Timeline of the American Revolution

Most of the dates and events on this chart came from my own reading and research, but some came from Wikipedia, and a substantial number came from other Revolution-related sites. Although there are more than 400 almost 500 events listed (as of 5/19/2017), I know I am missing a great many and have no links for others.

The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull
The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull

Click the DATES to read more about the event!

Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1763/2/10The Treaty of Paris gives all French territory in North America east of the Mississippi to Great Britain and west of the Mississippi to Spain.
1763/5/9Pontiac leads allied Indian tribes against Fort Detroit.
1763/8/5British forces defeat an Indian ambush at the Battle of Bushy Run, a major turning point in Pontiac’s War.
1763/10/7Royal Proclamation of 1763 sets the boundaries of Britain’s new possessions and bars the colonies from western expansion. Washington and other colonists are infuriated.
1764/9/21The Sugar Act of 1764 reduces taxes but increases enforcement efforts.
1764/8/12Delaware and Shawnee tribes sign a treaty with the British.
1764/4/19The Currency Act of 1764.
1764/10/17British and Indian representatives meet to discuss terms of peace.
1764/10/25John Adams marries Abigail Smith.
1764/11/3The House of Representatives of #Massachusetts Bay petitions the King.
1764/12/5Pontiac’s War is officially ended.
1765/3/22The Stamp Act of 1765.
1765/3/24The Quartering Act of 1765 commandeers private property for housing British soldiers.
1765/5/29Virginia House of Burgesses passes Virginia Resolves in opposition to taxation without representation.
1765/5/29Speaking in favor of the Virginia Resolves, Patrick Henry says “If this be treason, make the most of it!”
1765/8/14A mob attacks the home of the Massachusetts Distributor of Stamps.
1765/8/26Rioters destroy homes of several British government officials in #Boston, #Massachusetts.
1765/10/7The Stamp Act Congress commences.
1765/10/19Stamp Act Congress adopts Declaration of Rights and Grievances.
1765/10/25The Stamp Act Congress ends.
1766/1/4Ben Franklin urges the inhabitants of Chancery Lane to leave the street unpaved in order to discourage frivolous lawsuits.
1766/2/13Benjamin Franklin compares the relationship between Britain and the Colonies to an abusive marriage.
1766/3/1Benjamin Franklin on hearing of the way his detractors spoke of him when he wasn’t around: “I give myself as little Concern about them as possible. I have often met with such Treatment from People that I was all the while endeavouring to serve. At other times I have been extoll’d extravagantly when I have had little or no Merit. These are the Operations of Nature. It sometimes is cloudy, it rains, it hails; again ’tis clear and pleasant, and the Sun shines on us. Take one thing with another, and the World is a pretty good sort of a World; and ’tis our Duty to make the best of it and be thankful.”
1766/3/18Stamp Act is repealed by Parliament and the King.
1766/3/18Declaratory Act asserts the right of Parliament to make laws for the colonies.
1766/5/21The Liberty Pole is erected in New York City in celebration of the repeal of the Stamp Act.
1767/6/29The Revenue Act of 1767, the first of the Townsend Acts, is passed.
1768/2/11Samuel Adams writes the #Massachusetts Circular Letter calling the Townsend Acts unconstitutional.
1768/5/9John Hancock’s men lock a customs official in the cabin of the sloop Liberty while they unload cargo.
1768/5/17British frigate HMS Romney arrives in Boston Harbor to intimidate tax protestors. Captain Corner attempts to impress Boston sailors into his crew.
1768/6/5In early June Bostonians riot when Hancock’s sloop Liberty is seized for nonpayment of customs.
1768/7/12Governor of Massachusetts dissolves the general court after the legislature refuses to revoke Adams’ letter.
1768/8/1Boston Non-Importation Agreement made by Boston and New York merchants to boycott British goods.
1768/10/1British troops occupy Boston.
1769/1/17Ben Franklin writes in defense of patriotic Americans seeking public office under the current, corrupt government.
1769/5/29George Washington introduces George Mason’s proposal in the #Virginia house of Burgesses to boycott British goods until the Townsend Acts are repealed.
1769/9/2Benjamin Franklin warns against the dangers of “law enforcement” antagonizing an already hostile people: “When I consider the warm resentment of a people who think themselves injured and oppressed, and the common insolence of the soldiery, who are taught to consider that people as in rebellion, I cannot but fear the consequences of bringing them together.”
1769/11/29Benjamin Franklin informs William Strahan, printer to the King, of the American hostility toward taxation without representation.
1769/12/16Alexander McDougall and the Sons of Liberty publish “To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York”.
1770/1/19A riot known as the Battle of Golden Hill erupts when British soldiers post handbills attacking the Sons of Liberty.
1770/1/28Frederick North, Lord North, becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain.
1770/3/5The Boston Massacre helps set the stage for the American Revolution.
1770/3/5London merchants petition Parliament to repeal heavy taxes on trade with New England.
1770/7/9New York merchants agree not to import anything from Britain that was subject to import duties.
1770/11/8In the London Chronicle Benjamin Franklin describes the many reasons for America’s increasing discontent.
1771/1/16Ben Franklin recounts a demonstration of why the American colonies can get no satisfaction to their grievances from London.
1771/5/16Governor William Tryon puts down a tax rebellion at the Battle of Alamance, North Carolina.
1771/5/17Ben Franklin urges patience on the Massachusetts House of Representatives despite the apparent inevitability of open conflict.
1771/6/9The British revenue schooner Gaspee is boarded and burned off the coast of Rhode Island by American colonists in protest of high British taxes.
1771/11/2Samuel Adams organizes the Committees of Correspondence.
1772/5/5Watauga Association leases land, from the Cherokee, along the Watauga River in Tennessee and declares independence in May, 1774.
1772/6/3A New Englander lays out American objections to the enforcement of the state religion in the colonies.
1772/11/20Boston Committee of Correspondence approves the “Boston Pamphlet” detailing a number of grievances against Parliament and the Crown.
1773/5/10The Tea Act of 1773 attempts to force the American colonies to purchase British East India Company tea.
1773/6/13In June, 1773, The private letters of Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson and Lieutenant Governor Andrew Oliver, discussing how to deal with the ongoing tax protests during the 1760s, are published in the Boston Gazette. Benjamin Franklin later admits responsibility.
1773/12/15The local Sons of Liberty publish Association of the Sons of Liberty in New York.
1773/12/16The Boston Tea Party. The Sons of Liberty destroy a shipment of East India Company tea in protest of unfair taxes and import rules.
