- 1764
| Apr 05 | Parliament passes the Revenue Act, known as the Sugar Act, to raise funds to pay for colonial administration. | |
| Dec 18 | The Virginia General Assembly reacts to threats of a stamp tax by writing an address to the king and sending memorials to both houses of Parliament. They argue that only the House of Burgesses had the right to tax Virginians. This remained a basic point of contention through the Revolutionary period. | |
| Dec 22 | Stephen Hopkins, governor of Rhode Island, publishes "The Rights of Colonies Examined." | |
- 1765
| May 15 | The Quartering Act becomes law. It requires colonists to provide barracks and supplies for British troops. To Americans this seemed yet another example of taxation without representation. | |
| May 29 | Patrick Henry introduces his Stamp Act Resolves in the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg. Ref | |
| May 29 | Patrick Henry historic speech against the Stamp Act, answering a cry of "Treason!" with, "If this be treason, make the most of it!". | Ref: 5 |
| May 31 | The House of Burgesses rescinds the fifth (and most radical) Stamp Act Resolve. Henry apparently had already left Williamsburg and was not present during this session of the burgesses. | |
| Jun 08 | The Massachusetts General Court adopts a circular letter calling for a Congress of representatives from all colonies to convene in October. | |
| Aug 14 | Mass colonists challenge British rule by an Elm (Liberty Tree). | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 25 | In protest over the stamp tax, American colonists sack and burn the home of Massachusetts governor Thomas Hutchinson. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 30 | Virginia Governor Fauquier rescues stamp agent George Mercer from an angry mob in Williamsburg. Mercer resigns the next day. | |
| Nov 01 | The stamp act goes into effect in the British colonies. Colonists reacted strongly with flags at half mast and burning of stamps. | Ref: 70 |
| Nov 23 | People of Frederick County MD refuse to pay England's Stamp tax. | Ref: 5 |
- 1766
| Feb 11 | In Virginia, the Northampton County Court proclaims the Stamp Act unconstitutional. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 13 | Before the House of Commons in London, Benjamin Franklin declares that the Stamp Act could not be enforced. | |
| May 11 | With the death of John Robinson, Speaker of the House of Burgesses and treasurer of the colony of Virginia, a scandal comes to light in Virginia. Robinson made £100,000 worth of private loans to his friends with retired paper money. The two offices were separated thereafter. | |
| Jun 09 | In Virginia, Governor Fauquier announces the repeal of the Stamp Act, although the Virginia Gazette had published the news on May 2. | |
| Jun 13 | In Williamsburg, a ball and general illumination of the town celebrated the repeal of the Stamp Act. | |
- 1767
| Jun 29 | The Townshend Revenue Act of 1767 authorizes the use of writs in order to locate goods subject to custom duties. The Act is detested by many Bostonians. | Ref: 87 |
| Oct 28 | The Boston Town Meeting renews the nonimportation agreement. Actions to compel the repeal of the Townshend Acts followed in other colonies. | |
- 1768
| Apr 16 | The Virginia General Assembly adopts memorials to the king and Parliament protesting the Townshend Acts. | |
| May 09 | (Boston Massacre) John Hancock's sloop Liberty arrives in Boston with a cargo of wine. A customs official is temporarily held hostage as the wine is unloaded without payment of the required custom duties. The Liberty is seized. | Ref: 87 |
| Jun 10 | (Boston Massacre) Based on a report of the May 9 customs violation and rough treatment of a customs official, the Liberty is seized. Rioters attack customs officials. | Ref: 87 |
| Sep 28 | (Boston Massacre) Two regiments of British regulars land in Boston to deal with growing unrest. They are quartered in various public places throughout the city. | Ref: 87 |
- 1769
| May 16 | The House of Burgesses adopts resolutions claiming once again their exclusive right to levy taxes in Virginia. | |
| May 17 | Virginia legislators adopt an address to the king based on the resolves of the previous day. Consequently, Governor Botetourt dissolve them. Most of the burgesses reconvene at the Raleigh Tavern, where they began considering an association not to import a long list of British goods. | |
| May 18 | Most of Virginia's burgesses and many others throughout the colony sign the nonimportation association. | |
- 1770
| Jan 18 | Battle of Golden Hill (Lower Manhattan) mob fight becomes first attack on British soldiers in Revolutionary War. | Ref: 10 |
| Mar 02 | (Boston Massacre) Civilians and British soldiers clash at John Gray's Ropewalk in the Fort Hill section of Boston. One of the soldiers involved in the fighting is Matthew Killroy, later convicted of manslaughter in the Boston Massacre trial. | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 05 | (Boston Massacre) A crowd of Bostonians begins throwing chunks of ice, oyster shells, piece of coal and other objects at a British guard near the Custom House. Captain Thomas Preston orders the main guard out to protect the sentry and restore order. After a soldier is hit with a stick, he yells "fire!" and shoots into the crowd. Other shots follow. When the shooting stops, five civilians lay mortally wounded. Three people are killed, including a runaway slave Crispus Attucks, and wounding eight others. Two of the wounded died soon after. The incident becomes known as "the Boston Massacre." | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 06 | (Boston Massacre) Captain Preston is arrested, interrogated, and sent to jail. Lt. Governor Hutchinson calls for calm. A group of angry citizens gather in Faneuil Hall, where they call for the immediate removal of all British troops. John Adams and Josiah Quincy agree to defend Preston and the soldiers. | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 08 | (Boston Massacre) The first four victims of the massacre are buried in the Granary Burying Ground. All shops are closed. Church bells ring throughout the city of Boston. | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 12 | (Boston Massacre) Captain Preston offers his views of the events of March 5 in a deposition. | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 13 | (Boston Massacre) A grand jury indicts Captain Preston and eight soldiers are indicted for murder in connection with the massacre. | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 16 | (Boston Massacre) A frigate carrying reports and letters of Hutchinson relating the events of March 5 leaves Boston bound for England. | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 17 | (Boston Massacre) The fifth and last victim of the massacre, Patrick Carr, is buried in the Granary Burying Ground. | Ref: 87 |
| Apr 10 | (Boston Massacre) (day unspecified) Advices from London concerning the handling of prosecutions for deaths and injuries resulting from the March 5 shootings reach Hutchinson. | Ref: 87 |
