What happened in 1776
27 entries recorded for 1776, listed by date. That was 250 years ago.
1776 at a glance
- Years ago
- 250 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 18th century
- Decade
- 1770s
- Generation born
- Before the named generations
- Entries here
- 27
- Breakdown
- 27 historical events
February
- February 27
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: A Patriot victory at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge resulted in the arrests of 850 Loyalists over the following days.
March
- March 3
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: Samuel Nicholas and the Continental Marines successfully landed on New Providence in the Bahamas and began a raid of Nassau, capturing the port the next day.
- March 9
Adam Smith
Scottish philosopher Adam Smith published his book The Wealth of Nations, the first classical treatise on political economy.
- March 17
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: The 11‑month Siege of Boston ended with the evacuation of the city's British garrison (depicted).
- March 25
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: American Patriot forces in Georgia conducted a raid on Tybee Island, with the primary goal of capturing runaway slaves seeking refuge with the British.
April
- April 12
American Revolution
American Revolution: The North Carolina Provincial Congress passed the Halifax Resolves, the first official action in the American colonies calling for independence from Great Britain.
May
- May 4
American Revolution
American Revolution: The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations became the first of the Thirteen Colonies to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown.
- May 19
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: A Continental Army garrison west of Montreal surrendered to British troops at the Battle of the Cedars.
June
- June 8
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: British forces defeated the Continental Army at the Battle of Trois-Rivières, the last battle of the American invasion of Quebec.
- June 12
Fifth Virginia Convention
The Fifth Virginia Convention adopted a declaration of rights, an influential document that proclaimed the inherent rights of men.
- June 28
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: The militia of the Province of South Carolina repelled a British attack on Charleston.
- June 29
Privateer
The first privateer battle of the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet, was fought near Cape May, New Jersey (map of location, pictured).
July
- July 4
Second Continental Congress
In Philadelphia, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence (signing pictured), announcing that the thirteen American colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire.
- July 8
United States Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence received its first formal public reading, in Philadelphia.
August
- August 27
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
British forces led by William Howe defeated the Continental Army under George Washington at the Battle of Long Island, the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War.
September
- September 11
Staten Island Peace Conference
British and American leaders held a peace conference on Staten Island, New York, in the hopes of bringing an end to the nascent American Revolutionary War.
- September 15
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: British forces made an unopposed amphibious landing at Kips Bay on Manhattan, the American defenders having fled due to artillery fire.
- September 16
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: American colonists defeated British troops at the Battle of Harlem Heights on the island of Manhattan.
- September 21
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: The Great Fire of New York (depicted) broke out during the British occupation of New York City, destroying up to 1,000 buildings.
October
- October 11
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: A British fleet defeated American ships at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, but gave American forces enough time to prepare their defenses for the Saratoga campaign.
- October 28
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: As George Washington's Continental Army retreated northward from New York City, the British Army captured the village of White Plains.
November
- November 16
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: Fort Washington on Manhattan was captured from the Patriots by British and Hessian units.
- November 20
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Fort Lee saw the invasion of New Jersey by British and Hessian forces and the subsequent general retreat of the Continental Army.
- November 29
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: British reinforcements brought an end to the Patriot attempt to capture Fort Cumberland in Nova Scotia.
December
- December 19
Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine published the first in a series of pamphlets entitled The American Crisis, opening with the line: "These are the times that try men's souls."
- December 23
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: American troops, overwhelmed by British reinforcements, retreated from the Battle of Iron Works Hill.
- December 26
American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War: George Washington led a Continental Army column across the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack against Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton (painting shown).
Questions about 1776
What happened in 1776?
This site records 27 entries for 1776, including American Revolutionary War on February 27. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1776?
250 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1776 turns 250 this year.
Which century is 1776 in?
1776 falls in the 18th century, in the 1770s.
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