1773/12/25Ben Franklin admits to releasing the Hutchinson Letters. Merry Christmas, governor!
1774/1/29Benjamin Franklin is questioned by Parliament.
1774/4/10Benjamin Franklin writes of flames on the New Jersey rivers.
1774/5/23Lord Dunmore’s War begins between Virginia and the Shawnee and Mingo tribes in May, 1774.
1774/3/10Benjamin Franklin warns Britain that continued offenses against the rights of American colonists will likely lead to war.
1774/3/31The Boston Port Act legally blockades Boston until reparations are made for the Boston Tea Party.
1774/5/13Boston Town Meeting passes a resolution to boycott British goods in response to the Boston Port Act.
1774/5/20The Administration of Justice Act allows the state to try an accused in a venue distant from the crime.
1774/5/20The Massachusetts Government Act voids the colony charter and gives the royal governor greater power.
1774/6/1Virginia House of Burgesses declares June 1, 1774, to be a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer.
1774/6/1The Boston Port Bill of 1774 takes effect, legally closing off Boston to all shipping.
1774/6/2The Quartering Act of 1774 allows colonial governors to commandeer private buildings to house troops.
1774/6/22The Quebec Act of 1774 establishes rules for governing Quebec and angers the English colonists.
1774/6/29Benjamin Franklin publishes the satirical “Act for the More Effectual Keeping of the Colonies Dependent” in the Pennsylvania Journal.
1774/7/18The Fairfax Resolves are adopted by Fairfax County, Virginia, rejecting Parliament’s claims of authority over the colonies.
1774/7/23Thomas Jefferson and John Walker ask the Parish of Saint Anne to spend the day in prayer and fasting to avert the dangers which threaten civil rights and all the evils of civil war.
1774/9/1General Thomas Gage raids a powder magazine in Cambridge, putting colonial militias on high alert.
1774/9/5First Continental Congress commences in Philadelphia.
1774/10/19Lord Dunmore’s War ends with the Treaty of Camp Charlotte.
1774/10/26First Continental Congress ends.
1774/10/14First Continental Congress issues the Declaration and Resolves.
1774/10/19The HMS Peggy Stewart is burned.
1774/10/20Continental Congress creates the Continental Association to coordinate boycotts of British goods.
1774/10/26Massachusetts Provincial Congress creates the Committees of Safety and Supplies with power to call up the militia in an emergency. The Congress also calls for a reorganization of the militia into “minute companies” including more deliberate, regular training.
1774/10/26Continental Congress issues a petition to King George III calling for a repeal of the Coercive Acts.
1774/12/22In an incident known as the Greenwich Tea Party, forty patriots from Greenwich, New Jersey, dress as Indians and burn a cargo of tea bound for Philadelphia.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1775/1/3Captain Isaac Sears mandhandles and mocks John Case, an older British loyalist.
1775/1/4The Governor of Connecticut calls an emergency meeting to discuss plans for equipping and training the militia.
1775/1/11The Provincial Congress of South Carolina shuts down the civil court and begins an extended, emergency session.
1775/1/11The people of Marblehead, Massachusetts, resolve to form a militia and begin training in the art of war.
1775/1/20An altercation between a British officer and a number of Boston patriots has two very different versions.
1775/1/25The Pennsylvania Journal publishes a letter excoriating collaborators and placing all blame for the coming revolution on their heads.
1775/2/2In support of the Continental Congress, a group of New Yorkers prevent the Ship James from unloading its cargo.
1775/2/5A party of militia raid an informer’s house in Stamford, Connectictut, and take back seven half-barrels of confiscated gun powder.
1775/2/7Ben Franklin argues that American men are better with the ladies than English or Scottish men.
1775/2/27Parliament approves Lord North’s Conciliatory Resolution, commonly referred to as the Conciliatory Bill.
1775/3/13William French is killed at the Westminster Courthouse in what is now Vermont.
1775/3/13Rival meetings take place in New York City. American Patriots meet at the Exchange while Loyalists meet at the widow De la Montagnie’s house.
1775/3/23Patrick Henry says “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
1775/4/3The General Committee of South Carolina sends a letter to New York expressing their solidarity against the crown.
1775/4/5Massachusetts Provincial Congress adopts Articles of War, a body of military regulations for their Constitutional Army.
1775/4/14Massachusetts Provincial Congress orders the Committee of Safety to begin selecting field officers for the Constitutional Army.
1775/4/18Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott ride to warn Lexington and Concord that the British were coming to confiscate their weapons and powder.
1775/4/19The Battle of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.
1775/4/19Siege of Boston, Massachusetts, begins and will last through 3/17/1776.
1775/4/20Patrick Henry leads a protest against gunpowder confiscations, prompting Lord Dunmore to offer monetary compensation.
1775/4/21Massachusetts Provincial Congress approves plan to begin recruiting for a regular army.
1775/4/25Rhode Island Assembly votes to establish a 1500-man Army of Observation for the colony’s defense.
1775/4/26The Connecticut Assembly votes to raise six regiments.
1775/5/9The Battle of Skenesboro, New York.
1775/5/10The Second Continental Congress convenes.
1775/5/10Fort Ticonderoga is captured by Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and the Green Mountain Boys.
1775/5/18New Hampshire Provincial Congress resolves to “join in the common cause of defending our just rights and liberties.”
1775/5/20New Hampshire Provincial Congress creates a Committee of Safety and authorizes recruitment of 2000 men for the New England army.
1775/5/21Skirmish at Grape Island, Massachusetts.
1775/5/24John Hancock is elected president of the Second Continental Congress.
1775/5/25Continental Congress recommends fortifying strategic locations in New York and preparing the militia for war.
1775/5/27The Battle of Chelsea Creek, Massachusetts.
1775/6/3Three men are wounded by a booby trap during a night raid on a royal armory.
1775/6/11The Battle of Machias. First naval engagement of the American Revolution. Massachusetts militia capture the HMS Margaretta.
1775/6/14Congress orders the formation of a Continental Army, including recruits from the New England colonies plus Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
1775/6/14General Artemas Ward issues a general order requiring attendance at daily prayers and Sunday services.
1775/6/15Continental Congress appoints George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.
1775/6/17The Battle of Bunker Hill, Massachusetts.
1775/6/18Abigail Adams writes, “The Day; perhaps the decisive Day is come on which the fate of America depends. My bursting Heart must find vent at my pen….The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Trust in him at all times, ye people pour out your hearts before him. God is a refuge for us.”
