1887

1887 was a year in the late 19th century marked by regulatory reforms, imperial celebrations, and financial volatility. In the United States, Congress enacted two landmark measures addressing railroads and land policy. The Interstate Commerce Act, signed into law in February, established the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad carriers and prohibit unfair practices such as rebating. In the same year, the General Allotment Act, commonly known as the Dawes Act, authorized the allotment of tribal lands to individual Native Americans in an effort to promote assimilation and citizenship, with lasting effects on Indigenous communities and land tenure.

International diplomacy in 1887 included the renewal of the Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia, a pact designed to prevent a two-front war by promising neutrality if either was attacked by a third power; the treaty remained in force until its lapse in 1890. Additionally, 1887 saw Queen Victoria celebrate her Golden Jubilee, commemorating fifty years on the British throne and highlighting the reach of the British Empire through nationwide or empire-wide events.

Economically, the year experienced financial stress in several markets, often referred to in historical accounts as a panic or downturn linked to railroad speculation and credit conditions, with effects felt beyond national borders. The combined political, economic, and imperial developments of 1887 reflected the ongoing forces shaping the global balance of power and domestic policy during the era.