18th Century

First Continental Congress Convenes in Philadelphia

Tensions between Britain and its North American colonies had escalated after Parliament passed the Coercive Acts in response to the Boston Tea Party. Colonial leaders from twelve of the thirteen colonies gathered to coordinate resistance and petition for redress. On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress opened at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia with delegates including George Washington, John Adams, and Patrick Henry. The assembly quickly organized committees, endorsed the Suffolk Resolves, and adopted the Continental Association to enforce a boycott of British goods. Sessions continued until late October, establishing a framework for intercolonial cooperation that proved essential in the lead-up to independence.

1774

Continental Congress Adopts Trade Boycott Against Britain

In the autumn of 1774, delegates from twelve British North American colonies gathered in Philadelphia amid rising tensions over parliamentary taxes and the Intolerable Acts imposed after the Boston Tea Party. The First Continental Congress debated responses ranging from petitions to more assertive measures. On October 20, the delegates signed the Continental Association, a detailed agreement for non-importation, non-consumption, and non-exportation of British goods effective December 1. Committees of inspection in each colony were tasked with enforcing the boycott through public shaming and economic pressure. The pact unified colonial resistance without yet declaring independence, pressuring British merchants and Parliament while fostering inter-colonial cooperation.

British Parliament Declares Massachusetts in Rebellion

By early 1775, tensions between Britain and its American colonies had escalated sharply after the Intolerable Acts and colonial resistance in Boston. Parliament received reports detailing widespread defiance in New England, including unlawful combinations across colonies. On February 9, both houses addressed King George III, formally declaring that a rebellion existed in the Province of Massachusetts Bay and urging enforcement of parliamentary authority. This statement justified military action and permitted troops to respond forcefully to suspected rebels. The declaration intensified the crisis, paving the way for armed conflict just weeks later at Lexington and Concord.

Event Detail Free Speech Atlas

Patrick Henry Delivers Liberty or Death Speech

Tensions between the American colonies and Britain escalated over issues of taxation and governance without representation. At the Second Virginia Convention in Richmond, delegates debated responses to British policies including the Intolerable Acts. On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry rose to argue passionately against reconciliation, delivering his famous address concluding with the words 'give me liberty or give me death.' The speech rallied support for armed resistance among Virginia leaders. It helped shift colonial opinion toward independence, contributing to the momentum that led to the Revolutionary War later that year.

Civil Rights 18th Century North America

First American Abolition Society Founded in Philadelphia

By the mid-eighteenth century, Quaker communities in Pennsylvania had begun questioning the morality of slavery amid growing colonial debates over liberty and rights. On April 14, 1775, a group of largely Quaker Philadelphians, including Anthony Benezet, convened at the Rising Sun Tavern to establish the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage. The organization focused on legal aid, manumission support, and preventing the illegal enslavement of free Black people and Native Americans. It held initial meetings before the Revolutionary War interrupted activities, later reorganizing in 1784 as the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. This marked the first formal abolitionist group in what would become the United States.

Paul Revere and William Dawes Ride to Warn Colonists

Tensions between Britain and its American colonies had escalated after the Intolerable Acts and battles of words over taxation without representation. British forces in Boston planned a secret march to seize colonial military stores in Concord and arrest Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington. On the evening of April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere and fellow rider William Dawes departed Boston to alert the countryside. Revere crossed the Charles River and rode through Middlesex County, shouting warnings to minutemen. Joined later by Samuel Prescott, the riders spread the alarm effectively despite Revere's brief capture. Their efforts enabled colonial militia to mobilize, setting the stage for the Battles of Lexington and Concord the next day and igniting the...

Battles of Lexington and Concord Begin Revolution

Tensions between British colonial authorities and American patriots had escalated since the Intolerable Acts of 1774, with Massachusetts minutemen organizing to resist perceived overreach. On the night of April 18, British regulars under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith marched from Boston toward Concord to seize colonial military stores. At dawn on April 19, the column encountered about 70 militiamen on Lexington Green; an exchange of shots killed eight colonists and wounded one British soldier. The British continued to Concord, where they faced heavier resistance at the North Bridge before retreating under continuous fire from arriving militia companies along Battle Road. By day's end, British casualties reached 273 while American losses totaled 95, demonstrating the effectiveness of colonial irregular tactics.

