1776 on arvau

Wikipedia / 1776

1776 took place during the height of the American Revolution, and was singled out by Abraham Lincoln as a turning point through the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Events

January–February

January 1 American Revolutionary War: Burning of Norfolk The town of Norfolk, Virginia is destroyed, by the combined actions of the British Royal Navy and occupying Patriot forces.
January 10 American Revolution: Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense, arguing for independence from British rule in the Thirteen Colonies.
January 20 American Revolution: South Carolina Loyalistss led by Robert Cunningham sign a petition from prison, agreeing to all demands for peace by the formed state government of South Carolina.
January 24 American Revolution: Henry Knox arrives at Cambridge, Massachusetts, with the artillery that he has transported from Fort Ticonderoga.
February 17 Edward Gibbon publishes the first volume of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
February 27 American Revolution: Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge Scottish North Carolina Loyalists charge across Moore's Creek Bridge near Wilmington to attack what they mistakenly believe to be a small force of rebels. Several leaders are killed in the ensuing battle. The patriot victory ends virtually all British authority in the province.

March–April

March Restrictions on the grain trade in Sweden are lifted.
March 1 The Peshwa of the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company sign the Treaty of Purandar in which the British are able to secure Salsette Island and accept Sawai Madhavrao as a new Peshwa. The Marathas agree not to recognise existence of the French in India.

March 2 3 American Revolutionary War:

Battle of Nassau: The American Continental Navy and Marines make a successful assault on Nassau, Bahamas.
Battle of the Rice Boats: American Patriotss resist the Royal Navy on the Savannah River; British control over the Province of Georgia is lost.
March 4 American Revolutionary War: American Patriotss capture Dorchester Heights, dominating the port of Boston.
March 9 Scottish economist Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations in London.
March 17 American Revolutionary War: Threatened by Patriot cannons on Dorchester Heights, the British evacuate Boston, ending the 11‑month Siege of Boston.
March 25 American Revolutionary War: American Patriotss conduct a Raid on Tybee Island, primarily seeking to capture runaway slaves who sought refuge with British forces stationed there.

March 28

Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.
Foundation of the ballet troupe which becomes the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Russian Empire.
April 12 American Revolution: The Royal Colony of North Carolina produces the Halifax Resolves, making it the first British colony to officially authorize its Continental Congress delegates to vote for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
April 27 Jeongjo becomes the King of Joseon following the death of his grandfather Yeongjo.

May–June

May 1 Adam Weishaupt founds the Illuminati in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.
May 4 Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III of Great Britain.
May 15 26 American Revolution: Battle of the Cedars British forces skirmish with the American Continental Army around Les Cèdres, Quebec.
June 6 A fire destroys major parts of the town of Askersund, Sweden.
June 7 American Revolution: Lee Resolution Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposes to the Second Continental Congress (meeting in Philadelphia) that "these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."
June 8 American Revolution: Battle of Trois-Rivières The invading American Continental Army is driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
June 10 Death of King Hsinbyushin of the Konbaung dynasty in Burma.
June 11 American Revolution: The Continental Congress appoints a Committee of Five to draft a Declaration of Independence.
June 12 American Revolution: The Virginia Declaration of Rights (by George Mason) is adopted by the Virginia Convention of Delegates.
June 15 American Revolution: Delaware Separation Day The Delaware General Assembly votes to suspend government under the British Crown.
June 17 Lt. José Joaquín Moraga leads a band of colonists from Monterey Presidio, landing on June 29 and, with Father Francisco Palóu, constructing the Mission San Francisco de Asís ("Mission Dolores") of the new Presidio of San Francisco, the oldest surviving building in the modern-day city.
June 28 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Sullivan's Island South Carolina militia repel a British attack on Charleston.
June 29 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet The American Continental Navy successfully challenges the British Royal Navy blockade off New Jersey.

