1776: The World Changes
1776 -
Revolution Begins
January - Thomas Paine publishes
Common Sense, which spreads across the Atlantic colonies, Quebec, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia. French translations are wildly popular.
-3: People in Quebec and Montreal vote to send representatives to the Continental Congress. Valentin Jautard and Fleury Mesplet are elected to Congress.
-7: Quebec drafts a state constitution, with Governor Pierre de Sales Laterrière as the first governor. The Patriot government would retreat to Montreal later this year, but return again to Quebec soon after.
-14; "The reflection upon my situation and that of this army produces many an uneasy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep. Few people know the predicament we are in." - General Washington.
February - Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge (NC) - Loyalists charge across a bridge to fight what they believe to be a group of rebels, killing several Loyalist leaders, and effectively ending British authority in the town
March - Americans fortify and capture Dorchester Heights, securing the Port of Boston, forcing the British out of Boston by the end of the month.
-25: Battle of Saint-Pierre: Americans under John Dubois, along with Clément Gosselin an Pierre Ayotte, raised 200 men, along with 80 other Americans to face the British under Michel Blais and Ignace Aubert de Gaspé Seigneur Couillard. Louis Liénard de Beaujeu had warned the British they were coming, but the Americans were victorious against the 46-man Loyalist forces. Beaujeu was taken to prison in Montreal, the rest to Quebec.
April - NC drafts the Halifax Resolves;
April 17 - General Schuyler marches to Toronto and captures the city.
May - 4; Rhode Island renounces allegiance to King George III
June -
-7: Richard Henry Lee proposes a Declaration of Independence
-8: Battle of Trois-Rivières - Generals Arnold, Sullivan fight against the 9th, 20th, 53rd, 60th Foot under General Burgoyne, along with Royal Navy (led by Hessian Baron Riedesel) and several Hessian squadrons, losing to the British. Once in Montreal, General Arnold is left in charge by Sullivan, who leaves to fight another battle elsewhere. Arnold must soon abandon Montreal, and in leaving, tries to burn the city, but suffers many casualties.
July -
-2: final copy of the Declaration of Independence written and adopted. General Washington is quoted as saying: "The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army."
-4: United States officially declare independence from the British Empire. Fifteen colonies unite in signing the declaration on this day. Some flags adopted around that time carried between thirteen and sixteen stripes for each colony, and up to sixteen stars in a circle. [GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, CT, RI, PA, NY, NH, MA, NJ, QU, NS] According to legend, thirteen colonies' representatives signed it first, with Nova Scotia, Georgia, and Rhode Island holding out, leading to the eventual thirteen stripes on the flag, but this was never proven. Others insist the thirteen stripes represent the thirteen virtues of the Patriots' cause.
August -
-Battle of New York / Staaten Island - Gen. Washington routed to Brooklyn Heights by William Howe.
-Two Continentals flying British colors fox the HMS Nautilus and manage to sink her. The two ships are joined days after by the USS Randolph, which brings much needed food to the distant island, swaying the tiny island population to the Patriots' cause. John Paul Jones doesn't quite manage to make this island a 'Nest of Hornets' for the British, but American ships are able to use this as a way to bring in much needed supplies to the southern colonies. Loyalists on the island had even asked for 70 to 80 Chelsea pensioners to aid them, but the British had no one to spare. The island fell without much effort, and staying in Patriot hands.
September -
-
Battle of Haarlem Heights - British and American forces clash, and while retreating, the British call a fox bugle, insulting the Americans, and galvanizing their resolve to continue fighting. Among the dead was Yves Le Ny, a colonist from Montreal who had heard about General Washington from revolutionary pamphlets.
-
Nathan Hale executed by British for espionage.
October -
-
Battle of Valcour Island: Americans under Benedict Arnold, and British under Thomas Pringle, James Dacre, Edward Pellow, and John Shank fight near Lake Champlain; General Arnold's fleet is destroyed, but he gives enough time to prepare defenses for New York city.
-
Battle of White Plains: General Howe faces General Washington on Manhatten Island. Though he had the chance to capture him, Howe allows General Washington to escape.
November -
-Hessians capture Fort Washington
-Prussian military sends Friedrich Willhelm von Steuben (says he) to assist the rebels in America.