Green Mountain Boys Seize Fort Ticonderoga

By early 1775, tensions between American colonists and British authorities had escalated into armed conflict following the battles at Lexington and Concord. Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys militia, joined by Benedict Arnold, targeted the lightly defended British fort at Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in New York. On May 10 they launched a surprise dawn attack that overwhelmed the small garrison without significant bloodshed. The capture yielded valuable artillery pieces later transported to Boston for use against British forces. The action boosted colonial morale and demonstrated the effectiveness of irregular militia forces early in the Revolutionary War.

John Adams Proposes Continental Army to Congress

Following the battles of Lexington and Concord, New England militias besieged British forces in Boston while the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to coordinate colonial response. On June 10, 1775, Massachusetts delegate John Adams urged Congress to assume responsibility for the troops, designating them a Continental Army under unified command. Adams advocated appointing a southerner, George Washington of Virginia, to lead, bridging regional divides. The proposal gained traction amid reports of Bunker Hill. Congress adopted the forces as the Continental Army days later and commissioned Washington on June 15.

Continental Congress Creates Continental Army

As tensions escalated after Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia addressed the need for a unified colonial defense force. On June 14, 1775, Congress authorized the enlistment of ten companies of expert riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year. This action formally established the Continental Army under George Washington’s later command. The move transformed scattered colonial militias into a coordinated national military effort during the Revolutionary War.

Continental Congress Names Washington Army Commander

In spring 1775, colonial militias had clashed with British troops at Lexington and Concord, prompting the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to organize a unified defense. Delegates sought a leader who could command respect across colonies, avoid regional favoritism, and bring military experience from the French and Indian War. On June 15, Congress unanimously appointed Virginia planter and former colonel George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Washington accepted the next day, traveling north to assume command outside Boston. The appointment transformed scattered provincial forces into a national army under civilian control, signaling colonial commitment to sustained resistance.

Battle of Bunker Hill Fought in American Revolution

By spring 1775, colonial forces had surrounded British troops in Boston following the battles at Lexington and Concord. American militia under Colonel William Prescott fortified Breed's Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula on the night of June 16 to threaten British positions. On June 17, British General William Howe landed over 2,000 troops and launched frontal assaults against the entrenched Americans. The colonists repelled the first two attacks with disciplined fire before ammunition shortages forced a retreat on the third assault, inflicting roughly 1,000 British casualties while suffering about 450 of their own. Though a tactical British victory, the battle demonstrated that colonial forces could stand against professional troops.

Continental Congress Adopts Olive Branch Petition

In 1775 the American colonies were locked in armed conflict with Britain following the battles at Lexington and Concord, yet many delegates still hoped for a negotiated settlement rather than full independence. Pennsylvania delegate John Dickinson drafted the Olive Branch Petition as a final appeal to King George III. On July 5, 1775, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia formally adopted the document, which expressed loyalty to the crown while protesting parliamentary policies and requesting the repeal of the Intolerable Acts. The petition was sent across the Atlantic with moderate delegates. King George refused to receive it and instead issued a proclamation declaring the colonies in rebellion. The immediate result was the collapse of the last major colonial effort at...

U.S. Postal System Established by Continental Congress

In the midst of the American Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress sought to create reliable communication channels for the colonies as they coordinated resistance against British rule. On July 26, 1775, the Congress formally established the office that would become the United States Post Office Department. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was appointed as the first Postmaster General, drawing on his prior experience managing colonial postal routes. This step centralized mail delivery across the thirteen colonies, replacing fragmented British-controlled systems. The new department enabled faster exchange of news, military orders, and political correspondence essential to the independence effort. Franklin served until early 1776, laying foundational practices for what grew into a major federal institution.

Continental Congress Creates First US Naval Force

As the American Revolutionary War began in 1775, colonial leaders faced British naval superiority that threatened supply lines and coastal towns. On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution directing the construction and outfitting of two armed vessels to intercept British munitions shipments, establishing what became the Continental Navy. This small fleet of converted merchant ships and purpose-built warships operated under congressional oversight and marked the formal birth of American naval power. Commanded initially by figures like Esek Hopkins, the force conducted raids and protected trade despite limited resources. The authorization reflected a strategic shift from land-only warfare to combined operations essential for independence.

Continental Congress Establishes Marine Corps

During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress sought to bolster naval capabilities against British forces by creating specialized landing troops. On November 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, the Congress adopted a resolution drafted by John Adams to raise two battalions of Marines for service with the Continental Navy. Captain Samuel Nicholas began recruiting at Tun Tavern, quickly assembling the initial force. These early Marines participated in amphibious operations, including the raid on Nassau in the Bahamas the following year. The resolution laid the foundation for what became the United States Marine Corps after independence.

