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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1603 |
- 24 Mar 1603—27 Mar 1625: James I Ruler of England 1603-1625. House of Stuart: Son of Mary, Queen of Scots, granddaughter of James IV and Margaret. First to call himself King of Great Britain. This became official with the Act of Union, 1707.HistoricUK
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| 2 | 1613 |
- 21 Feb 1613—15 Mar 1917: The Romanov Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia, begins when 16 year old Mikhail Romanov is elected as Czar.Russiapedia Hillwood
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| 3 | 1618 |
- 23 May 1618—24 Oct 1648: The Thirty Years War, a series of wars fought by European nations for various reasons, is initiated when the Holy Roman Emperor attempts to force Catholicism on most of Europe, and ends with the Peace of Westphalia.OSU CT
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| 4 | 1619 |
- 30 Jul 1619: The first elected legislative assembly in the New World convenes in Jamestown.USHistory NPS
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| 5 | 1620 |
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| 6 | 1620/1 |
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| 7 | 1621 |
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| 8 | 1622 |
- 22 Mar 1622: 347 of Jamestown's settlers are massacred by the Powhatans.BoRI MM
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| 9 | 1623/4 |
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| 10 | 1624 |
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| 11 | 1625 |
- 27 Mar 1625—30 Jan 1649: Charles I. Ruler of England 1625-1649. House of Stuart: Only surviving son of James I; beheaded Jan 30, 1649.HistoricUK
- 22 Apr 1625: The West India Company decrees the establishment of Fort Amsterdam and the creation of adjoining farms on the island of Manhates (Manhattan).GC HMdb
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| 12 | 1626 |
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| 13 | 1627 |
- 18 Jul 1627: A French missionary is the first European to mention the occurrence of petroleum in North America.GoogleBooks PA-Roots
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| 14 | 1628 |
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| 15 | 1630 |
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| 16 | 1630/1 |
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| 17 | 1631 |
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| 18 | 1632 |
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| 19 | 1633 |
- 13 Feb 1633: Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome to face an ecclesiastical court on charges of committing heresy.W I R E D DJ
- 22 Jun 1633: Galileo Galilei is forced to recant his view that the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the Universe.UKMC Fordham
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| 20 | 1634 |
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| 21 | 1635 |
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| 22 | 1636 |
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| 23 | 1637 |
- 1 May 1637: General Court is convened in Hartford and war is declared against the Pequots.SCW ICT
- 26 May 1637: Colonists attack and destroy the Pequot village at Misistuck (Mystic).ZEP ICT
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| 24 | 1638/39 |
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| 25 | 1638 |
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| 26 | 1639 |
- 25 Sep 1639: The first printing press in America is set up.BE AWD
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| 27 | 1642 |
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| 28 | 1643 |
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| 29 | 1647 |
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| 30 | 1648 |
- 15 Jun 1648: Margaret Jones, a midwife from Charlestown, is the first person to be executed for witchcraft in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.HoMA LoA
- 18 Oct 1648: The "Shoomakers of Boston" along with the coopers, form the first labor organization in America.jstor IA
- 24 Oct 1648: The Thirty Years War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia.LoC Avalon
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| 31 | 1649 |
- 30 Jan 1649—3 Sep 1658: Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector. Ruler of England 1649-1658. Commonwealth & Protectorate.HistoricUK
- 30 Jan 1649: Charles I is beheaded.HRP RMG
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| 32 | 1650 |
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| 33 | 1652 |
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| 34 | 1654 |
