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| January of 1776 |
Upon learning of an impending British expedition against the southern colonies, Congress requests that the provinces cooperate on defense and security. North and South Carolina and Georgia are instructed to occupy St. Augustine.
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The Continental Congress passes a resolution calling on colonial committees to indoctrinate those "honest and well-meaning, but uninformed people" by expounding to them the "origin, nature and extent of the present controversy." The body also calls for confirmed tories to be disarmed and confined, if necessary.
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In Norfolk, Virginia, an officer aboard the British sloop Otter writes home: "I have the pleasure to assure you that this rebel town . . . is in ashes. It is glorious to see the blaze of the town and shipping. I exult in the carnage of these rebels. . . ."
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Washington promises Congress that he will attack Boston at his first opportunity.
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New Hampshire establishes a colonial government in accordance with the recommendation of the Continental Congress.
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The Council of Safety in South Carolina advises its counterpart in Georgia that British warships leaving the Charleston harbor are likely headed for Savannah. The South Carolina council asks Georgia to return their Governor, Lord Campbell, if he is apprehended.
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In Philadelphia, Samuel Adams writes that the idea of a confederation among the colonies "is not dead, but sleepeth."
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Local merchants in Glasgow, Scotland, who profit from the selling of American tobacco in Holland and France, are encouraged to "stimulate [their] correspondents and agents [in Virginia and Maryland] . . . to side with the King. . . "
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Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense appears in today's session of the Continental Congress.
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North Carolina Governor Martin, aboard the warship Scorpion, issues a proclamation calling on the King's loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the rebels, raise the royal standard, and restore the province to "its former glorious freedom."
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The County Committee in Tryon County, New York, sends an urgent appeal to General Schuyler for men and arms to repress an impending attack by loyalists.
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Congress allows the expense of two dollars per week for the board and lodging of officers taken prisoner, the total to be repaid by the officers before they are released from captivity.
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British Admiral Shuldham reports to First Lord of the Admiralty Lord Sandwich that he will be "surprised to learn how fast the armed vessels of the rebels have multiplied lately, how many of our storeships and victuallers they have taken, and how successfully they have defeated all our force."
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Washington writes from Cambridge that army enlistment problems continue: "Our total number upon paper amounts to about ten thousand five hundred; but as a large portion of these are returned not joined, I never expect to receive them . . ."
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The New York Committee of Safety orders all ship pilots to avoid the entrance to the harbor at Sandy Hook; the committee also forbids pilots from boarding any enemy warship or troop transport.
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Boston loyalist Peter Oliver reports that the old North Meeting House is pulled down for fuel for the loyalist Associators. The meeting house had been abandoned by the Reverend John Lathrop and his patriot congregation, most of whom had left Boston.
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The Virginia Convention orders the jailing of all African Americans who carried arms in Dunmore's service. They are then to be appraised and sent to the West Indies or Bay of Honduras to be sold.
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In Savannah, Georgia, Governor Wright is arrested and confined to his house.
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Washington and other patriot generals agree that troops cannot be spared for service in Canada and that Boston must be attacked before Howe received reinforcements.
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The Virigina Convention declares that best method of opposing British oppression would be to open all ports to international trade from every country except England.
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Washington directs each regiment to send out two officers to purchase weapons for their unit. Soldiers enlisting with their own firearms are promised one dollar for its use and reimbursement if the weapon is lost during the campaign.
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The South Carolina Council of Safety resolves "that able-bodied negro men be taken into the public service, and enrolled and employed, without arms for the defence of the several batteries in Charles-Town, Fort Johnson and other batteries, at the rate of two to each gun, . . . That they be in constant pay at the rate of ten shillings per day, and the public to find them provisions. . . . suitable rewards shall be given to those slaves, who behave well in time of action."
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Washington writes in a letter to Joseph Reed, "I have often thought how much happier I should have been if, instead of accepting of a command under such circumstances, I had taken my musket upon my shoulder, and entered the ranks . . ."
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The Continental Congress approves a letter to the Canadians promising a renewal of efforts to expel the British and urging the Canadians to associate with the Americans by appointing delegates to the Congress.
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The Continental Congress authorizes a memorial in honor of General Richard Montgomery who was killed at Quebec on December 31, 1775.
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The Connecticut Committee of Safety learns that enlistments for service in a regiment to be raised in the western counties of the colony would suffer if the designated colonel for the regiment came from an eastern county; they therefore accepted the resignation of the colonel.
