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

CHINA'S FIRST AIRCRAFT CARRIER

China's aircraft carrier puts naval ambitions on show Published: 25 Jul 2014 at 10.48 | Online news: Asia Writer: AFP DALIAN (CHINA) - At a northern quayside China's first aircraft carrier dwarfs nearby vessels, its take-off ramp rising higher than the top deck of the cruise ship at the next berth, symbolising the country's naval ambitions. ... Beijing proclaims that China's rise is entirely peaceful and it has no interest in hegemony [imperialism], but analysts say its goal is to surpass the naval capability of Japan's Self-Defense Forces and ultimately rival the US Navy, masters of the Pacific. ... The 300-metre (1,000-foot) Liaoning -- a Soviet-era vessel Beijing bought from Ukraine -- was commissioned in September 2012, and officers have acknowledged that it is not yet ready for combat, with naval fighter pilots taking years to train. But it is only the first Chinese vessel of its type. Analysts say future carriers will be entirely Chinese-made and ultimately nuclear-powered, vastly extending their range. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is already the world's largest standing military, and when Chinese President Xi Jinping went on board the Liaoning last year he spoke of building "a powerful people's navy". Xi has made a point of visiting several military bases since taking office and has said that "being able to fight and win battles is the essence of strengthening the military". ... [British military publisher Jane's] In the medium to long term, they said, China will need "an expanding presence around the world" to secure its interests in resources, markets and shipping routes. "A widespread naval presence thus will be required." Earlier this year reports in state-run media ... saying a second vessel was already under construction in Dalian and two more were in the pipeline. The PLA clouds its activities in secrecy, and the military zones at the tip of the Lushunkou peninsula ... are forbidden to outsiders. ... China has long proclaimed itself as rising peacefully and insists that its military expansion is purely to defend itself. Washington has 10 aircraft carriers at its disposal, soon to rise to 11 when the USS Gerald R Ford enters service.

For its part Tokyo ... will soon have a helicopter carrier of its own, which could potentially be adapted to carry vertical take-off fighter jets. But in recent months Beijing has asserted itself ever more aggressively in maritime territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and several southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, raising fears of clashes. It has four ships taking part in the US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) joint exercises off Hawaii, which analysts have touted as a step towards improving military ties, and visiting US Admiral Jonathan Greenert was given a tour of the Liaoning earlier this month.  But Beijing also sent a surveillance ship to spy on the RIMPAC drills, according to US reports citing the US Navy. China's "behaviour in its near seas and its territorial claims suggest that it is going to robustly defend its 'core interests'", said the Jane's specialists. "... you can say that China is closing the gap on Japan in most areas and outpacing it in others," they added. "The PLA has substantial offensive capabilities in the form of ballistic and cruise missiles, fast jets, bombers, amphibious forces, heavy armour, destroyers, frigates and so on, so the idea that it is armed just for self-defence doesn't really wash."  By 2030 China could have four or possibly five aircraft carriers in service, including the Liaoning, says Fisher, and could ultimately decide to build as many as 10. It will be the culmination of decades of ambition, he said, describing Mao Zedong and other Chinese leaders' denunciations of the US and Soviet Union for their "imperialist" military capabilities in the 1950s and 60s as "a reflection of their intense envy". "Mao always wanted to have a superpower level of global influence but was also quite happy to condemn those who had it, when he did not," he said. "All of Mao's successors have worked to fulfil a dream of future Chinese strategic dominance." Source - Bangkok Post - here.

China has its first aircraft carrier.

US is about to launch its 11th.

Japan (who may now enter into conflicts abroad) will soon have a helicopter carrier.

Meanwhile, Thailand and Philippines have "jointly called for peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea" (here):

"Tensions spiked anew in the troubled waters when China placed an oil rig in waters it jointly claims with Vietnam, sparking a maritime standoff between the two neighbors and Vietnamese raids on Chinese-ran factories in Vietnam.

China’s expanding law enforcement jurisdiction and patrols encompassing nearly the whole of South China Sea have also alarmed the Philippines as it covers sections of its territorial waters, known locally as West Philippine Sea.

Adding to the tensions is China’s reclamation of at least two South China Sea reefs being claimed by the Philippines that were transformed into artificial islands."

"The Thai minister said his government is hoping for an early conclusion of the code of conduct as well as the full and effective implementation of a non-binding non-aggression document, called Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea or DOC.

The DOC was signed by China and the 10-member ASEAN in 2002. It calls on all claimants to exercise restraint and stop new occupation of territories in the South China Sea. However, the document lacks the power to sanction states that violate its provisions.

Sihasak [Acting Thai Foreign Minister] said ASEAN will hold a meeting with China in Thailand in October to try to move forward with the full and effective implementation of the DOC and push for the swift conclusion of a code of conduct in the South China Sea."

Sounds like everyone's nervous of China.

It's early days with the aircraft carrier, but I suppose if you were a small nation in the Pacific having "the world's largest standing military (China's People's Liberation Army) nearby, being a tad nervous or intimidated is understandable.

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NEWS SOURCE # 1 - AFP

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is an international news agency  headquartered in Paris. It is the oldest  news agency in the world and one of the largest. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet. AFP headquarters is in Paris ...

US NAVY PLAY DATE - JAPAN & INDIA

Another US navy play-date.

This time with India (accompanied by Japan).

Wall Street Journal Article [...] Japan, backed by the U.S., has launched a diplomatic offensive to draw other Asian countries into a more united front against China, which has been butting heads with its neighbors in the East China Sea and South China Sea. India, likewise, has accused Chinese troops of making repeated incursions into Indian-controlled parts of the Himalayas. The two countries fought a 1962 war over their Himalayan border. Indian officials have also grown concerned about China's presence in the Indian Ocean, which India sees as within its sphere of influence and which encompasses critical transit routes for shipments of Mideast oil to India as well as to China, Japan and the rest of East Asia. Beijing has bankrolled port construction in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and its navy has been more active in the region. China, for its part, has sought to improve economic relations with India. [...] As part of the U.S.'s strategic pivot to Asia, the U.S. has announced plans to shift a bulk of its naval assets to the region within the next decade and increase the number of military exercises it conducts. SOURCE - WSJ - here.

As usual, the US is in the midst of bickering and is making the most of the opportunities it affords.

Looks like there's some gang-gathering going on as well, and Japan's been deputised to form the Asian posse.

China's put up the cash for ports at Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which is impressive.

And the weird part:  US planning on shifting bulk naval assets to Asian region in next decade.