July–August

July 2 American Revolution: The Continental Congress adopts the Lee Resolution.
July 4 American Revolution: United States Declaration of Independence The Continental Congress approves the declaration by the United States of its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. The text was drafted during June by Benjamin Franklin.
July 4 - The Albertina art museum is founded in Vienna, Austria.
July 8 American Revolution: The Liberty Bell rings in Philadelphia for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
July 9 American Revolution An angry mob in New York City topples and beheads the equestrian statue of George III of Great Britain in Bowling Green; much of its metal content will be used to make musket balls.
July 12 Captain James Cook sets off from Plymouth, England, in HMS Resolution on his third voyage, to the Pacific Ocean and Arctic, which will be fatal to him.
July 21 Mozart's Serenade No. 7 (the "Haffner") is first performed in Salzburg, Austria.
July 29 Domínguez–Escalante expedition: Francisco Silvestre Vélez de Escalante, Francisco Atanasio Domínguez and eight other Spaniards set out from Santa Fe on an 1800-mile (2900 km) trek through the American Southwest. They are the first Europeans to explore the vast region between the Rockies and the Sierras.
August 1 The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata is established in southern South America.
August 2 Delegates of most of the American colonies sign the Declaration of Independence.
August 15 American Revolution: The first Hessian troops land on Staten Island, to join British forces.
August 25 Scottish philosopher and historian David Hume dies in Edinburgh.
August 27 American Revolution: Battle of Long Island George Washington's troops are defeated in Brooklyn by the British, under William Howe.
August The guild organisation Marchandes de modes is founded in Paris.

September–October

September 1 Cherokee–American wars: The invasion of the Cherokee Nation by 6,000 patriot troops from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina begins. The troops destroy 36 Cherokee towns.
September 6 A hurricane hits Guadeloupe, killing more than 6,000 people.
September 7 American Revolutionary War: World's first submarine attack The American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship in New York Harbor.
September 9 The Continental Congress officially names its union of states the United States (previously the United Colonies).
September 11 American Revolutionary War: An abortive peace conference takes place between the British and Americans, on Staten Island.
September 15 American Revolutionary War: Landing at Kip's Bay British troops land on Manhattan at Kips Bay.
September 16 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Harlem Heights The Continental Army under Washington is victorious against the British on Manhattan.
September 17 The Presidio of San Francisco is founded in New Spain.
September 20 The Great Fire of New York (1776) starts during the night, ending the following morning.
September 22 American Revolutionary War Nathan Hale is executed by the British in New York City for espionage.

September 24

The first running of the St Leger Stakes horse race (not yet named) in England, first of the British Classic Races, devised by Anthony St Leger (British Army officer), takes place on Cantley Common at Doncaster. The winner is a filly (later named Allabaculia) owned by the organiser, the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham.
The Bolshoi Theatre company hosts its first annual opera season, with the opening of the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
October 7 Crown Prince Paul of Russia marries Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.
October 9 Father Francisco Palóu founds the Mission San Francisco de Asís, in what becomes San Francisco.
October 11 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Valcour Island On Lake Champlain near Valcour Island, a British fleet led by Sir Guy Carleton defeats 15 American gunboats, commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. Although nearly all of Arnold's ships are destroyed, the two-day-long battle will give Patriot forces enough time to prepare the defenses of New York City.
October 18 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Pell's Point Troops of the American Continental Army resist a British and Hessian force in The Bronx.
October 28 American Revolutionary War: Battle of White Plains British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the Americans.
October 31 In his first speech before the British Parliament since the Declaration of Independence this summer, King George III acknowledges that all is not going well for Britain, in the war with the United States.

