Editing 1856 (section)

=== April–June ===
* [[April]] &ndash; The [[History of the Cape Colony from 1806 to 1870#Xhosa cattle-killing movement and famine (1854-1858)|Xhosa cattle-killing movement and famine]] begins in [[Cape Colony]].
* [[April 7]] &ndash; [[Nelson College]] is founded in [[Nelson, New Zealand]].
* [[April 10]] &ndash; [[Theta Chi]] international college fraternity is founded at Norwich University in Vermont.
* [[April 16]] &ndash; The [[Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law]] abolishes [[privateer]]ing, and regulates the relationship between neutral and belligerent shipping on the high seas.
* [[April 17]] &ndash; The [[Chicago History Museum|Chicago Historical Society Museum]] is established at 1601 N. [[Clark Street, Chicago]].
* [[April 21]] &ndash; Building workers agitate for the [[Eight-hour day#Australia|eight-hour day]] in [[Melbourne]], Australia.
* [[April 29]] &ndash; The iron-hulled [[paddle steamer]] {{RMS|Persia}} concludes a 9-day 16 hour westbound [[transatlantic crossing]], at an average 13.11 knots (24.28&nbsp;km/h), regaining the [[Blue Riband]] for the [[Cunard Line]].
* [[May 1]] &ndash; The province of [[Isabela (province)|Isabela]] is created in the [[Philippines]], in honor of Queen [[Isabella II of Spain]].
* [[May 3]] &ndash; [[Queen Victoria]] of the United Kingdom gives [[Norfolk Island]] to the population of the colony at [[History of the Pitcairn Islands|Pitcairn Island]], most being descendants of the [[Mutiny on the Bounty|Mutiny on the ''Bounty'']]. They first settle on Norfolk Island on [[June 8]]. [[Women's suffrage]], as practiced on Pitcairn, is extended to Norfolk Island.
* [[May 14]] &ndash; The [[San Francisco Committee of Vigilance]] is founded in the United States. It lynches two [[gangster]]s, arrests most [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] officials, and disbands itself on [[August 18]].
* [[May 20]] &ndash; [[David Livingstone]] arrives at [[Quelimane]] on the Indian Ocean, having completed a 2-year transcontinental journey across Africa from [[Luanda]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Central Africa, explored|url=http://unimaps.com/cafrica-explored/print.html|work=Unimaps.com|year=2005|access-date=2011-08-26}}</ref>
* [[May 21]] &ndash; [[Sacking of Lawrence]]: [[Lawrence, Kansas]], is captured and burned by pro-[[Slavery in the United States|slavery]] forces.
* [[May 22]] &ndash; [[Caning of Charles Sumner]]: [[United States House of Representatives|United States Congressman]] [[Preston Brooks]] of [[South Carolina]] beats [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Charles Sumner]] with a cane in the hall of the [[United States Senate]] for a speech Sumner had made attacking pro-[[slavery]] Southerners, especially elderly South Carolina Senator [[Andrew Butler]], a relative of Brooks. Sumner is unable to return to duty for three years while he recovers; Brooks becomes a hero across the South.
* [[May 24]] &ndash; [[Pottawatomie massacre]]: A group of followers of radical [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]] [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]] kill 5 homesteaders in [[Franklin County, Kansas]].
* [[June 2]] &ndash; [[Battle of Black Jack]]: Antislavery forces, led by [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]], defeat proslavery forces in [[Bleeding Kansas]].
* [[June 9]] &ndash; 500 [[Mormon handcart pioneers]] leave [[Iowa City]] and head west for [[Salt Lake City, Utah]], carrying all their possessions in two-wheeled handcarts.
* [[June 13]] &ndash; [[Taiping Rebellion]]: [[Shi Dakai]] arrives at [[Nanjing]].
* [[June 20]] &ndash; [[General Mills]] is founded in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]], United States, as the Minneapolis Milling Company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.millcitymuseum.org/timeline|title=Mill City Timeline|website=millcitymuseum.org|access-date=2014-09-13}}</ref>