A Day in United States History: 366 Days in History Series, #1

By Paul R. Wonning

Written in a "this day in history," format, this collection of North American colonial history events includes 366 history stories. The historical collection of tales includes many well-known as well as some little-known events in the saga of the United States. The easy to follow "this day in history," format covers a wide range of the people, places and events of early American history.

Diverse Historical Stories

Learn about the establishment of the first public museum, the first magazine published in the colonies and the first protest against slavery. Readers will find tales about Benjamin Franklin, James Oglethorpe, Patrick Henry and Christopher Columbus.

Little Known Historical Events

Many little known events like Lord Berkley selling half of New Jersey to the Quakers, a slave revolt in New York and the 1689 Boston revolt.

This Day in History

The "this day in history," format includes 366 stories of United States history in every month of the year, allowing readers to read one interesting history tale a day for an entire year. It is a great introduction to history for children.

695 Pages

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mossy Feet Books
• Release date: Nov 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223734574

Paul R. Wonning

Publisher of history, gardening, travel and fiction books. Gardening, history and travel seem an odd soup in which to stew one's life, but Paul has done just that. A gardener since 1975, he has spent his spare time reading history and traveling with his wife. He gardens, plans his travels and writes his books out in the sticks near a small town in southeast Indiana. He enjoys sharing the things he has learned about gardening, history and travel with his readers. The many books Paul has written reflect that joy of sharing. He also writes fiction in his spare time. Read and enjoy his books, if you will. Or dare.

Book preview

Colonial American History Journal - Book 1

January Table of Contents

January 1, 1673 - Regular Mail Delivery Begins

January 2, 1788 - Georgia Is Fourth State To Ratify the Constitution

January 3, 1777 - Washington Defeats British at Battle of Princeton New Jersey

January 4, 1725 - Benjamin Franklin Arrives In London

January 5, 1776 - Congress of New Hampshire Adopts Its First State Constitution

January 6, 1759 - George Washington Marries Martha Dandridge Curtis

January 7, 1698 - Fire Destroys Jamestown Virginia

January 8, 1790 - George Washington Delivers 1St State Of The Union Address

January 9, 1788 - Connecticut Becomes Fifth State to Ratify the Constitution

January 10, 1776 Common Sense By Thomas Paine Published

January 11, 1785 - Continental Congress Convenes In New York City NY

January 12, 1773 - First Public Museum Established in the American Colonies

January 13, 1733 - James Oglethorpe and 114 Colonists Arrive At Charleston, SC

January 14, 1639 - First Connecticut Constitution Adopted In Hartford, Connecticut

January 15, 1680 - French Explorer René Robert Cavelier Sieur De La Salle Builds Fort Crèvecoeur

January 16, 1493 Columbus Returns To Spain On His First Trip

January 17, 1821 -México Permits Moses Austin & 300 Us Families To Settle In Texas

January 18, 1778 Captain James Cook Discovers the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands)

January 19, 1770 Battle of Golden Hill (Lower Manhattan)

January 20, 1778 - First American Military Court Martial Trial Begins

January 21, 1677 - First Medical Publication In America

January 22, 1690 - Iroquois Tribes Renew Allegiance to British Against French

January 23, 1789 - Georgetown 1St Us Catholic College Founded

January 24, 1764 Governor Winthrop Telescope Is Destroyed In A Harvard Fire

January 25, 1787 - Shay's Rebellion Fails to Capture Federal Arsenal at Springfield MA

January 26, 1662 - First American Lime Kiln Begins Operation (Providence RI)

January 27, 1824 Ben Franklin Expresses Unhappiness Over The Eagle As America's Symbol

January 28, 1808 Messenger, America’S First Trotting Horse, Was Buried On This Day

January 29, 1802 - John Beckley Of Virginia Appointed First Librarian Of Congress

January 30, 1781 - Articles Of Confederation Ratified By 13Th State Maryland

January 31, 1620 - Virginia Colony Leaders Request More Orphans for Workers

Colonial American History Journal - Book 1

Paul R. Wonning

January 1, 1673 - Regular Mail Delivery Begins Between New York and Boston

The first roads on the British Colonies followed Amerindians trails. The colonists used these ancient trails, widening and expanding them. Mail service during early colonial times was infrequent, uncertain and mostly within the colony. The first mail carriers were family members, friends and sometimes Amerindians. The first mail deliverers were post riders that delivered this mail. Colonial governments hired these post riders to deliver the mail. These Post riders were independent contractors who delivered mail in designated areas.