1775/6/18Church-goers carry their firearms to church as requested by the Provincial Congress of South Carolina.
1775/6/30Continental Congress adopts the Continental Articles of War to govern the new Continental Army.
1775/7/3Washington assumes command of the Continental Army.
1775/7/4General Washington reaffirms Gen. Ward’s order for all troops to attend prayers and Sunday services.
1775/7/6Continental Congress issues the Declaration of Arms.
1775/7/10Olive Branch Petition sent to King George III.
1775/7/16General Washington orders all troops to observe the national day of fasting and prayer on the following July 20th.
1775/7/20A Continental Army raiding party burns the lighthouse on Little Brewster Island.
1775/7/20Continental Congress recommends a national day of fasting and prayer.
1775/7/21Ben Franklin asks Continental Congress to close all British customs houses and open all American ports to other European nations if trade restrictions aren’t removed in one year.
1775/7/26Congress appoints Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general of the United States.
1775/7/31The Battle of Little Brewster Island, Massachusetts.
1775/8/8The Battle of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Colonial militia come to the rescue of two schooners in danger from HMS Falcon.
1775/8/23King George III declares the American colonies to be in open rebellion.
1775/8/30The Bombardment of Stonington Harbor, Connecticut.
1775/8/31New York’s General Philip Schuyler initiates an invasion of Canada.
1776/9/7Sergeant Ezra Lee pilots the Turtle, designed by David Bushnell, in the first submarine attack against another ship, the HMS Eagle. The attack fails to damage the Eagle, but succeeds in demonstrating the potential of submarine warfare.
1775/9/15The Battle of Fort Johnson, NC, Francis Marion’s first recorded battle against the British.
1775/9/17The Siege of Fort Saint Johns, Quebec, begins. Lasts through 11/3/1775.
1775/9/25Ethan Allen is captured in an unauthorized raid near Longue-Pointe, Quebec, on September 25, 1775.
1775/10/4Surgeon General Benjamin Church is tried and convicted of spying for the British.
1775/10/11Congress instructs General Schuyler to encourage Canadians to join the Revolution.
1775/10/13The Continental Navy is established.
1775/10/18The Bombardment and burning of Falmouth, Massachusetts, near present-day Portland, Maine.
1775/10/20The Battle of Fort Chambly, Quebec.
1775/10/24The British navy attacks Norfolk, Virginia, but is repelled by a small force of militia.
1775/10/25Raids and skirmishes around Hampton, Virginia, on October 25-26.
1775/10/26Lord Dunmore attempts to burn the town of Hampton, Virginia.
1775/10/27King George III authorizes the use of the army to put down the colonial rebellion in America.
1775/11/3The Battle of Fort Saint Johns, Quebec, ending a nearly two month siege.
1775/11/6Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia, declares the colony in rebellion and under martial law.
1775/11/7Continental Congress makes treason a capital offense under the Continental Articles of War.
1775/11/10The Continental Marines (later named the United States Marine Corps) are established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1775/11/10First Siege of Ninety-Six, South Carolina, begins. Also known as the Siege of Savage’s Old Fields.
1775/11/15The Battle of Kemp’s Landing, Virginia.
1775/11/13American forces under General Montgomery capture Montreal.
1775/11/21The First Siege of Ninety-Six, South Carolina, ends.
1775/11/25An American responds to Lord Dunmore’s declaration of martial law.
1775/12/5Henry Knox began the transport of fifty-nine captured cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston.
1775/12/9The Battle of Great Bridge, Virginia.
1775/12/8Congress establishes the position of Surgeon General.
1775/12/14Continental Army forces occupy Norfolk, Virginia.
1775/12/22The Battle of Great Cane Break, So. Carolina. Continental regulars and militia route a force of loyalist militia.
1775/12/23The Snow Campaign begins and runs through December 30th. Colonel Richard Richardson leads a large force of American militia in disrupting loyalist recruitment efforts and scattering their leaders.
1775/12/31General Richard Montgomery is killed and Colonel Benedict Arnold is wounded at the ill-conceived Battle of Quebec.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1776/1/1The Bombardment, evacuation, and burning of Norfolk, Virginia.
1776/1/10Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense.
1776/1/18The Council of Safety issues an arrest warrant for Georgia Governor James Wright.
1776/1/24General Henry Knox arrives in Boston.
1776/2/27The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge, North Carolina.
1776/3/2The Battle of the Rice Boats on the Savannah River goes through the night.
1776/3/3American navy captures New Providence Island.
1776/3/3The Battle of Nassau (March 3-4). Colonial Marines raid the port of Nassau in the Bahamas.
1776/3/6Congress promotes John Thomas to Major General to replace General Charles Lee as commander of American forces in Canada.
1776/3/9Adam Smith, an economic philosopher whose ideas had great influence on America’s founding fathers, publishes “The Wealth of Nations.”
1776/3/17British forces evacuate Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, Massachusetts.
1776/3/21Governor William Tryon is hung in effigy in New York City.
1776/3/30Parliament passes a bill to restrict the trade of New England to Britain and her possessions.
1776/4/6The Battle of Block Island, Rhode Island.
1776/4/19Rumors circulate of the crown hiring foreign mercenaries to suppress the rebellion in America.
1776/5/2France begins secretly aiding the American colonies in their struggle against Britain.
1776/5/2Maj General John Thomas assumes command of American forces in Quebec.
1776/5/28Virginia votes to declare independence from Britain.
1776/5/29Samuel West preaches on the Right to Rebel Against Governors.
1776/6/7Richard Henry Lee presents Congress with a resolution to declare independence from Britain.
1776/6/8The Battle of Three Rivers, Quebec. General William Thompson is captured by the British.
1776/6/11The Committee of Five (Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Sherman and Livingston) begins drafting the Declaration of Independence.
1776/6/11John Hancock calls up the militia in response to an expected British attack on New York.
1776/6/12Virginia Declaration of Rights.
1776/6/15The Lower Counties of Pennsylvania (Delaware) declares its independence from Britain and Pennsylvania.
1776/6/28A draft of the Declaration of Independence is read in Congress.
1776/6/28The Battle of Fort Moultrie and Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina.
1776/6/29The Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet. British boarding party is killed when powder kegs, left by American sailors who had abandoned ship, detonate.
1776/7/1Cherokee, allied with the British, begin attacking American settlements.
1776/7/2Second Continental Congress passes the Lee Resolution declaring independence from Great Britain.
1776/7/4Second Continental Congress publishes the Declaration of Independence.
