1776
1776 was a
leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar).
*
Adam Smith publishes
The Wealth of Nations*
Edward Gibbon publishes
The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire*
Austria abolishes
death penalty and
torture and decriminalizes
witchcraft* British begin to use old ships docked close to shore as temporary prisons,
prison junks
* Signing of the
United States Declaration of IndependenceJanuary
*
January 10 -
Thomas Paine publishes
Common Sense*
January 20 -
American Revolutionary War:
South Carolina Loyalists led by
Robert Cunningham sign a petition from prison agreeing to all demands for peace by the newly formed state government of South Carolina.
February
*
February 27 - American Revolutionary War:
Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge:
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 loyalist leaders are killed in the ensuing battle. The patriot victory virtually ends all British authority in the colony.
March
*
March 4 - The
American War of Independence: The
Americans capture "
Dorchester Heights" dominating the port of
Boston,
Massachusetts.
*
March 17 - American Revolutionary War:
British forces evacuate
Boston, Massachusetts after
George Washington commands the placement of
artillery overlooking the city at
Dorchester Heights.
*
March 28 -
Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the
Presidio of San Francisco.
April
*
April 12 - American Revolutionary War: 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.
May
*
May 1 -
Adam Weishaupt founds the
Bavarian Illuminati (Order of the Illuminati) in
Ingolstadt,
Bavaria.
June
*
June 7 - American Revolutionary War:
Richard Henry Lee of
Virginia proposed to the
Continental Congress a resolution calling for a
Declaration of Independence.
*
June 8 - American Revolutionary War:
Battle of Trois-Rivières:
American invaders are driven back at
Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
*
June 12 - American Revolutionary War:
Virginia Declaration of Rights by
George Mason adopted by the Virginia Convention of Delegates.
*
June 15 - American Revolutionary War: Delaware Separation Day: The
Delaware General Assembly votes to suspend government under the British Crown.
*
June 17 - Lt.
Jose Joaquin Moraga leads a band of colonists from
Monterey Presidio, landing on
June 29 and constructing the
Mission Dolores of the new Presidio of
San Francisco.
July
*
July 2 - American Revolutionary War: The final (despite minor revisions) U.S. Declaration of Independence is written.
*
July 4 - American Revolutionary War:
United States Declaration of Independence.
United States declares independence from the
British Empire.
*
July 9 - American Revolutionary War: An angry mob in
New York City topples the equestrian statue of
George III in
Bowling Green.
*
July 12 - Captain
James Cook sets off from
Plymouth England on his third, and fatal, expedition to the
Pacific Ocean.
August
*
August 15 - American Revolutionary War: First
Hessian troops land on
Staten Island to join British forces
*
August 27 - American Revolutionary War:
Battle of Long Island:
Washington's troops routed in
Brooklyn by British under
William Howe.
September
* September - First running of the
St. Leger Stakes horse race in England.
*
September 6 - Hurricane hits
Guadeloupe, killing more than 6000.
*
September 7 - American Revolutionary War: World's first
submarine attack. American submersible craft
Turtle attempts to attach a
time bomb to the hull of British Admiral
Richard Howe's flagship
HMS Eagle in
New York Harbor.
*
September 11 - American Revolutionary War: abortive peace conference between British and Americans on
Staten Island.
*
September 15 - American Revolutionary War: British land on
Manhattan at
Kip's Bay.
*
September 16 - American Revolutionary War:
Battle of Harlem Heights*
September 22 - American Revolutionary War:
Nathan Hale executed in
New York City for espionage.
October
*
October 7 -
Crown Prince Paul of Russia marries
Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg.
*
October 9 - Father
Francisco Palou founds
Mission San Francisco de Asis in what is now
San Francisco, California.
*
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 defenses of
New York City.
*
October 28 - American Revolutionary War:
Battle of White Plains:
British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the
Americans.
November
*
November 16 - American Revolutionary War:
Hessian mercenaries under Lieutenant General
Wilhelm von Knyphausen capture
Fort Washington from the American
Continentals.
December
*
December 5 - The
Phi Beta Kappa society is founded at the
College of William and Mary.
*
December 7 - American Revolutionary War:
Marquis de Lafayette attempts to enter the American military as a major general.
*
December 21 - American Revolutionary War: 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 23 - American Revolutionary War:
Thomas Paine, living with Washington's troops begins publishing
The American Crisis, containing the stirring phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls."
*
December 25 - American Revolutionary War: Gen. George Washington orders the first issue of
The Crisis read to his troops on Christmas Eve, then at 6 p.m. all 2600 of them march to
McKonkey's Ferry, cross the
Delaware River and land on the Jersey bank at 3 a.m..
*
December 26 - American Revolutionary War:
Battle of Trenton: Washington's troops surprise the 1500 Hessian troops under the command of Col.
Johan Rall at 8 a.m. outside Trenton and score a victory, taking 1000 prisoners while suffering only 6 wounded.
*
January 24 -
E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer, composer, and painter (d.
1822)
*
February 11 -
Joannis Capodistrias, Greek governor of Troezen (d.
1831)
*
March 10 -
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia (d.
1810)
*
April 1 -
Sophie Germain, French mathematician (d.
1831)
*
June 11 -
John Constable, English painter (d.
1837)
*
August 9 -
Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist (d.
1856)
*
Muttusvami Dikshitar, Indian composer (d.
1835)
*
March 10 -
Élie Catherine Fréron, French critic (b.
1719)
*
March 10 -
Niclas Sahlgren, Swedish merchant and philanthropist (b.
1701)
*
March 26 -
Samuel Ward, American politician (b.
1725)
*
March 24 -
John Harrison, English clockmaker (b.
1693)
*
April 29 -
Edward Wortley Montagu, English traveler and writer (b.
1713)
*
May 4 -
Jacques Saly, French sculptor (b.
1717)
*
June 10 -
Leopold Widhalm, Austrian luthier (b.
1722)
*
June 20 -
Benjamin Huntsman, English inventor and manufacturer (b.
1704)
*
July 7 -
Jeremiah Markland, English classical scholar (b.
1693)
*
July 10 -
Richard Peters, English-born clergyman (b.
1704)
*
August 2 -
Louis François I, Prince of Conti, French military leader (b.
1717)
*
August 25 -
David Hume, Scottish philosopher (b.
1711)
*
October 17 -
Pierre François le Courayer, French theologian (b.
1681)
*
November 17 -
James Ferguson, Scottish astronomer (b.
1710)
*
Francis Salvador, American patriot (b.
1747)