November–December

November 16

American Revolutionary War: Battle of Fort Washington Hessian forces under Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen capture Fort Washington (Manhattan) from the American Continental Army.
The captain of the American navy ship Andrew Doria fires a salute to the Dutch flag on Fort Oranje, and Johannes de Graaff answers with 11 gun shots.
November 20 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Fort Lee The invasion of New Jersey, by British and Hessian forces, leads to the subsequent general retreat of the American Continental Army.
December 5 The Phi Beta Kappa society is founded at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.
December 6 The General Assembly of Virginia votes to create Kentucky County as the portion of the colony's Fincastle County that is located west of the Cumberland Mountains. In 1792, the county will become the 15th state of the United States as the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The rest of Fincastle County, between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachians is divided into the first county to be named after George Washington (Washington County, Virginia) in the south along the border with the North Carolina colony, and Montgomery County in the north. The divisions take effect on December 31.
December 7 American Revolutionary War: The Marquis de Lafayette attempts to enter the American military as a major general.
December 12 The second Continental Congress ends after a session that began on May 10, 1775, and continued for 582 days.
December 19 American Revolution Thomas Paine, living with Washington's troops, publishes the first in the series of pamphlets on The American Crisis in The Pennsylvania Journal, opening with the stirring phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls."
December 21 American Revolution: The Royal Colony of North Carolina reorganizes into the State of North Carolina after adopting its own constitution. Richard Caswell becomes the first governor of the newly formed state.
December 25 American Revolution: George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River At 6 p.m. Gen. George Washington and his troops, numbering 2,400, march to McConkey's Ferry, cross the Delaware River and land on the New Jersey bank by 3 a.m. the following morning.
December 26 American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trenton Washington's troops surprise the 1,500 Hessian troops under the command of Col. Johann Rall at 8 a.m. outside Trenton and score a victory, taking 948 prisoners while suffering only five wounded.

Date unknown

Adlan II becomes ruler of the Kingdom of Sennar.
The first commercial examples of the Watt steam engine are sold.

Births

January 1 James M. Broom, American politician (d. 1850)
January 2 Jeremiah Chaplin, American Reformed Baptist theologian (d. 1841)
January 3 Thomas Morris, American politician (d. 1844)

January 4

Bernardino Drovetti, Italian diplomat (d. 1852)
Jean-Baptiste Prosper Jollois, French Egyptologist (d. 1842)

January 6

Ferdinand von Schill, German noble (d. 1809)
Auguste Jean Ameil, French soldier (d. 1822)
January 8 Thomas Langlois Lefroy, Irish politician (d. 1869)
January 9 Ludwig Rhesa, Prussian scholar (d. 1840)
January 10 George Birkbeck, English doctor, academic and philanthropist (d. 1841)
January 15 Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, Roman-born British prince (d. 1834)

January 16

Matthew Brown, American college president (d. 1853)
João Soares de Albergaria de Sousa, Portuguese politician (d. 1875)
Richard Onslow, English archdeacon (d. 1849)
January 17 (bapt.) Jane Porter, English novelist (d. 1850)

January 21

Poul Christian Holst, Norwegian politician (d. 1863)
Elisha Haley, American politician (d. 1860)
January 23 Howard Douglas, British Army general (d. 1861)

January 24

Jean-Guillaume, baron Hyde de Neuville, French aristocrat (d. 1857)
E. T. A. Hoffmann, German writer, composer and painter (d. 1822)
Peter A. Jay, American politician (d. 1843)
January 25 Joseph Görres, German writer and journalist (d. 1848)
January 29 William Bowie, American agrarian (d. 1826)

February 4

Gottfried Reinhold Treviranus, German biologist (d. 1837)
Jan Gerard Kemmerling, Dutch mayor (d. 1818)
February 11 Ioannis Kapodistrias, Governor of Greece (d. 1831)

February 12

Richard Mant, Irish bishop (d. 1848)
Mary Young Pickersgill, American maker of the Star Spangled Banner flag (d. 1857)
February 14 Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck, prolific German botanist (d. 1858)
February 15 Jean-Pierre Boyer, President of Haiti (d. 1850)
February 16 Abraham Raimbach, British engraver (d. 1843)

