A Hand Full of Events from March 22 – 28, 1776.
A Hand Full of Events from March 22 – 28, 1776.Greetings, today we visit the week of March 22 – … Continue reading A Hand Full of Events from March 22 – 28, 1776.
Tag: american-revolution
British Evacuate Boston
The British evacuation began at four o’clock AM. By ten o’clock AM they had loaded 10,000 troops and about 1500 Loyalist citizens that wished to depart Boston on ships. Howe issued orders when the evacuation began to burn the city if the rebels interfered with the evacuation. The British had 120 ships on hand to use to transport the people and soldiers to a temporary sanctuary in Halifax, in Nova Scotia. They left a large quantity of supplies behind. A short time after the Union Jack had disappeared; soldiers of the Continental Army marched into Boston, flags flying and fifes playing “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
A wary General Washington, fearing British attack on New York, dispatched five regiments of his troops towards that city with General William Heath in command. Continue reading British Evacuate Boston
Adam Smith Publishes the Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith completed seventeen years of note taking and ten years of writing by publishing The Wealth of Nations on March 9, 1776. Regarded as the leading book on economics even today, The Wealth of Nations helped establish the free enterprise system. Continue reading Adam Smith Publishes the Wealth of Nations
British General Howe’s Unpleasant Surprise
March 2, 1776 – Americans Begin Shelling British Troops In Boston
At the beginning of 1776 the situation at Boston in the early stages of the American Revolution was an uneasy draw. British troops controlled the city and the harbor. American troops surrounded the city. The high hills of Dorchester Heights commanded the city, but neither side wanted to occupy them. The British commander, General William Howe, remembered the results of the earlier battle, the Battle of Bunker Hill. Though the British won that battle, the results were horrendous. British losses had been high as they suffered 226 killed, 828 wounded, these mostly officers. Howe decided another victory like that would ruin him.
General George Washington wanted to take the hills, but his army was under equipped, having little artillery. About 2000 of his 9000 man army had no muskets. The Continental Army was not ready for such a maneuver. Continue reading British General Howe’s Unpleasant Surprise
Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge
Today the author talks about some of the events of the week of February 22 – 28 1776. This was … Continue reading Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge
Congress Invites Canadians to Join the Struggle
One of Congress’ main goals of launching the Canada invasion in June 1775 was to bring the Canadians into their cause as the 14th colony. This effort had failed, but their efforts continued. On February 14 a messenger arrived from Canada, authorized by General Wooster, to carry a message to the members of Congress. The Committee of Correspondence conferred with the man on February 14 and relayed their report on the meeting. Continue reading Congress Invites Canadians to Join the Struggle
Set to Invade South Carolina – General Cornwallis Departs Cork, Ireland
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marques Cornwallis had retired to southern England to recruit troops to participate in this action. He gathered a force of about 2500 recruits and sailed for Cork to unite with Commodore Sir Peter Parker. With the fleet and the troops assembled, Parker and Cornwallis sailed from Cork on his way to South Carolina. Ethan Allen, whom the British had captured earlier, languished below decks as a prisoner. Continue reading Set to Invade South Carolina – General Cornwallis Departs Cork, Ireland
1776 – The Week of February 1 – 7
King George Appointed Admiral Richard Howe as Commander of North American Operations on February 2, 1776. After completing his studies at Eton Coollege, he entered the British Navy in 1740 at the age of 14. He rose in rank, attaining the rank of Rear Admiral in 1765. Sympathetic to the colonies, Howe had opposed many of the provisions of the Stamp Act. He collaborated with Benjamin Franklin, whom he had become acquainted with while Franklin lived in London, with a peace plan that failed. Continue reading 1776 – The Week of February 1 – 7
1776 – The Events of January 18 – 24
On January 18, officials from the Georgia Provincial Congress arrested Georgia’s Royal Governor James Wright. Wright had been the governor of Georgia since 1760, having previously served as South Carolina’s representative to the Crown and as South Carolina’s attorney. His problems began with the Stamp Act, passed by Parliament in 1765. He managed to be the only royal official to successfully import and sell the stamps despite the efforts of the local Sons of Liberty to stop him. On January 12 a small British fleet had arrived in Savannah’s harbor. The fleet had intentions of purchasing a load of rice to take to Boston’s besieged troops. Delegates for the Georgia Provincial Congress had arrived and decided they did not want Wright to purchase the rice and had him arrested. Continue reading 1776 – The Events of January 18 – 24
