1775 - British-America Colonies Revolt / American Revolution 1765-1783

ꕤ History Year 1775 American Revolution 1765-1783  1775 Jan 11th - Francis Salvador  (with colonial rebel militia, opposed to British Crown) first Jew elected to office in America (SC) South Carolina Francis Salvador 1747 - 1776 Sephardic Jewish-English plantation owner colony of South Carolina uncle only Jewish director of British East India Company raised in wealth / large inheritance active with uncle (British East India Co) & with the wealthy DaCosta family of London re plans to settle poor Jews in the 'New World'   Salvador joined independence cause in 1776 first Jew killed in the American Revolutionary War militia vs. Loyalists (+ their Cherokee allies) 1774 - Salvador settled at Coroneka (aka Cornacre)    worked land with purchased African slaves first Jew elected as delegate South Carolina Provincial Congress he (and friend) elected as reps from: Ninety-Six District to the Provincial Congress (Jews could not legally hold office nor vote, but no colonists objected re appointment) joined by Andrew Williamson, then a major in the militia Salvador was chosen re important tasks: drawing declaration obtaining ammunition assessing safety of frontier working on new state constitution framed bill of rights etc 1733, London Sephardic community sends 42 Jews to present-day Georgia / families flee north to Charleston (South Carolina), fearing Spanish Inquisition in Georgia Charleston preferred 1730s London Sephardic Jew immigration destination -- later joined by Jews from Germany, Netherlands & West Indies Ninety Six, South Carolina (town) aka 'Jews Land' Salvador and DaCosta families bought 200,000 acres (810 km2) intended re settlement of poor Sephardic Jewish families ------- Major General Nathanael Greene + 1,000 American Patriot troops (the REBELS) besieged 550 American Loyalists (loyal to Crown) - defending Ninety Six American Loyalists survived siege relocated (after war) to Rawdon, Nova Scotia, Canada with support from Crown for resettlement ------ 1776 British induced Indian allies to attack South Carolina frontier to create diversion for British ops on sea-coast Indians attack frontier families in Ninety Six District Salvador rode to plantation of Maj. Andrew Williamson to raise alarm Salvador took part in engagements that followed Maj. Williamson captures two Loyalists (loyal to Crown) captives lead Williamson's 330 men militia into ambush ambushed by Tories & their Cherokee allies Salvador shot & fell into bushes later discovered & scalped by Cherokee died from wounds, age:  29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety_Six,_South_Carolina Feb 9th - British Parliament Massachusetts colony declared in rebellion Mar 22nd - Edmund Burke presents 13 articles to the Westminster Parliament Edmund Burke Irish statesman, philosopher Anglican background Trinity College, Dublin conservative liberalism political battles: 1. equal treatment of Catholics in Ireland; 2. against British oppression of 13 American colonies; 3. for constitutional restraints on royal patronage; 5. against power of East India Company in India; 6. against dogma of French Revolution. [Jesse Norman, The Telegraph, UK] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/10046562/Edmund-Burke-the-great-conservative-who-foresaw-the-discontents-of-our-era.html Mar 23rd - Patrick Henry proclaims First American Propaganda   "Give me liberty or give me death" in speech in favour of Virginian troops joining American Revolutionary War Patrick Henry Founding Father American lawyer, planter, politician movement for independence of Virginia 1770s Led opposition to: Stamp Act 1765 (UK) imposing direct tax on colonies of British America requiring most printed materials in colonies to be produced on stamped paper, produced London (with embossed revenue stamp) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamp_Act_1765 purpose: to help pay for troops in North America after British victory in: Seven Years' War (1755-1764) involved great powers (# Great powers must have been France, Britain, Prussia, Australia & Russia) affected Europe, North America, Central America, West Africa, India, Philippines Europe: 1812 - x4 Great Powers: Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Great Britain, the four powers that were chiefly instrumental in the overthrow of Napoleon [britannica]  (greatest European war since Thirty Years war of 1600s) A. Seven Years' War fought between two coalition factions: 1. Great Britain 2. France https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Years'_War B. French & Indian War (1754–1763) - ie. part of Seven Years' War Fought between colonies of: British America (2-million settler pop.) New France (60,000 settler pop.) each supported by parent countries French outnumbered, relied on: Indians -- escalation from regional Indian conflict to intercontinental Indian conflict -- on 'metropole' nations (presumably indigenous peoples) declaration of war in 1756 Indians fought on BOTH sides of the conflict https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Indian_War Apr 11th - last execution for witchcraft in Germany Apr 14th - first abolitionist (end slavery) society established Apr 18th - Paul Revere & William Dawes ride from Charleston to Lexington warning: "Regulars are coming!" Paul Revere father, French