On this day in 1779, General “Mad Anthony” Wayne launches an attack in New York. He and his men would take back the fort at Stony Point, which had been lost to the British mere weeks earlier. George Washington himself had drafted the original plan of attack, then tasked Wayne with carrying it out. Washington’s plan exploited a flaw in the fortifications, and it called for the attack to be made in the middle of the night—an unusually difficult time to attack. But Washington

On this day in 1776, George Washington refuses to accept a letter from British Admiral Richard Howe. The admiral and his brother, General William Howe, were attempting to contact Washington without recognizing the legitimacy of his military title. Of course, what they really meant is that they did not accept the legitimacy of the American cause. Washington’s army was then on Long Island and in Manhattan, preparing to defend New York City from a British attack. In the meantime

On this day in 1835, city bells toll as a funeral procession for Chief Justice John Marshall makes its way down Philadelphia streets. Some reports say that the Liberty Bell cracked on that day, although the story has never been proven. Marshall was one of the nation’s early Chief Justices, and his tenure established the Court as we think of it today. But do you know the rest of this Patriot’s story? The future Chief Justice Marshall grew up in Virginia, where George Washi

On this day in 1777, a series of skirmishes between British and American forces continue. At first, it seemed that British Lt. Gen. John Burgoyne might succeed in squashing the Patriots. Fortunately, Americans got the last laugh. Burgoyne was then on a campaign through New York. He’d entered America from Canada, moving toward Albany. He hoped British troops would join him from New York City, thus separating New England colonies from the South. He thought dividing the co

On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress adopts our Declaration of Independence. It had already resolved on July 2 that “these United Colonies are, and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States . . . .” Now it formally adopted a written document, too. It took nearly a month to write the Declaration. You may know that Thomas Jefferson was the primary author, but he had help, too. What is the rest of the story? On June 11, Congress nominated a “Committee of Five”

Happy 250th birthday, America! On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress declared America’s independence! Did you know that this vote actually occurred on July 2, not July 4? “That these United Colonies are,” congressional delegates resolved, “and, of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown . . . .” There would be no more attempts to reconcile with Great Britain. The Committee of Five as depicted in

On this day in 1780, the Battle of Springfield is fought. The conflict was “one of the crucial turning points of the War for Independence,” as noted by historian Thomas Fleming, despite the fact that it has been “largely ignored by most historians of the American Revolution.” To be honest, Americans should have lost the battle, and the Revolution probably should have ended right there. But the Patriots got a lucky break! It turns out that British General Henry Clinton was a b

On this day in 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill is fought. It was technically a British victory—but only technically. Instead, the battle proved to be a morale booster for Americans who discovered that they could hold their own against the renowned British army. What a feat! It could easily have gone the other way, especially given the events of the day before. Death of General Warren at Bunker Hill, by John Trumbull Late on June 16, Colonel William Prescott had been dispatche

On this day in 1775, roughly 1,000 American provincial soldiers gather at Cambridge. They received a blessing from the Reverend Samuel Langdon, then departed with a wagon full of tools. The hard-fought Battle of Bunker Hill would follow the next day. Oddly, that battle wasn’t fought on Bunker Hill. Instead, the conflict occurred nearby, on Breed’s Hill. Why the confusion? The answer can be found in a decision made by Colonel William Prescott on the evening of June 16. Or mayb

On this day in 1772, the “first bold blow” of the American Revolution occurred. Maybe you thought the “shot heard ‘round the world” carried that honor? Well, not exactly. An earlier blow was dealt in the so-called Gaspee Affair. This blow was dealt by the independent-minded Rhode Island, which was sometimes called Rogue’s Island. Perhaps it is unsurprising that the state would take the first hit at Britain?! Burning of the Gaspee Schooner by W. W. May Rhode Island merchants s

On this day in 1756, the so-called “Patriot-Artist of the Revolution” is born in Connecticut. You may know of John Trumbull’s many famous paintings, but did you also know that he was arrested as a prisoner of war during the American Revolution? The paintings in the collage are: The Signing of the Declaration of Independence, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, General George Washington Resigning His Commission to Congress, and The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker’s H

On this day in 1794, George Washington appoints six captains for the new United States Navy. One of these men, John Barry, would later be named Commodore. Is Barry rightfully called the Father of the Navy or should the title go to John Paul Jones? You will hear arguments made for both men. The Army & Navy, Genl. Washington presenting Captain Barry with his Commission, by Alfred M. Hoffy Barry came from poor beginnings in Ireland, where he learned a love of ships from his un

On this day in 1813, Thomas Jefferson writes John Adams, informing him that their mutual friend Benjamin Rush had passed away. The two men had only just begun communicating after more than a decade of silence. It would take Abigail Adams a bit longer to relent, but she finally did a few weeks later. “Abigail’s voice, as always,” historian Joseph Ellis writes, “was the surest sign. Jefferson had been forgiven. The friendship, so long in storage, had never completely died.

On this day in 1755, Tench Coxe is born in Philadelphia. Was he a Patriot or a Loyalist? People weren’t so sure at first. But he rehabilitated himself—or at least his reputation—and later served in four presidential administrations. He also became a prolific writer on the importance of an armed citizenry. Perhaps it’s unsurprising, given his background. Coxe’s father was once a stamp (tax) collector in New Jersey. Patriot threats and protests caused him to resign, but then

At about this time in 1775, a Patriot begins a long horseback ride from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Philadelphia. The ride was long and exhausting—but urgent. The rider, Captain James Jack, has been called “Charlotte’s Paul Revere.” One historical problem? To this day, no one is entirely sure what message Captain Jack carried. It’s said that he carried a document called the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, allegedly approved on May 20, but was there actually such a

On this day in 1766, a little-known Revolutionary War heroine is born in South Carolina. At the age of 15, Dicey Langston would make a Paul Revere-like dash in the middle of the night. Revere was fortunate to have a horse: Dicey had only her feet! She also had the swift currents of a local river standing between her and her destination. Dicey made her run even though she’d already been admonished to quit passing intelligence on to Patriot groups. Her father was getting worr

On this day in 1778, American naval captain John Paul Jones captures HMS Drake—and he does it in British waters. He would soon return to a French port with the captured vessel and American colors flying above inverted British ones. The capture was welcome news, to say the least. Jones had been having a generally difficult time. He was then commanding USS Ranger with the stated mission of “distressing the Enemies of the United States by Sea, or otherwise . . . .” A near-mu

On this day in 1782, a small American sloop faces off against HMS General Monk . The sloop’s captain was just 22 years old. He was outgunned and outmanned. Naturally, he outwitted—then defeated—the British in a mere 30 minutes. “This action has been justly deemed one of the most brilliant that ever occurred under the American flag,” historian James Fenimore Cooper concludes. “It was fought in the presence of a vastly superior force . . . [the ship taken was] superior to h

On this day in 1794, the United States begins building the first ships for its Navy. They weren’t the first ships built for an American Navy, of course, but they were the first since the Constitution had been adopted. Would you be surprised to hear that the Continental Navy created during the American Revolution did not have universal support? “It is the maddest idea in the world,” Samuel Chase of Maryland stormed, “to think of building an American fleet . . . we should m

On this day in 1783, George Washington brings the so-called Newburgh Conspiracy to an end. The potential military coup had been festering for a while. At this juncture, the war was basically over, but a peace treaty between Britain and America had yet to be signed. As the soldiers waited, they grew restless. They had been paid only on an irregular basis throughout the war. They were ready to mutiny. On March 10, someone called for a meeting of soldiers. An anonymous letter ac