Continental Army Captures Montreal in Revolution

During the American Revolutionary War, colonial forces sought to secure Canada and prevent British use of the region as a base against the rebellious colonies. Brigadier General Richard Montgomery led an expedition northward after successes at Fort St. Jean. Montreal's defenses were weak, with many residents sympathetic or neutral to the American cause. On November 13, 1775, Montgomery's troops entered the city without opposition as British Governor Guy Carleton withdrew his forces. The capture provided a temporary boost to Patriot morale and supplies. It formed part of a broader but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to bring Canada into the revolution.

American Forces Defeated at Battle of Quebec

In late 1775, during the early stages of the American Revolutionary War, Continental Army leaders sought to secure Canada as a fourteenth colony and gain French-Canadian support against Britain. General Richard Montgomery advanced from Montreal while Colonel Benedict Arnold led a grueling march through Maine to join him outside Quebec City. On December 31, amid a fierce blizzard, the combined forces launched a nighttime assault on the heavily fortified city defended by Governor Guy Carleton. Montgomery was killed early in the attack, Arnold was wounded, and hundreds of Americans were captured after failing to breach the walls. The defeat ended the invasion of Canada and forced the survivors into a prolonged but ultimately unsuccessful siege.

Law 18th Century North America

Continental Congress Passes Tory Act

As the American colonies moved toward open rebellion against Britain in late 1775, divisions between Patriots and Loyalists (Tories) created internal threats to the revolutionary cause. The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, addressed these factions on January 2, 1776, by issuing seven resolutions known as the Tory Act. The measure targeted colonists who remained loyal to King George III, calling for committees to educate the uninformed while authorizing the disarming, imprisonment, or exile of active opponents. It reflected the Congress's recognition that the conflict had become a civil war within the colonies themselves. The act provided a framework for handling internal dissent as independence debates intensified.

Culture 18th Century North America

Thomas Paine Publishes Common Sense

By early 1776, American colonists were deeply divided over whether to seek reconciliation with Britain or pursue full independence amid escalating conflict. Philadelphia-based writer Thomas Paine, recently arrived from England, crafted a forceful 47-page pamphlet arguing against monarchy and for republican government. Released on January 10, Common Sense sold hundreds of thousands of copies rapidly, reaching a broad audience of literate colonists. Paine's plain language framed independence as both practical and morally necessary. The pamphlet shifted public opinion dramatically in favor of separation from Britain.

Military 18th Century Latin America & Caribbean

US Marines Launch First Amphibious Assault at Nassau

In the opening months of the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress sought to disrupt British supply lines in the Caribbean by targeting the lightly defended island of New Providence in the Bahamas. On March 3, 1776, a fleet under Commodore Esek Hopkins carrying approximately 250 Continental Marines and sailors approached Nassau. The Marines executed the first amphibious landing in U.S. military history, storming ashore and capturing Fort Montagu with minimal resistance. British Governor Montfort Browne surrendered the town and its valuable gunpowder stores the following day. The raid yielded critical munitions for the Patriot cause while demonstrating the Marines' emerging role in expeditionary operations. Casualties remained low on both sides, but the success boosted morale among colonial forces early...

Continental Army Fortifies Dorchester Heights

In the midst of the American Revolutionary War, British forces under General William Howe had occupied Boston since 1775, imposing a siege on the surrounding Continental Army led by General George Washington. The British controlled the city and its harbor but faced growing colonial resistance. On March 4, 1776, Brigadier General John Thomas directed approximately 2,000 American troops to move cannons and fortifications overnight to Dorchester Heights, a strategic elevated position south of Boston previously left undefended. Heavy artillery fire from British positions provided cover during the operation. By morning, the Americans had established a formidable battery overlooking the city and harbor. This development forced Howe to reconsider his position, ultimately leading to the British evacuation of Boston on March...

British Forces Evacuate Boston

After eleven months of siege during the American Revolutionary War, Continental Army forces under General George Washington fortified Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston Harbor with artillery captured from Fort Ticonderoga. British commander General William Howe recognized the position had become untenable. On March 17, British troops and Loyalists boarded ships and departed for Halifax, Nova Scotia, marking the first major victory for the Patriot cause. The evacuation ended the Siege of Boston without further bloodshed in the city itself. Washington’s strategic use of the heights forced the British withdrawal after a storm prevented their planned counterattack.