1

Timeline of America 1774-July 1776

Year Date Event Explanation 1774-1775

January 1774- April 1775

Novangulus In the Boston Gazette, John Adams’ pseudonym wrote twelve essays about independence, in one he wrote ‘America is not any part of the British realm or dominions’.

1774 March Tea on the Nancy Following in the footsteps of the Bostonians, New Yorkers found East India Company tea on board the Nancy and intended to disembark the product into the harbour. Whilst a party of ‘Mohawk Indians’ prepared themselves, the main crowd surged on the ship and disposed of the tea.

1774 March-June 1. March

31st

2. 20th May

3. 20th May

4. 2nd June

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts

In order to punish the Americans for the Boston Tea Party of December 16th 1773, Parliament produced four acts:

1. Boston Port Act –closed Boston to all trade until the destroyed tea had been paid for. Many merchants wanted to pay for the tea and disband the Boston Committee of Correspondence, which served to organize anti-British protests. A town meeting called to discuss the matter voted them down by a substantial margin.

2. Massachusetts Government Act- Allowed the royal governor to

appoint and remove most civil officials. Town meetings couldn’t be held without his permission.

3. The Impartial Administration of Justice Act-provided that British

officials accused of capital crimes in the carrying out of duties such as suppressing riots or collecting taxes in Massachusetts could avoid the hostile local juries. The governor, at this time General Thomas Gage, was authorized to decide that such cases be heard in England.

4. Quartering Act-designed to restore imperial control over the

American colonies. While several of the acts dealt specifically with the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the new Quartering Act applied to all of the colonies. In the previous act, the colonies had been required to provide housing for soldiers, but the colonies had been uncooperative in doing so. The second Quartering Act similarly allowed a governor to house soldiers in other buildings if suitable quarters were not provided.

1774 26th May Dissolving of the House of Burgesses

Royal governors had instructions to dissolve any assembly that appeared ready to denounce the actions of the British Parliament. Undeterred, the Virginian House of Burgesses published, on the 24th of May, a document to denounce the Coercive Acts. Governor, Lord Dunmore dissolved the house two days later. On the 27th of May, 89 of the 103 Burgesses met at the Raleigh Tavern in the capital, Williamsburg. Here they proceeded to adopt a non-importation agreement and pledged to not consume the EIC tea and denounced the Boston Port Act. They said “an attack, made on one of our sister colonies, to compel submission to arbitrary taxes, is an attack on all of British America and threatens the ruin of all.” Here, the idea of a First Continental Congress was formed.

1774 5th June Solemn League and Covenant

Following the Boston Town Meeting in May, the Boston Committee of Correspondence drafted the Solemn League and Covenant to commit itself to a boycott of British trade. Many communities endorsed the document but not all merchants were convinced as:

2

1. A trade boycott would harm America a lot more than Britain, which had many alternative trade routes.

2. Previous non-importation agreements had shown that boycotts

were difficult to enforce and that many merchants would still make much money during this time, trading with Britain, whilst other merchants had been stopped.

1774 22nd June Quebec Act Often seen to be another of the Intolerable Acts, the Quebec Act further

infuriated the colonies for a few reasons: 1. The act put in place a governor in Canada that could rule without

an elected body behind him, and the Americans feared that this would happen to them too.

2. The Quebec Act extended the territory of Canada south, into the

areas that the Americans had been forbidden from entering with the Royal Proclamation of 1763, such as Ohio Valley.

1774 Jefferson’s

Pamphlet In 1774, Thomas Jefferson published a pamphlet, ‘A Summary View of the Rights of British America’. In his opinion, Parliament had no right to exercise authority over Americans. 160,000 voters in Britain, all upper class, would govern the lives of Americans. Jefferson writes ‘every individual of whom is equal to every individual of them’.

1774 5th September- 26th October

First Continental Congress

In Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia, 56 Delegates from all of the colonies except Georgia met to discuss the situation and to provide a uniform colonial view. John Adams thought the Congress was almost equally divided between radicals who were pro-separation and moderates who favoured the union. On September 17th, Congress endorsed the Suffolk Resolves and declared the Coercive Acts null and void and called on Massachusetts to arm for defence. Congress also called for non-importation of all British goods, starting on December 1st. A ban on exports to Britain would begin in September 1775 allowing planters to sell their current crop. To promote a trade embargo, Congress called on colonists everywhere to form a Continental Association so that non-importation would be a united effort rather than merely local initiatives. On October 14th, Congress agreed on a Declaration of Rights and Grievances. While acknowledging allegiance to the Crown, the declaration denied that the colonies were subject to Parliament’s authority. Whilst accepting that Parliament could regulate trade for the good of the whole empire, Congress declared that it could not raise revenue of any kind from the colonists without their consent. It also proclaimed that it is the right of each colony to determine the need for troops within its own province. Although the Congress had no coercive or legislative authority, it provided a useful unifying purpose. When it came to an end on the 26th of October, another Congress was called for May 1775.

