Year by year · 19th century

1808

1808 in world history: 14 events, 12 births, 7 deaths, 1 work, 3 states founded and 1 that came to an end. 1,112 recorded states existed that year.

Events

  1. 1 January

    United States bans the importation of enslaved Africans

    The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves came into force, outlawing the transatlantic slave trade to the United States. Slavery itself and the domestic slave trade continued until the Civil War.

    United States

  2. 2 May

    Madrid rises against French occupation

    Crowds in Madrid attacked French troops in the Dos de Mayo uprising, which was suppressed with mass executions painted by Goya. Revolt spread across Spain and began the Peninsular War.

    Spanish EmpirePeninsular WarMadrid

  3. Event

    Transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil

    The transfer of the Portuguese court to Brazil was the relocation of the Portuguese royal family and government to Rio de Janeiro in 1808, as Napoleon's armies invaded Portugal.

  4. Battle

    Battle of Palo Hincado

    The Battle of Palo Hincado was fought on 7 November 1808 near El Seibo in the east of the colony of Santo Domingo.

  5. Event

    Congress of Erfurt

    The Congress of Erfurt was a meeting between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I of Russia held in Erfurt from 27 September to 14 October 1808, attended by many German princes.

  6. Battle

    Battle of Alkalawa

    The Battle of Alkalawa was the capture in 1808 of Alkalawa, the capital of the Hausa kingdom of Gobir, by the forces of Usman dan Fodio's jihad.

ProfileState932 states with a known seat in 1808Open the atlas at 1808 →

In the profiles

Wars and longer events

Born in 1808 12

Died in 1808 7

Works 1

States founded 3

States that came to an end 1

All years → The 19th century →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). 1808. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1808
MLA
“1808.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1808. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “1808.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1808.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘1808’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1808 (Accessed: ).