Congress Approves General George Washington as the new Commander in Chief
Congress approved the choice of Washington as the new commander in chief, who then read a letter of acceptance. ‘Mr. President, tho’ I am truly …
1700s
Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys Capture Fort Ticonderoga in New York from the British
The Green Mountain Boys invaded Fort Ticonderoga in New York and under the leadership of Ethan Allen captured the fort from the British. They demanded the surrender …
The Start of the Revolutionary War: The Battle of Lexington & Concord begins with the Shot Heard ‘Round the World
At Lexington Green, MA, the British were met by approximately seventy American Minute Men led by John Parker in a British attempt to confiscate American …
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride Warning the Patriots that the British were Coming
Riding through present-day Somerville, Medford, and Arlington, Revere warned patriots along his route, many of whom set out on horseback to deliver warnings of their own. By the …
The First American Abolition Society was Formed in Philadelphia. Thomas Paine, Benjamin Rush, & Ben Franklin were Among its Mostly Quaker Membership
The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage was the first American abolition society. It was founded April 14, 1775, in …
Patrick Henry Gives his ‘Give me Liberty, or Give me Death’ Speech
On March 23, 1775, less than a month before the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Patrick Henry addressed the House of Burgesses in Richmond, Virginia. …
Seizure of Fort William & Mary at Newcastle
Acting on Paul Revere’s warning the day prior, four hundred New Hampshire patriots, led by John Langdon, moved preemptively to capture the arms that the …
Paul Revere’s First Ride: Warns the Citizens of New Hampshire that the British were Coming to Seize Firearms & Gunpowder
Paul Revere took his first ride (Months before his famous horseback ride into American history on April 18, 1775) on the icy Boston Post Road to …
The First Prayer of Congress on September 7, 1774
The first session of the Continental Congress opened the beginning of September in the year 1774 with prayer in Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia. Threatened by the …
The First Official Act of Congress: A Call to Prayer!
The first official act of Congress was a call to prayer that the Rev. Mr. Duché be desired to open the Congress tomorrow morning with prayers, …