February 17

Ross Cuthbert, Canadian politician (d. 1861)
Georg zu Münster, German paleontologist (d. 1844)
February 18 Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke, German general (d. 1830)
February 20 Mariano Ricafort Palacín y Abarca, Spanish colonial governor of Cuba (d. 1846)
February 21 Joseph Barss, Canadian privateer, sea captain (d. 1824)

February 23

John Walter, English newspaper editor (d. 1847)
Heneage Horsley, Scottish priest (d. 1847)
February 25 George William Tighe, English expatriate (d. 1837)

February 26

Innis Green, American congressman for Pennsylvania (d. 1839)
John Paterson, Scottish missionary to Northern Europe (d. 1855)
February 28 François Quirouet, Canadian politician (d. 1844)

March 1

John Collins, American manufacturer, politician (d. 1822)
Elias Moore (d. 1847)
March 3 James Parker, American politician (d. 1868)
March 4 Guillaume Emmanuel Guignard, vicomte de Saint-Priest, Russian army commander (d. 1814)
March 5 Gerard Troost, American mineralogist (d. 1850)
March 6 Luigi Lambruschini, Italian Catholic cardinal (d. 1854)
March 7 Timothy Ruggles, Canadian politician (d. 1831)

March 8

David Rogerson Williams, American politician (d. 1830)
Samuel Tweedy, American politician (d. 1868)

March 9

Thomas Evans, British Army general (d. 1863)
Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary, Archduke of Austria (d. 1847)

March 10

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia (d. 1810)
Étienne Ranvoyzé, Canadian politician (d. 1826)
March 12 Lady Hester Stanhope, English archaeologist (d. 1839)
March 16 Johan Gijsbert Verstolk van Soelen, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1845)
March 15 Aimé Picquet du Boisguy, French chouan general during the French Revolution (d. 1839)
March 17 Joel Abbot, American politician (d. 1826)
March 19 Philemon Beecher, American politician (d. 1839)

March 20

Joshua Bates, American educator (d. 1854)
Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, English politician (d. 1839)
March 21 John Frederick Frelinghuysen, United States general (d. 1833)

March 23

Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto, English politician (d. 1848)
Vicente Salias, Venezuelan doctor (d. 1814)
March 24 Zusho Hirosato, Japanese samurai (d. 1849)
March 27 Charles-François Brisseau de Mirbel, French botanist, politician (d. 1854)
March 30 Vasily Tropinin, Russian artist (d. 1857)
March 31 Joseph Küffner, German musician, composer (d. 1856)

April 1

Pierre François Bellot, Swiss jurist (d. 1836)
Sophie Germain, French mathematician (d. 1831)

April 3

François Blanchet, Canadian physician, politician (d. 1830)
Mary Anne Clarke, English mistress of Prince Frederick (d. 1852)
April 6 Jesse Bledsoe, American politician (d. 1836)

April 11

Macvey Napier, Scottish legal scholar, one of the editors of the Encyclopædia Britannica (d. 1847)
Jerome Inglott, Maltese philosopher (d. 1835)

April 12

Henry Hezekiah Cogswell, Canadian politician (d. 1854)
Henry Hobhouse, English archivist (d. 1854)
April 13 Wilhelm von Schütz, German author, playwright (d. 1847)
April 15 John Anstruther-Thomson, Scottish nobleman, Colonel of the Royal Fifeshire Yeomanry Cavalry (d. 1833)
April 17 Jean-François Roger, French poet, politician (d. 1842)

April 20

Augustin-Marie d'Aboville, French artillerist during the Revolution (d. 1843)
William Weston Young, English Quaker businessman (d. 1847)

April 25

James Miller, American politician (d. 1851)
Edward Solly, English merchant, art collector (d. 1844)
Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, member of the British Royal Family (d. 1857)

April 27

Hyacinthe Jadin, French composer (d. 1800)
John Cunningham, Canadian politician (d. 1847)

