Event of Interest
Jan 1 General George Washington hoists Continental Union Flag
George Washington
Historic Publication
Jan 10 "Common Sense" Pamphlet by Thomas Paine, published advocating American independence
Thomas Paine
- Jan 16 Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks
- Jan 18 James Wright, Royal Governor of Georgia, is placed under house arrest by Major Joseph Habersham
- Jan 24 Henry Knox arrives at Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the artillery that he has transported from Fort Ticonderoga
- Feb 8 Wolfgang von Goethe's "Stella" premieres in Hamburg
Historic Publication
Feb 17 1st volume of Edward Gibbon's seminal work "The Decline and Fall of Roman Empire" published
Edward Gibbon
Event of Interest
Mar 9 Publication of influential economics book "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
Adam Smith
- Mar 17 British forces evacuate Boston to Nova Scotia during Revolutionary War
- Mar 25 Continental Congress authorized a medal for George Washington
- Mar 28 Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco
- Apr 1 Friedrich von Klinger's "Sturm und Drang" premieres in Leipzig
- Apr 3 George Washington receives honorary Ll.D. degree from Harvard College
- Apr 7 Captain John Barry and the USS Lexington captures the Edward
- Apr 12 Halifax resolution for independence adopted by North Carolina
- Apr 15 Duchess of Kingston found guilty of bigamy
- May 1 Adam Weishaupt founds secret society of Illuminati
- May 2 France & Spain agreed to give weapons to American rebels
- May 4 Rhode Island declares independence from Britain
- May 12 Turgot, French minister of Finance, resigns
United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of IndependenceJun 7 Richard Lee (Virginia) moves Declaration of Independence in Continental Congress
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Event of Interest
Jun 11 Continental Congress creates committee (Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston) to draft a Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson
Robert R. Livingston
Benjamin Franklin
Event of Interest
Jun 29 Virginia state constitution adopted and Patrick Henry made governor
Patrick Henry
Event of Interest
Jul 1 1st vote on Declaration of Independence for Britain's North American colonies
John Witherspoon
Event of Interest
Jul 2 At the Continental Congress, John Dickinson abstains from the votes that declare independence
John Dickinson
- Jul 4 According to popular legend the Liberty Bell rings for the Second Continental Congress
- Jul 4 US Congress proclaims the Declaration of Independence and independence from Britain
- Jul 6 American Declaration of Independence announced on front page of "PA Evening Gazette"
- Jul 8 Colonel John Nixon gives the 1st public reading of the Declaration of Independence to an assemblage of citizens in Philadelphia
- Jul 9 Declaration of Independence is read to George Washington's troops (NY)
Event of Interest
Jul 11 Captain James Cook begins his third voyage
James Cook
- Jul 12 Captain James Cook departs with Resolution for 3rd trip to Pacific Ocean
- Aug 2 Formal signing of the US Declaration of Independence by 56 people (date most accepted by modern historians)
- Aug 10 American Revolutionary War: word of the United States Declaration of Independence reaches London.
- Aug 27 British defeat Americans in Battle of Long Island
- Aug 29 Americans withdraw from Manhattan to Westchester
- Aug 30 Continental Army evacuates Long Island and falls back to Manhattan, NYC
- Sep 6 Hurricane hits Martinique; 100 French and Dutch ships sink; 600 die
- Sep 6 1st (failed) submarine attack: David Bushnell's "Turtle" attacks British sailboat "Eagle" in Bay of NY
- Sep 6 Hurricane hits Guadeloupe, killing more than 6,000.
- Sep 9 Congress officially renames the country as the United States of America (Was the United Colonies)
Event of Interest
Sep 10 George Washington asks for a spy volunteer, Nathan Hale volunteers
Nathan Hale
George Washington
- Sep 12 Nathan Hale leaves Harlem Heights Camp (127th St) for spy mission
- Sep 15 British forces capture Kip's Bay, Manhattan, during Revolution
- Sep 17 The Presidio of San Francisco is founded in New Spain.
- Sep 21 5 days after British take New York, a quarter of the city burns down
- Sep 21 Nathan Hale, spied on British for American rebels, arrested
- Sep 24 First St Leger horesrace held at Doncaster
- Oct 11 Brigadier-General Arnold's Lake Champlain fleet defeated by British during the Battle of Valcour Island (American Revolutionary War)
- Oct 12 British Brigade begins guarding Throgg Necks Road in Bronx
- Oct 18 In a bar decorated with bird tail in Elmsford, New York, a customer requests a glassful of “those cock tails” from bartender Betsy Flanagan
- Oct 18 Battle of Pelham: Colonel John Glover & Marblehead regiment meet British Forces in Bronx
Event of Interest
Oct 26 Benjamin Franklin departs for France on a mission to seek French support for the American Revolution
Benjamin Franklin
- Oct 28 Battle of White Plains: George Washington retreats to New Jersey
- Nov 1 Mission San Juan Capistrano founded in California
- Nov 16 1st gun salute for an American warship in a foreign port - US Andrew Doria at Fort St Eustatius (Dutch Caribbean isalnd)
- Nov 16 British troops capture Fort Washington during American Revolution
- Nov 18 Hessians capture Ft Lee, NJ
- Nov 30 Captain James Cook begins 3rd and last trip to the Pacific
- Dec 5 First US fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa (William & Mary College), forms
- Dec 8 George Washington's retreating army crosses Delaware River from NJ
- Dec 19 Thomas Paine publishes his 1st "American Crisis" essay beginning"These are the times that try men's souls" (date disputed)
- Dec 23 Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France
- Dec 25 George Washington crosses Delaware, surprises and defeats 1,400 Hessians
- Dec 26 George Washington defeats Hessians at Battle of Trenton in American Revolutionary War
- Dec 31 Rhode Island establishes wage & price controls to curb inflation: Limit is 70 cents a day for carpenters, 42 cents for tailors