1776

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Years:
1773 1774 1775 - 1776 - 1777 1778 1779

Decades:
1740s 1750s 1760s - 1770s - 1780s 1790s 1800s

Centuries:
17th century - 18th century - 19th century

1776 in topic:
Arts
Architecture - Literature - Music
Other topics
Canada - Science

Lists of leaders:
Colonial governors - State leaders

From Categories:
births - deaths

This article is about the year 1776. For the musical, see 1776 (musical)

1776 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar).

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Events

January 10 - Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
March 17 - American Revolutionary War: British forces evacuate Boston, Massachusetts after George Washington places artillery overlooking the city.
March 28 - Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.
May 1 - Former Jesuit Adam Weishaupt founds the Bavarian Illuminati (Order of the Illuminati) in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.
May 6 - Battle of Prague Prussian king Frederick the Great triumphs over Austrian army.
June 7 - Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.
June 8 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trois-Rivières - American invaders are driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
June 12 - Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason adopted by the Virginia Convention of Delegates.
June 15 - Delaware Separation Day - The Delaware General Assembly votes to suspend government under the British Crown.
June 17 - Lt. Jose Joaquin Moraga leads a band of colonists from Monterey Presidio, landing on June 29 and constructing the Mission Dolores of the new Presidio of San Francisco.
July 2 - The final (despite minor revisions) U.S. Declaration of Independence is written.
July 4 - American Revolutionary War: United States Declaration of Independence.
July 8 - The U.S. declaration of Independence is signed.
July 9 - An angry mob in New York City topples the equestrian statue of George III in Bowling Green.
July 12 Captain James Cook sets off from Plymouth England on his third, and fatal, expedition to the Pacific Ocean.
August 15 - First Hessian troops land on Staten Island to join British forces
August 27 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Long Island - Washington's troops routed in Brooklyn by British under William Howe.
September - First running of the St. Leger Stakes horse race in England.
September 6 - Hurricane hits Guadeloupe, killing more than 6000.
September 7 - World's first submarine attack. American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship HMS Eagle in New York Harbor.
September 11 - American Revolutionary War: abortive peace conference between British and Americans on Staten Island.
September 15 - American Revolutionary War: British land on Manhattan at Kip's Bay.
September 16 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Harlem Heights
September 22 - American Revolutionary War: Nathan Hale executed in New York City for espionage.
October 7 - Crown Prince Paul of Russia marries Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg.
October 9 - Father Francisco Palou founds Mission San Francisco de Asis in what is now San Francisco, California.
October 11 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Valcour Island - On Lake Champlain near Valcour Island, a British fleet led by Sir Guy Carleton defeats 15 American gunboats commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. Although nearly all of Arnold's ships are destroyed, the two day-long battle will give Patriot forces enough time to prepare defenses of New York City.
October 28 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of White Plains - British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the Americans.
November 16 - American Revolutionary War: Hessian mercenaries under Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen capture Fort Washington from the American Continentals.
December 5 - The Phi Beta Kappa society is organized at the College of William and Mary.
December 23 - Thomas Paine, living with Washington's troops begins publishing The American Crisis, containing the stirring phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls."
December 25 - American Revolutionary War: Gen. George Washington orders the first issue of The Crisis read to his troops on Christmas Eve, then at 6 PM all 2600 of them march to McKonkey's Ferry, cross the Delaware River and land on the Jersey bank at 3 AM.
December 26 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trenton - Washington's troops surprise the 1500 Hessian troops under the command of Col. Johan Rall at 8 AM outside Trenton and score a victory, taking 1000 prisoners while suffering only 6 wounded.