On This Day In The Revolution

On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress resolved to recruit: “a number of Indians, not exceeding two thousand” to serve in Canada; 13,800 militia from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York to reinforce the defense of New York City from an anticipated British invasion; and “a flying camp” of 10,000…

On this day 250 years ago Major General John Thomas died of smallpox and was buried in an unmarked grave at Fort Chambly, Canada. Gen. Thomas was not the only member of the Continental Army in Canada who died of smallpox that day, and he was not the only Continental buried in an an unmarked…

On this day 250 years ago onboard the Dunmore anchored off Gwynn’s Island, Virginia, Captain Gomalez of the Spanish packet boat Santa Barbara and Miguel Antonio Eduardo met with Lord Dunmore to try and persuade the British to release the Santa Barbara. The HMS Liverpool had captured the Santa Barbara off Delaware Bay as it…

On this day 250 years ago in Canada, Samuel Chase wrote to Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler: Our affairs here grow every Hour more gloomy. On yesterday there was a Meeting of our Generals & greater part of our field officers. They resolved to make a Stand as long as possible…. At 12 o’Clock, Genl. Thompson,…

On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, Caesar Rodney (delegate from Delaware in the Continental Congress) wrote to his brother Thomas Rodney (a member of the Delaware Committe of Safety) about a parade of the Associators (volunteer militia) in Philadelphia: Reviewed the day before Yesterday, on the Common, by the Congress, Generals Washington, Gates…

On this day 250 years ago, “the General Committee of Mechanicks in union, of the City and County of New-York” adopted this resolution: When we cast a glance upon our beloved continent, where fair freedom, civil and religious, we have long enjoyed, whose fruitful field have made the world glad, and whose trade has filled…

On this day 250 years ago to the New Hampshire delegation in the Continental Congress wrote to Meshach Weare, Chairman of the New Hampshire Committee of Safety to obtain instructions from home as to how they should vote on Independence: The Convention of Virginia have instructed their delegates to use their endeavors that Congress should…

On this day 250 years ago in Williamsburg, the committee chaired by Archibald Cary presented to the Virginia Convention the Declaration of Rights drafted by George Mason. After consultation with the committee, Mason had added several additional articles to his first draft including that all men, having sufficient evidence of a permanent common interest with,…

On this day 250 years ago in Virginia, Lord Dunmore’s fleet of 100 vessels, primarily small boats carrying Loyalists and escaped slaves but also including the HMS Fowey, HMS Otter, HMS Dunmore and HMS Roebuck, and British soldiers and marines and the “Ethiopian Regiment” of escaped slaves and Loyalist soldiers enlisted by Dunmore, sailed from…

On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Committee of Inspection and Observation of the City of Philadelphia submitted an “address” to the Continental Congress responding to the “Remonstrance” that the Pennsylvania Assembly had submitted to Congress the previous day. The Assembly was requesting the Congress to ignore the Committee’s demand that the Assembly…