Also Within This Year in History:
1776
Few years in U.S. history were more momentous than 1776. The Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence and named the new country the United States of America. As the Revolutionary War raged, General George Washington crossed the Delaware River in a successful surprise attack on British-funded mercenaries. The British hanged 21-year-old spy Nathan Hale. And the first working combat submarine (a one-man vessel called the “Turtle”) attacked a British ship in New York Harbor by attaching a powder keg to its hull.
The Continental Congress publishes the “Tory Act” resolution on January 2, 1776, which describes how colonies should handle those Americans who remain loyal to the British and King George. The…
From Philadelphia, Samuel Adams writes to his friend Colonel James Warren that the idea of a confederation, or loose political union, among the colonies “is not dead, but sleepeth. To…
While in exile aboard a warship in Cape Fear, North Carolina’s Royal Governor Josiah Martin issues a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to…
On January 10, 1776, writer Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Although little used today, pamphlets were an important medium…
In the early morning hours of January 13, 1776, British forces raid Prudence Island, Rhode Island, in an effort to steal a large quantity of sheep. But, upon landing on…
On the evening of January 18, 1776, the Council of Safety in Savannah, Georgia, issues an arrest warrant for the colony’s royal governor, James Wright. Patriots led by Major Joseph…
On January 25, 1776, the Continental Congress authorizes the first national Revolutionary War memorial in honor of Brigadier General Richard Montgomery, who had been killed during an assault on Quebec…
Future New Jersey Governor Joseph Bloomfield becomes captain of the third New Jersey Regiment of Foot in the Continental Army on this day in 1776. Bloomfield was born in 1753…
On this day in 1776, Georgia’s royal governor, Sir James Wright, escapes from his residence in Savannah to the safety of a waiting British warship, the HMS Scarborough, anchored at…
On this day in 1776, Patrick Henry becomes colonel of the First Virginia battalion in defense of the state’s supply of gunpowder. A Virginia lawyer, Henry gained fame as a…
From Halifax, Canada, on this day in 1776, Governor Francis Legge reports to British headquarters in London that traitorous elements in Cumberland, Nova Scotia, have contacted American General George Washington.…
From Norfolk, Virginia, Royal Governor John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, dispatches a note to William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth, expressing his “inexpressible mortification” that British Major General Sir…
In the early‑morning hours of February 27, 1776, Commander Richard Caswell leads 1,000 Patriot troops in the successful Battle of Moores Creek over 1,600 British Loyalists. It would go down…
On March 2, 1776, General George Washington orders American artillery forces to begin bombarding Boston from their positions at Lechmere Point, northwest of the city center—in advance of bringing in…
Silas Deane, Connecticut delegate to the Continental Congress, leaves for France on a secret mission on this day in 1776. The Committee of Congress for Secret Correspondence, consisting of Benjamin…
Under the cover of constant bombing from British artillery, Brigadier General John Thomas slips 2,000 troops, cannons and artillery into position at Dorchester Heights, just south of Boston, on March 4, 1776.…
A committee of the New York Provincial Congress instructs Major William Malcolm to dismantle the Sandy Hook lighthouse in the then‑disputed territory of Sandy Hook, now in New Jersey, on…
On March 12, 1776, in Baltimore, Maryland, a public notice appears in local papers recognizing the sacrifice of women to the cause of the revolution. The notice urged others to…
On March 14, 1776, Alexander Hamilton receives his commission as captain of a New York artillery company. Throughout the rest of 1776, Captain Hamilton established himself as a great military…
During the American War for Independence, British forces are forced to evacuate Boston following Patriot General George Washington’s successful placement of fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights, which overlooks the…