1776/7/5Declaration of Independence is printed and distributed to colonial legislatures and the Continental Army.
1776/7/6The Pennsylvania Evening Post prints the Declaration of Independence.
1776/7/8First public reading of the Declaration of Independence takes place in Philadelphia.
1776/7/9George Washington orders the Declaration of Independence to be read to the Continental Army.
1776/7/15The Battle of Lindley’s Fort. Loyalist militia and Cherokee are beaten off, then routed by patriot militia.
1776/7/19Congress orders the Declaration of Independence to be engrossed on parchment and signed by the delegates.
1776/7/19The declaration of Independence is read aloud at Bridgetown, New Jersey, by Dr. Jonathan Elmer.
1776/8/1Gen. Andrew Williamson battles Cherokee allied with the British at the Battle of Seneca, South Carolina.
1776/8/2Most delegates to Congress sign the Declaration of Independence.
1776/8/12Americans defeat a Cherokee war party and burn the Cherokee village, Tamassy, South Carolina.
1776/8/27George Wythe, delegate from Virginia, signs the Declaration of Independence.
1776/8/27The Battle of Long Island, New York.
1776/9/4Richard Henry Lee, Elbridge Gerry, and Oliver Wilcott sign the Declaration of Independence.
1776/9/6A loyalist army recruiter gives a speech on Long Island on behalf of General Howe.
1776/9/11British Admiral Lord Howe and American delegates John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge attend a Staten Island Peace Conference at the home of Colonel Christopher Billop.
1776/9/15The Battle of Kip’s Bay, New York.
1776/9/15The British occupy New York.
1776/9/16The Battle of Harlem Heights, New York.
1776/9/19The Battle of Coweecho River, North Carolina, also known as the Battle of Black Hole. American forces under Colonel Andrew Williamson are ambushed by a party of Cherokee and loyalist militia.
1776/9/21The Great Fire of New York burns into the next day.
1776/9/22Nathan Hale is captured attempting to escape New York and executed for espionage.
1776/10/11The Battle of Valcour Island, Lake Champlain. The Continental Navy suffers heavy losses, but Benedict Arnold succeeds in delaying the British arrival in New York, contributing to the surrender of General Burgoyne the next year.
1776/10/12Skirmishes at Throggs Neck. British forces under General Howe land at Throggs Neck in an attempt to cut off the retreat of General Washington’s army at Harlem, but their advance inland was stalled several hours by two American outposts manned by about 25 men each.
1776/10/18The Battle of Pelham, New York. A small force of Americans under Colonel Glover inflicts heavy casualties on the much larger royal army of General Lord Howe, slowing the British attempt to cut off Washington’s retreat.
1776/10/28The Battle of White Plains, New York.
1776/11/1American forces burn White Plains and surrounding fields in their retreat from the British.
1776/11/8A ragtag American force harasses Hessian sentries prior to the Battle of Fort Washington.
1776/11/9An account of a skirmish preceding the Battle of Fort Washington, NY.
1776/11/10The Siege of Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia, begins.
1776/11/16The Battle of Fort Washington, New York.
1776/11/19Matthew Thornton, delegate from New Hampshire, signs the Declaration of Independence.
1776/11/20The Battle of Fort Lee, New Jersey.
1776/11/29The Siege of Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia, ends.
1776/12/19Thomas Paine publishes “American Crisis.” “These are the times that try men’s souls…”
1776/12/22The Battle of Iron Works Hill in and around Mount Holly, New Jersey, rages through the night.
1776/12/25George Washington begins moving his troops across the Delaware River under cover of night. 
1776/12/26The First Battle of Trenton, New Jersey. Washington crosses the Delaware River with 5400 Colonial troops before dawn to attack the British.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1777/1/2The Battle of Assunpink Creek, New Jersey.
1777/1/3The Battle of Princeton, New Jersey.
1777/1/6Washington’s army encamps at Morristown, New Jersey.
1777/1/18Congress orders signed copies of the Declaration of Independence to be printed and sent to the States.
1777/1/20The Battle of Millstone, New Jersey.
1777/1/23A skirmish at Woodbridge, New Jersey.
1777/1/25George Washington issues his Proclamation.
1777/2/25Pennsylvania Evening Post reports on a Connectictut militia unit of 24 married men with an average age of 41 and a total of 149 children.
1777/3/8The Battle of Punk Hill, New Jersey.
1777/3/16The Battle of Ward’s House near Kingsbridge, New York.
1777/3/17Alexander Hamilton’s artillery unit is formally transferred to the Continental Army.
1777/3/20A young lady of Woodbridge, New Jersey, captures a drunk Hessian soldier.
1777/3/22The Battle of Peekskill, New York.
1777/4/12General Cornwallis surprises American forces at the Battle of Bound Brook, New Jersey.
1777/4/26British forces under General Tryon attack Danbury, Connecticut, destroying most of the town and considerable American provisions. American forces harass the British for the next several days. Major General David Wooster is fatally wounded in a skirmish nearby at Ridgefield. He would die on May 14th at Danbury.
1777/5/8General Washington forbids gambling among the troops.
1777/5/17The Battle of Thomas Creek, Florida.
1777/5/24The Battle of Sag Harbor, New York.
1777/5/28The Continental Army makes camp at Middlebrook.
1777/6/14The Flag Resolution sets the design of the flag of the United States of America.
1777/6/20General John Burgoyne issues a proclamation calling for a counter-insurgency against the Revolution and threatening retaliation at the hands of allied Indian tribes if he is not heeded.
1777/6/22The British feint toward Pennsylvania in an attempt to draw Washington out of hiding.
1777/6/26British and American accounts of the Battle of Short Hills near Quibbletown, New Jersey.
1777/7/2The Battle of Ticonderoga, New York, lasts through July 6th.
1777/7/2The Continental Army left the Middlebrook encampment.
1777/7/5The Continental Army abandons Fort Ticonderoga.
1777/7/6The British retake Fort Ticonderoga on July 6, 1777.
1777/7/7American forces are defeated by the British at the Battle of Hubbardton, Vermont.
1777/7/8Delegates in Vermont established the Vermont Republic and adopted the Constitution of Vermont, which abolished slavery.
1777/7/8The Battle of Fort Ann, New York.
1777/7/19A scouting party of American militia and Mohican Indians captured two British regulars and three Tories.
1777/7/27Marquis de Lafayette arrives in Philadelphia. Commissioned as a Major General of the Continental Army.
1777/8/6The Battle of Oriskany, New York. General Nicholas Herkimer is killed.
1777/8/6The Battle of Fort Schuyler, New York. Also known as the Siege of Fort Stanwix.
1777/8/13The Second battle of Machias, Massachusetts. A small British fleet is prevented from landing their marines by well-prepared militia and Indians firing from the river banks.
1777/8/16The Battle of Bennington, New York.
1777/8/22The Battle of Setauket, New York. Patriots launch a failed raid against well fortified loyalists.
1777/8/22The Battle of Staten Island, New York.