| Apr 28 | (Boston Massacre) Preston's account of events, and complaints about the Boston public, are published in the London paper, Public Advertiser. | Ref: 87 |
| Jun 21 | (Boston Massacre) (thru Jun 25th) Captain Preston's London letter, much to his dismay, is published in Boston papers, turning public sentiment against him. | Ref: 87 |
| Jun 27 | The House of Burgesses unanimously agrees to petition the king to end Parliamentary taxation in America. | |
| Jul 10 | (Boston Massacre) (day unspecified) Copies of A Short Narrative of the Horrid Massacre in Boston begin circulating in Boston. The narrative is seen as an attempt to influence potential jurors in the upcoming trials. | Ref: 87 |
| Sep 07 | (Boston Massacre) Preston and the soldiers are formally arraigned on charges of murder. All plead "Not Guilty." | Ref: 87 |
| Oct 21 | (Boston Massacre) The eight soldiers appeal from jail to be tried along with their captain. Their request is denied. | Ref: 87 |
| Oct 24 | (Boston Massacre) (thru Oct 30th) Captain Preston is tried. A jury acquits Preston after the evidence fails to establish that he gave the order to fire. | Ref: 87 |
| Nov 27 | (Boston Massacre) The trial of the eight soldiers begins. | Ref: 87 |
| Dec 05 | (Boston Massacre) Six of the soldiers are acquitted on all charges. Two soldiers, Montgomery and Killroy are convicted of manslaugter. | Ref: 87 |
| Dec 12 | (Boston Massacre) The British soldiers responsible for the "Boston Massacre" are acquitted on murder charges. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 14 | (Boston Massacre) Montgomery and Killroy plead "the benefit of clergy" to reduce their punishment to branding. Sheriff Greenleaf brands the two men on their right thumbs. | Ref: 87 |
| Dec 20 | (Boston Massacre) (date given as "Late Dec) Captain Preston sails for England. He receives 200 pounds in compensation for his troubles relating to the Boston Massacre. | Ref: 87 |
- 1772
| Nov 02 | The first Committees of Correspondence are formed in Massachusetts under Samuel Adams. | Ref: 2 |
- 1773
| Mar 12 | A Committee of Correspondence is formed in Virginia to communicate with other colonial legislatures. Virginia was the first to propose communication among the colonies. | |
| Apr 07 | England orders all colonial governors to cease granting lands except to veterans of the French and Indian War. In Virginia, Dunmore gave this order the most liberal interpretation possible and included colonial troops as well as regular British Army soldiers. | |
| Apr 27 | British Parliament passes the Tea Act (eventually leads to Boston Tea Party on December 16). | Ref: 5 |
| May 10 | Parliament passes the Tea Act, ending most taxes on tea shipped to America and permitting direct sales to the colonies. The law, however, did not suspend the Townshend Duty of threepence a pound. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 11 | Benjamin Franklin writes "There never was a good war or bad peace." | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 16 | In a act of protest against the Tea Act of 1773, a gang of men with blackened faces board three ships and dump their cargo of tea into Boston harbor. The Boston Tea Party leads to the Port Act, closing the port of Boston to all commerce, and to the quartering of troops in Boston. | Ref: 87 |
| Dec 26 | Expulsion of tea ships from Philadelphia. | Ref: 5 |
- 1774
| Mar 05 | (Boston Massacre) On the fouth anniversary of the Boston Massacre, John Hancock delivers an eloquent and spirited oration to a large crowd. | Ref: 87 |
| Mar 07 | The British close the port of Boston to all commerce. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 31 | Parliament passes the Boston Port Act, closing the port to all trade as of June 1. This is the first of Britain's coercive acts. | |
| May 13 | General Thomas Gage arrives in Boston to take command of British forces quartered there. | |
| May 24 | The House of Burgesses adoptes a resolution naming June 1, the day the port of Boston was to be closed, a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer in Virginia. | |
| May 27 | Members of the now-dissolved House of Burgesses meet at the Raleigh Tavern to propose an annual "general congress" of the colonies. They also formed another new association boycotting tea and all other commodities imported by the East India Company except saltpeter and spices. | |
| Jun 01 | Virginians express their sympathy for Bostonians by observing a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. George Washington recorded that he "Went to Church and fasted all Day" in Williamsburg. | |
| Jun 01 | The British government orders the port of Boston closed. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 02 | The Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to allow British soldiers into their houses, is reenacted. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 01 | General Gage seizes the stock of gunpowder at Charlestown, Massachusetts. | |
| Sep 05 | The First Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia. They adopts an association based on Virginia's, but extended the dates slightly. They will meet until October 26th. (XDG, p 4A, 9//5/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Oct 01 | The 1st declaration of colonial rights in America is called the Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress. | Ref: 62 |
| Oct 20 | The new Continental Congress, the governing body of America’s colonies, passed an order proclaiming that all citizens of the colonies “discountenance and discourage all horse racing and all kinds of gaming, cock fighting, exhibitions of shows, plays and other expensive diversions and entertainment.” Since this proclamation included acting, dancing, singing, and the playing of music, all forms of entertainment and all theatre productions ceased. | Ref: 4 |
| Oct 26 | The first Continental Congress, which protested British measures and called for civil disobedience, concludes in Philadelphia. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 07 | At the Yorktown Tea Party, two half-chests of tea imported by John Prentis & Company of Williamsburg were thrown into the York River. | |
| Nov 09 | About 500 merchants sign the Continental Association in Williamsburg. | |
| Dec 13 | Paul Revere is dispatched from Boston with a letter from William Cooper of Boston, to Samuel Cutts of the Portsmouth Committee of Correspondence. Revere carried word that a royal order had been issued prohibiting the export of gunpowder to the colonies; that military provisions in Rhode Island had been moved inland by colonists for safekeeping, and that the British government intended to reinforce the tiny garrison at Fort William and Mary with soldiers of the regular army, or to remove the fort's powder. Ref | |
| Dec 13 | First incident of the Revolution-400 attack Fort William & Mary, New Hampshire. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 14 | (noon) Members of the Portsmouth Committee (patriots) marched through the streets, led by fifes and drums, loudly proclaiming their plan to attack Fort William and Mary (New Hampshire). Ref | |