Pivotal Event in American History – Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense
January 10, 1776 “Common Sense” By Thomas Paine Published
Few men were as influential to the cause of American independence as Thomas Paine. His forty-seven page pamphlet “Common Sense,” published in 1776, became the most read pamphlet in the colonies. Many historians feel that most of the 2.5 million Americans either read it, or had it read to them. Many estimate that printers published over 400,000 copies. Many newspapers at the time printed the entire text of the document. Continue reading Pivotal Event in American History – Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense
Podcast – Boston Tea Party
Parliament had passed the Tea Act on May 10, 1773 to help the struggling East India Company compete with other tea importers. The legislation allowed the company to undersell their competition, including colonial tea smugglers. The company sent ships to Boston, New York, Charlestown, and Philadelphia in September 1773 with combined cargoes of over 500,000 pounds of tea. Tea importers in Charleston, New York, and Philadelphia, under pressure from local patriot groups, refused the shipments. However, the Boston merchants allowed the ships to dock. Continue reading Podcast – Boston Tea Party
Podcast – Beginning of the Boston Impressments – Sparked the Knowles Riots
Commodore Charles Knowles anchored his ship, the HMS Cornwall, in Boston Harbor in mid-November 1747 to retrofit and re-supply it. British seamen worked under harsh discipline, thus many of the crew deserted while the ship lay at anchor. When the ship prepared to depart, the ship was short of crew, so Commodore Knowles sought to replenish his crew by impressing Bostonians into naval service. Continue reading Podcast – Beginning of the Boston Impressments – Sparked the Knowles Riots
Podcast – Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Seven Years War, known as the French and Indian War in North America, ended with the Treaty of Paris on 10 February 1763. The French, by virtue of the treaty, yielded to the British vast stretches of land in North America and the Caribbean Sea. Continue reading Podcast – Royal Proclamation of 1763
Podcast – First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia
The crises with England had grown after Parliament passed the so-called Intolerable Acts. In an attempt to provide a united response to Parliament and get the Acts repealed, delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies on the Atlantic seaboard assembled in Philadelphia at Carpenter’s Hall. The last inter-colonial meeting had been the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. Continue reading Podcast – First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia
Stamp Act Riots – Stamp Distributor Andrew Oliver Hanged in Effigy
The British Parliament’s passage of the Stamp Act to pay for the French and Indian War in 1765 created massive protests in Britain’s North American colonies. Street protests broke out in many of the cities. The Crown had appointed Andrew Oliver to oversee the collection of the tax. Furious protesters hung Oliver in effigy during a protest on August 14, 1765. Continue reading Stamp Act Riots – Stamp Distributor Andrew Oliver Hanged in Effigy
First of the Hutchinson Letters Published
June 29, 1773 – First of the Hutchinson Letters Published
Leaking sensitive government documents is nothing new. Ben Franklin, in an attempt to soothe the heat of the growing American Revolution, ended up fanning the flames instead when he sent a packet of letters written by Boston Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson that he had acquired to colonial leaders. Continue reading First of the Hutchinson Letters Published
Podcast – March 05, 1770 Boston Massacre – British Troops Kill Five In Crowd
British Troops Killed Five in a Crowd in Boston
Greetings, this episode relates the incident that occurred on March 5, 1770 that has come to be known as the Boston Massacre Continue reading Podcast – March 05, 1770 Boston Massacre – British Troops Kill Five In Crowd
Podcast – Great American History Stories – Conclusion
July 09, 1766 – Jonathan Mayhew Died – Originated the Phrase “No Taxation Without Representation”
The phrase that became the motto of American revolutionaries originated in a sermon given by clergyman Jonathan Mayhew in 1750 during a sermon he gave in Boston’s Old West Church. Continue reading Podcast – Great American History Stories – Conclusion
Podcast – Ben Franklin and the First Plan of Colony Unification
Greetings, today I will talk about one of the earliest plans to unite the 13 colonies under one government, the Albany Plan of Union, which Benjamin Franklin proposed in July 1754. Continue reading Podcast – Ben Franklin and the First Plan of Colony Unification
The Story of the Turtle – A Revolutionary War Submarine
I am currently writing the seventh book in my series on United States History, 1776, and came across the fascinating story of David Bushnell and his submarine. Bushnell built the first submarine that could operate and maneuver independently in 1776. Continue reading The Story of the Turtle – A Revolutionary War Submarine
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 