On This Day In The Revolution

On this day 250 years ago, in Philadelphia, the President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock informed Colo. Washington that the Congress had yesterday, Unanimously made choice of him to be General & Commander in Chief of the American Forces, and requested he would accept of that Appointment; whereupon Colo. Washington, standing in his place,…

On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress resolved that a General be appointed to command all the continental forces, raised, or to be raised, for the defence of American liberty. Delegate Thomas Johnson of Maryland nominated George Washington as the Commanding General and he was unanimously elected. Source: “[Diary entry: 15…

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On this day 250 years ago the Continental Congress resolved That six companies of expert riflemen, be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia; that each company consist of a captain, three lieutenants, four serjeants, four corporals, a drummer or trumpeter, and sixty-eight privates. That each company, as soon as completed,…

On this day 250 years ago in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Patriot militia surrounded Governor John Wentworth’s house to demand the arrest of Loyalist John Fenton, who was dining with Wentworth and his family. When the militia brought up a cannon, Wentworth surrendered Fenton. That night, Wentworth, his wife, and their young son fled their home…

On this day 250 years ago, in the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War, about 50 Americans led by Captains Jeremiah O’Brien and Benjamin Foster in the Unity and the Falmouth Packet captured the HMS Margaretta off Machias, Maine. The British lost three killed, including their commander Midshipman James Moore, who was fatally wounded, with…

On this day 250 years ago in Machias, Maine (then part of Massachusetts), Loyalist Ichabod Jones, Midshipman James Moore, commander of the HMS Margaretta, and some of his officers are attending services when the Sons of Liberty of Machias approached the church with plans to arrest them. Jones and Moore escaped from the church but…

On this day 250 years ago in Williamsburg, the Virginia House of Burgesses unanimously adopted Resolutions on Lord North’s Conciliatory Proposal. The Resolutions had been drafted by Thomas Jefferson and included the following arguments against British rule: the British Parliament has no right to intermeddle with the support of civil government in the Colonies. For…

On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress RESOLVED, That no Obedience being due to the Act of Parliament for altering the Charter of the Colony of Massachusetts-Bay, nor to a Governor or Lieutenant Governor, who will not observe the Directions of, but endeavour to subvert, that Charter, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor…

On this day 250 years ago, in Williamsburg, Virginia’s last Royal Governor, Lord Dunmore, with his family fled the Governor’s Palace to the safety of the HMS Fowey in the York River. With his departure from Williamsburg, government of Virginia was entirely under the command of the Virginia Convention except where and when British soldiers were ashore.…