| Dec 14 | (3 PM) Captain Cochrane (of Fort William and Mary) and the leader of the patriots, John Langdon, meet briefly. Langdon informs Cochrane of his intent to relieve the Fort of its powder, Cochrane declines and within short order, the battle is on. Approximately 15 defenders are outnumbered 30 to 1, fight bravely and are shortly defeated by about 400 militiamen, in what becomes the first serious altercation of the American Revolution. Ref | |
| Dec 15 | (noon) The Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire issues an order to enlist or impress into service, without delay, "Thirty effective men to serve his Majesty as a Guard & Protection to his Fort William and Mary at New Castle . . ." Captain John Dennet of the First New Hampshire Regiment of the Provincial Militia took to the streets of Portsmouth and "caused the Drums to be Beat & Proclamation to be made at all Publick corners & on the Place of Parade."[34] The attempt to rally the loyal subjects of New Hampshire was a complete failure. Captain Dennet reported at six o'clock p.m. on December 15 that not a single person had responded to his plea for recruits and that he awaited further orders. Ref | |
| Dec 15 | (evening) New Hampshire's largest and most cosmopolitan town (Newcastle) had been transformed into a tense and heavily armed rebel militia camp. The official ranks of the Provincial Militia were nowhere in sight. Rather, many of its members were armed in active support of the insurrection. Ref | |
| Dec 15 | (late night into the morning of the 16th) Fort William and Mary is sacked a second time by patriots. No effort is made to occupy the fort. Ref | |
| Dec 17 | The armed crown ship, the Canceaux, arrives in Portsmith, NH harbor at the request of New Hampshire's Governor Wentworth. Ref | |
| Dec 19 | A second armed crown ship, the Scarborough, arrives in Portsmith, NH harbor, also at the request of New Hampshire's Governor Wentworth. Ref | |
| Dec 20 | New Hampshire Governor Wentworth, wrote that no jail in the province could hold the offenders and " . . . no jury would find them guilty"[of the raid on Fort William and Mary on December 14th]. Ref | |
| Dec 26 | New Hampshire Governor Wentworth, backed by two British warships in the harbor, issues a proclamation deploring the "treasonable Insults and Outrages" committed by the men who led the raid on Fort William and Mary. Ref | |
- 1775
| Jan 14 | Dixon and Hunter's Virginia Gazette publishes the news of Lord Dartmouth's orders to colonial governors forbidding the colonies to import powder and arms from Great Britain. | |
| Jan 25 | Americans drag cannon up hill to fight British (Gun Hill Road, Bronx). | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 09 | English Parliament declares Massachusetts colony is in rebellion. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 21 | As troubles with Great Britain increase, colonists in Massachusetts vote to buy military equipment for 15,000 men. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 22 | British statesman Edmund Burke makes a speech in the House of Commons, urging the government to adopt a policy of reconciliation with America. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 23 | At a meeting at St. John's Church in Richmond, the second Virginia Convention hear Patrick Henry delivers his "liberty or death" speech supporting a resolution to put Virginia "into a posture of defense." | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 25 | The Virginia Convention requires each county to form a volunteer company of cavalry or infantry. | |
| Apr 18 | American revolutionaries Paul Revere and William Dawes ride though the towns of Massachusetts warning that "the British are coming." | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 19 | (Boston Massacre) Paul Revere and William Dawes make their famous midnight ride to warn citizens of the arrival of British troops. The American Revolution is about to begin. | Ref: 87 |
| Apr 19 | The first battles of the American Revolution take place at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Minutemen Captain John Parker orders not to fire unless fired upon. The British are repelled at North Bridge and retreat to Boston. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 20 | The British begin the siege of Boston. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 21 | In the very early morning, royal marines, acting under Virginia's Governor Dunmore's orders, take 15 half-barrels of gunpowder from the Magazine in Williamsburg. | |
| Apr 22 | Virginia's Governor Dunmore publicly threatens to arm slaves who would fight with him, but it was an idle threat. Virginia remains relatively peaceful for the time being. | |
| May 05 | Benjamin Franklin lands in Philadelpha with is grandson, William, returning from Britain after a failed attempt to negotiate a settlement with Britain prior to the American Revolution. (Ref: Smithsonian Magazine, p 82, 8/2003) | |
| May 10 | The second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia. Representatives from all thirteen colonies attend. The Continental Congress issues paper currency for the 1st time; George Washington is named supreme commander. | Ref: 5 |
| May 10 | Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys captured the British-held fortress at Ticonderoga, NY. Brits lose 273, Yanks 93. | Ref: 5 |
| May 20 | North Carolina becomes the first colony to declare its independence. | Ref: 2 |
| May 20 | Citizens of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina declare independence of Britain. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 08 | Virginia's Governor Dunmore flees with his family about 2:00 A.M. and boards the H.M.S. Fowey at Yorktown. Their flight alarms Virginians, who believe British soldiers intend to invade. Lady Dunmore and the children sail for England at the end of June, and Dunmore stays on board ship near Norfolk, VA. | |
| Jun 12 | First naval battle of Revolution-Unity (Am) captures Margaretta (Br). | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 14 | The US Army is founded when the Continental Congress authorizes the muster of troops. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 15 | The Second Continental Congress voted unanimously to appoint George Washington head of the Continental Army. | Ref: 70 |
| Jun 17 | Battle of Bunker Hill (actually it was Breed's Hill). British lose half their troops-1,054 men- but are still victorious. | Ref: 10 |
| Jun 23 | General Washington departs Philadelphia for Cambridge, Massachusetts. | |
| Jul 03 | General George Washington takes command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts. | Ref: 6 |
| Jul 06 | Congress adopts a "Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms." | Ref: 62 |
| Jul 08 | Congress adopts a petition to King George offering reconciliation. Franklin and Adams thought this was a useless gesture, but they consent to appease the "moderates." | |
