On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress declared economic independence from Great Britain by resolving that Americans could ship exports to every nation except Great Britain. The Congress also

Resolved, That no slaves be imported into any of the thirteen United Colonies.

Source: Vol. IV, 1776, Journals of the Continental Congress, Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office (1906) at 257-58 accessed at https://archive.org/details/us_congress_continental/lljc004/page/256/mode/2up

In the early morning hours of this day 250 years ago off Block Island, Rhode Island, the HMS Glasgow, a 20-gun frigate carrying dispatches to Charles Town, South Carolina, sailed into the midst of the entire fleet of the Continental Navy. Commodore Esek Hopkins commanded his flagship USS Alfred, as well as the Columbus, Cabot, Andrew Doria, Providence, Wasp, and Fly returning to America from their raid on Nassau, Bahamas and escorting several merchant ships they had captured in the Bahamas and during the return cruise.

Although the American ships greatly outnumbered and outgunned the Glasgow, the British ship was able to escape, and the Americans suffered more casualties than the British. Ten American sailors were killed and 14 were wounded, including Captain John Burroughs Hopkins, the Commodore’s son. In contrast, the British had only one man killed and three wounded. The crew of the HMS Glasgow threw overboard the dispatches it was carrying to Gen. Henry Clinton in Charles Town and the Glasgow was badly damaged and had to abort its mission and return to port in Newport, Rhode Island for repairs. In addition, the Americans captured the Glasgow‘s tender.

As a result of the failure to capture the HMS Glasgow, Hopkins and the Providence‘s captain would later be relieved of command. However, one officer in the Continental Navy — Lieutenant John Paul Jones — distinguished himself in the engagement and would soon earn a captain’s commission and go on to lasting fame.

Sources: https://www.myrevolutionarywar.com/battles/1775-1783-naval/;https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1776/battle-of-nassau/; https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/2026/04/06/a-fleet-against-one-the-continental-navys-embarrassing-clash-off-block-island-april-6-1776/

On this day 250 years ago in Brunswick Town, North Carolina, General Sir Henry Clinton landed foraging parties from the force of 700 British Regulars on board the military transports in his fleet anchored offshore. Col. James Moore commanded 120 men of the 2nd North Carolina Regiment, 449 men of the 1st North Carolina Regiment and local militia, with a combined total of 1,847 men in Wilmington and along the Cape Fear River to oppose the British landing. Nevertheless the British were able to capture one Patriot officer with five men near Brunswick Town and pick up a few Loyalist survivors of the battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge. General Clinton issued a proclamation pardoning everyone who would reaffirm their allegiance – except for Patriot leaders Cornelius Harnett and Robert Howe. Few Loyalists came in to claim Clinton’s pardon and the British would soon depart North Carolina. In 1781, however, Harnett was captured by the British and although he was not executed, Harnett died as a result of his ill treatment in British captivity.

Source: https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1776/