1777/8/23The British evacuate Fort Stanwix.
1777/8/25General Howe arrives at Head of Elk, Maryland.
1777/9/1The Battle of Fort Henry, Virginia. An Indian attack is repulsed by colonial militia.
1777/9/3The Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, Delaware. The flag of the United States of America sees its first battle.
1777/9/11The Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania. British forces attack American positions and force a retreat across the Brandywine River.
1777/9/16The Battle of the Clouds (Pennsylvania), or The Battle that Wasn’t.
1777/9/19The First Battle of Saratoga at Freeman’s Farm near Stillwater, New York.
1777/9/20The Battle of Paoli, also known as the Paoli Massacre at Malvern, Pennsylvania.
1777/9/26The British occupy Philadelphia.
1777/9/26The Siege of Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania, begins. Through 11/15/1777.
1777/10/4The Battle of Germantown, Pennsylvania.
1777/10/6The Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery, New York.
1777/10/7The Second Battle of Saratoga at Bemis Heights, New York.
1777/10/13The Burning of Kingston, New York, by British General Vaughan.
1777/10/17General Burgoyne surrenders to the Americans following his defeat at Saratoga.
1777/10/22The Battle of Red Bank, near Fort Mercer, New Jersey. A combined force of Hessian troops with British naval support meet unexpected resistance. The Hessians are beaten in less than an hour, while the naval battle continues for two days.
1777/10/29John Hancock resigns as President of Congress.
1777/11/1Henry Laurens is elected as President of Congress.
1777/11/2John Paul Jones sets sail in the USS Ranger to attack British ships in the Irish Sea.
1777/11/15Second Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation.
1777/11/15Americans evacuate Fort Mifflin after a devastating naval bombardment.
1777/11/18British capture the shattered and charred remains of Fort Mifflin.
1777/11/19An American fleet fleeing Fort Mifflin passes a British gauntlet, losing 12 ships along the way.
1777/12/4The Battle of White Marsh, Pennsylvania, begins and lasts through December 8th.
1777/12/8The Battle of White Marsh, Pennsylvania, ends.
1777/12/11The Battle of Matson’s Ford, Pennsylvania.
1777/12/17France recognizes the United States of America as a sovereign nation.
1777/12/17King George III pledges renewed support and more troops to fight the Americans following General Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga.
1777/12/19The Continental Army enters its winter quarters at Valley Forge.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1778/2/6The Treaty of Alliance is signed with France.
1778/2/20Captain Hovedon with 24 British dragoons and 14 infantry conduct a night raid, capturing 2 American outposts.
1778/3/2Congress cancels a plan to invade Canada without Washington’s cooperation.
1778/3/7The Battle of Barbados. Captain Nicholas Biddle is killed after the powder magazine aboard the USS Randolph explodes.
1778/3/8On this date in history, 03/08/1778: A full company of the 1st South Carolina Regiment is lost at sea when the US frigate Randolph is sunk off the coast of Barbados by the HMS Yarmouth.
1778/3/18The Battle of Quinton’s Bridge, New Jersey.
1778/3/28General Casimir Pulaski resigns as Commander of Horse due to differences with his officers.
1778/3/28Washington appoints Frederick von Steuben as temporary Inspector General.
1778/4/10Commander John Paul Jones sets sail from Brest, France, to begin raiding British warships in the Irish Sea.
1778/4/19The Battle of Frederica, off St. Simons Island, Georgia. 3 ships of the Georgia State Navy capture 3 British ships.
1778/4/24North Channel Naval Duel. Continental Navy sloop Ranger under Captain John Paul Jones captures HMS Drake in the Irish Sea.
1778/4/22Congress declares a day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer. Washington orders the army to comply.
1778/5/1The Battle of Crooked Billet, Pennsylvania.
1778/5/20The Battle of Barren Hill, Pennsylvania.
1778/5/30The Battle of Cobbleskill, New York.
1778/5/31The Battle of Tiverton, Rhode Island.
1778/6/18The British evacuate Philadelphia.
1778/6/19The Continental Army leaves its winter quarters at Valley Forge.
1778/6/28The Battle of Monmouth Court House is a near disaster, but finally ends in a nominal American victory.
1778/6/28Thomas Hickey, personal body guard of General Washington, is hanged for mutiny and sedition.
1778/6/30An American recon party reports on the retreating British army.
1778/6/30The Battle of Alligator Bridge, Florida.
1778/7/3The Battle of Wyoming, also known as the Wyoming Massacre. A force of mostly Cherokee with some British loyalists massacre almost every member of a smaller American force.
1778/7/27British and French fleets clash just south of the English Channel in the Battle of Ushant. British superiority in numbers and position is offset by conflict among their commanders.
1778/6/28George Rogers Clark captures Kaskaskia without a fight.
1778/8/10A storm scatters French and British fleets before they can maneuver into firing positions. Multiple, isolated engagements take place over several days before the two fleets can regroup on August 20th.
1778/8/29The Battle of Rhode Island.
1778/9/7French forces invade and capture Dominica.
1778/9/7Shawnee lay siege to Boonesborough, Kentucky. The siege lasts through 9/18/1778.
1778/9/18Siege of Boonesborough, Kentucky, ends after 12 days.
1778/9/28The Baylor Massacre near Tappan, New Jersey. In the middle of the night, British infantry surprise a small contingent of American cavalry being housed in a farmhouse, killing three out of four officers and nine out of sixteen privates.
1778/11/9A writer in the New Jersey Gazette on relations with the French and Indians of New England.
1778/11/11The Cherry Valley Massacre, New York: an attack by a combined force of Indians, loyalist militia, and British regulars.
1778/11/30The Continental Army entered winter quarters at Middlebrook.
1778/12/15The Battle of Saint Lucia between French and British fleets.
1778/12/29The British capture Savannah, Georgia, at the First Battle of Savannah.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1779/2/3The Battle of Port Royal Island, South Carolina.
1779/2/3The Battle of Beaufort, South Carolina. General Moultrie’s militia faces off against two companies of British light infantry.
1779/2/6Congress throws a party to celebrate the first anniversary of the alliance with France.
1779/2/10The Battle of Carr’s Fort, Georgia.
1779/2/14The Battle of Kettle Creek, Georgia.
1779/2/22The New Hampshire Gazette reports that Spain might be loaning the Colonies a large sum to help with the War.
1779/2/23The Siege of Fort Sackville, Indiana, lasts two days.
1779/2/25The Battle of Elizabethtown, New Jersey.
1779/3/3The Battle of Brier Creek, Georgia.
1779/3/11Congress creates the Corps of Engineers at George Washington’s urging.
1779/2/25The Battle of Horse Neck, New York.
1779/4/21Van Schaik Expedition against the Onondaga tribe.
1779/4/26The Battle of Middletown, New Jersey.
1779/5/3The Battle of Tulifinny, South Carolina.
1779/5/6Congress declares a day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer. Washington orders the army to comply.