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In an attempt to maintain the friendship and trust of Indian tribes, Congress votes to allow the import of 40,000 worth of their trade goods.
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In Virginia, the Committee of Sussex County pledges to help the inhabitants of Norfolk find shelter and land to cultivate.
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Congress agrees to Washington's request that regiments be raised in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut for service in Canada, the cost to be underwritten by the Continental Congress.
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The Continental Congress directs that no apprentices be enlisted for military service without the written consent of their master or mistress. Persons under the age of 21 could secure a discharge from service within twenty-four hours of enlisting by refunding any money or supplies received from the recruiting officer.
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In the absence of credentials from the Massachusetts Assembly, Congress decides to accept the current delegates from that body on the basis of newspaper accounts of their appointments.
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| February of 1776 |
In Salem, North Carolina, the Moravians, a pacifist religious group, decline to obey Governor Martin's proclamation to join the King's standard.
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King George confers exclusive command over naval operations in North America to Admiral Richard Howe.
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In Annapolis, Maryland, the Council of Safety authorizes the Baltimore Committee to expend 6,200 for harbor defenses, including a triple boom across the entrance and a permanent fortification with a battery, barracks, and powder magazine.
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The general order for the day at the American camp in Cambridge calls for the colonel of each regiment to identify the number of fire arms needed by his men and a method for obtaining them.
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Great Britain and Germany sign an agreement providing the British with 660 German infantrymen.
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Congress alerts the southern colonies that General Clinton is headed in their direction.
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Congress adopts resolutions to quarter British prisoners in private facilities in Trenton, New Jersey.
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In Exeter, New Hampshire, the Provincial Legislature asks the Continental Congress to raise a military force to defend the colony's seacoast.
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Upon the arrival of 200 British troops in New York, General Lee requests that Congress send the city a battalion of troops from Philadelphia to assist in the construction of fortifications.
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From Philadelphia, the North Carolina delegation to the Continental Congress warns that all accounts from England indicate an upcoming attack on the colony.
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In Savannah, Georgia, Governor Wright escapes from his residence to one of the British warships anchored at the mouth of the river.
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In North Carolina, patriots and tories continue to mobilize their forces. The Committee of Safety orders the militia to assemble in the districts north of Cross Creek.
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Congress adopts a resolution allowing the individual provinces to import naval stores from North Carolina and elects Patrick Henry colonel of the first Virginia battalion.
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In Salem, North Carolina, the Moravians note that in Cross Creek "the Governor's party was very strong, and . . . the King's Standard had been raised. From Richmond, Virginia we hear that Minute Men, are being divided into Companies, and are preparing to march to Guilford and beyond against the Governor, etc. All is alarm and confusion . . . "
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In Halifax, Governor Legge reports to London that traitorous elements in Cumberland, Nova Scotia, had contacted George Washington to express their sympathy for the rebel cause and invite him to invade the province.
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Congress spends most of the day considering "the propriety of opening the ports, and the restrictions and the regulations of the trade of the colonies" after March 1. Because Great Britain controlled the seas, some members stress the need to enter into treaties with other foreign powers in order to protect American trade.
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The eight-vessel American navy sails today on its first "ocean-going cruise." Although the navy's mission is to protect American shipping and capture and destroy enemy warships, the first voyage is to the Bahamas in search of gunpowder.
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From Norfolk, Virginia, Lord Dunmore dispatches a note to Lord Dartmouth expressing his "inexpressible Mortification" upon learning that General Clinton has been ordered to the "insignificant province of North Carolina to the neglect of this the richest and powerfully important province in America."
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In Charleston, South Carolina, the Provincial Convention, apprehensive of a British attack, votes to summon militia to defend the city.
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In Williamsburg, Lord Dunmore offers to go to England to negotiate a peaceful reconciliation. The Virginia Committee of Safety responds that they are "neither empowered nor inclined to intermeddle with the mode of negotiation; that we looked to the Congress for management of this important matter." They urge him to demonstrate his intentions by suspending hostilities.
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In Philadelphia, Congress spends most of the day considering "the number and denominations of the bills in which the four millions of dollars, directed by Congress to be issued, ought to be emitted . . . "
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Many members of Congress question New York's failure to mobilize troops; the body resolves to request the province to explain what efforts had been made to raise the four battalions for their own defense.
