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Great Britain-related events during the year of 1776
Events from the year
1776 in
Great Britain .
Incumbents
Events
10 January –
American Revolution :
Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet
Common Sense "written by an Englishman" in
Philadelphia arguing for independence from British rule in the
Thirteen Colonies .
[2]
27 February – American Revolution: at the
Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge ,
Scottish American
Loyalists are defeated by
North Carolina
Patriots .
[3]
2–3 March – American Revolution:
9 March – economist
Adam Smith publishes
The Wealth of Nations .
17 March – American Revolution: British forces evacuate
Boston , Massachusetts,
[3] after
George Washington commands the placement of
artillery overlooking the city at
Dorchester Heights , ending the 11‑month
Siege of Boston .
12 April – American Revolution: The Royal Colony of North Carolina produces the
Halifax Resolves , making it the first British colony officially to authorize its
Continental Congress delegates to vote for independence from Great Britain.
4 May – American Revolution:
Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to George III.
15–26 May – American Revolution:
Battle of The Cedars – British forces skirmish with the American
Continental Army around
Les Cèdres, Quebec .
23 May – first purpose-built
Freemasons' Hall in England opened in London to a design by
Thomas Sandby .
8 June – American Revolution:
Battle of Trois-Rivières – the invading American Continental Army is driven back at
Trois-Rivières, Quebec .
29 June – American Revolution:
Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet – the American
Continental Navy successfully challenges the Royal Navy blockade off
New Jersey .
4 July – American Revolution:
United States Declaration of Independence – the
Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia ratifies the declaration by the
United States of its independence from the
Kingdom of Great Britain .
[4]
12 July – Captain
James Cook sets off from
Plymouth in
HMS Resolution on his
third voyage , to the
Pacific Ocean and
Arctic , which will be fatal.
27 August – American Revolution: At the
Battle of Long Island Washington's troops are routed in
Brooklyn by British under
William Howe .
[3]
11 September – American Revolution: abortive
peace conference between British and Americans on
Staten Island .
[3]
15 September – American Revolution:
Landing at Kip's Bay – British troops land on
Manhattan at
Kips Bay .
[3]
16 September – American Revolution:
Battle of Harlem Heights – the Continental Army under Washington are victorious against the British on Manhattan.
24 September – first running of the
St. Leger Stakes horse race
[4] (not yet named), first of the
British Classic Races , devised by
Anthony St Leger , on Cantley Common at
Doncaster . The winner is a filly (later named
Allabaculia ) owned by the organiser, the
2nd Marquess of Rockingham .
11 October – American Revolution:
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 defense of Lake Champlain prevents a further British advance toward
Albany, New York .
18 October – American Revolution:
Battle of Pell's Point – troops of the American
Continental Army resist a British and
Hessian force in
The Bronx .
28 October – American Revolution:
Battle of White Plains – British forces arrive at White Plains, attack and capture Chatterton Hill from the
Continental Army .
[3]
16 November – American Revolution:
Battle of Fort Washington –
Hessian forces under Lieutenant General
Wilhelm von Knyphausen capture
Fort Washington in New York from the
Continental Army .
20 November – American Revolution:
Fort Lee in New Jersey is captured by the British forces.
[3]
26 December – American Revolution: The
Continental Army led by Washington defeats a
Hessian brigade at the
Battle of Trenton .
[3]
Undated –
Member of Parliament
David Hartley unsuccessfully introduces a motion to the
House of Commons calling for the abolition of
slavery .
[3]
Publications
Births
10 January –
George Birkbeck , doctor, academic and philanthropist (died 1841)
16 January –
Richard Onslow , archdeacon (died 1849)
17 January (baptism date) –
Jane Porter , novelist (died 1850)
23 January –
Howard Douglas , army general (died 1861)
12 February –
Richard Mant , writer and cleric (died 1848)
16 February –
Abraham Raimbach , engraver (died 1843)
23 February
25 February –
George William Tighe , expatriate (died 1837)
9 March –
Thomas Evans , army general (died 1863)
12 March –
Lady Hester Stanhope , archaeologist (died 1839)
20 March –
Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos , politician (died 1839)
23 March –
Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto , politician (died 1848)
11 April –
Macvey Napier , lawyer and encyclopedia editor (died 1847)
12 April –
Henry Hobhouse , archivist (died 1854)
20 April
25 April
28 April –
Charles Bennet, 5th Earl of Tankerville , politician (died 1859)
6 May –
Stephen Rumbold Lushington , politician and administrator in British India (died 1868)
8 May –
Edward Leveson-Gower , admiral (died 1853)
10 May –
George Thomas Smart , musician (died 1867)
8 June –
Thomas Rickman , architect and architectural antiquary (died 1841)
11 June –
John Constable , landscape painter (died 1837)
21 June
28 June –
Charles Mathews , actor (died 1835)
3 July –
Henry Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton , Anglo-Irish politician (died 1842)
18 July –
John Struthers , Scottish poet (died 1853)
22 July –
Etheldred Benett , geologist (died 1845)
30 July –
Sir Edward Kerrison, 1st Baronet , army general (died 1853)
2 August –
Thomas Assheton Smith II , landowner and sportsman (died 1858)
12 August –
David Erskine, 2nd Baron Erskine , politician (died 1855)
18 August
25 August –
Thomas Bladen Capel , admiral (died 1853)
11 September –
Thomas Arbuthnot , army general (died 1849)
18 September –
Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen, 2nd Viscount Newcomen , politician (died 1825)
21 September –
John Fitchett , epic poet (died 1838)
6 October
13 October
14 October –
Robert Townsend Farquhar , colonial administrator (died 1830)
20 October –
John Rolls of The Hendre , judge (died 1837)
22 October –
Edward Draper , army officer and colonial administrator (died 1841)
7 November –
James Abercromby, 1st Baron Dunfermline , politician (died 1858)
10 November –
Henry Seymour (Knoyle) , politician (died 1849)
15 November –
Aaron Manby , ironmaster and civil engineer (died 1850)
16 November –
Mary Matilda Betham , diarist, scholar and poet (died 1852)
30 November –
Bartholomew Frere , diplomat (died 1851)
12 December –
Nicholas Conyngham Tindal , lawyer and politician (died 1846)
19 December –
Lord Robert Somerset , army general (died 1842)
Deaths
2 February –
Francis Hayman , painter and illustrator (born 1708)
24 March –
John Harrison , clockmaker (born 1693)
29 April –
Edward Wortley Montagu , traveller and writer (born 1713)
13 June –
William Battie , psychiatrist (born 1703 or 1704)
20 June –
Benjamin Huntsman , inventor and manufacturer (born 1704)
7 July –
Jeremiah Markland , classical scholar (born 1693)
17 July –
Harriet Pelham-Holles, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne , widow of the Prime Minister (born 1701)
25 August –
David Hume , Scottish philosopher (born 1711)
17 November –
James Ferguson , Scottish astronomer (born 1710)
See also
References
Further reading