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On this day 250 years ago in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, 300 militia commanded by Col. Richard Barnes guarded the shore opposite St. Georges Island. The previous day the militia had captured a small British boat with five crewmen and learned that the British fleet commanded by Royal Governor Dunmore of Virginia and Royal Governor…
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On this day 250 years ago in New York, the HMS Phoenix with 40 guns and HMS Rose with 20 guns sailed up the Hudson River to Tarrytown firing at the Continental Army’s batteries on Manhattan along their way. Six American artillerymen lost their lives in the cannonade, although most of the American losses were…
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On this day 250 years ago off Gwynn’s Island, Virginia, Governor Dunmore’s fleet weighed anchor and sailed out into the Chesapeake Bay. The British fleet which had numbered more than 100 ships, was reduced to 96 ships because of damage from Patriot cannon fire and lack of experienced seamen, but the Virginians were able to…
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On this day 250 years ago the Virginia Continental Army and Militia forces under the command of Brig. Gen. Andrew Lewis occupied Gwynn’s Island, Virginia. They first drove off the remaining British ships guarding the island with artillery, and took canoes to capture the damaged sloop Lady Charlotte, its longboat and a pilot boat and…
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On this day 250 years ago at White Plains, the Fourth Provincial Congress of New York convened and declared the State of New York independent. On the same day on the Commons in New York City, the Declaration of Independence was read by George Washington to the Continental Army and local citizens. The crowd then proceeded to the…
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On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence to a crowd in the State House Yard (now known as Independence Square) in the first public reading of the Declaration. After the reading the crowd shouted “God bless the free states of North America!” three times and then…
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On this day 250 years ago in Virginia, the HMS Fowey and HMS Fincastle returned from the Eastern Shore with provisions and 100 Loyalist recruits for Governor Dunmore’s sick and dwindling army on Gwynn’s Island. Upon learning that Dunmore had been reinforced, Virginia Gen. Andrew Lewis decided to march his men from Williamsburg to assault…
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On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence was published in the Pennsylvania Evening Post. On this day 250 years ago in Annapolis, the Maryland Convention issued this resolution declaring independence from Great Britain: We the delegates of Maryland, in convention assembled, do declare, that the king of Great Britain has…
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On this day 250 years ago in Philadelphia, Irish immigrant John Dunlap completed printing of the first 200 or so copies of the Declaration of Independence. These first copies were in the form of a broadside — essentially a poster to be tacked or pasted onto a wall for the public to read. These initial…
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As almost all Americans know, on this day 250 years ago at what is now called Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. I have been thinking about the Declaration all day today, as well as in the past few days, and over the past year. I want to use…
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On This Day In The Revolution 