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A resident of New York writes, "I forbear to mention the distressed state of this once happy city. To see the vast number of homes shut up, one would think the city almost evacuated. Women and children are scarcely to be seen in the streets. Troops are daily coming in; they break open and quarter themselves in any houses they find shut up. Necessity knows no law. Private interest must give way to the public good."
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A British agent informs London that American vessels entered Bilbao and Santander, Spain. "Their business can only be to load gunpowder and other warlike stores, perhaps not in the ports of Spain, but very probably at sea, where it is believed they are supplied by the Dutch."
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Washington receives information that the British had taken over every ship in the harbor at Boston for government service. All signs point to an evacuation of the city in the near future.
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The Spanish government orders its West Indies fleet to establish a patrol in order to observe the conduct and movements of the British squadrons, and under the guise of preventing smuggling, detain British vessels and try to obtain information on the whereabouts of warships. The intelligence was to be exchanged with French authorities.
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At Moores Creek, North Carolina, North Carolina patriots defeat loyalists at the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. The defeat ends Governor Martin's hopes of regaining control of the colony for the British crown.
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Washington's troops prepare to move ahead on the proposed occupation of Dorchester Heights. He writes in a letter, "We are preparing to take possession of a post which will, it is generally thought, bring on a rumpus between us and the enemy."
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In London, the House of Commons approves treaties with German principalities supplying Great Britain with German troops.
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| March of 1776 |
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Congress supersedes a previous resolution sending General Charles Lee to Canada; he is ordered instead to take immediate command of the continental forces in the south where a British attack is expected.
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American artillery bombard Boston from a redoubt at Lechmere Point.
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Silas Deane travels to France on a secret mission. He is instructed by the Committee of Secret Correspondence that if he meets with French Foreign Minister Vergennes he is to stress America's need for military stores and assure him that the colonies are moving toward "total separation."
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King George concurs with Parliament that mercenaries fighting for Britain be dressed in British uniforms and not those of their home country.
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A British Council of War decides to evacuate from Boston.
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A committee of the New York Provincial Congress instructs Major William Malcolm to dismantle the Sandy Hook lighthouse, telling him to "use your best discretion to render the light-house entirely useless."
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In Cambridge, all soldiers and officers observe a day of fasting, prayer, and humiliation.
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Congress passes a resolution prohibiting the enlistment of Indians without the prior permission of both Congress and the national council of the tribe to which they belong.
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In Philadelphia, the Congress resolves to prohibit military officers from imposing loyalty oaths on the inhabitants of any colony.
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A resident of New Bern, North Carolina, writes that Governor Martin threatened to burn the city of Wilmington in the colony if it did not furnish him with supplies. The city refused and was prepared to fight. The colony of North Carolina had 9,400 armed men in the southern part of the province; the three southern colonies of Georgia and North and South Carolina had a force of 20,000 men prepared to fight General Clinton if he landed on the coast.
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The British Admiralty orders a convoy of ships with seven infantry battalions and a hospital ship to the St. Lawrence River to establish British authority in Quebec.
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In Baltimore, Maryland, a public notice announces: "The necessity of taking all imaginable care of those who may happen to be wounded in the country's cause, urges us to address our humane ladies, to lend us their kind assistance in furnishing us with linen rags and old sheeting, for bandages . . . "
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In anticipation of the departure of the British from Boston, the general order for the day in Cambridge reads: "If upon the retreat of the enemy any person whatsoever, is detected in pillaging, . . . the severest punishment will be his lotThe unhappy Inhabitants of that distress'd town have already suffer'd too heavily from the Iron hand of Oppression!their Countrymen surely will not be base enough to add to their misfortunes."
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Congress resolves to send 8,000 men to New York for the colony's defense.
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Congress requests authorities in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey to hold their militias in readiness to march in defense of New York.
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The Admiralty informs British Admiral Shuldham that American vessels are loading military supplies in three Spanish ports: Corruna, St. Andro, and Bilbao.
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The British begin their evacuation of Boston.
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Washington visits Boston where he is impressed by the strength of the fortifications in the city. He writes that "[t]he town, although it has suffered greatly, is not in so bad a state as I expected to find it."
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Washington's Quartermaster General estimates that the amount of booty recovered by the British evacuation of Boston amounted to 25,000 or 30,000.
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General Clinton informs Georgia Governor Wright that he cannot protect loyalists in the province.