December -
-Marquis de Lafayette attempts to join American army, along with Wilhelm von Preußen
-NC reorganizes as a State
-Battle of Trenton - Washington surprises the Hessians and defeats them early in the morning.
-With assistance from Maine and Quebec, Acadian, Mi'kmaq, and Maliseet Indians, Jonathan Eddy, a Colonel in the Continental Army, led a force of 800 men to capture Fort Cumberland. Though General Washington had said for him not to expect much support militarily from his troops, already stretched, other Quebecois aided Eddy, as well as Uniacke. Uniacke becomes a congressional delegate to the Continental Congress after this year to replace another Nova Scotian who fell ill.
-The Battle of Fort Cumberland resulted in an American victory led by Col. Eddy, who forced the surrender of Joseph Goreham by December 23rd. This victory is the turning point in Nova Scotia, with momentum building by Eddy.
1777
January
-3: General Washington wins the Battle of Princeton, and winters at Morristown, NJ.
February
General du Calvet and his troops are forced out of Quebec City by Gen. Burgoyne when he reaches the city with a force of 8100 men. They retreat to Montreal.
March
The Continental Congress returns to Philadelphia from Baltimore after Washington's successes in NJ. General Washington and General du Calvet begin sending correspondence to coordinate operations.
April
American troops under Benedict Arnold defeat the British at Ridgefield, Connecticut. He is not made aware of the correspondence between Washington and du Calvet, which later angers the General.
June
-Flag Resolution of 1777 passed, mandating 15 stars (separating Canada and Nova Scotia, adding Georgia) and 13 stripes (the 12 Atlantic colonies and Canada made 13 in the resolution).
-British forces under Gen. Burgoyne, 7700 strong, plans to link up with General Howe, coming north from New York City, cutting off New England from the rest of the colonies.
-13: Charles and Francis Morgan of SC attacked with their two armed brigs the
HMS Ana, preventing the retaking of Bermuda. They captured the harbor fort of Bermuda, captured the sloop
Ana, and used it as a defense and piracy ship for the island.
-22:
Battle of Ste. Anne's Point: Colonel Eddy captures Fredericton from the British forces there, capturing 250 soldiers.
July
-British forces under Gen. Burgoyne, 7700 strong, invade from Canada, leaving only a small garrison in Quebec. His troops capture Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. The supplies are greatly needed by Washington, and its capture is a huge blow to American morale.
-23: British Gen Howe, with 15,000 men, sails from New York for Chesapeake Bay to capture Philadelphia, instead of sailing north to meet up with Gen. Burgoyne.
-Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-yr-old French aristocrat, arrives in Philadelphia and volunteers to serve without pay. He is appointed Maj. Gen. by the Congress. He will come to be one of Gen. Washington's most trusted aides.
-
Battle of Quebec: General du Calvet retakes Quebec City, using information from his spies in Quebec, arresting and detaining the remaining British soldiers. He takes the troops to the St. Lawrence, places them on ships and sends them back to England after swearing not to serve again in the war against America. While his troops favored shooting the officers and arresting the soldiers, du Calvet and Washington had an understanding about treatment of the British. Pierre du Calvet was not a military man before the war, rather, he volunteered and quickly aided the American cause, leading to his field commission of general. Luckily for the Americans, his knowledge of the terrain and people proved invaluable during the course of the northern war efforts. François Baby aided the American cause by supplying troops with much needed clothing and food while in Quebec.
August
-Americans under militia general Nicholas Herkimer defeat the British under St. Leger at Fort Stanwix, in the Mohawk Valley in Oriskany, NY. His horse was shot out from under him, and he was thrown clear, coming out with mild injuries. He continued giving orders propped against a tree to avoid retreat by his troops. Brigade surgeon William Petrie later dressed his wounds while he lit his pipe. Death missed the General by an inch, and the Congress would later ask him to entreat Prussia to join their cause.
-Gen. Burgoyne reaches the Hudson after spending a tough month crossing 23 miles of wilderness separating the tip of Lake Champlain from the northern tip of the Hudson.
-At the
Battle of Bennington, Vermont militiamen, aided by Massachusetts troops and led by Gen. Stark, wipe out an 800-strong detachment of Hessians sent to seize horses by Gen. Burgoyne.
-British Gen. Howe disembarks Chesapeake Bay with his troops.