- 26 Jan 1654: Portugal decrees that Jewish and Dutch settlers have three months to leave Brazil. Many of the refugees go on to establish the first Jewish community in Nieuw-Amsterdam.LoC JVL
- 22 Aug 1654: The first Jews in North America arrive in Nieuw-Amsterdam.AJA Haaretz
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| 35 | 1656 |
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| 36 | 1658 |
- 1658: The first Jewish congregation is established in Newport, Rhode Island.Touro NPS
- 3 Sep 1658—25 May 1659: Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector. Ruler of England 1658-1659. Commonwealth & Proctorate: 3rd son of Oliver. Resigned May 25, 1659.HistoricUK
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| 37 | 1660 |
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| 38 | 1663 |
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| 39 | 1664 |
- 27 Aug 1664: Four English warships arrive in Nieuw-Amsterdam to claim the colony under the orders of James, Duke of York.13 WDL
- 31 Aug 1664: Peter Stuyvesant, governor of Nieuw-Nederland, refuses to accept the terms of surrender to the British.SotS
- 8 Sep 1664: The Dutch surrender Nieuw-Amsterdam to the British who change the name to New York.LoC NYC
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| 40 | 1665 |
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| 41 | 1666 |
- 2 Sep 1666—5 Sep 1666: The Great Fire of London breaks out in the house of King Charles II's baker on Pudding Lane near London Bridge.DD Smith
- 14 Nov 1666: English diarist Samuel Pepys records the first description of a blood transfusion, dog-to-dog.W I R E D
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| 42 | 1673/4 |
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| 43 | 1673 |
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| 44 | 1674 |
- 19 Feb 1674: The signing of the Treaty of Westminster ends the Third Anglo-Dutch War.OUPLaw MW
- 10 Nov 1674: The Dutch cede New York City to the British for the final time with the end of the Third Anglo-Dutch War.GoogleBooks NYCourts
- 4 Dec 1674: Father Jacques Marquette sets up camp on the shores of Lake Michigan at what would later become the city of Chicago, Illinois.EC SNU
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| 45 | 1675 |
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| 46 | 1676 |
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| 47 | 1679 |
- 27 May 1679: The Habeas Corpus Act, which required a court to examine the lawfulness of a prisoner's detention and thus prevent unlawful or arbitrary imprisonment, was passed by Parliament.AS LI
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| 48 | 1681 |
- 4 Mar 1681: William Penn receives a charter for "New Wales", which became "Sylvania" and finally Pennsylvania.XPH HSP
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| 49 | 1682 |
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| 50 | 1683 |
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| 51 | 1684 |
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| 52 | 1685 |
- 6 Feb 1685—11 Dec 1689: James II. Ruler of England 1685-1689. House of Stuart (restored): 2nd son of Charles I. Deposed 1688, interregnum Dec 11, 1688, to Feb 13, 1689.HistoricUK
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| 53 | 1687 |
- 19 Mar 1687: French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle is murdered by mutinous settlers.AJ TXL&L
- 26 Oct 1687: Sir Edmund Andros, governor of New England, attempts to force the Connecticut Colony to surrender its charter, which is then hidden away in an oak tree, the Charter Oak.NEHS JSTOR
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| 54 | 1688/9 |
- 13 Feb 1688/9: After accepting the English Bill of Rights, William and Mary are proclaimed king and queen of England.UR NCC
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| 55 | 1689 |
- 18 Apr 1689: Bostonians revolt against the rule of Sir Edmund Andros, the governor of the Dominion of New England.MAState NEHS
- 17 May 1689—30 Oct 1697: King William's War; England declares war on France which lasts until the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick.HoMA MB
- 4 Nov 1689—8 Mar 1702: William III and Mary II. Rulers of England 1689-1702. House of Stuart (restored): Son of William, Prince of Orange, by Mary, daughter of Charles I. Mary eldest daughter of James II. She died 1694.HistoricUK
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| 56 | 1690 |
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| 57 | 1691 |
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| 58 | 1692 |
- 20 Jan 1692: The Salem Witchcraft Hysteria begins.UMKC SWT
- 29 Feb 1692: The first witchcraft accusations take place and arrest warrants are issued for Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne.LoA WSU
- 2 Jun 1692: The Salem Witch Trials begin.UVA FT
