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| 1877 |
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| Aaron Montgomery opened his mail order business in Chicago with a capital of less than $2,500. By 1883 the company's stock rose in value to over $500,000. | 1 |
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| March 3 |
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| The Desert Land Act was designed to encourage development of irrigation in arid areas by private effort. The advance of white settlers, slaughter of the buffalo, and the gold rush to the Black Hills caused an uprising of the Plains Sioux (1876) under Sitting Bull, which resulted in the crushing defeat of Gen. George A. Custer (1839–76) and his troops by Chiefs Sitting Bull (c. 1831–90) and Crazy Horse (c. 1842–77) at the Little Big Horn River. | 2 |
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| March 4–1881, March 4 |
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| RUTHERFORD B. HAYES, 19th president. | 3 |
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| July |
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| The Great Uprising. In reaction to a depression and numerous wage reductions, railroad workmen instituted a major railroad strike that spread to 14 states in two weeks. The strike left in its wake over 100 deaths and millions of dollars worth of property damage. The work stoppage was the first national strike and the first time the government put the full force of the U.S. Army on the side of business. | 4 |
| Nez Perce Indians under Chief Joseph were defeated (Oct. 1877) and removed to Indian Territory. | 5 |
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