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General Howe reports that a combination of adverse factors led to the British evacuation of Boston: the fortifications on Dorchester Heights, a lack of supplies and tonnage, the need to preserve his army, and the non-strategic value of the city.
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The Acting Governor of the Bahamas writes that a rebel fleet removed the militia stores from two local forts and kidnapped the Governor.
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The South Carolina Provincial Congress instructs its delegation in Philadelphia "to concert, agree to, and execute, every measure," which it and the Continental Congress shall "judge necessary, for the defence, security, interest or welfare of the Colony in particular, and America in general."
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In Paris, the Count de Vergennes, French Foreign Minister, directs his ambassador in London to deny charges that French agents had met with Washington and the Continental Congress. In fact, two French "merchants" had met Washington on December 14 and Congressional delegates on December 30, 1775.
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Congress votes to present their thanks and those of the colonies to Washington and his troops for their "wise and spirited conduct in the siege and acquisition of Boston," and to give the General a gold medal commemorating the event.
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The Provincial Congress of South Carolina approves a new constitution and government for the province. The legislature is now the General Assembly of South Carolina; the group elects John Rutledge as President, Henry Laurens as Vice President, and William Henry Drayton as Chief Justice.
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Upon the final departure of the British from Boston, Washington decides to send a brigade under General Sullivan to New York.
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Congress appoints Jeremiah Dugan to command 300 rangers in Canada.
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Washington appoints Major General Putnam commander of the troops in New York; he is to concentrate on the execution of all plans for the defense of the city and its waterways.
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In Jamaica, attorneys claim that American vessels and their crews captured by British warships prior to January 1, 1776, when the Trade Prohibitory Act became effective could not be detained.
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Abigail Adams urges her husband John to "Remember the Ladies" in making laws for the new nation, an important early plea for women's rights.
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April of 1776
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The Continental Congress establishes a permanent treasury office and proposes the appointment of an auditor general.
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The South Carolina General Assembly empowers its new president, John Rutledge, to design and have made a Great Seal of South Carolina.
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The Continental Congress gives privateers permission to "by force of arms, attack, subdue, and take all ships and other vessels belonging to the inhabitants of Great Britain."
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In New York, American Quartermaster General Thomas Mifflin informs the Committee of Safety that within ten days a total of 12,000 troops would be in the city.
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General Charles Lee arrives in Williamsburg, Virginia, and writes Washington that he fears the British will attack the defenseless city.
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Congress resolves to allow exports from the colonies to any part of the world not under British rule. They also vote to allow the importation of any goods except those grown, produced, or shipped from any country under the King's rule.
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Captain John Barry, commander of the sloop of war Lexington, makes the first U.S. Navy capture of a British warship, the sloop Edward, under battle conditions.
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In Friedberg, North Carolina, several members of the Moravian congregation are forced to participate in military drills.
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The South Carolina General Assembly votes to establish a Court of Admiralty in all cases of the capture of British ships by armed American vessels.
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General Wooster informs John Hancock that the patriot situation in Canada is not improving. Only half of the two or three thousand soldiers in Quebec were fit to serve.
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Writing to her husband from Braintree, Massachusetts, Abigail Adams states, "I miss my partner, and find myself unequal to the calls which fall upon me; I find it necessary to be the directress of our Husbandery and farming. . . I hope in time to have the Reputation of being as good a Farmeress as my partner has of being a good Statesmen."
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The Provincial Congress in North Carolina empowers its delegates to the Continental Congress to concur with delegates from other colonies in declaring independence. They are the first colony to do so.
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George Washington arrives in New York with General Gates.
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John Adams addresses his wife Abigail's concerns about women's rights writing, "We have been told that our Struggle has loosened the bands of Government every where . . . that schools and colledges were grown turbulentthat Indians slighted their Guardians . . . But your Letter was the first Intimation that another Tribe more numerous and powerfull than all the rest were grown discontented."
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Congress resolves that New England colonies fortifying their ports should write and request Washington to send a proper person to examine the ports. A Congressional committee would do likewise for ports between New York and Chesapeake Bay.
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John Hancock writes the Maryland Council of Safety advising them to seize Robert Eden, governor of the colony. The request is made as a result of information received by Congress that Eden was carrying on a correspondence with the British Ministry "highly dangerous to the liberties of America."
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Martha Washington arrives in New York from Cambridge.
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The Irish transport ship Isabella arrives in Cape Fear, North Carolina, and is greeted by American militiamen.