April 28

Charles Bennet, 5th Earl of Tankerville, English politician (d. 1859)
Manuel Vieira de Albuquerque Touvar, Portuguese nobleman (d. 1833)
May 4 Johann Friedrich Herbart, German philosopher, psychologist (d. 1841)
May 5 Valentine Efner, American politician (d. 1865)

May 6

Stephen Rumbold Lushington, English politician, administrator in Madras (d. 1868)
Pyotr Mikhailovich Volkonsky, Russian field marshal (d. 1852)
Rensselaer Westerlo, American politician (d. 1851)

May 8

Edward Leveson-Gower, British Royal Navy admiral (d. 1853)
Prince Bagrat of Georgia (d. 1841)
May 9 Thomas Maguire, Canadian Catholic priest (d. 1854)
May 10 George Thomas Smart, English musician (d. 1867)
May 12 José de La Mar, military leader, President of Peru (d. 1830)
May 13 Jett Thomas, American militia general (d. 1817)
May 17 Amos Eaton, American botanist (d. 1842)
May 18 Dennis Pennington, American politician (d. 1854)

May 20

Simon Fraser, Canadian explorer (d. 1862)
Víctor Rosales, Mexican rebel (d. 1817)
May 29 Peter Erasmus Müller, Danish historian, linguist and theologian (d. 1834)
May 31 José Antonio de la Garza, American mayor (d. 1851)

June 1

George Schetky, American conductor (d. 1831)
Giuseppe Zamboni, Italian Catholic priest, physicist (d. 1846)
June 4 Isaac B. Van Houten, American politician (d. 1850)
June 6 William Reed, American politician (d. 1837)
June 8 Thomas Rickman, English architect, architectural antiquary (d. 1841)
June 11 John Constable, English landscape painter (d. 1837)

June 12

Karl Friedrich Burdach, German physiologist (d. 1847)
José Manuel de Goyeneche, 1st Count of Guaqui, Spanish soldier, diplomat (d. 1846)
Pierre Révoil, French painter (d. 1842)
June 19 Francis Johnson, American politician (d. 1842)

June 21

Landgravine Josepha of Fürstenberg-Weitra, Princess of Liechtenstein (d. 1848)
Charles Horsfall, English merchant, politician (d. 1846)
William Wadd, English surgeon, medical author (d. 1829)
June 23 Stephen Longfellow, American politician (d. 1849)
June 28 Charles Mathews, English actor (d. 1835)
June 29 George Okill Stuart, Canadian clergyman (d. 1862)

July 1

Samuel Thatcher, American politician (d. 1872)
Sophie Gay, French author (d. 1852)
July 3 Henry Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton, Anglo-Irish politician (d. 1842)

July 4

Pär Aron Borg, Swedish sign language creator (d. 1839)
Ethan Allen Brown, American politician (d. 1852)

July 5

Daniel Dobbins, captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service (d. 1856)
Bernard Smith, American politician (d. 1835)
July 10 Samuel Powell, American politician (d. 1841)
July 11 William Bradbery, English entrepreneur (d. 1860)
July 12 John Christian, Manx judge (d. 1852)
July 13 Caroline of Baden, Queen of Bavaria (d. 1841)
July 14 Pierre Yrieix Daumesnil, French soldier (d. 1832)

July 16

Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus, German physician, naturalist (d. 1827)
Johann Georg von Soldner, German physicist (d. 1833)
July 17 John Neilson, Canadian politician (d. 1848)
July 18 John Struthers, Scottish poet (d. 1853)
July 20 Ignaz Schuppanzigh, Austrian musician (d. 1830)

July 22

Etheldred Benett, English geologist (d. 1845)
Friedrich Hermann Otto, Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (d. 1838)
July 26 Pierre Fouquier, French physician, professor of medicine (d. 1850)
July 29 James McSherry, American politician (d. 1849)
July 30 Sir Edward Kerrison, 1st Baronet, British general (d. 1853)