1774 Late Committees of Inspection

Established in late 1774, Committees of Inspection (or Committees of Safety) were established, some of these organised by the old colonial elites and others by poorer men. These committees had a mandate to enforce the boycott. But many went much further than this, acting in place of the non-operational, redundant local government. These committees had considerable powers. Functioning as courts, they also investigated and punished those who broke the Continental Association’s rules. By the spring of 1775, some 7000 colonists either served on the committees or in the courts.

3

1774 Late Massachusetts By late 1774, authority in Massachusetts had completely broken down. In

outlying areas, officials still loyal to Britain were terrorised by mob action and forced out of office. Outside Boston, effective authority lay with the Provincial Congress and a host of committees. As well as stopping trade with Britain, these bodies took on themselves the organisation of military resources. Across Massachusetts, militia began to prepare for war. General Gage found that his authority extended only as far as his troops could march. Effectively trapped in Boston where his troops were few, all Gage could do was ask Parliament to send 20,000 extra soldiers. He was all for teaching the rebels a forceful, bloody lesson but lacked the force to do so.

1775 Colonial Newspapers

By 1775, there were 42 colonial newspapers in circulation, much of them in New England. All but a couple had a radical emphasis. Many of them even openly discussed the idea of independence.

1775 February Failed Bill of Chatham, colonial hero, and Burke

In February of 1775, Chatham’s proposed bill to repeal the Coercive Acts was defeated in the Commons- 61 to 32. Burke’s proposed bill to repeal all legislation offensive to British America was also defeated- 270 to 78.

1775 February Massachusetts Massachusetts, now run by the mobs and Sons of Liberty, was now declared to be in a state of rebellion.

1775 March-April Limitations on Colonies’ Trade

In March, New England’s trade was limited with Britain and the British West Indies, extended to most colonies of the continent in April.

1775 14th April Gage Gets the Go-Ahead

In March, Gage receives the letter from Dartmouth warranting the arrest of ‘the principal actors and abettors’.

1775 18th April-19th April

Lexington and Concord

Gage received no help from Britain and, until Dartmouth’s letter on April 14th, no instructions from Parliament, and therefore remained relatively idle; trapped. Gage had been relatively patient considering the constant provocations from the mobs. Now with instruction, he was ready to act. On the evening of the 18th, Gage sent 700 troops from Boston, led by Colonel Smith on a 16 mile trip to Concord. The aim of the trip was to seize rebel arms and arrest the leaders of the Provincial Congress. Informed by Paul Revere, Dr Prescott and William Dawes (all members of the Committee of Safety for the colony), the Massachusetts militia were prepared. On the 19th of April, 70 minutemen barred the path of Smith’s troops at Lexington. Here, a firefight, although it is unknown who begun this, ensued. Eight minutemen were killed, they then fled. The British continued on to Concord where they encountered a larger militia and a larger firefight occurred. About 1000 militiamen and minutemen were said to have died over the two days. The troops destroyed military stores but failed to arrest the provincial leaders, but regardless, Smith and his troops turned back for Boston. As the road was lined with stone walls and thick woods, civilians and militia alike could throw stones and other projectiles from cover and then flee the scene. Smith’s troops might’ve had to surrender had it not been for the relief force of Lord Percy, 1900 strong. The British retreated further, followed all the way by American snipers. By the time they had reached Boston, there had been 273 casualties with Americans’ death count at 92. Within a week, 20,000 New England militiamen plagued Boston.

4

1775 April-May Results of Lexington and Concord

The events of April transformed the political dispute between the colonies and the mother country into a militant skirmish. New York backed Massachusetts and Pennsylvania voted to raise 4,300 men to arms. Militiamen had, under Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, seized Fort Ticonderoga on the 10th of May. Crown Point which had been garrisoned by only nine men, fell on the 12th.

1775 10th May- 1st March/June (debated)

Second Continental Congress

Again meeting in Philadelphia, the second Congress faced very different problems. 65 delegates attended with men from all thirteen colonies. Fifty of the delegates had been at the first, giving continuity. Newcomers, including Franklin and Jefferson, stood at 15. The Congress had little choice but to take charge of the war’s conduct, assuming responsibility for the army around Boston and placing a quota on each colony so as to raise a Continental Army of 20,000. In the middle of June, Congress voted to issue $2,000,000 in paper money to finance the army.