- 7 Jun 1692: The pirate haven of Port Royal, Jamaica is destroyed in a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami, portions sinking beneath the sea.UNESCO B B C
- 10 Jun 1692: Bridget Bishop becomes the first of the accused Salem witches to be executed.Salem SWM
- 19 Jul 1692: Salem "witches", Sarah Good, Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Howe and Sarah Wildes are executed.SW PJ
- 22 Sep 1692: The last execution of the accused Salem witches is carried out.BostonMag LoA
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| 59 | 1693 |
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| 60 | 1697 |
- 20 Sep 1697: The Treaty of Ryswick settles the Nine Years War and ends hostilities in America, although that wouldn't happen for another two months.Jacobite theMet
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| 61 | 1698 |
- 2 Jul 1698: Englishman Thomas Savery patents a steam engine.APS MSH
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| 62 | 1700 |
- 26 Jan 1700: A magnitude 9.0 earthquake strikes off the west coast of North America producing a huge tsunami that sweeps across the Pacific.NRCan USGS
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| 63 | 1702 |
- 8 Mar 1702—1 Aug 1714: Anne. Ruler of England 1702-1714. House of Stuart (restored): 2nd daughter of James II. Died with no living heirs.HistoricUK
- 17 Apr 1702: The Provinces of West New Jersey and East New Jersey merge to form New Jersey.GoogleBooks THS
- 4 May 1702—11 Apr 1713: Queen Anne's War: English Colonies vs France 1702-1713.CB CWCT
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| 64 | 1704 |
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| 65 | 1712 |
- 1712: Thomas Newcomen patents the atmospheric steam engine.JStor
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| 66 | 1713 |
- 11 Apr 1713: The Treaty of Utrecht is signed ending the War of the Spanish Succession, also known as Queen Anne's War in North America.CHNC CBC
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| 67 | 1714 |
- 1 Aug 1714—11 Jun 1727: George I. Ruler of England 1714-1727. House of Hanover: Son of Elector of Hanover, by Sophia, grand-daughter of James I. Proclaimed King under Act of Settlement.HistoricUK
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| 68 | 1715 |
- 23 Jul 1715: The General Court of Massachusetts passes the Boston Light Bill which authorizes the construction of a lighthouse in Boston Harbor.MassMoments MM&P
- 31 Jul 1715: A hurricane sinks a fleet of treasure ships returning to Spain.CW IRMag
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| 69 | 1716 |
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| 70 | 1717 |
- 27 Feb 1717—7 Mar 1717: A series of four successive snowstorms create the Great Snow of 1717.NEHS NWS
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| 71 | 1718 |
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| 72 | 1719 |
- 11 Dec 1719: The first recorded sighting of the aurora borealis in North America occurs in New England.DE tOFA
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| 73 | 1721 |
- 26 Jun 1721: During a smallpox outbreak in Boston, Dr. Zabdiel Boylston begins inoculating patients beginning with his own son.MassMoments CW
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| 74 | 1722 |
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| 75 | 1727 |
- 11 Jun 1727—25 Oct 1760: George II. Ruler of England 1727-1760. House of Hanover: Only son of George I, married Caroline of Brandenburg.HistoricUK
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| 76 | 1729 |
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| 77 | 1730 |
- 8 Apr 1730: The first synagogue in North America is the Mill Street Synagogue built by the Shearith Israel congregation in New York City.ShearithIsrael JWA
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| 78 | 1733 |
- 12 Feb 1733: James Oglethorpe founds Georgia, the 13th colony, and its first city at Savannah.GHS OU
- 17 May 1733: Britain passes the Molasses Act putting high tariffs on rum and molasses imported to the Colonies from anyplace other than Britain and its possessions.GoogleBooks JotAR
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| 79 | 1734 |
- 1 Apr 1734: The first lighthouse in Canada begins operation.LLS CCN
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| 80 | 1741 |
- 19 Dec 1741: Vitus Bering, a Danish explorer in service of Russia, dies after sighting Alaska.McGill MLP
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| 81 | 1744 |
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| 82 | 1752 |
- 10 May 1752: Thomas-François Dalibard validates Benjamin Franklin's conclusion that lightning is electricity.USNA APS
- 15 Jun 1752: Benjamin Franklin performs his kite experiment.PSU HC
- 14 Sep 1752: The British Empire adopts the Gregorian calendar.CSL CalWiz
