1776 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar).

Events

• Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations
• Edward Gibbon publishes The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
• Austria abolishes death penalty and torture and decriminalizes witchcraft
• British begin to use old ships docked close to shore as temporary prisons, prison junks
• Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence

January

• January 10 - Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
• January 20 - American Revolutionary War: South Carolina Loyalists led by Robert Cunningham sign a petition from prison agreeing to all demands for peace by the newly formed state government of South Carolina.

February

• February 27 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge: North Carolina Loyalists charge across Moore's Creek bridge near Wilmington to attack what they mistakenly believe to be a small force of rebels. Several loyalist leaders are killed in the ensuing battle. The patriot victory virtually ends all British authority in the colony.

March

• March 4 - The American War of Independence: The Americans capture "Dorchester Heights" dominating the port of Boston, Massachusetts.
• March 17 - American Revolutionary War: British forces evacuate Boston, Massachusetts after George Washington commands the placement of artillery overlooking the city at Dorchester Heights.
• March 28 - Juan Bautista de Anza finds the site for the Presidio of San Francisco.

April

• April 12 - American Revolutionary War: The Royal Colony of North Carolina produces the Halifax Resolves making it the first British colony to officially authorize its Continental Congress delegates to vote for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

May

• May 1 - Adam Weishaupt founds the Bavarian Illuminati (Order of the Illuminati) in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.

June

• June 7 - American Revolutionary War: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence.
• June 8 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trois-Rivières: American invaders are driven back at Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
• June 12 - American Revolutionary War: Virginia Declaration of Rights by George Mason adopted by the Virginia Convention of Delegates.
• June 15 - American Revolutionary War: Delaware Separation Day: The Delaware General Assembly votes to suspend government under the British Crown.
• June 17 - Lt. Jose Joaquin Moraga leads a band of colonists from Monterey Presidio, landing on June 29 and constructing the Mission Dolores of the new Presidio of San Francisco.

July

• July 2 - American Revolutionary War: The final (despite minor revisions) U.S. Declaration of Independence is written.
• July 4 - American Revolutionary War: United States Declaration of Independence. United States becomes independent from the British Empire.
• July 9 - American Revolutionary War: An angry mob in New York City topples the equestrian statue of George III in Bowling Green.
• July 12 - Captain James Cook sets off from Plymouth England on his third, and fatal, expedition to the Pacific Ocean.

August

• August 15 - American Revolutionary War: First Hessian troops land on Staten Island to join British forces
• August 27 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Long Island: Washington's troops routed in Brooklyn by British under William Howe.

September

• September - First running of the St. Leger Stakes horse race in England.
• September 6 - Hurricane hits Guadeloupe, killing more than 6000.
• September 7 - American Revolutionary War: World's first submarine attack. American submersible craft Turtle attempts to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe's flagship HMS Eagle in New York Harbor.
• September 11 - American Revolutionary War: abortive peace conference between British and Americans on Staten Island.
• September 15 - American Revolutionary War: British land on Manhattan at Kip's Bay.
• September 16 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Harlem Heights
• September 22 - American Revolutionary War: Nathan Hale executed in New York City for espionage.

October

• October 7 - Crown Prince Paul of Russia marries Sophie Marie Dorothea of Württemberg.
• October 9 - Father Francisco Palou founds Mission San Francisco de Asis in what is now San Francisco, California.
• October 11 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Valcour Island: On Lake Champlain near Valcour Island, a British fleet led by Sir Guy Carleton defeats 15 American gunboats commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold. Although nearly all of Arnold's ships are destroyed, the two day-long battle will give Patriot forces enough time to prepare defenses of New York City.
• October 28 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of White Plains: British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the Americans.

November

• November 16 - American Revolutionary War: Hessian mercenaries under Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen capture Fort Washington from the American Continentals.

December

• December 5 - The Phi Beta Kappa society is founded at the College of William and Mary.
• December 7 - American Revolutionary War: Marquis de Lafayette attempts to enter the American military as a major general.
• December 21 - American Revolutionary War: The Royal Colony of North Carolina reorganizes into the State of North Carolina after adopting its own constitution. Richard Caswell becomes the first governor of the newly formed state.
• December 23 - American Revolutionary War: Thomas Paine, living with Washington's troops begins publishing The American Crisis, containing the stirring phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls."
• December 25 - American Revolutionary War: Gen. George Washington orders the first issue of The Crisis read to his troops on Christmas Eve, then at 6 p.m. all 2600 of them march to McKonkey's Ferry, cross the Delaware River and land on the Jersey bank at 3 a.m..
• December 26 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trenton: Washington's troops surprise the 1500 Hessian troops under the command of Col. Johan Rall at 8 a.m. outside Trenton and score a victory, taking 1000 prisoners while suffering only 6 wounded.

Births

• January 24 - E.T.A. Hoffmann, German writer, composer, and painter (d. 1822)
• February 11 - Joannis Capodistrias, Greek governor of Troezen (d. 1831)
• March 10 - Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of Prussia (d. 1810)
• April 1 - Sophie Germain, French mathematician (d. 1831)
• June 11 - John Constable, English painter (d. 1837)
• August 9 - Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist (d. 1856)
• Muttusvami Dikshitar, Indian composer (d. 1835)

Deaths

• March 10 - Élie Catherine Fréron, French critic (b. 1719)
• March 10 - Niclas Sahlgren, Swedish merchant and philanthropist (b. 1701)
• March 26 - Samuel Ward, American politician (b. 1725)
• March 24 - John Harrison, English clockmaker (b. 1693)
• April 29 - Edward Wortley Montagu, English traveler and writer (b. 1713)
• May 4 - Jacques Saly, French sculptor (b. 1717)
• June 10 - Leopold Widhalm, Austrian luthier (b. 1722)
• June 20 - Benjamin Huntsman, English inventor and manufacturer (b. 1704)
• July 7 - Jeremiah Markland, English classical scholar (b. 1693)
• July 10 - Richard Peters, English-born clergyman (b. 1704)
• August 2 - Louis François I, Prince of Conti, French military leader (b. 1717)
• August 25 - David Hume, Scottish philosopher (b. 1711)
• October 17 - Pierre François le Courayer, French theologian (b. 1681)
• November 17 - James Ferguson, Scottish astronomer (b. 1710)
• Francis Salvador, American patriot (b. 1747)

1776

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