August 1

Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford, Governor General of British North America (1835–1837) (d. 1849)
Jean Corbineau, French cavalry general (d. 1848)

August 2

Thomas Assheton Smith II, English cricketer (d. 1858)
Friedrich Stromeyer, German chemist (d. 1835)
August 4 Pierre-Simon Ballanche, French writer and counterrevolutionary philosopher (d. 1847)

August 5

Sophie d'Artois, French princess (d. 1783)
John Willson, Canadian judge (d. 1860)
August 6 William Crooks, Canadian politician (d. 1836)

August 9

Jacob Munch, Norwegian painter, military officer (d. 1839)
Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist (d. 1856)

August 12

Thomas Millidge, Jr., New Brunswick businessman, political figure (d. 1838)
David Erskine, 2nd Baron Erskine, British politician (d. 1855)
August 13 Abraham Shepherd, American politician (d. 1847)

August 14

Prince Christian of Hesse (d. 1814)
Christian Friedrich Tieck, German sculptor (d. 1851)

August 15

Ignaz von Seyfried, Austrian musician (d. 1841)
Gottlieb Schick, German artist (d. 1812)

August 16

Amalia von Helvig, German and Swedish artist (d. 1831)
Philipp Jakob Riotte, German composer (d. 1856)
Monaldo Leopardi, Italian philosopher (d. 1847)
Jean-Roch Coignet, French soldier (d. 1865)

August 18

Agustín Argüelles, Spanish liberal politician (d. 1844)
Thomas Howard, 16th Earl of Suffolk, England (d. 1851)
Sir Robert Newman, 1st Baronet, English politician (d. 1848)

August 21

Joseph Healy, American politician (d. 1861)
Elizabeth Parke Custis Law, American matriarch (d. 1832)
August 22 Carlo Amati, Italian architect (d. 1852)

August 23

Jens Peter Debes, Norwegian politician (d. 1832)
Józef Maria Hoene-Wroński, Polish philosopher (d. 1853)
August 25 Thomas Bladen Capel, British admiral (d. 1853)

August 26

Ferdynand Stokowski, Polish general (d. 1827)
Henry A. Livingston, American politician (d. 1849)
August 27 Barthold Georg Niebuhr, Danish-German statesman, historian (d. 1831)
August 29 Georg Friedrich Treitschke, German librettist (d. 1842)

September 1

Jacques Gervais, baron Subervie, French general, politician (d. 1856)
Ezekiel Bacon, American politician (d. 1870)
September 3 Étienne Mayrand, Canadian politician (d. 1872)
September 4 Stephen Whitney, American merchant (d. 1860)
September 5 Augustus Simon Frazer, French-born British Army officer (d. 1835)

September 8

Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg, German noblewoman (d. 1841)
Heinrich Meldahl, Norwegian builder (d. 1840)

September 9

Parmenio Adams, American politician (d. 1832)
Calvin Pease, Ohio jurist, legislator (d. 1839)
Philip Broke, British Royal Navy admiral (d. 1841)
September 11 Thomas Arbuthnot, British Army general (d. 1849)

September 15

William Baylies, American politician (d. 1865)
Calvin Willey, American politician (d. 1858)
September 17 Langdon Cheves, American politician (d. 1857)
September 18 Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen, 2nd Viscount Newcomen, English politician (d. 1825)

September 21

Karl Gustav Bonuvier, Swedish actor, theatre director (d. 1858)
John Fitchett, English poet (d. 1838)

September 27

Peter Shaver, Canadian politician (d. 1866)
Maria Versfelt, Dutch writer, actor (d. 1845)
October 1 Augustus Warren Baldwin, Upper Canada naval officer, political figure (d. 1866)
October 3 Thomas Walsh, Vicar Apostolic of England and Wales (d. 1849)