1865
Image credits: Russell, Andrew J.
#21 Main Street Buffalo, NY During The Funeral Procession Of Abraham Lincoln, 1865
Image credits: Buffalo Public Library
#22 The Brooklyn Bridge Construction, 1883
Image credits: Harry N. Abrams
#23 Construction Of The St. Paul, Mn To Seattle, WA Railroad, 1887
From 1879 to 1893, it was Americas largest railway system, which became the Great Northern Railway.
Image credits: James J. Hill House
#24 Sod And Mud Home, 1887
While the east coast was building wooden structures like our little cottage, that were more reminiscent of homes in Britain; the west was building homes from sod, mud and grass. Wood and other materials were not as plentiful on the great plains.
Image credits: Solomon Devore
#25 Transporting Goods, 1880s
In the 1880’s, the popular mode of transporting goods and people across the western United States was by stage coach. It was a long route with many stage coach stops every few hours along the way. Drivers could swap out their tired team of horses for fresh ones and passengers could stretch their legs and get a bite to eat. Hence the name “transportation occurring in stages”. Even though by now, the railroad was now moving freight and passengers, in rural areas, the stage coach was still the popular mode of transportation.
#26 Ellis Island Opens, 1892
Image credits: The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
#27 The Great Oklahoma Land Rush , 1893
Image credits: Carl Albert Research and Studies Center, Congressional Collection
#28 Chicago White Stockings Baseball Team, 1870
Image credits: wrigleyivy.com
#29 Thomas Edison In His Newark, NJ Laboratory, 1870
Image credits: Old Photos
#30 First Waterfront Amusement Park, 1899
Image credits: Bettmann