| Jul 10 | General Horatio Gates issues order excluding blacks from Continental Army. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 17 | The third Virginia Convention meets in Richmond and appointed a Committee of Safety. They also order the formation of two regiments as well as minutemen and militia. | |
| Jul 27 | Benjamin Church began his service as the first Surgeon General of the Continental Army. | Ref: 4 |
| Aug 01 | Thomas Paine publishes an article supporting women's rights in the Pennsylvania Gazette. | |
| Aug 22 | England's King George III refuses the American colonies' offer of peace and proclaims the American colonies in the state of open rebellion. (XDG, p 4A, 8/22/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Sep 25 | British troops capture Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga, when he and a handful of Americans try to invade Canada. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 13 | The second Continental Congress authorizes the construction of two ships (cruisers) and form what is now the United States Navy. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 16 | Portland, Maine burned by British. | Ref: 5 |
-
| Nov 10 | The Continental Congress of the American colonies, in preparation for their revolt against the British (The Revolutionary War), authorized the formation of two battalions of marines. Although this was the true birth of the U.S. Marine Corps, it wasn’t until 1798 that Congress recreated the Marine Corps as a separate military service. | Ref: 4 |
| Nov 10 | The Virginia Gazette prints George III's proclamation declaring the colonies in a state of rebellion. | |
| Nov 13 | U.S. forces capture Montreal during the American Revolution. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 15 | After a clear victory at Kemp's Landing near Norfolk, Virginia's Governor Dunmore issues his Emancipation Proclamation, which declared martial law and freed "all indented Servants, Negroes, or others . . . that are able and willing to bear Arms, they joining His Majesty's forces." Eventually, several hundred African-Americans join his ranks. The governor also raises the king's standard at the battle site and in Norfolk the next day. | |
| Dec 09 | The Battle of Great Bridge is fought between the British 14th Regiment and Woodford's Virginia forces. British deaths and injuries were numerous, while only one Virginian was injured. | |
| Dec 14 | With reinforcements from Williamsburg and North Carolina, the Americans occupy Norfolk. | |
| Dec 22 | Esek Hopkins takes command of the Continental Navy, a total of seven ships. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 31 | Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold lead the American assault on Quebec and were repulsed. Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded in the fighting. Captain Daniel Morgan and his Virginians are captured. (XDG, p 4A, 12/31/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Dec 31 | George Washington orders recruiting officers to accept free blacks into the army. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 31 | American General Richard Montgomery dies fighting the British. | Ref: 5 |
- 1776
| Jan 01 | British ships lying off Norfolk open fire on the occupying American forces. | |
| Jan 01 | Washington raises a Continental flag with thirteen stripes before his quarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 02 | First U.S. flag raised by the Continental Army. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 09 | Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense, a scathing attack on King George III's reign over the colonies and a call for complete independence. | Ref: 2 |
| Jan 10 | Thomas Paine publishes "Common Sense."One out of four Americans reads it. | Ref: 17 |
| Jan 16 | Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 02 | Excerpts from Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense are printed in the Virginia Gazette. | |
| Feb 10 | Washington writes from Charleston, "Without men, without arms, without ammunition, there is little to be done." | Ref: 62 |
| Feb 17 | British General Sir Henry Clinton arrives in the Chesapeake Bay on his way, not to relieve Dunmore, but to meet up with General Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) and attack the Carolinas. | |
| Mar 01 | French minister Charles Gravier advises his Spanish counterpart to support the American rebels against the English. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 02 | Americans begin shelling British troops in Boston. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 03 | The Marines make their first amphibious landing. | Ref: 62 |
| Mar 03 | US commodore Esek Hopkins occupies Nassau Bahamas. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 10 | "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine is published. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 17 | British forces evacuate Boston to Nova Scotia during Revolutionary War. | Ref: 5 |
| May 02 | France and Spain agree to donate arms to American rebels fighting the British. | Ref: 2 |
| May 04 | Rhode Island declared its freedom from England, two months before the Declaration of Independence was adopted. | Ref: 70 |
| May 15 | Virginia's delegates to Congress were instructed to propose independence, the first colony to do so. At the same time, the Convention made plans for a new state constitution. | |
| Jun 07 | Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 10 | The Continental Congress appoints a committee to write a Declaration of Independence. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 11 | Congress appointed a committee, chaired by Thomas Jefferson, to draft a declaration of independence. (XDG, p 4A, 6/11/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Jun 15 | William Franklin, Governor of New Jersey, Tory, and son of Benjamin Franklin, is declared "an enemy of the liberties of this country". Three days later the Continental Congress would vote to have the younger Franklin imprisoned. (Ref: Smithsonian Magazine, p 85, 8/2003) | |
| Jun 21 | Thomas Jefferson completes the draft of The Declaration of Independence and sends it to Benjamin Franklin for comment. Franklin suggests only minor changes. (Ref: Smithsonian Magazine, p 86, 8/2003) | |
| Jun 27 | First American army officer hanged for conspiring to capture George Washington. | Ref: 10 |
| Jun 28 | Colonists repulse a British sea attack on Charleston SC. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 29 | The Virginia state constitution was adopted, and Patrick Henry made governor. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 01 | First vote on the Declaration of Independence. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 02 | Richard Henry Lee's resolution for independence, introduced on June 7, was adopted by the Continental Congress. | Ref: 62 |
| Jul 04 | The Second Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson. New York abstains on Declaration of Independence vote. | Ref: 62 |