1779/5/11The Battle of Ashley Ferry, South Carolina.
1779/5/31The Battle of Fort Lafayette, New York.
1779/6/1Thomas Jefferson becomes the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia
1779/6/3The Continental Army leaves the Middlebrook encampment.
1779/6/18Sullivan-Clinton Expedition against the Seneca goes through 9/27/1779.
1779/6/20The Battle of Stono Ferry, South Carolina.
1779/6/21Spain declares war on Great Britain.
1779/7/2Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton takes a break from burning churches and homes to attack an American outpost near Bedford, New York.
1779/7/5Tryon’s Raid against New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk, Connecticut, through 7/14.
1779/7/5The Battle of New Haven, Connecticut.
1779/7/6The Battle of Grenada. British navy loses more than 1000 men in a fight with the French fleet off Grenada.
1779/7/7Commodore Collier and General Tryon threaten the coastal towns of Connecticut with total destruction if they don’t start showing some gratitude for their not having been destroyed already.
1779/7/8The Burning of Fairfield, Connecticut.
1779/7/11The Burning of Norwalk, Connecticut.
1779/7/15The Battle of Stony Point, New York, rages through the night.
1779/7/22The Battle of Minisink, New York. Iroquois and Loyalist militia destroy a larger force of colonial militia.
1779/8/5The Battle of the Bronx, New York.
1779/8/19The Battle of Paulus Hook, New Jersey.
1779/8/29American forces retaliate against Indian villages for massacres.
1779/8/29The Battle of Chemung, near Elmira, NY. Americans defeat Loyalist and Indian forces.
1779/9/10The Battle of Lake Pontchartrain. A surprise attack by the USS Morris captures the HMS West Florida.
1779/9/16The Siege of Savannah, Georgia, begins. Through 10/18.
1779/9/23The Battle of Flamborough Head off the coast of Yorkshire. Captain John Paul Jones captures HMS Serapis.
1779/9/27The Continental Congress sends John Adams to France in order to negotiate a treaty with Great Britain.
1779/10/9The Second Battle of Savannah, Georgia.
1779/10/18The Siege of Savannah, Georgia, ends.
1779/10/26Simcoe’s Raid in New Jersey.
1779/11/7Armand’s Raid in New York.
1779/12/1George Washington rides to his new Winter HQ at the Ford Mansion in Morristown, NJ.
1779/12/21A naval engagement off Guadalupe Island in which three British ships under Rear Admiral Joshua Rowley attacked three French frigates, capturing two of them.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1780/1/18The Battle of Eastchester, New York.
1780/1/25The Battle of Elizabethtown and Newark, New Jersey.
1780/1/28Fort Nashborough is founded on the banks of the Cumberland River.
1780/2/1British forces under General Henry Clinton arrive in Charleston, South Carolina, from New York.
1780/2/1New York cedes western claims to Congress.
1780/3/2The Siege of Fort Charlotte, British West Florida. A Spanish force out of New Orleans bombard Fort Charlotte until the walls are breached and the British surrender on March 14.
1780/3/17General Washington orders a general holiday in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day and a resolution of the Irish parliament to open trade with the United States.
1780/3/23The First Battle of Paramus, New Jersey.
1780/3/29The Siege of Charleston, South Carolina, begins and lasts until 5/12.
1780/4/16The Second Battle of Paramus, New Jersey.
1780/4/17The Battle of Martinique. A naval engagement between the French and British fleets off Martinique.
1780/5/6Fort Moultrie falls to the British during the Siege of Charleston.
1780/5/12British capture Charleston, South Carolina, in one of the greatest defeats of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
1780/5/22Delancey’s Raid at Horseneck, New York.
1780/5/29The Battle of Waxhaw Creek, South Carolina.
1780/6/1The Pennsylvania Packet reports on the admiration the French hold for Benjamin Franklin.
1780/6/6The Battle of Connecticut Farms, New Jersey.
1780/6/7Naval action off Long Island between HMS Iris and the French ship L’Hermione. Afterwards, the commanders of both ships accused the other of running away, but the Iris had more killed and four times more wounded than the Hermione.
1780/6/20The Battle of Ramseur’s Mill, North Carolina.
1780/6/23British forces under Hessian general Wilhelm von Knyphausen drive through scattered colonial resistance to sack the town of Springfield, New Jersey, before retreating again to Elizabethtown.
1780/7/11French forces arrive at Newport, Rhode Island.
1780/7/19The Battle of Bergen Blockhouse, New Jersey.
1780/7/22A London Chronicle correspondent wrote this description of George Washington: “No man ever united in his own character a more perfect alliance of the virtues of the philosopher with the talents of a general.”
1780/7/25General Horatio Gates assumes command of the Southern Army of the United States.
1780/7/30British forces at Ft Thicketty, SC, surrender to patriot militia under Colonel Shelby.
1780/8/6American forces inflict heavy casualties on a fortified British outpost at the Battle of Hanging Rock, South Carolina.
1780/8/9Combined Spanish and French fleet capture a convoy of 63 British ships off the Azores.
1780/8/16The colonial army suffers a crushing defeat at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina.
1780/8/18Colonel Tarleton and 350 loyalist militia defeat a larger force of Americans at the Battle of Fishing Creek, South Carolina.
1780/8/18The Battle of Musgrove Mill, South Carolina. 63 loyalist and 4 patriot militiamen are killed.
1780/9/21Benedict Arnold meets with British Major André and plots treason against the United States of America.
1780/9/23Major John André, a British spy, is captured by a militia checkpoint.
1780/9/25Benedict Arnold’s plan to give West Point to the British is discovered.
1780/9/29British spy John André is executed for conspiring with Benedict Arnold against the United States.
1780/9/30Naval action off the Bermudas in which HMS Pearl captured the French privateer L’Esperance.
1780/10/6Henry Laurens is arrested and committed to the Tower on suspicion of high treason.
1780/10/7The Battle of Kings Mountain, South Carolina.
1780/10/7Benedict Arnold addresses a letter to the inhabitants of North America.
1780/10/14Washington appoints General Nathanael Greene to command the Southern Army.
1780/10/16British Lt Houghton leads 300 Mohawk in attacking and burning the Vermont towns of Royalton, Sharon, and Tunbridge.
1780/11/9General Thomas Sumter turns an ambush, capturing the attacking British Major Wemyss at Fishdam Ford, South Carolina.
1780/11/20The Battle of Blackstock’s Farm.
1780/11/21The Battle of Newark, New Jersey.
1780/11/23The Battle of Fort St. George, New York.
1780/12/10The Battle of Northstreet, Connecticut. British forces under Colonel James De Lancey launch surprise, simultaneous attacks against three American posts.
1780/12/16The Battle of Boyd’s Creek, Tennessee.
1780/12/16Campbell’s Expedition against the Cherokee, through January 14th.
1780/12/30Timothy Standfast makes an impassioned plea to Virginia for continued patriotic fervor in the war against tyranny.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1781/1/1The Pennsylvania Line Mutiny of 1781. Loyal patriots mutiny for better enlistment terms.