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The New York Committee of Safety orders all persons be prohibited from holding any intercourse with British ships under penalty of being considered enemies of the cause.
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Germany and Britain arrange to have more troops sent from Germany to America, including 670 infantrymen.
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British Governor James Wright of Georgia arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aboard the HMS Scarborough.
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In Williamsburg, Virginia, General Charles Lee instructs regimental recruiting officers to enlist no natives of Great Britain or Ireland unless they have been longtime residents of America, have dependents in the country, or can provide a strong recommendation.
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Congress accepts the resignation of General Artemus Ward and resolves that an expedition should be undertaken against Detroit.
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The Shawnee tribe writes to Congress, "the road between us has been opened and lately cleared, we desire it may remain open and clear for our young men and yours to pass and repass whenever they please. . ." The road was the Wilderness Trail over the Cumberland Gap.
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As of this date, 10,192 soldiers of the United Army had been stationed in New York.
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Virginia militiaman John Page writes to Thomas Jefferson asserting that the citizens of the various colonies should be commended for maintaining order while they were "free from the Restraint of Laws."
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Lord Germain informs General William Howe that the first division of Hessian troops were preparing to sail to America.
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From Savannah, Georgia, Colonel Lachlan McIntosh informs Washington that he is pleased with recruitment efforts in the colony. He concludes, however, that because the South has so little manufacturing, making the price of needed goods two or three times higher than in the North, procurement of clothing and arms was difficult.
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In Brussels, Belgium, an ordinance is passed prohibiting the trade of munitions or articles of war with the American colonies.
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Samuel Adams writes of his hopes for another battle between British and American troops, stating his belief that it "would do more towards a declaration of independency than a long chain of conclusive arguments in . . . Continental Congress."
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| May of 1776 |
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In London, King George issues a proclamation extending the bounties for encouraging enlistments in the Royal Navy.
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King Louis XVI of France agrees to loan one million livres to Hortalez & Cie., a company specifically organized to provide funds and military stores to the American cause, thereby establishing secret aid to the patriots.
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British Commodore Parker and General Cornwallis arrive in North Carolina with twenty transports.
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From Williamsburg, Virginia, General Charles Lee, commander of the southern military department, informs Washington that "we want arms, medicines, and blankets, most cruelly; indeed we want some battalions." He also asks Washington to request that Congress raise the salaries of military engineers in order to engage qualified individuals for that service.
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In North Carolina, General Clinton issues a proclamation denouncing the "wicked rebellion" and recommending that the inhabitants return to their duty to the King. He offers full pardon to all persons, except General Robert Howe and Cornelius Harnett.
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In Providence, Rhode Island, Governor Cooke sends Washington a copy of an act discharging the inhabitants of the colony from allegiance to the King. In Williamsburg, Virginia, the House of Burgesses meets for the last time; in its place, the General Convention of Delegates from the Counties and Corporations convenes and elects Edmund Pendleton President.
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Congress authorizes North Carolina to raise a sixth battalion for the continental service and to direct the appropriate committee to furnish the colony with twelve field guns, three tons of powder, and a medicine chest for each battalion. The body also takes measures to protect Philadelphia from the threat of two British warships in the Delaware River.
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Patriot vessels attack the British warships Roebuck and Liverpool on the Delaware River. Both sides suffer minimal damage.
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Washington urges General Ward, commander of the Continental troops in Boston, to continue working on the defenses for the city. He feared the British might return to the city.
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Congress recommends to the colonial assemblies and conventions, "where no government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs have been hitherto established, to adopt such government as shall . . . best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and America in general."
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In a letter to Congress, Washington recommends raising companies of Germans to send among the Hessians fighting for Britain when they arrive. The purpose would be "for exciting a spirit of disaffection and desertion. If a few trusty, sensible fellows could get with them, . . . they would have great weight and influence with the common Soldiery, who certainly have no enmity towards us, having received no Injury, nor cause of Quarrell from us."
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The King of France instructs a naval squadron to patrol the coastal waters and English Channel to secure information on the positions and activities of British warships. The squadron is directed to maneuver so as to discourage the seizures of American merchantmen and neutral shipping carrying supplies to the patriots.
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From Antigua, British Admiral Young relays intelligence to Admiral Gayton at Jamaica that American vessels plan to intercept homeward bound West India ships.
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The Continental Congress's Committee of Secret Correspondence receives information that King George demanded and received from the Queen of Hungary a pledge to ban exports of military stores to America.