| Jul 06 | Dec of Ind announced on front page of the "PA Evening Gazette". | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 09 | The Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington's troops in New York. | Ref: 70 |
| Jul 10 | The statue of King George III is pulled down in NY City. | Ref: 2 |
| Jul 14 | George Washington refuses a letter from Gen. Howe addressed to George Washington Esq. rather than General Washington. | Ref: 62 |
| Jul 18 | (or 19th) News of the Declaration of Independence reaches Williamsburg. | |
| Jul 30 | Francis Salvador, a plantation owner from South Carolina, became the first Jew to die for American independence, when he was killed in a skirmish with the British. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 31 | Francis Salvador, a plantation owner from South Carolina, became the first Jew to die for American independence, when he was killed in a skirmish with the British. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 02 | The parchment copy of the Declaration of Independence is signed in Philadelphia by most of the 55 members of the Continental Congress. (XDG, p 4A, 8/2/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Aug 22 | The British Fleet anchors in NY harbor. | Ref: 52 |
| Aug 26 | Continental Congress passes first pension act for soldiers incapacitated by wartime injuries. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 27 | The Americans are defeated by the British under Sir William Howe at the Battle of Long Island, New York. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 29 | Americans withdraw from Manhattan to Westchester. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 29 | General George Washington retreats during the night from Long Island to New York City. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 07 | The world's first submarine attack occurs when the submersible craft American Turtle attacks British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship Eagle in New York Harbor during the Revolutionary War. The American Turtle, constructed by inventor David Bushnell, was large enough to accommodate one operator, and was entirely hand-powered. Piloted by Ezra Lee, the wooden submarine attached a time bomb to the hull of the Eagle, and departed unnoticed. An explosion resulted, but no significant damage occurred as the poorly secured bomb had drifted away from the ship. | Ref: 51 |
| Sep 09 | The second Continental Congress made the term "United States" official, replacing "United Colonies." | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 10 | George Washington asks for a spy volunteer, Nathan Hale volunteers. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 11 | 2nd Continental Congress says ‘United States' rather than ‘United Colonies' is our name. | Ref: 10 |
| Sep 12 | Nathan Hale leaves Harlem Heights Camp (127th St) for spy mission. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 15 | British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution. | Ref: 70 |
| Sep 20 | Nathan Hale American patriot & Revolutionary War military officer: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”; is arrested by British troups while spying for General George Washington. He will be executed in two days. | Ref: 3 |
| Sep 22 | Nathan Hale American patriot & Revolutionary War military officer: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”; arrested [Sep 20, 1776] by British troups while spying for General George Washington; is executed (hanged) at age 21 by order of British General William Howe. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 03 | Congress borrows five million dollars to halt the rapid depreciation of paper money in the colonies. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 11 | A British fleet under Sir Guy Carleton defeats fifteen American gunboats under the command of Brigadier General Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, New York Ref | |
| Oct 12 | A British Brigade begins guarding Throgg Necks Road in the Bronx. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 18 | Col John Glover & Marblehead regiment meet British Forces in Bronx. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 27 | Benjamin Franklin, along with his grandson Temple and his daugher's son, Benny Bache, depart for France to secure an allinance. (Ref: Smithsonian Magazine, p 89, 8/2003) | |
| Oct 28 | Battle of White Plains; Washington retreats to NJ. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 02 | During the Revolutionary War, William Demont, an adjutant to American Colonel Robert Magraw, deserts from the Fifth Pennsylvania Battalion and offers the British intelligence information concerning the Patriot defense of New York. Demont, the first traitor to the American cause in the War for Independence, reveals to the British the location of Fort Washington in New York, thus enabling Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen to conquer the fort with a force of 3,000 Hessians. | Ref: 3 |
| Nov 16 | Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen and a force of 3,000 Hessian mercenaries lay siege to Fort Washington. By the afternoon the Patriots are overwhelmed, and Colonel Robert Magaw agrees to surrender the fort and his nearly 3,000 men. | Ref: 3 |
| Nov 18 | Hessians capture Fort Lee, NJ. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 20 | British forces take Fort Lee (Revolutionary War). | Ref: 10 |
| Dec 05 | At its first session, the new Virginia House of Delegates exempts dissenters from taxes to support the Anglican church. It took ten years for the legislature to accept Jefferson's Bill for Religious Freedom. | |
| Dec 08 | George Washington's retreating army crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania during the American Revolution. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 19 | Thomas Paine published his first "American Crisis" essay, writing: "These are the times that try men's souls." | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 23 | Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 25 | Gen. George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, N.J. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 26 | After crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey, George Washington leads an attack on Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, and takes 900 men prisoner. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 26 | Johann Gottlieb Rall Hessian colonel/mercenary, dies in battle. | Ref: 5 |
- 1777
| Jan 03 | General George Washington defeats the British led by British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, at Princeton, New Jersey. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 13 | Congress orders its European envoys to appeal to high-ranking foreign officers to send troops to reinforce the American army. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 16 | At the Battle of Bennington, New England's minute men rout British regulars. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 26 | Sybil Ludington, 16, rode from New York to Connecticut rallying her father's militia. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 13 | The Marquis de Lafayette arrives in the American colonies to help in their rebellion against Britain. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 14 | The Continental Congress authorizes the "stars and stripes" flag for the new United States. | Ref: 2 |