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| 83 | 1753 |
- 11 Feb 1753: The first patients are admitted to the first hospital in America, Pennsylvania Hospital, founded by Dr. Thomas Bond and Benjamin Franklin in 1751.PennMed UMW
- 7 Jun 1753: The world's oldest public museum, the British Museum is founded by Act of Parliament.BM tSP
- 9 Sep 1753: The first steam engine in America arrives from London.NEHGS ASME
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| 84 | 1754 |
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| 85 | 1755 |
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| 86 | 1758 |
- 8 Jun 1758: John Dollond reports on his development of the achromatic lens.Astro.it GoogleBooks
- 27 Jul 1758: British and colonial forces defeat French and Canadian forces at the Battle of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia.BB CTHist
- 25 Nov 1758: Fort Duquesne is captured from the French, which will later become Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.F&IWS
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| 87 | 1759 |
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| 88 | 1760 |
- 20 Mar 1760: A "Great Fire" begins at a tavern in Boston and destroys about 350 homes, shops and warehouses by the time it is over.MassMoments BFHS
- 25 Oct 1760—29 Jan 1820: George III. Ruler of England 1760-1820. House of Hanover: Grandson of George II, married Charlotte of Mecklenburg.HistoricUK LoC
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| 89 | 1762 |
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| 90 | 1763 |
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| 91 | 1764 |
- 29 Oct 1764: The Connecticut Courant, today's Hartford Courant and the nation's oldest newspaper in continuous publication, prints its first issue.LoC Courant
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| 92 | 1765 |
- 22 Mar 1765: The Stamp Act is passed by the British Parliament - a tax imposed on American colonists on any printed paper.GLIoAH Avalon
- 18 May 1765: A fire destroys much of Montreal, Canada.MG GoogleBooks
- 1 Nov 1765: The Stamp Act goes into effect - a tax on the Colonies to fund the British Military in America.CC SAH
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| 93 | 1769 |
- 5 Jan 1769: James Watt patents his much improved steam engine.ACS WoWE
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| 94 | 1770 |
- 5 Mar 1770: The Boston Massacre. British troops kill five colonists.LoC NPS
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| 95 | 1772 |
- 9 Jun 1772: The British customs schooner Gaspée runs aground in Narragansett Bay and is burned by the Rhode Island colonists.Gaspee.org WH
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| 96 | 1773 |
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| 97 | 1774 |
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| 98 | 1775 |
- 9 Feb 1775: British Parliament declares that Massachusetts is in a state of rebellion.LoA OAR
- 23 Mar 1775: Patrick Henry utters his most memorable words: "Give me liberty, or give me death" at the Second Virginia Convention.CW Avalon
- 14 Apr 1775: The first American abolition society is founded in Philadelphia.USNA LCP
- 18 Apr 1775: Paul Revere rides out to warn the colonists that the British troops were on the march.PRH LoC
- 19 Apr 1775: The first battles of the American Revolution. British troops fight American Minutemen at Lexington, killing eight. The British then move to Concord where they again engage the colonials. By the end of the battle, 93 colonists are dead. The British, having lost 273, retreat to Boston.LoC NPS
- 10 May 1775: Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen capture Fort Ticonderoga.NPS VANY
- 7 Jun 1775: The proposal is put forth that the United Colonies become the United States of America.USNA LoC
- 14 Jun 1775: The Continental Army is established by the Second Continental Congress.USArmy USO
- 17 Jun 1775: The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place.LoC Yale
- 22 Jun 1775: The Continental Congress resolves to issue a paper currency backed by 2 million Spanish milled dollars in order to fund the fight with Britain.POLITICO LoC
- 30 Jun 1775: The Continental Congress attempts to notify the king of England that American colonists are unhappy with parliamentary policy by drafting the Articles of War.Avalon LoC
- 26 Jul 1775: The United States Post Service is established by the Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin is named Postmaster General.USPSOIG USNA
- 13 Oct 1775: Congress orders the formation of the Continental Navy, later to become the United States Navy.USNavy NPS
- 18 Oct 1775: Falmouth is burned by the British.MM UMaine
- 10 Nov 1775: A resolution is approved calling for two battalions of Marines able to fight for independence at sea and on shore.WHS USNI
