Andrew Jackson In 1733, James Oglethorpe and some 120 English colonists arrived at Charleston, South Carolina, while en route to settle in present-day Georgia. In 1776, writing to the Massachusetts General Court, Washington exposed the army’s mounting crisis. Far fewer arms have been collected from discharged soldiers at year’s end than expected, and nearly all of those have already been reissued to recruits. He urges Massachusetts to gather arms from towns immediately. In 17

Historical Charleston Museum - this one burned and has been replaced with a plain brick building. In 1773, the oldest public museum in the United States was established in colonial Charleston , South Carolina. Its original purpose was to promote a better understanding of agriculture and herbal medicine in the area. In 1776, nearly two weeks after the failed American assault on Quebec, Washington remained unaware of the defeat or of Richard Montgomery’s death. He writes Montg

In 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense, setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. In 1776, in Washington's General Orders, he notes that "the day dawns tense and watchful at Cambridge. Last night, under cover of darkness, Major Thomas Knowlton and a chosen party performed a raid near the enemy’s works on Bunker Hill, burning targeted houses without firing a single shot." In 1779, after a short but heavy bombardment by the British navy, Fort Morris s

In 1675, First American commercial corporation chartered (NY Fishing Co.). In 1790, George Washington delivers first State of the Union address. In 1806, Explorer William Clark views skeleton of a 105 ft whale washed up on Cannon Beach, inhabited by the Tillamook Nation (modern Oregon). In 1815, U.S. General Andrew Jackson defeated Great Britain in the Battle of New Orleans , the final engagement in the War of 1812 . In 1835, US national debt reaches $0 for the first and on

Second Bank of the United States In 1608, Jamestown, VA is destroyed by fire. In 1776, In a letter to Connecticut governor Jonathan Trumbull, Washington warns that British ships fitting out in Boston are likely bound for New York. If the enemy seizes the city and the North River, he writes, they will command the country and open communication with Canada. He resolves to send Charles Lee ahead, gathering winter volunteers and disarming suspected loyalists. In 1789, the first U

In 1752, Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies, move New Year to January 1. Previously the British have observed the New Year on March 25. Scotland had changed to January 1 in 1600. In 1776 , The Burning of Norfolk was an incident during the American War of Independence. British Royal Navy ships in the harbor of Norfolk, Virginia began shelling the town, and landing parties came ashore to burn specific properties. In 1776, In his first General Orders of the new

Burning of Buffalo, 1813 In 1775, In his General Orders, Washington confronts the problem of expiring enlistments at year’s end: Soldiers may receive only one month’s overdue pay due to a shortage of cash; commissaries must supply rations for the men’s journeys home; and recruiters are authorized to enlist free Black soldiers, a significant shift. In 1813, The British burned Buffalo, N.Y., during the War of 1812. In 1853, The United States acquired nearly 30,000 square miles

Sir Archibald Campbell, British Lt. Col at Battle of Savannah In 1775, In his General Orders, Washington delivers news: Congress has sent far less money than expected. Only one month’s pay can be distributed, as remaining funds must cover advance pay for the new army and other expenses. He also orders that no discharged men may leave camp with ammunition. In 1778, British Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell and his force of between 2,500 and 3,600 troops, which included the

Lakotah Tribe In 1732, Benjamin Franklin  of Philadelphia first published Poor Richard’s Almanack . The book, filled with proverbs preaching industry and prudence, was published continuously for 25 years and became one of the most popular publications in colonial America, selling an average of 10,000 copies a year. In 1775, Washington reads an intercepted letter from Lord Dunmore to General Howe, which includes plans to “reduce” the southern colonies to obedience. He forwards

Ethan Allen In 1620, Mayflower arrives at Plymouth Harbor. In 1775, News has reached Washington of Ethan Allen’s brutal treatment in British captivity. Enraged, Washington drafts a letter to General William Howe. His tone is formal but cold: If Allen continues to suffer, Brigadier General Richard Prescott, held by the Americans, will receive “exactly” the same treatment. In 1777, General George Washington’s army celebrated the first national Thanksgiving in Gulph Mills and o