1781/1/3Benedict Arnold launches an Expedition into Virginia, which lasts through January 20th.
1781/1/8The Pennsylvania Line Mutiny comes to a peaceful end as most grievances are resolved.
1781/1/17The Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina.
1781/1/22A skirmish at Morrisania, New York. A patriot raiding party under General Parsons capture 60-70 Tories and destroy British stores.
1781/1/23General Francis Marion and Colonel Henry Lee stage a surprise attack on the British at Georgetown, South Carolina, on January 23, 1781.
1781/2/1The Battle of Cowan’s Ford, North Carolina.
1781/2/3The Battle of St. Eustatius Island.
1781/2/8A young lady of Wales defies a general to stand by her cavalryman.
1781/2/20The Siege of Fort Granby, South Carolina, begins. It will last through May 15.
1781/2/22Newspapers report that the British have been attempting to subvert top American officers.
1781/3/1The Articles of Confederation are ratified.
1781/3/15The Battle of Guilford Court House, North Carolina.
1781/3/16The Battle of Cape Henry, Virginia. The French navy suffers heavy casualties against the British.
1781/3/31British troops sail up the West River to burn the homestead of Stephen Steward.
1781/4/15Siege of Fort Watson, South Carolina, lasts for two days.
1781/4/18The Battle of Pocotaligo, South Carolina
1781/4/5The Battle of Blanford, Virginia.
1781/4/25The Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, South Carolina.
1781/4/29The Battle of Fort Royal, Martinique, between French and British fleets.
1781/5/8Siege of Fort Motte, South Carolina, lasts through May 12th.
1781/5/9The Battle of Orangeburgh, South Carolina.
1781/5/13The Battle of Croton River, New York.
1781/5/15British capture Fort Granby, South Carolina.
1781/5/22The Second Siege of Ninety-Six, South Carolina, lasts through June 19th.
1781/5/28British capture Jack, an American privateer, off Halifax, Nova Scotia.
1781/6/6American forces capture Augusta, Georgia, from the British.
1781/7/3The Battle of Kingsbridge, New York.
1781/7/6The Battle of Green Springs Farm.
1781/7/15The Battle of Tarrytown, New York, lasts until July 19.
1781/7/19General Washington congratulates the American officers involved in the defense of Tarrytown.
1781/2/21Naval battle between French and British forces off the coast of Nova Scotia. French capture five British ships.
1781/8/4Colonel Isaac Hayne is captured by the British.
1781/8/6The Battle of Shells Bush, New York. John Christian Shell and family fought off an attack by Scotch loyalist Donald McDonald and a raiding party of about 60 tories and Indians.
1781/8/10Georgetown, South Carolina, is burned by the British.
1781/8/26General Greene vows to retaliate against British officers for their offenses against American citizens.
1781/8/31The Battle of Parker’s Ferry, South Carolina.
1781/9/2The Battle of Cape Ann in which the French Magicienne was captured by HMS Chatham.
1781/9/5The Battle of the Chesapeake. The French fleet prevents the British from reinforcing or evacuating Cornwallis’ troops.
1781/9/6The Battle of Groton Heights, Connecticut.
1781/9/8The Battle of Eutaw Springs, South Carolina.
1781/9/22The Battle of Warwarsing, New York.
1781/9/28American and French troops besiege Yorktown, Virginia. The siege will last until October 19th.
1781/10/19British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, Virginia.
1781/10/20General Washington offers his congratulations and thanks to his generals and army.
1781/10/21General Washington orders religious services in honor of the victory over General Cornwallis.
1781/12/31The Bank of North America is chartered.
Color Code
International Diplomacy, Treaties, etc.
Battles
Naval Engagements
Miscelaneous Highlights
American Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
British Politics, Posturing, and Rioting
Military Milestones
Native American Conflicts
1782/1/22French navy captures Dutch colonies of Demerara and Essequibo which had been siezed by the British in 1781.
1782/1/26The Battle of Saint Kitts off Bassaterre, Saint Kitts, between French and British fleets.
1782/2/24The Battle of Wambaw Bridge, South Carolina.
1782/2/27House of Commons votes to cease further war in the colonies.
1782/2/27The French navy captures the island of Montserrat.
1782/3/20Lord North resigns as British Prime Minister.
1782/4/8The First Battle of Delaware Bay. Three American privateers escorting a fleet of merchantmen fight off an attack by 3 British warships.
1782/4/9The Battle of the Saintes off Dominica between French and British fleets, lasts until 4/12.
1782/4/19The Battle of the Mona Passage between British and French fleets in the Caribbean.
1782/7/1American privateers attack Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
1782/7/11British evacuate Savannah, Georgia.
1782/8/7George Washington establishes the Badge for Military Merit, a purple, silk heart with a silver lining.
1782/8/8Hudson Bay Expedition. French navy raids Fort Prince of Wales and York Factory in the Hudson Bay.
1782/8/16The Siege of Bryant’s Station, Kentucky, ends.
1782/8/19The Battle of Blue Licks, Kentucky. Loyalists and Shawnee ambush militia from Bryant’s Station.
1782/8/29The Battle of Fair Lawn, South Carolina.
1782/9/5Naval action east of Long Island between two French ships and HMS Hector.
1782/9/15The Second Battle of Delaware Bay between French and British fleets.
1782/10/18The British give chase to two French ships off the coast of Hispaniola. French battleship Scipion comes around and causes severe damage to HMS London before fleeing again. The chase ends when Scipion runs aground and is destroyed.
1782/11/14An ill-conceived skirmish on James Island, South Carolina, at the end of the war. General Francis Marion declined to participate and actually helped protect one party of British while they evacuated.
1782/11/30Articles of Peace are signed by the British, a preliminary to ending the Revolution.
1782/12/6Naval action off Martinique in which HMS Ruby captured the French ship Solitaire.
1782/12/12The Battle of Ferrol, Spain, in which a single British ship defeats 5 American and French ships.
1782/12/14British forces evacuate Charleston, South Carolina.
1782/12/20The Battle of the Delaware Capes in which British navy captures three American ships.
1783/1/22Naval action near Chesapeake Bay, in which the French ship Sybille is captured by HMS Hussar.
1783/2/15A naval engagement off Guadalupe Island in the Caribbean, between a single French ship and a single British ship.
1783/3/9Captain Horatio Nelson fails to retake the Turks and Caicos Islands from the French.
1783/4/19Congress ratifies the Articles of Peace, a preliminary to the Paris treaties that officially ended the American Revolution.
1783/6/8Washington gives advice, along with prayers for protection and domestic peace, to the newly victorious States.
1783/9/3Treaty of Paris is signed by Britain and the USA, officially ending the American Revolution.
1783/11/25British finally evacuate New York, New York.
1783/12/4George Washington informs his officers of his formal resignation from command.
1783/12/23George Washington resigns as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