1775 June Washington Appointed

During the Congress, George Washington was appointed as leader of the First Continental Army. Standing at 6’3, he had worn his militia colonel uniform to all of Congress’ meetings so as to remind his peers of his role in the Seven Years’ War. Placing a southerner (Virginian) in charge of a predominantly New England army promoted unity.

1775 17th June Bunker Hill In May, British generals Howe, Clinton and Burgoyne arrived in Boston with a few thousand reinforcements. Gage now had 6500 men. On June 17th Americans looked set to conquer Bunker Hill. When a rebel force of 1500 occupied the neighbouring Breed’s Hill by mistake, Howe launched an offense on the rebels. He removed the Americans but lost over 1000 men, leaving him with just under 1500. American casualties were under 500.

1775 6th July Reconciliation Attempts

In July, Congress adopted a Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking up Arms. While asserting that Americans would rather die than be enslaved, it denied any intention of ‘separating from great Britain and establishing independent states’. The Olive Branch petition of July 8th begged George III to stop hostile measures towards the colonies. Disinterested by the fact that Congress was an illegal body, George refused and on August 23rd called on all his subjects to suppress the rebellion.

1775-1776

Mid-Late 1775- Early 1776

War in the South With 500 Loyalists, Lord Dunmore and the assistance of several warships launched raids on Virginian coastal towns. In November he issued a proclamation to promise freedom to any slaves that would aid the British and flee their owners. This solidified support for the rebels from wealthy owners in the southern colonies. In late 1775, intel from royal governors suggested that co-ordinated operations by loyalists and the, albeit scarce, British forces could put an end to the rebellions in the Carolinas and Georgia. North Carolina was selected as the starting point. The settlers of the Backcountry, many of whom had been supporting a movement for taxing to regulate trade, resented the Tidewater’s elite. They were ready to support Britain. However, Carolinian loyalists acted too rash and were defeated in February of 1776 at Moores Creek. General Clinton with his 1500 troops didn’t sail south from Boston until February but found little support along the coast of North Carolina. Clinton failed in his attempt to take Charleston, South Carolina and returned North.

5

1775-1776

Second Congress-Spring 1776

Invasion of Canada

In 1775, Congress decided to invade Canada. Their hope was that the French would join the rebellion. Richard Montgomery and his 1200 men advanced up the Champlain waterway whilst a second force, under Benedict Arnold marched through Maine. They intended to meet in Quebec. Although wasting time with the siege of Fort John, Montgomery captured Montreal, defended by only 150 men, on November 13th. In December, Montgomery would join Arnold who had been there a few weeks with 700 hungry, ill men. Most troops’ contracts expired at the end of the year so an attack on Quebec had to be made. General Carleton, British commander, had 1800 men- French Canadians, seamen and British marines with about 100 regular foot soldiers- to defend Quebec. The Americans’ assault made in a snowstorm on New Years’ Eve had failed. Montgomery was killed and Arnold severely wounded. The Americans, for the following few weeks had suffered from smallpox and from a lack of supplies. British reinforcements in Spring ended their siege and even Montreal was evacuated by the Americans who fled the atrocities of Canada.

1775-1776

Boston Washington was eager to attack Boston but was stopped by politicians who feared the destruction of the town. Additionally, he had been disheartened by the strength of the British defences, his army’s shortage of munitions and the fact that many of his men had left to be with their families. His army, in winter, would suffer from dysentery, typhus and typhoid fever, dwindling their numbers to much less than 9,000. The British army, besieged in Boston, 9,000 strong, however were instructed by Howe to remain inside the town. This would benefit the Americans as they could focus particularly more on their ailments than on combat. Historian Jeremy Black stated in 1991, “it’s not difficult… to feel that opportunities were missed and that the British failed to make adequate use of their sea power.” The Americans, thus, had time to consolidate their holdings elsewhere.

1776 Early Boston’s Evacuation

By early 1776, Washington had overcome some of his difficulties around Boston. Thanks to Henry Knox’s efforts, artillery from Ticonderoga was transported to Boston, 300 miles away, arriving in February. On March 4th, 17,000 rebels captured Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston. This made the British position weak. On March 17th, Howe’s army, accompanied by 1000 loyalists, began to evacuate Boston. They sailed to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada; Britain’s main naval base.