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The Virginia Convention instructs its delegates to the Continental Congress to propose "to that respectable body to declare the United Colonies free and independent states, absolved from all allegiance to, or dependence upon, the crown or parliament of Great Britain . . . "
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Congress asks George Washington to come to Philadelphia to consult with that body "upon such measures as may be necessary for the carrying on the ensuing campaign."
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In London, an Order in Council extends the ban on exports of gunpowder, saltpetre, and any type of arms or ammunition; the order also bans the transportation of those products to the coast without the previous permission of the King or his privy council.
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A resolution in Congress requests the Committee of Secret Correspondence to dispatch vessels to the French West Indies to purchase at least 10,000 muskets and to learn, if possible, whether the large French military force concentrated there would act "for or against the colonies."
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Conservatives and the radical local Committee become involved in a bitter struggle for control of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. The Assembly had ordered its delegation in Congress to desist from voting for independence.
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Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett of Georgia take their seats in the Continental Congress with instructions to use their own judgment in voting on any measures.
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The Maryland Convention adopts resolutions stating that: the people had the "sole and exclusive right to regulate internal affairs and police" of the colony; the Convention could reject oppressive acts of Parliament; all royal authority was now totally abolished; and the people no longer had to take an oath of allegiance to Great Britain. The recently reelected delegation to Congress, however, was instructed to abstain from any measures leading to independence without the express authority of the Convention.
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Congress votes to give General Schuyler authority to take any measures for supplying the troops in Canada with provisions.
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From Boston, representatives to the General Assembly are instructed to advise the Massachusetts delegation in Congress that the colony will support a declaration of independence "with their lives and the remnant of their fortunes."
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After conferring with Washington, Gates, and Mifflin, Congress votes to inform the commanding officer in Canada to "contest every foot of the ground" and especially prevent the enemy from ascending the St. Lawrence River.
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In Pennsylvania, a resolution passes calling for a popularly elected provincial convention to draw up a new form of government.
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Edmund Pendleton, President of the Virginia Convention warns Maryland that Lord Dunmore's fleet has "turned up the bay and passed the mouth of the York rivers."
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Indian deputies of the Six Nations hold an audience with Congress. The delegates stage a military parade with Continental troops and soldiers from the local Association.
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The London Post prints portions of Common Sense; the publisher deleted all abusive and insulting references to the King.
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A sloop from St. Eustatius arrives in Charleston, South Carolina, with 10,000 pounds of powder. The master of the vessel states that the French West Indies ports are now open to the Americans and French warships are protecting the rebel vessels.
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British General Clinton agrees to undertake an effort to capture the city of Charleston, South Carolina.
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Expresses sent from Christ Church Parish in South Carolina warn authorities in Charleston that a large British fleet has been observed off Dewee's Island, about twenty miles north.
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| June of 1776 |
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In Philadelphia, Congress agrees to raise 6,000 militia "to reinforce the army in Canada, and to keep up communication with that province;..." Meanwhile in Charleston, South Carolina, President Rutledge received intelligence that a fleet of 50 or more vessels were anchored north of Sullivan's Island.
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Like many of the men under his command, American Major General John Thomas dies of smallpox near Sorel, in Quebec, Canada.
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To protect the middle colonies, Congress resolves to reinforce troops in New York with 13,800 militia and set up a special mobile force of 10,000. Meanwhile, at Sullivan's Island in South Carolina, Colonel William Moultrie informs President Rutledge that a British landing is imminent, and vows to "make the best defense I can with what I have got."
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John Hancock exhorts the colonies to exert "every Nerve to distinguish yourselves. Quicken your Preparations and stimulate the good people of your Government and there is no Danger, notwithstanding the mightly Armament with which we are threatened, but you will be able to lead them to Victory, to Liberty, and to Happiness."
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In Philadelphia, Congress requires monthly status reports from all non-combat or supply departments of the floundering Army in Canada. In Massachusetts, a traitor examiner recommends that all suspected persons should be sent inland at least 10 miles from the coast.
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From the HMS Sovereign comes a Proclamation from British General Clinton to the people of Charleston, South Carolina, "to return to their Duty to our common Sovereign, and to the Blessings of a free Government, as established by law..." In Philadelphia, Samuel Adams writes: "tomorrow a Motion will be made, and a Question I hope decided, the most important that was ever agitated in America."
