The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, passed by the US Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, was enacted on March 1, 1781 as the founding constitution of …
1770s
The Continental Congress made a National Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
As printed in the Journals of Congress below… IN CONGRESS – November 1, 1777 Forasmuch as it is the indispensable duty of all men to …
Thomas Paine: “THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, …undergo the fatigues of supporting it”
THOSE who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it. The event of yesterday was one of …
Congress Proposes Purchase of 20,000 Bibles
In colonial America, Bibles had to be imported from Britain, as the British government strictly regulated the printing of religious materials. It was illegal to …
The Stars and Stripes are Born with the Passing of the Flag Act on June 14, 1777
In the United States, Flag Day is observed on June 14, which commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States by a resolution …
Sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington Rides 40 Miles Waking up Patriots with the Urgent Warning that the British were Fast Approaching
Sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles through Putnam and Dutchess Counties waking up patriots to join the militia, led by her father, Colonel Henry Ludington, …
John Adams: “Posterity! You Will Never Know, How Much it Cost the Present Generation, to Preserve Your Freedom! I Hope You Will Make a Good Use of It.”
Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, Saturday Evening 26 April 1777 I have been lately more remiss, than usual in Writing to you. There has …
George Washington Inspires a Tired and Defeated Army to Continue the Fight for Liberty
George Washington faced a grim moment January 1, 1777. All enlistments for the Continental Army had expired on that date and all of the army, …
George Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware River in the Dead of the Night on Christmas
So why were Washington and his bedraggled Continental Army trying to cross an ice-choked Delaware River on a cold winter’s night? It wasn’t just to …
Thomas Paine publishes “The American Crisis”: “These Are the Times That Try Men’s Souls… Tyranny, Like Hell, is Not Easily Conquered”
The days of December 1776 were some of America’s darkest times. Thomas Paine epically captured the moment in “The American Crisis.” “These are the times …