1776 9th January Common Sense Published on the 9th of January 1776, Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ was a pamphlet in which Paine put forward his argument of American independence. Originally published anonymously, ‘Common Sense’ backed independence for the American colonies from Britain and is often considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. Credited with uniting citizens and politicians alike behind the idea of independence, ‘Common Sense’ played a significant role in transforming a colonial row into the American Revolution. At the time Paine wrote the pamphlet, many colonists had considered themselves to be distressed Britons. Paine, therefore, with his pamphlet, can be seen to have fundamentally changed the opinion of colonists’ in their argument with the crown when he wrote “Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America. This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of

6

Europe. Hither they have fled, not from the tender embraces of the mother, but from the cruelty of the monster; and it is so far true of England, that the same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still.” Paine’s main arguments were that:

1. It was absurd for an island to rule a continent.

2. America was not a "British nation"; but was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe.

3. Even if Britain were the "mother country" of America, that made

her actions all the more horrendous, for no mother would harm her children so brutally.

4. Being a part of Britain would drag America into unnecessary

European wars, and keep her from the international commerce at which America had previously excelled.

5. The distance between the two nations made governing the

colonies from England impossible. If something was to be petitioned to Parliament, from the colonies, it would take a year before they would receive a response.

6. The New World was discovered shortly before the Reformation.

The Puritans believed that God wanted to give them a safe haven from the persecution of British rule.

7. Britain ruled the colonies for her own benefit, and did not

consider the best interests of the colonists in governing Britain. There were at least two reasons why Paine's pamphlet is believed by historian George Wood to be "the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era". First, the average colonist was more educated than their European counterpart, so politicians in Europe believed the common man had no place in politics. Common Sense targeted a wide audience and was written in a direct and simple way, so Paine's ideas were made palpable; available to a common audience. This brought average colonists into political debate, which created a whole new political language. Those who had not been taught how to read could hear the words of Common Sense at public gatherings, so even they had been brought into this new world. Paine's fresh style of political writing avoided use of complex Latin phrases, as was the common way, and instead opted for a more concise style that helped make the information accessible to everyone who read or heard its ideas. The second reason involves the way the vast majority of colonists felt about the idea of independence from British rule. Before Common Sense was published, except for a few radical thinkers, the people of the American colonies were "on the fence" about independence. Individuals were in conflict with themselves, and there were those who leaned toward reconciliation with the British crown. The impact of Common Sense was to influence American colonists, both educated and uneducated, to come down from their fences and to feel they were part of a bigger picture, embracing independence from the monarchy.

7

1776 4th July Declaration of Independence

Relatively few American talked of independence until early 1776. Americans had long thought of themselves as British. Severing the emotional, political, intellectual and economic ties with Britain was no easy matter. By no means all Americans were convinced that their interests would be best served by independence:

A large minority remained loyal to Britain.

Others insisted they were loyal so as to get a gesture from Britain. However, by early 1776, all hopes of appeasement faded:

It was clear George III was bent on suppression.

Several months of fighting weakened the British-American relationship.

Southern support for the separation was strengthened when Dunmore, governor of Virginia, offered slaves their freedom.

In July of 1776, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, stated the American desire for independence. It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress and states the reasons the British colonies of North America sought independence in July of 1776. The declaration opens describing the declaration’s necessity in explaining why the colonies have overthrown the mother country and have chosen to take their place as a separate nation. All men are created equal and there are certain unalienable rights that governments should never violate. These rights include the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. When a government fails to protect those rights, it is not only the right, but also the duty of the people to overthrow that government. In its place, the people should establish a government that is designed to protect those rights. Governments are rarely overthrown, and should not be overthrown for trivial reasons. In this case, a long history of abuses has led the colonists to overthrow a tyrannical government. The King of Great Britain, George III, was said to be guilty of 27 specific abuses. The King interfered with the colonists' right to self -government and for a fair judicial system. Acting with Parliament, the King also instituted legislation that affected the colonies without their consent. This legislation levied taxes on the colonists. It also required them to quarter British soldiers, removed their right to trial by jury, and prevented them from trading freely. Additionally, the King and Parliament are guilty of outright destruction of American life and property by their refusal to protect the colonies' borders, their confiscation of American ships at sea, and their intent to hire foreign mercenaries to fight against the colonists. The colonial governments tried to reach a peaceful reconciliation of these differences with Great Britain, but were continually ignored. The new nation would be called the United States of America and would have no further connections with Great Britain. The new government would reserve the right to levy war, make peace, make alliances with foreign nations, conduct trade, and do anything that over sovereign nations do.