| Jul 01 | British troops depart from their base at the Bouquet river to head toward Ticonderoga, New York. | Ref: 2 |
| Jul 06 | British Gen Burgoyne captures Fort Ticonderoga from Americans. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 07 | American troops give up Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain, to the British. | Ref: 2 |
| Jul 27 | The marquis of Lafayette arrives in New England to help the rebellious colonists fight the British. | Ref: 2 |
| Jul 31 | The Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, was made a major-general in the American Continental Army. | Ref: 70 |
| Aug 14 | Planning an attack on Philadelphia, British General Sir William Howe (1729-1814) entered the Chesapeake Bay, disembarking at Head of Elk, Maryland, on August 25. General John Burgoyne (1722-1792), in the meantime, marched troops down from Canada to cut off New England. | |
| Aug 16 | The Americans defeat the British at the Battle of Bennington, VT. | Ref: 70 |
| Aug 22 | With the approach of General Benedict Arnold's army, British Colonel Barry St. Ledger abandons Fort Stanwix and returns to Canada. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 03 | The American flag (stars & stripes), approved by Congress on June 14th, is carried into battle Cooch's Bridge, MD for the first time by a force under General William Maxwell. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 11 | General George Washington and his troops are defeated by the British under General Sir William Howe at the Battle of Brandywine in PA. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 19 | American forces under Gen. Horatio Gates defeat British troops led by Gen. John Burgoyne at Saratoga Springs, NY. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 20 | The British under Lord Grey ambush General Wayne at his camp in Paoli, PA. 53 Americans were killed and 100 wounded by bayonets alone. The use of the bayonet coupled with the notion that the British stabbed or burned the Americans who tried to surrender, made martyrs of those maimed and killed at what would come to be known as The Paoli Massacre. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 25 | General Howe occupies Philadelphia after the British forced their way through Washington's troops at Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania on September 11. | |
| Sep 26 | The British army launches a major offensive, capturing Philadelphia. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 27 | Battle of Germantown; Washington defeated by the British. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 30 | Congress, flees to York PA, as British forces advance. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 04 | At Germantown, Pa., British General Sir William Howe repels George Washington's last attempt to retake Philadelphia, compelling Washington to spend the winter at Valley Forge. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 07 | The second Battle of Saratoga begins in the American Revolution. British forces under General John Burgoyne will surrender 10 days later. (XDG, p 4A, 10/7/2000) | Ref: 70 |
| Oct 17 | British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrender 5000 men to American troops in Saratoga, N.Y., in a turning point of the Revolutionary War. | Ref: 70 |
| Oct 19 | American General Horatio Gates (ca. 1728-1806) forces British General Burgoyne to surrender at Saratoga, New York, a decisive battle and clear victory. | |
| Nov 15 | The Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, precursor to the U.S. Constitution. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 02 | British General Howe plots attack on Washington's army for Dec 4. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 15 | (and 16th) Both houses of the Virginia Assembly unanimously authorized delegates in Congress to ratify the Articles of Confederation. | |
| Dec 17 | France recognizes independence of the English colonies in America. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 17 | George Washington's army returns to Valley Forge PA for the winter. | Ref: 5 |
| Dec 18 | The Continental Congress authorizes the first national day of Thanksgiving to celebrate the surrender of British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga. (XDG, p 4A, 12/18/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Dec 19 | General George Washington led his army of about eleven-thousand men to Valley Forge, PA, to camp for the winter. (XDG, p 4A, 12/19/2003) | Ref: 83 |
- 1778
| Feb 06 | In Paris, a treaty is signed making France an ally with America in the American Revolution. France is the first country to recognize US independence. Britain declares war on France. News of the alliance reaches Virginia on May 8. ( Dayton Daily News, 2/06/2000, p 2A) | |
| Feb 23 | Baron von Steuben joins the Continental Army at Valley Forge. | Ref: 2 |
| Feb 28 | Rhode Island General Assembly authorizes enlistment of slaves. | Ref: 5 |
| May 08 | A treaty signed on February 6th making France an ally with America in the American Revolution reaches Virginia. | |
| Jun 17 | A British peace offer is rejected by Congress. | Ref: 62 |
| Jun 18 | American forces entered Philadelphia as the British, under Gen. Henry Clinton, withdraw during the Revolutionary War. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 19 | General George Washington's troops finally leave Valley Forge after a winter of training. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 28 | "Molly Pitcher" (Mary Ludwig Hays) carried water to American soldiers at the Revolutionary War Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 03 | British forces massacre 360 men, women & children in Wyoming, Pa. | Ref: 5 |
| Jul 10 | In support of the American Revolution, Louis XVI declares war on England. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 08 | British troops evacuate Philadelphia. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 31 | British kill 17 Stockbridge indians in the Bronx during Revolution. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 14 | Benjamin Franklin is sent to France as the American minister. | Ref: 62 |
| Nov 11 | Iroquois Indians, led by Loyalist Captain William Butler, massacre the 40 inhabitants of Cherry Valley, N.Y. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 17 | British forces commanded by Detroit's Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton recapture Vincennes. George Rogers Clark's troops are too few to hold it. | |
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| Dec 29 | British troops, attempting a new strategy to defeat the colonials in America, capture Savannah. | Ref: 2 |