September
-The British win the Battle of Brandywine, PA, driving back General Washington and his 10,500-man army towards Philadelphia. Congress resettles at Lancaster, PA. Both sides suffer heavy losses.
-British forces under Gen. Howe occupy Philadelphia, and Congress relocates to York, PA.
-Battle of the Clouds is rained out.
-12:
Battle of Parrtown : Colonel Eddy and a force of 2000 defeat the British at Parrtown (OTL Saint John), Nova Scotia, while suffering a loss of 340.
-14: Nova Scotian patriots draft a state constitution under the eager assistance of Jonathan Eddy, with aid from Sam Adams, modelling it on the Virginia constitution. Britain saw his constitution with dubious legality, but was nonetheless recognized by the Continental Congress when he showed the signatures and an official copy. Mariot Abuthnot, also claiming authority for the Royal Colony of Nova Scotia, refused to accept the document. Jonathan Eddy garnered support from a number of rural Nova Scotians in OTL New Brunswick, and from OTL Maine. Among the supporters included Zebulan Rowe, and William Howe (no relation to the British general). In the state's constitutional delegation, they elect William Howe as Continental Governor, and supporters from the OTL New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to a colonial legislature to help provision supplies for Nova Scotia. Patriots from Maine, New Hampshire, and Quebec brought what supplies they could to aid their fellow Americans. Sam Adams did manage to send some siege cannons to Eddy, enabling his seizure of Fort Cumberland in December.
-19:
Battle of Saratoga: British and American forces fight at Freeman's Farm; the fighting continues on and off through the day, but once night falls, the Americans slip away, leaving the British on the field.
-21: Paoli Massacre in Philadelphia. Patriot propaganda increases the actual report of British actions, spreading to British islands in the Caribbean.
-British occupy Philadelphia
October
-Americans are driven off at the Battle of Germantown
-Gen Burgoyne loses the second battle of Freeman's Farm, NY
-
Battle of Saratoga: first major American Victory of the Revolutionary War, when Gen. Horatio Gates and Gen. Benedict Arnold defeat British Gen. Burgoyne, inflicting 600 British casualties to the 150 American casualties.
Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga
-17: Gen. Burgoyne and his 5700 man army surrender to Americans led by Gen. Gates. The British are placed on ships and sent back to England after swearing not to serve again in the war against America. News of the American victory at Saratoga soon reaches Europe, boosting support of the American cause. Prussian support increases as a result of Nicholas Herkimer's efforts with Frederich II. In Paris, the American victory is treated and celebrated as if it were a French victory. Ben Franklin is received by the French Royal Court. France then recognizes the independence of America.
-Jamaican slaves impressed into Georgia, South, and North Carolina to assist British. Many escape, even though they are promised freedom for service to the crown.
-Hessian attack at Fort Mercer, NJ repulsed
-30: Prussia recognizes the independence of America.
November
-15: Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation as the government of the new United States of America, pending ratification by the sixteen states individually. Under the Articles, the Congress is the sole authority of the new federal (not national) government.
-British capture Fort Mifflin, PA
-17:
Battle of Moncton: Colonel Eddy and General du Calvet, along with New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts militiamen and a detachment of 50 Prussian troops, capture Moncton from the British, with the aid of one of the Deutsch inhabitants of the town. Eddy and du Calvet winter at Moncton.
December
-Americans push back the British at Whitemarsh, PA.
-Continental Army sets up winter quarters at Valley Forge, PA.
-17: Nova Scotia signs the Articles of Confederation, with Moses Delesdernier, Richard John Uniacke, and Thomas Henry Barclay as their Congressional delegation.
1778
January
-27: The USS Providence, under John Paul Jones, captures
Fort Nassau for the Americans, releases 30 American prisoners, spiked the guns of the fort at Nassau, and took military stores including 1,600 pounds of powder. Five ships and a 16-gun British ship were captured, remanned, and used to further aid the rebel cause. British loyalists were jailed or taken prisoner on the other ships as they sailed to the mainland. Slaves who fought for the Americans were promised their freedom.