- 13 Nov 1775: The American Continental Army takes Montreal, Canada, without opposition.History.com
- 3 Dec 1775: The first flag of the United States is flown by John Paul Jones on the ship Alfred.SIMag Navy
- 8 Dec 1775—31 Dec 1775: American forces begin the Seige of Québec.LoC History.com
- 31 Dec 1775: After nearly a month, Continental forces, under command of Montgomery and Arnold, are soundly defeated after attacking Québec.CMoH SIMag
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| 99 | 1776 |
- 2 Jan 1776: The U. S. Congress publishes the Tory Act.LoC NYHS
- 9 Jan 1776: Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense.CC BookRags
- 24 Jan 1776: After several months, the cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga make it to Boston.APC AHC
- 17 Mar 1776: The British evacuate Boston after learning that the Continental Army has cannon trained on them from Dorchester Heights.MassMoments MassHist
- 3 Apr 1776: Congress gives to commanders of private ships the authority to capture British ships and cargo.LoC CTDA
- 7 Apr 1776: The American warship Lexington captures the first British warship of the American Revolution, the HMS Edward.RW DoD
- 4 Jul 1776—1783: The United States is founded when the Second Continental Congress declares its independence from Great Britain.USHistory USNA
- 10 Aug 1776: Word of America's Declaration of Independence finally reaches London.TXSAR OSA
- 27 Aug 1776: The British defeat the Americans in the Battle of Long Island.BB MtVernon
- 7 Sep 1776: David Bushnell's invention, American Turtle, the first combat submarine, is deployed against the H.M.S. Eagle in New York harbor.USSNautilus Archaeology
- 9 Sep 1776: Congress gives the United Colonies a name change - the United States of America.ANSI USNA
- 16 Sep 1776: George Washington gets his first victory in the Battle of Harlem Heights.MtVernon RW
- 22 Sep 1776: Nathan Hale is executed by the British for spying.tAW LoC
- 28 Oct 1776: British and Hessian troops under Howe meet Americans under Washington in the Battle of White Plains.MtVernon BB
- 16 Nov 1776: British and Hession forces capture Fort Washington on the northern end of Manhattan.History.com BB
- 25 Dec 1776: Washington crosses the Delaware.History.com MtVernon
- 26 Dec 1776: Washington gets his first major victory at Trenton.MtVernon BB
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| 100 | 1777 |
- 3 Jan 1777: Washington defeats the British in the Battle of Princeton.MtVernon BB
- 15 Jan 1777: New Connecticut declares its independence from Great Britain and the colony of New York. The name is changed to Vermont in June of that year.History.com UND
- 28 Jan 1777: British General Burgoyne submits a plan to cut off and isolate New England from the rest of the Colonies.History.com TXSAR
- 26 Apr 1777: Major General William Tryon, royal governor of New York, and 2000 British troops attack and destroy Danbury, Connecticut.DM ABT
- 14 Jun 1777: The Continental Congress adopts the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States of America.LoC SI
- 8 Jul 1777: Vermont abolishes slavery in its constitution.Avalon VT
- 9 Jul 1777: New York State elects its first, and longest serving, governor, George Clinton.POLITICO USNA
- 17 Oct 1777: British troops surrender at Saratoga.Saratoga AoC
- 15 Nov 1777: The Articles of Confederation are adopted by the Continental Congress.OurDocs LoC
- 29 Nov 1777: The first pueblo in California is established as San Jose, or El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadelupe.SJPL SJ.gov
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| 101 | 1778 |
- 18 Jan 1778: The first Europeans make landfall in Hawaii.W I R E D NPS
- 22 Apr 1778: John Paul Jones raids Whitehaven, England.JotAR JPJCM
- 11 Nov 1778: The Cherry Valley Massacre - Tory and Mohawk forces murder 47 townsfolk, mostly by tomahawk.CN SotS
- 10 Dec 1778: John Jay is elected president of the Continental Congress.USHouse History.com
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| 102 | 1779 |
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| 103 | 1780 |
- 3 Feb 1780: The first mass murder in America changes the way criminals are perceived.Courant CTMag
- 4 May 1780: The American Academy of Arts & Sciences is founded.TiS AAoA&S
- 19 May 1780: Smoke from forest fires cause The Dark Day of 1780.NEHS HI
- 21 Sep 1780: Treasonous American General Benedict Arnold, believing that he was unrewarded for his military successes, meets with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British.NCC LoC
- 9 Oct 1780: An expedition sets off from Harvard College to observe a solar eclipse from Penobscot Bay in Maine which is still controlled by Britain.USNA JSTOR
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1637 - young