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Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduces to Congress three resolutions: total independence from Great Britain, the formation of foreign Alliances, and preparation of a plan of the colonial confederation. John Adams seconds the resolutions.
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While the Philadelphia Congress considers Lee's resolutions of the previous day, in South Carolina, Colonel Moultrie receives notice that General Clinton has landed troops on the Southern tip of Long Island; Moultrie in turn orders American troops to occupy the northern part of Sullivan's Island.
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John Adams writes to William Cushing: "We are in the very midst of revolution, the most complete, unexpected, and remarkable, of any in the history of nations." In Loudon County, VA, small tenant farmers petition the Convention for relief. Unable to sell their harvests of wheat to foreign markets, many are becoming destitute.
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In Philadelphia, Congress stops short of declaring "total independence" from Britain, but calls for a committee to prepare a declaration based on the premise: "That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown: and that all political connexion between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.
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Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Philip Livingston comprise a committee chosen to prepare the declaration of independence. Jefferson is chosen to prepare the first draft.
In New York, residents roam the streets and attack suspected Tories
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In Philadelphia, Congress creates "A Board of War and Ordnance," inspired in part by the failing Canadian campaign.
In Williamsburg, Virginia, George Mason and the Virginia Convention adopt A declaration of rights.
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In Boston, General Benjamin Lincoln directs the placement of cannon around the harbor. A short cannonade convinces the British to weigh anchor, inspiring Lincoln to write "Thus is the port of Boston again opened by our own authority, after being closed during two years vy virtue of an act of the British Parliament."
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Congress orders General Philip Schuyler to confer with the Six Nations Indians - Mohawk; Oneida; Tuscarora; Onondaga; Cayuga; Seneca - and "engage them in our interest upon the best terms that can be procured" and to procede to erect a fortification at Fort Stanwix (NY).
Meanwhile, General Sullivan decides to evacuate Canada and make a stand at Fort Ticonderoga (NY).
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In Burlington New Jersey, the New Jersey Provincial Congress brands Governor William Franklin "an enemy to the liberties of this country..."
The New HampshireProvincial Congress instructs its delegation to join the other colonies by "Solemnly Pledging our Faith and Honor, that we will on our parts support the measure with our Lives and Fortunes...".
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In Boston, General Benjamin Lincoln directs the placement of cannon around the harbor. A short cannonade convinces the British to weigh anchor, inspiring Lincoln to write "Thus is the port of Boston again opened by our own authority, after being closed during two years by virtue of an act of the British Parliament."
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Congress orders General Philip Schuyler to confer with the Six Nations Indians - Mohawk; Oneida; Tuscarora; Onondaga; Cayuga; Seneca - and "engage them in our interest upon the best terms that can be procured" and to procede to erect a fortification at Fort Stanwix (NY).
Meanwhile, General Sullivan decides to evacuate Canada and make a stand at Fort Ticonderoga (NY).
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In Burlington New Jersey, the New Jersey Provincial Congress brands Governor William Franklin "an enemy to the liberties of this country..."
The New Hampshire Provincial Congress instructs its delegation to join the other colonies by "Solemnly Pledging our Faith and Honor, that we will on our parts support the measure with our Lives and Fortunes...".
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Benedict Arnold notifies General Sullivan of his garrison's successful movement out of Montreal, along with some spirits and molasses siezed in that town.
In Boston Harbor, an armed Connecticut vessel along with several schooners sieze two British ships and take 200 sailors and soldiers prisoner.
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Congress requests additional soldiers from Connecticut to be sent to Canada.
In Watertown, the Massachusetts Assembly resolves to ban the export by water of all produce except for Jamaica or pickled fish, unless the items are used to to supply armed American vessels or colonial inhabitants.
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In Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson shows his first draft of "a declaration of independence" to John Adams and other members of Congress.
In Burlington, New Jersey, Governor Franklin appears before the New Jersey Provincial Congress but refuses to answer any questions on the grounds that body was an illegal instrument which usurped the powers of the rightful government. He was declared a dangerous enemy to American liberties and ordered confined in such place and manner as the Continental Congress may direct.
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At La Prairie, Canada, General Baron Riedesel reports to the Duke of Brunswick that the British had recovered Canada and only the lack of shipping prevented a rapid advance into the rear of the American colonies.
In New York, a resolution by the Provincial Congress recommends that residents of the sea coast sell their fit cattle to the army.