Huguenot mother, Deborah Hitchborn (family owned shipping warf) prominent American silversmith (Boston) engraver, early industrialist iron casting, bronze bell & cannon casting forging of copper bolts & spikes 1800 Revere first American to successfully roll copper into sheets for use as sheathing on naval vessels Patriot in the American Revolution known for alerting the Colonial militia re approach of British forces before battles of: 1775 - Lexington & Concord first military engagements in present-day Arlington and Cambridge, near Boston marked outbreak of open armed conflict b/w: Great Britain ('redcoats') & 13 of its colonies ('British America') Regent: King George III https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Lexington_and_Concord https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Revere May 10th 2nd Continental Congress convenes Philadelphia Pennsylvania issues first paper currency May 10th - 2nd Continental Congress in Philadelphia George Washington, named supreme commander May 17th - American Revolutionary War Continental Congress bans trade with Canada May 20th - Citizens of Mecklenburg County, NC declare independence from Britain May 24th - John Hancock unanimously elected President of the Continental Congress John Hancock American merchant, smuggler, statesman prominent Patriot of the American Revolution uncle - one of Boston's richest & best-known residents business: import of manufactured goods from Britain Exported of: rum, whale oil, & fish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hancock Jun 12th - First naval battle of Revolution-Unity (American) colonial rebels capture Margaretta (Br) Jun 14th - US Army founded Jun 15th - George Washington appointed commander-in-chief of American Army Jun 22nd - first Continental currency issued ($3-million) Jul 3rd - Washington takes command of Continental Army at Cambridge, Mass Jul 5th - US Congress adopts the Olive Branch Petition letter to King George III from Second Continental Congress attempt to avoid war of independence Jul 6th - Congress issues "Declaration of the Causes & Necessity of Taking up Arms," listing grievances but denying intent of claiming independence Jul 10th - Horatio Gates issues order excluding blacks from Continental Army Horatio Gates (British soldier, served as revolutionary general)   Jul 22nd - George Washington takes command of the Continental Army First American Propaganda Jul 25th - Maryland issues currency depicting George III trampling Magna Carta Aug 22nd - King George III proclaims colonies to be in open rebellion Sep 13th - Gotthold Lessing's "Die Juden," premieres in Frankfurt-am-Main Die Juden [“The Jews”] Gotthold Ephraim Lessing German author, dramatist & critic praised unappreciated nobility of mind (Jews still confined to ghetto) last work: Die Erziehung des Menschengeschlechts (1780) 'The Education of the Human Race' belief in the perfectibility of the human species otherwise: saw a developing moral awareness believed human species would eventually attain the peak of 'universal brotherhood' and 'moral freedom' that would transcend all dogmas and doctrines http://www.britannica.com/biography/Gotthold-Ephraim-Lessing Oct 12th - US Navy forms Oct 13th - construction of a naval fleet, ordered by Continental Congress Oct 16th - Portland, Maine burned by British Oct 27th - US Navy forms as the Continental Navy Nov  7th - Lord Dunmore promises freedom to male slaves who join British army Nov 10th - Congress forms US Marine Corps Nov 12th - General Washington forbids recruiting officers enlisting blacks Nov 28th - 2nd Continental Congress formally establishes US Navy Dec 22nd - Continental navy organized with 7 ships Dec 31st - Battle of Quebec - Americans defeated trying to take British stronghold http://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1775 ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- COMMENT Above is just a sketch of what was happening in 1775, as I wanted an idea of what was happening when the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) was drawn up.  Much of it is from 'This Day in History' & hasn't been cross-checked, but it would do for basics. I haven't done anything more than skim the basics (no deeper follow-up on attached pages etc). This might have to do.  I'm getting bored. Wonder what part bankers played in the American Revolution?  As in, you can't have a revolt on this scale unless you're bankrolled and supplied with weapons etc.  Who supplied the colonial rebels, I'm wondering? The imposition of Stamp Act taxes was just a pretext to seize the colonies, I'm thinking.  As in, the British went to a great deal of expense to secure the colonies (by the sound of things) and are therefore entitled to tax the beneficiaries of that investment (I would think).  That's my initial feeling.  But I've not read enough to know. Just looked up Francis Salvador.  What a horrific way to die.  ------->  Keeping the colonial troops straight isn't easy: American Patriot troops (ie the rebels / colonists of 13 British-American Colonies opposed to British control) American Loyalists (ie the American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown) ---------------------- ꕤ ---------------------- ***Something's causing double-spacing in the published document, which is driving me nuts.  Don't know where the problem code is. ꕤ