February-American and French representatives sign two treaties in Paris - a Treaty of Amity and Commerce and a Treaty of Alliance. With these treaties, France recognizes the US officially and will soon become one of two major suppliers of military supplies to Washington's Army. Both countries pledge to continue to fight until American independence is won, with neither country concluding a truce with Britain without the consent of the other, and guarantee each other's possessions in America against all other powers. The US guarantees French language rights of Quebecois in their treaty with the French. These treaties bring the American struggle for independence into a world war, with France declaring war on Britain after British ships fire on them, and Spain entering in 1779 as an ally of France. By 1779, Britain will declare war on the Dutch and Prussians, who have been engaging in profitable trade with the French and Americans. In all, the British will have to fight in the Americas, Mediterranean, Africa, India, and the West Indies, all the while facing dangers on the high sees and possible invasion of England itself by the French.
-21: Baron von Steuben of Prussia arrives at Valley Forge to join the Continentals. He begins much needed training and drilling of Washington's troops, now suffering poor morale due to the cold, hunger, disease, scarce supplies, and desertions over the harsh winter at Valley Forge. He is joined by his Italian greyhound, his young aide de camp Louis de Pontiere, his military secretary Pierre Etienne Duponceau, and four other companions. He instructs de Pontiere to request from the King of Prussia a detachment of troops to aid the colonials, who will arrive later this year.
Baron Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben
Baron von Steuben introduced a system of progressive training to the colonials, which began with the school of the soldier, with and without arms, then going through the school of the regiment. This corrected the previous policy of simply assigning personnel to regiments. Each company commander was made responsible for the training of new men, but actual instruction was done by selected sergeants, the best obtainable.
March
A Peace Commission is created by the British Parliament to negotiate with the Americans. The commission then travels to Philadelphia, where it offers granting all the Americans' demands, except independence. Congress rejects this offer; the Rubicon has been crossed, and there's no turning back.
-Fleury Mesplet's best friend, Joseph Barsalou, have been corresponding for over a year since Mesplet joined Congress, and the two founded the Montreal Gazette, the first French language newspaper in Quebec. It is influential in bringing more sentiment towards the Patriot cause, frustrating British efforts to hold the colony.
-1: Quebec signs the Articles of Confederation, represented by James Livingston and Frederick Haldimand
April
-Schuyler moves east after having settled Upper Canada to hold off British ships landing up the St. Lawrence, attempting to cut part of Quebec.
May
-Gen Howe replaced by British Gen. Henry Clinton.
-17: Jamaica joins the revolution, declaring independence from England. They adopt the Articles of Confederation, becoming a de facto 17th state.
-20:
Battle of Barren Hill, PA, with Americans led by Lafayette, and British by Gen. Howe. Lafayette engaged the British, and managed to slip away via a route unknown to the British.
-British incite Indians along the frontier, with 300 Iroquois burning Cobleskill, NY.
June
-British Gen. Clinton withdraws his troops from Philadelphia, fearing a French blockade, and marches across New Jersey to New York City. Americans the re-occupy Philadelphia. Gen. Washington sends troops to intercept Gen. Clinton from Valley Forge.
-28: Americans under Washington fight to a draw at the
Battle of Monmouth, NJ. General Lee failed to deliver proper orders to his troops, and after hours of fighting the British ordered a tactical retreat, which soon developed into a rout. Upon hearing that American Gen. Charles Lee had ordered a retreat, Gen. Washington becomes furious, relieves him of command, and rallies Lee's troops against the British. Included amongst the troops here are a force of 500 Prussians who recently arrived to aid the Americans. Gen . Clinton continues towards New York.
July
-Congress returns to Philadelphia
-British Loyalists and Indians massacre American settlers in the Wyoming Valley in northern Pennsylvania.
-American Major George Rogers Clark captures Kaskaskia, a French village south of St. Louis
-Washington sets up his headquarters at West Point, NY.
-France declares war on Britain [[?, with Austria agreeing to send token aid to the rebellion through the Austro-French marriage of Louis XVI.?]]
August
-French and American forces besiege Newport, RI. Bad weather and delays of land troops cause the siege to fail. The French fleet sails back to Boston for repairs of the weather damage.
September
-Ben Franklin appointed American diplomatic representative in France.
-Rudolf Schwarz appointed American diplomatic representative in Prussia.
November
-At Cherry Valley, NY, Loyalists and Indians massacre more than 40 American settlers. In Upper Canada, two more massacres occur.
December
-29: British occupy Savannah, GA, and capture Augusta a month later.