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In Philadelphia, the Provincial Conference of Committees urges the people to "elect qualified patriots to the Convention, who shall know the ideas and sentiments of their constituents. And, above all, assure the timid and fearful of the high purposes of the Convention."
Meanwhile, off the coast of Charleston, SC, Commodore Parker notifies General Clinton that he would land on the mainland tomorrow on the flood tide if the wind was from the south. Parker and his fleet were thwarted by a sandbar for nearly two weeks.
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Congress resolves that New Jersey's Governor Franklin - son of Benjamin Franklin - be sent under guard to Connecticut. Congress also appoints an investigative committee to "enquire into the cause of the miscarriages in Canada."
The County Committee of Bergen, New Jersey, votes to raise troops and observe the movements of the enemy. It also asked the people of the county to "aid and assist the families of those brave men who are necessarily abroad in defence of their country, in getting in their harvest, that their wives and families may not suffer by their absence."
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The Conference of Committees urges its more pacifist associates to military action by declaring that they were fighting for "permanent liberty, to be supported by your own government, derived from you, and organized for all and not for the benefit of one man or class of men."
Off the coast of South Carolina, after spending three weeks getting his fleet across a sandbar, Commodore Parker's plans to bombard the fort on Sullivan's Island are canceled by unfavorable wind and tidal conditions.
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In a letter to his wife Abigail, John Adams complains that the Congress was giving him "more business than I am qualified for, and more than, I fear, that I can go through, with safety to my health. In the same letter, he attributes the Army's failure in Canada to the outbreak of Small pox.
From Gwynn's Island in Virginia, Governor Dunmore reports to Lord Germain in England that the Island is his new base, and that if the fever had not killed most of the slaves that flocked to his banner, we would have stayed on the mainland.
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Congress resolves to organize rifle regiments in Virginia, New York, and Maryland. In addition, the members vote to to form a battalion of Germans.
Off the coast of South Carolina, Commodore Parker gives the signal to to get under way towards Sullivan's Island, but is again halted when the wind suddenly shifts to the opposite quarter.
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Convicted of mutiny and sedition, Thomas Hickey, former Life Guard for George Washington, was hanged near Bowery Lane in New York in front of 20,000 spectators.
Charleston, SC: About 10 am, Commodore Parker's squadron opens fire on Fort Sullivan. To the surprise of the British, the fort's palmetto log wall absorbs the British shot like a sponge, preventing typical splinter injuries to the garrison. More surprising is the accurate and effective fire directed by Colonel Moultrie at the British fleet. Their two largest warships suffer extensive damage and severe crew losses; Commodore Parker suffers painful physical injuries and the embarrassing loss of his breeches; HMS Sphinx looses its bowsprit; the Actaeon runs aground; smaller British frigates are damaged. Moultrie's attack costs Parker 261 injured and dead. American casualties are slight.
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Contrary to most of his colleagues in Congress, Edward Rutledge of South Carolina advocates patience in regards to declaring independence. In a letter to John Jay of New York, Rutledge worries whether he and other conservatives can "effectually oppose" such a resolution.
Meanwhile, on Staten Island in New York, signals indicate the appearance of General Howe's fleet from Halifax, prompting Samuel Webb to declare "a warm and Bloody Campaign is the least we may expect; may God grant us victory and success..."
Inspired by his stunning success in repulsing Commodore Parker's naval squadron, a William Logan sends a gift of a hogshead of old Antigua rum to Colonel Moultrie.
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Now heading the newly created Board of War, John Adams asserts how military stores are of the utmost importance: "I cannot think that Country safe, which has not within itself every Material necessary for War, and the Art of making Use of those Materials. I shall never be easy, then, until We shall have made Discoveries of Salt Petre, Sulphur, Flynts, Lead, Cannon Mortars, Ball, Shells, Musquetts, and Powder in sufficient Plenty, so that We may always be sure of having enough of each."
On Gwynn's Island, VA, Maryland's Royal Governor Robert Eden joins Governor Dunmore in self-imposed exile from the mainland.
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| July of 1776 |
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| George Washington's letter of June 29 is read to Congress. In it he announces the arrival of the British fleet in New York. Shortly thereafter, the Continental Congress approves Richard Henry Lee's resolution of respecting independence, but South Carolina delegates postpone determination by the entire house until July 2.
A committee from the Virginia Convention informs Patrick Henry of his election as Governor under the new constitution.
In honor of Colonel William Moultrie, the state legislature of South Carolina renames Fort Sullivan "Fort Moultrie."
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