Richard Kuklinski In 1728, Congregation Shearith Israel of New York purchases a lot on Mill Street in Lower Manhattan to build the city's first synagogue In 1775, Henry Knox writes to report he has successfully moved the captured Ticonderoga artillery across Lake Champlain. He has prepared 42 sleds and secured 80 yoke of oxen. If the snow holds, Knox believes he can present Washington with a “noble train of artillery” within weeks. In 1777, French foreign minister Charles Gra

In 1775, Washington writes to Joseph Reed, a trusted advisor, revealing his anxieties. He thanks Reed for alerting him to local jealousies in Massachusetts and apologizes if his demanding duties have made him seem uncourteous. He worries over slow enlistments, the lack of money from Congress, and unauthorized camp letters appearing in newspapers. In 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified when Virginia became the tenth state to ratify those first amendments to the U.S. Constitu

Saturday Night Fever In 1775, In the day’s General Orders, Washington announces the appointment of Henry Knox, a 25-year-old Boston bookseller with a passion for artillery, as colonel of the new regiment of artillery. Washington’s respect for Knox’s knowledge of gunnery, self-taught from European manuals, is evident. In 1787, Pennsylvania  becomes the second state to ratify  the Constitution , by a vote of 46 to 23. Pennsylvania was the first large state to ratify, as well as

Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback In 1620, 103 Mayflower pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. In 1719, First recorded display of Aurora Borealis (northern lights) in New England. In 1775, William Sever writes from Watertown with encouraging news: The Massachusetts legislature has created quarantine measures for refugees suspected of smallpox. In 1775, From his Cambridge headquarters, Washington writes to John Hancock, president of Congress. He reports that smallpox may indeed be

In 1672, New York Governor Lovelace announces monthly mail service between New York & Boston. In 1690, a failed attack on Quebec and subsequent near-mutiny force the Massachusetts Bay Colony to issue the first paper currency  in the history of the Western Hemisphere. In 1765, the Connecticut Resolutions are issued. In 1775, Lund Washington, the General’s cousin and farm manager, writes from Mount Vernon about land deals, troublesome tenants, and the idea of shipping flour an

John Pulitzer In 1775, From Albany, General Philip Schuyler writes Washington to report on cannon at Ticonderoga and Crown Point and lays out a bigger vision. Reinforce him with 3,000 men, he insists, and he can drive into Canada and help secure Quebec. In 1775, At Fort Ticonderoga, New York, Henry Knox begins his historic transport of abandoned British artillery to Boston, Massachusetts, later forces the British to evacuate Boston. In 1793, The first edition of the "American

Montgomery Bus Boycott In 1492, Christopher Columbus lands on and names the island of Hispaniola. Convinced he has reached the Indies and found the gold-rich biblical land of Ophir, he has in fact done neither. In 1775, Colonel Henry Knox writes from Fort George, New York. Knox reports he has reached the edge of Lake George and begun preparations to haul captured British artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. He lists the cannon and mortars in careful detail but admits th

Washington Retires his Commission In 1619, Thirty-eight colonists from Berkeley Parish, England, disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God, considered by many the first Thanksgiving in the Americas. In 1682, First General Assembly in Pennsylvania (Chester). In 1775, Washington faces a flood of administrative demands. He writes to Colonel Alexander McDougall in New York. The recent capture of the British ordnance ship Nancy has supplied his army with shells and shot, but he

Willis Carrier - hero of every southern summer In 1773, Three Charleston, South Carolina Merchants were forced to go down to the docks and drop the “illegal” tea they ordered into the harbor, thirteen days before Boston’s “party”. In 1775, In his General Orders, Washington expresses “surprise and astonishment” that several Connecticut soldiers could abandon their duty so close to the end of their enlistment. He sends an express to Governor Jonathan Trumbull with their names s

Deputy Sheriff Elfebo Baca In 1641, Massachusetts becomes the first colony to give statutory recognition to slavery. In 1775, Washington issues orders: Too many soldiers have been straying from their posts, ignoring duty, and leaving the lines exposed to surprise attack. Washington warns of “fatal consequences” when men are “scattered and remote from their posts.” From now on, no officer or soldier may leave his station without written permission. In 1779, General George Wash