6 comments

  1. I was browsing through your site and, being a Marine, stopped to see if the birth of the USMC at Tun Tavern was on your timeline.

    JOURNAL OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
    (Philadelphia) Friday, November 10, 1775

    Resolved, That two Battalions of marines be raised, consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors, and other officers as usual in other regiments; and that they consist of an equal number of privates with other battalions; that particular care be taken, that no persons be appointed to office, or enlisted into said Battalions, but such as are good seamen, or so acquainted with maritime affairs as to be able to serve to advantage by sea when required; that they be enlisted and commissioned to serve for and during the present war between Great Britain and the colonies, unless dismissed by order of Congress: that they be distinguished by the names of the first and second battalions of American Marines, and that they be considered as part of the number which the continental Army before Boston is ordered to consist of.

    Ordered, That a copy of the above be transmitted to the General.

  2. Thanks, Aaron! I’ll be sure to include it in my next update.

    …and updated!

  3. Excellent! I read the whole thing through. This should be taught in the schools. Or at least someone could make an epic movie series showing the start and progression of the rebellion and war. Thank you for your work on this.
    Doug Campbell

  4. Hi, Kathy!

    Awesome job! My hat is off to you, big-time!

    I only gave it a cursory look, but here are two things:
    1. There are two “l”s in “miscellaneous.”
    2. On 1775/4/18-19, Dr. Samuel Prescott should be added. In fact, he is the only one of the three famous riders (including Paul Revere and William Dawes) who made it all the way to Concord to warn the inhabitants there!

  5. I just checked out the end of 1776! You list the date of 1776/12/26 as when GW and the army crossed the Delaware, then fought the first Battle of Trenton.

    The date should begin with Christmas day–1776/12/25–because the Crossing of the Delaware famously took place Christmas night, starting just after dark and continuing until the wee hours of the morning (into the 26th).

  6. Thank you, Marlene! You are correct on both counts. I added Dr. Prescott to the Midnight Ride and modified both entries for the Battle of Trenton to clarify the timing and purpose of the crossing.

    Keep the suggestions coming!

Comments are closed.