January 1 General George Washington hoists Continental Union Flag January 2 1st revolutionary flag displayed January 2 Austria ends interregation torture January 5 Assembly of New Hampshire adopts its 1st state constitution January 10 "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, published January 16 Continental Congress approves enlistment of free blacks February 8 Wolfgang von Goethes' "Stella," premieres in Hamburg February 17 1st volume of Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of Roman Empire" published March 2 Americans begin shelling British troops in Boston March 3 U.S. commodore Esek Hopkins occupies Nassau Bahamas March 17 British forces evacuate Boston to Nova Scotia during Revolutionary War March 25 Continental Congress authorized a medal for George Washington April 1 Friedrich von Klinger's "Sturm und Drang," premieres in Leipzig April 3 Washington receives honorary Ll.D. degree from Harvard College April 12 Halifax resolution for independence adopted by North Carolina April 15 Duchess of Kingston found guilty of bigamy May 1 Adam Weishaupt founds secret society of Illuminati May 2 France and Spain agreed to give weapons to American rebels May 4 Rhode Island declares independence from England May 12 Turgot, French minister of Finance, resigns June 7 Richard Lee moves Declaration of Independence in Continental Congress June 10 Continental Congress appoints a committee to write a Declaration of Independence June 11 Continental Congress create a committee to draft Declaration of Independence June 12 Virginia adopts Declaration of Rights June 23 Final draft of Declaration of Independence submitted to U.S. Congress June 28 Charleston, South Carolina repulses British sea attack June 29 Mission Dolores founded by San Francisco Bay June 29 Virginia state constitution adopted and Patrick Henry made governor July 1 1st vote on Declaration of Independence July 2 Continental Congress resolves "these United Colonies are and of right ought to be Free and Independent States" July 4 Declaration of Independence - U.S. gains independence from Britain July 6 Declaration of Independence announced on front page of "Pennsylvania Evening Gazette" July 8 John Nixon gave 1st public reading of Decleration of Independence in Philadelphia July 9 Declaration of Independence is read to George Washington's troops, New York July 12 Captain Cook departs with Resolution for 3rd trip to Pacific Ocean August 2 Formal signing of Declaration of Independence August 27 British defeat Americans in Battle of Long Island August 29 Americans withdraw from Manhattan to Westchester August 30 U.S. Army evacuates Long Island/falls back to Manhattan, New York City September 6 1st (failed) submarine attack (David Bushnell's "Turtle" attacks British sailboat "Eagle" in Bay of New York) September 6 Hurricane hits Martinique; 100 French and Dutch ships sinks; 600 die September 9 Continental Congress renames "United Colonies," "US" September 10 George Washington asks for a spy volunteer, Nathan Hale volunteers September 12 Nathan Hale leaves Harlem Heights Camp (127th St) for spy mission September 15 British forces capture Kip's Bay Manhattan during Revolution September 17 Presidio of San Francisco forms as a Spanish fort September 21 Nathan Hale, spied on British for American rebels, arrested September 24 1st St. Leger horesrace held at Doncaster September 24 St. Leger horse race run for 1st time October 9 Mission Dolores founded by San Francisco Bay October 11 Brigadier General Arnold's Lake Champlain fleet defeated by British October 12 British Brigade begins guarding Throgg Necks Road in Bronx October 18 Battle of Pelham: Col John Glover and Marblehead regiment meet British Forces in Bronx October 18 In a New York bar decorated with bird tail, customer orders "cock tail" October 28 Battle of White Plains; Washington retreats to New Jersey November 1 Mission San Juan Capistrano founded in California November 16 1st gun salute - for U.S. Andrea Doria at Ft. St. Eustatius November 16 British troops captured Fort Washington during American Revolution November 18 Hessians capture Ft. Lee, New Jersey November 28 Washington and his troops cross Delaware River November 30 Captain Cook begins 3rd and last trip to Pacific (South Sea) December 5 1st U.S. fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa (William and Mary College), forms December 8 George Washington's retreating army crosses Delaware River from New Jersey December 19 Thomas Paine published his 1st "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls" December 23 Continental Congress negotiates a war loan of $181,500 from France December 23 Thomas Paine writes "These are the times that try men's souls" December 25 Washington crosses Delaware and surprises and defeats 1,400 Hessians December 26 Battle of Trenton-major British defeat December 26 George Washington defeats Hessians at Trenton December 31 Rhode Island establishes wage and price controls to curb inflation: Limit is 70 cents a day for carpenters, 42 cents for tailors
