Princeton and the American Revolution
from 1754 - January 3, 1777 (Battle of Princeton)
1754 Albany Congress – colonies attempt to form an alliance to fight the French. None of the colonies ratify this system devised by Benjamin Franklin which resembles the later Articles of Confederation.
1756 – 1763 French and Indian War – The American Theater of the European War - Seven Years’ War (Britain, Prussia vs. France, Sweden, Austria)
1763 The Proclamation of 1763 – Prohibits westward expansion
1764 The Sugar Act – A tax on sugar, wine, coffee and other imports and exports. These taxes disrupt the colonies’ trade and reduce the amount of currency available for the purchase of English manufactured goods.
1764 The Currency Act abolishes the colonial paper currency that had sprung up because of a constant shortage of currency with which to conduct trade. The law requires a “hard currency” system based on the pound sterling. This law helps the British merchants at the expense of the colonists.
1765 The Stamp Act – taxes on 55 different kinds of legal documents
The quartering Act
The Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions – Asserts the rights of free Englishmen
The Stamp Act Congress – New York’s version
1766 The Declaratory Act – Great Britain’s rebuttal
1767 The Townshend Revenue Act – Tax on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, tea
1768 Boston Non importation Agreement – Colonist reaction to Townshend
1770 The Boston Massacre – The conflict heats up – first loss of life
1772 The Gaspee Affair – Colonists destroy a customs ship
1773 The Tea Act – sale of cheap tea would undercut colonial merchants
The Boston Tea Party
1774 The Intolerable Acts
Boston Port Act – Closes the port of Boston
Administration of Justice Act – Indemnifies crown officials
Massachusetts Government Act – Ceases elections of officials
Quartering Act
Quebec Act – Dangerous new model of governing in America
1774 Sept 5th to Oct 26th First Continental Congress meets and issues declaration and resolves
1775
April 19 Battles of Lexington and Concord. - THE WAR BEGINS
April 19 Siege of Boston begin
May 10 Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold capture Fort Ticonderoga
May 25 Arrival in Boston of three British Generals on HMS Cerberus:
William Howe, John Burgoyne, and Henry Clinton
June 17 Battle of Bunker Hill
July 3 George Washington takes command
July 26 British Cabinet decides to send 2,000 reinforcements to Boston
October 26 King George declares the colonies in rebellion
November 16 Knox departs Cambridge for Fort Ticonderoga
December 11 Martha Washington arrives in Cambridge
December 30 Last day of the enlistments of the then current army
December 31 Loss at Quebec; the first loss of the Continental Army
1776
January 1 The Continental Army is born
January 10 Paine’s “Common Sense” is published
January 17 News of the loss at Quebec
January 25 Knox arrives in Cambridge with Ticonderoga cannon
March 5 Fortification of Dorchester Heights – the first surprise
March 17 British evacuate Boston - Washington moves the army to New York
April 13 Washington arrives in New York
June 29 Arrival of first units of the British fleet in New York – largest most powerful force sent forth from Britain or any nation
July 2 Continental Congress votes to dissolve connection with Great Britain - A game changer
July 9 Declaration of Independence read aloud to the troops in NYC
July 12 HMS Phoenix and Rose run the gauntlet and go up the Hudson untouched
August 12 Rest of the British fleet arrives at NY Harbor
August 27 Battle of Brooklyn – decisive British victory
Sept 11 Staten Island Peace Conference. Nothing accomplished
Sept 13 Congress approves the evacuation of New York
Sept 15 British Landing at Kip’s Bay
Sept 16 Skirmish at Harlem Heights
Sept 21 Great Fire of New York
Oct 29 Battle of White Plains
Nov 16 Battle of Fort Washington
Nov 19 British take Fort Lee
Nov 21 The retreat across New Jersey begins
Nov 29 Princeton is deserted; John Witherspoon closes the college and flees to Pennsylvania where he continues as a Congressman and an active participant in the rebellion.
Dec 1st General Cornwallis arrives at New Brunswick.
Dec 2 Washington’s army arrives in Trenton.
Dec 7 Cornwallis arrives in Princeton at 4:00 pm an hour after Washington’s rear guard leaves. The British fortify the campus. Nassau Hall becomes a barracks and storehouse, with the basement used as a dungeon.
Dec 7 British fleet arrives in Newport Rhode Island and conquers Rhode Island without a battle; a third colony is returned to British rule.
Dec 8 Washington’s army crosses into Pennsylvania thus ending the long retreat across New Jersey
Dec 13 The Howes suspend activities for the winter, leaving some forces in central New Jersey.
Dec 26 1st Battle of Trenton
1777
Jan 2 2nd Battle of Trenton
Jan 3 Battle of Princeton
1783 – Princeton as the nation’s capital
Jun 20 Congress is insulted by mutineers in Philadelphia
Jun 26 Congress assembles in Princeton
July 29 Congress ratifies the first commercial treaty, with a neutral nation - Sweden
Aug 26 George Washington is received by Congress and is given the thanks of a grateful nation
Sept 3 Treaty of Paris is signed
Sept 15 Congress accepts Virginia’s cessation of its western land claims
Sept 24 Commencement exercises are held at the College of New Jersey
Oct 8 Congress considers Quaker petition to discourage and prevent slavery
Oct 31 Congress entertains the first foreign minister (Holland)
Nov 1 Congress elects Thomas Mifflin as next President and decides to reconvene for the next session in Annapolis, Maryland
Nov 2 Washington’s farewell address is read to the troops at West Point
Nov 4 Congress adjourns