- 1779
| Feb 14 | American Loyalists are defeated by Patriots at Kettle Creek, Ga. | Ref: 2 |
| Feb 24 | Lieutenant Governor Henry Hamilton of Detroit surrenders Fort Sackville at Vincennes to George Rogers Clark. Instead of going into winter quarters, the Americans had marched 180 miles from Kaskaskia. Virginia controlled the Illinois country for the remainder of the war. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 25 | The British surrender the Illinois country to George Rogers Clark at Vincennes. | Ref: 2 |
| Jun 01 | Thomas Jefferson is elected governor of Virginia. He serves two successive terms. | |
| Jun 05 | The Virginia House of Delegates passes an act moving the capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. The Senate agrees on June 12. | |
| Jun 15 | American General Anthony Wayne captures Stony Point, NY. | Ref: 2 |
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| Jul 16 | American troops under General Anthony Wayne capture Stony Point, N.Y. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 19 | Americans under Major Henry Lee take the British garrison at Paulus Hook, New Jersey. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 23 | The American navy under John Paul Jones, commanding from Bonhomme Richard, defeats and captures the British man-of-war Serapis. John Paul Jones responds "I have not yet begun to fight!" to the British commander, Richard Pearson's request for surrender. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 27 | John Adams is named to negotiate the Revolutionary War's peace terms with Britain. | Ref: 70 |
| Oct 11 | Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski was killed while fighting for American independence during the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, Ga. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 23 | Benedict Arnold court-martialed for improper conduct. | Ref: 5 |
- 1780
| Jan 15 | Continental Congress establishes court of appeals. | Ref: 5 |
| Apr 07 | The capital of Virginia is moved to Richmond. | |
| May 12 | After nearly two months' battle, Major General Benjamin Lincoln (1733-1810) surrenders Charleston, South Carolina, to General Clinton. Woodford's Virginia Continental Line, almost to a man, was captured. | Ref: 2 |
| May 25 | Mutiny of soldiers of George Washington's Continental Army at Morristown, N.J. quelled. | Ref: 10 |
| Aug 16 | American troops are badly defeated by the British at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina. | Ref: 2 |
| Aug 30 | Benedict Arnold betrayed his country. | Ref: 51 |
| Sep 21 | (late and into the 22nd) General Benedict Arnold, American commander of West Point, met with British spy Major John André to hand over plans of the important Hudson River fort to the enemy. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 23 | British spy Major John Andre was captured along with papers revealing Benedict Arnold's plot to surrender West Point to the British. | Ref: 70 |
| Oct 07 | Colonial patriots slaughter a loyalist group at the Battle of King's Mountain in South Carolina. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 20 | Major General Nathanael Greene appointed Major General Baron von Steuben the Continental commander in Virginia. In March 1781, Steuben was supplanted by the Marquis de Lafayette. | |
| Dec 30 | British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold takes Virginians by surprise and sailed into the Chesapeake Bay and up the James River to Richmond. | |
- 1781
| Jan 05 | (and 6th) Benedict Arnold's forces inflicted significant damage to Virginia's capital city by razing buildings and a foundry and destroying or capturing tobacco, gunpowder, and other commodities. | Ref: 5 |
| Jan 17 | At Cowpens, South Carolina, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan's troops from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, along with Virginia militiamen, annihilated Banastre Tarleton's (1754-1833) Legion. | Ref: 17 |
| Feb 14 | French naval forces from Rhode Island arrived in the Chesapeake Bay intending to surprise Benedict Arnold at Portsmouth, Virginia. Arnold's fleet was too far up the Elizabeth River for the French ships to pursue. The French had to retreat to the north. | |
| Feb 25 | American General Nathaniel Greene crosses the Dan River on his way to his March 15th confrontation with Lord Charles Cornwallis at Guilford Court House, N.C. | Ref: 2 |
| Mar 15 | Cornwallis defeated Greene's American forces at Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina. Suffering immense losses, the British abandoned the Carolinas and headed for Virginia and the company of other British forces. | Ref: 5 |
| Mar 26 | Major General William Phillips replaces Benedict Arnold as commander of British troops in Virginia. | |
| Apr 25 | Generals Phillips and Arnold moved up the James River and defeated Steuben and the militia at Blandford and burned supplies at Petersburg. Two days later, they took or burned more than 20 Virginia ships and then plundered Chesterfield Courthouse. | |
| May 13 | British General William Phillips died at Petersburg; Benedict Arnold regained command. | |
| Jun 03 | Jack Jouett rides to warn Jefferson of British attack. | Ref: 5 |
| Jun 04 | General Cornwallis sent John Graves Simcoe's rangers and Lt Col Banastre Tarleton's dragoons to surprise Lafayette with a two-pronged attack. Simcoe outwitted Steuben and was able to burn supplies at Point on Fork on the James River. Tarleton did not accomplish his aim, the capture of Governor Jefferson and the legislature at Charlottesville, because Captain John Jouette, Jr., of Louisa County raced over 40 miles of country roads to warn them. Jefferson escaped on horseback minutes ahead of Tarleton's troops. (XDG, p 4A, 6/4/2001) | Ref: 83 |
| Jun 10 | Brigadier General Anthony Wayne (1745-1796) with 800 Pennsylvanians joined Lafayette at the South Anna River. The combined forces then followed Cornwallis to the south. | |
| Jun 16 | Having given up pursuing Lafayette, Cornwallis withdrew to the east toward Richmond. He and his forces continued on to Williamsburg, which they reached on June 25. | |
| Jun 19 | Steuben joined with Wayne and Lafayette, making a total of 1,900 Continentals and about 3,000 militia. | |
| Jun 26 | The massive forces of the combined American army arrived at Bird's Tavern, about 10 miles from Williamsburg. | |
| Jul 04 | Cornwallis evacuated Williamsburg, his forces retreating gradually over the James River during the next several days. On July 6, Lafayette sent Brigadier General Waye and 800 men to attack the British at Green Spring near Jamestown. Cornwallis's main force had not crossed the river and inflicted heavy damage on the Americans. | |
| Aug 02 | Despite orders from British commander in chief Clinton, Cornwallis decided that Yorktown was preferable to Old Point Comfort as a base of naval operations in the Chesapeake. | |
