1775 (MDCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar).

Events

• Smallpox epidemic begins in New England
• Last official execution for witchcraft in Germany
• French decide to ignore plans for perpetuum mobiles in the future
• James Watt's first steam engine prototype
• Austria forces the Ottoman Empire to cede Bukovina
• February 9 - American Revolutionary War: British Parliament declares Massachusetts in rebellion
• March 23 - American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his speech - "give me liberty or give me death" in Williamsburg, Virginia.
• April 19 - Hostility between Britain and its American colonies explode into bloodshed at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which ignite the American Revolutionary War.
• May 10 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress meets, elects John Hancock president, raises the Continental army under George Washington as commander and authorizes the colonies to adopt their own constitutions.
• May 10 - American Revolutionary War: Fort Ticonderoga is taken by a small force called the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont, led by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen.
• May 17 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress bans trade with Canada.
• June 12 - American Revolutionary War: The British forces offered a pardon to all colonists who would lay down their arms.
• June 14 - American Revolutionary War: Delagates of the Contenental Congress nominate George Washington as commander of the Contiential Army -- defeating John Hancock.
• July 3 - American Revolutionary War: George Washington takes command of the 17,000-man Continental Army at Cambridge.
• July 5 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress sends the Olive Branch Petition, hoping for a reconciliation.
• July 6 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress issues Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which contains the words: "Our cause is just. Our union is perfect... being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves...".
• July 26 - The Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin to be the first Postmaster General of what would later become the United States Post Office Department.
• August 23 - American Revolutionary War: Refusing to even look at the Olive Branch Petition, King George issues a Declaration of Rebellion against the American colonies.
• August 29 - September 26778900 - "Independence Hurricane" from South Carolina to Nova Scotia kills 4170, mostly fishermen and sailors.
• October 13 - American Revolutionary War: The United States Continental Congress orders the establishment of the Continental Navy (later renamed the United States Navy).
• November - American Revolutionary War: Colonel Richard Richardson's South Carolina revolutionaries march through Ninety Six District in what becomes known as the "Snow Campaign", effectively ending all major support for the Loyalist cause in the backcountry of South Carolina.
• November 10 - The United States Marine Corps was born in Tun Tavern, Philidelphia. American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress passes a resolution creating the Continental Marines (later renamed the United States Marine Corps) to serve as landing troops for the recently created Continental Navy (the Marines were disbanded at end of war in April of 1783 but were reformed on July 11, 1798).
• November 10 - Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia founded. Continues today as one of three all men's colleges left in the United States.
• November 13 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Montreal - Patriot revolutionary forces under Col. Ethan Allen capture Montreal from British General Guy Carleton.
• November 28 - The United States Navy is established by the Continental Congress.
• December 31 - American Revolutionary War: British forces repulse an attack by Continental Army generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold at Quebec.

Births

• January 22 - André-Marie Ampère, French physicist (d. 1836)
• January 27 - Friedrich Schelling, German physicist (d. 1854)
• February 10 Charles Lamb, English writer (d. 1834)
• February 12 - Louisa Adams, First Lady, wife of President John Quincy Adams (d. 1852)
• April 30 - Guillaume Dode de la Brunerie, Marshal of France, (d. 1851)
• June 12 - Karl Freiherr von Müffling, Prussian field marshal (b. 1851)
• June 13 - Antoni Radziwiłł, Polish politician (d. 1833)
• July 23 - Eugène François Vidocq, French criminal and private detective agency (d. 1857)
• September 1 - Honoré Charles Reille, Marshal of France (d. 1860)
• December 14 - Philander Chase, American university founder (d. 1852)
• December 14 - Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, British admiral (d. 1860)
• December 16 - Jane Austen, English novelist (d. 1817)
• December 16 - François-Adrien Boieldieu, French composer (d. 1834)
• Ninian Edwards, Governor of Illinois and Senator from Illinois (d. 1833)
• Amadou Lobbo, Fulani Muslim leader in West Africa

Deaths

• January 8 - John Baskerville, English printer (b. 1706)
• January 13 - Johann Georg Walch, German theologian (b. 1693)
• February 5 - Eusebius Amort, German Catholic theologian (b. 1692)
• February 6 - William Dowdeswell, English politician (b. 1721)
• February 15 - Peter Dens, Belgian Catholic theologian (b. 1690)
• June 17 - Major John Pitcairn, British marine (killed in battle) (b. 1722)
• June 23 - Karl Ludwig, Freiherr von Pöllnitz, German adventurer and writer (b. 1692)
• July 11 - Simon Boerum, American Continental Congressman (b. 1724)
• September 16 - Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst, English privy councillor (b. 1684)
• October 2 - Chiyo-ni, Japanese poet (b. 1703)
• October 18 - Christian August Crusius, German philosopher and theologian (b. 1715)
• October 21 - Peyton Randolph, American president of the Continental Congress (b. 1721)
• November 21 - John Hill, English writer
• November 24 - Lorenzo Ricci, Italian Jesuit leader (b. 1703)
• December 7 - Charles Saunders, British admiral

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