| Aug 19 | Because the French admiral the Comte de Grasse (1722-1788) was sailing from the West Indies to the Chesapeake, George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau's (1725-1807) army began moving south toward Virginia. | |
| Aug 20 | George Washington begins to move his troops south to fight Cornwallis. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 26 | French admiral the Comte de Grasse arrives in the Chesapeake. | |
| Sep 02 | Commanded by the Marquis de St. Simon, 3,000 troops disembark at Jamestown. | |
| Sep 05 | Fighting off the Virginia Capes, France's de Grasse forces Britain's Admiral Thomas Graves's (1725?-1802) fleet to withdraw for New York, closing one of Cornwallis's possible escape routes. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 10 | Admiral de Barras's fleet from Rhode Island reaches the Chesapeake. | |
| Sep 14 | Washington and Rochambeau reach Williamsburg ahead of the main body of their troops. After conferring with de Grasse on board the Ville de Paris, they returned to Williamsburg on September 22. | |
| Sep 26 | The combined American and French forces assemble in Williamsburg. | |
| Sep 28 | Siege of Yorktown begins, last battle of the Revolutionary War. | Ref: 5 |
| Sep 30 | On the first day of the siege at Yorktown, the British surrender their outermost earthworks. | Ref: 62 |
| Oct 06 | Americans & French begin siege of Cornwallis at Yorktown; last battle of the Revolutionary War. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 09 | Americans begin shelling the British surrounded at Yorktown. George Washington fires the first shot. | Ref: 2 |
| Oct 14 | British redoubts 9 and 10 at Yorktwon fall to assaults by the Comte de Deux Ponts and Colonel Alexander Hamilton. | |
| Oct 16 | Cornwallis tries to escape across the York River but was halted by a sudden storm. | |
| Oct 16 | Washington takes Yorktown. | Ref: 5 |
| Oct 19 | Cornwallis and 7000 men surrender at Yorktown ending the American Revolution. Cornwallis sent Brig. Gen. Charles O'Hara to surrender his sword. At Washington's behest, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Lincoln accepted it. | Ref: 2 |
- 1782
| Apr 12 | The British navy wins its only naval engagement against the colonists in the American Revolution at the Battle of Saints, off Dominica. | Ref: 2 |
| Apr 19 | The Netherlands recognizes the United States. | Ref: 2 |
| Jul 01 | The Comte de Rochambeau's army begin leaving Williamsburg, their winter quarters after the Battle of Yorktown.
French troops wounded in the fracas had been hospitalized in the main building (the Wren Building) of the College of William and Mary. The President's House burned while French officers occupied it in December 1781. By the end of the summer, all the French had left Virginia, heading for Boston and their voyage back across the Atlantic to France. | |
| Aug 07 | George Washington creates the Order of the Purple Heart, a decoration to recognize merit in enlisted men and non-commissioned officers. | Ref: 5 |
| Aug 30 | The French fleet arrives in the Chesapeake Bay to aid the American Revolution. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 05 | The Continental Congress elects John Hanson of Maryland its chairman, giving him the title of "President of the United States in Congress Assembled." | Ref: 6 |
| Nov 10 | In the last battle of the American Revolution, George Rodgers Clark attacks Indians and Loyalists at Chillicothe, in Ohio Territory. | Ref: 2 |
| Nov 30 | In Paris, Americans sign preliminary articles of peace with the British in Paris. News of this provisional peace agreement reaches Virginia in late April 1783. | Ref: 2 |
| Dec 14 | Charleston SC evacuated by British. | Ref: 5 |
- 1783
| Jan 20 | Britain signs a peace agreement with France and Spain, who allied against it in the American War of Independence. | Ref: 2 |
| Jan 20 | Hostilities cease in Revolutionary War. | Ref: 5 |
| Feb 03 | Spain recognizes United States' independence. | Ref: 2 |
| Feb 04 | Britain declared a formal cessation of hostilities with its former colonies, the United States of America. | Ref: 70 |
| Apr 11 | After receiving a copy of the provisional treaty on 13 March, Congress proclaims a formal end to hostilities with Great Britain. | Ref: 2 |
| Sep 03 | The United States and Great Britain sign the definitive peace treaty, The Treaty of Paris, in Paris, formally ending the American Revolution. The treaty bears the signatures of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay. News of the ratification reached Virginia on February 3, 1784. (XDG, p 4A, 9/3/2000) | Ref: 83 |
| Nov 02 | Gen. George Washington issued his "Farewell Address to the Army" near Princeton, N.J. | Ref: 70 |
| Nov 03 | Washington orders the Continental Army disbanded. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 25 | The British evacuate 6000 troops from NY, their last military position in the United States during the Revolutionary War. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 04 | Gen. George Washington said farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern in NY. | Ref: 70 |
| Dec 23 | George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the army and retires to his home at Mount Vernon, Va, | Ref: 70 |
- 1784
| Jan 14 | The United States ratified a peace treaty with England ending the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War formally ends. | Ref: 70 |
| Jan 26 | Ben Franklin writes to his daughter to tell her that he was unhappy that the bald eagle had been chosen as the national bird of the United States. He mentioned that he believed the turkey would have been a much more respectable choice. | Ref: 4 |
| Feb 03 | News of the ratification of the definitive peace treaty between the United States and Greate Britain reaches Virginia. It was signed on September 3rd, 1783. | |
| Nov 01 | Maryland grants citizenship to Lafayette & his descendants. | Ref: 5 |
- 1785
| Jan 11 | Continental Congress convenes in New York City NY. | Ref: 5 |
| Nov 23 | John Hancock is elected president of the Continental Congress for the second time.
John Hancock is elected president of the Continental Congress for the second time. | Ref: 2 |
- 1787
| Oct 27 | The first of the "Federalist Papers," a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, is published in a New York newspaper. | Ref: 5 |
- 1825
| Sep 07 | The Marquis de Lafayette, the French hero of the American Revolution, bade farewell to President John Quincy Adams at the White House. | Ref: 6 |
- 1862
| Aug 29 | 2nd Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) begins. | Ref: 5 |
- 1869
| Apr 05 | Daniel Bakeman, the last surviving soldier of the Revolutionary War, died at the age of 109. | Ref: 4 |
- 1889
| Apr 30 | The National Society of The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is organized on the l00th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington as our nation's first President. Ref | |
- 1890
| Aug 08 | Daughters of the American Revolution organizes. | Ref: 5 |
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The American Revolution Chronology