Post Roads

Residents of towns that received mail service had to travel to a central location to pick up their mail. This location was usually the town’s general store. The term post road originated to designate the early mail delivery routes. Since the post riders had to maintain a tight schedule to deliver mail on time, a system of mile markers developed along these roads. The markers served to inform them of their progress along the road. Many of these mile markers still exist along the older post roads. Many of these post roads later became the first major highways in the United States.

The First Mail Service

Francis Lovelace, governor of New York, instituted the first inter-colony mail service. The service did not last long, but the route became known as the Old Boston Post Road. Modern US 1 follows this route, the upper portion of which followed an earlier Amerindian route, the Pequot Path.

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January 2, 1788 - Georgia Is Fourth State To Ratify US Constitution

The Convention that drafted the United States Constitution adjourned on Monday, September 17, 1787. Their business concluded they sent the controversial document out to the states for ratification. Nine of the thirteen states had to ratify the document before it could take effect.

Georgia’s Constitutional Convention Delegation

Georgia had elected six delegates to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Only four of these delegates actually went to the Convention. Of these, only two would sign the finished Constitution. These two delegates were Abraham Baldwin and William Few.

Ratification

The residents of the state elected twenty-five delegates to a special convention to consider the document. One of these delegates, William Few, had signed it in Philadelphia. On January 2, 1787, these delegates voted unanimously to ratify the new Constitution. In doing so, they became the fourth State, and first Southern state, to do so. The State named after King George II, an English king, had joined the Great Experiment.

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January 3, 1777 - Washington Defeats British at Battle of Princeton New Jersey

The Battle of Princeton, New Jersey book ended the period historians call the The Ten Crucial Days. This period began with Washington's crossing of the Delaware River ten days before. The battle was General Washington's first field victory of the war. It also drove the British from New Jersey for the duration of the Revolutionary War.

British Superiority

The victories at Trenton, New Jersey, in December had buoyed the spirits of Washington's cold, hungry army. The uplifted spirits did not change the fact that the British were superior in both numbers and training.

Doubt Plagues the Colonies

News of General Washington's victories at Trenton reached British General Charles Cornwallis. The victories concerned him. He moved 8000 trained troops into New Jersey to bag Washington's 5000 man force. Attempting to attack a superior force, General Washington knew, was folly. But he also knew he needed another victory to bolster the American cause. Doubt about the success of the revolution dogged the colonies due to the string of early British victories.

Deception

Washington surmised that General Cornwallis would guess that he would attempt escape. His scouts found the troops Cornwallis had deployed to prevent Washington from crossing the Delaware River. General Washington assigned a force of 500 men to keep the campfires burning in the army’s camps. This fooled British soldiers into thinking that the American army was still in camp. Then, after wrapping the wagon wheels in sacks to muffle them, he marched his army around the flank of the British army.

Victory

By morning of January 3, Washington's army had marched the twelve miles to the rear of the British Army. Then he attacked the surprised rear guard, which the Continentals outnumbered five to one. After what historians regard as one of the fiercest fights of the war, the British fled. American General Hugh Mercer died in an attack during which he and his command were attempting to destroy a bridge. The oak tree called the Mercer Oak stands at the spot he fell. He died of his wounds ten days later at The Clarke House. Visitors will find both the tree and the house in Princeton Battlefield State Park.

Rising Hope

In the aftermath of the victory the colonies spirits rose. Maybe, just maybe they could defeat the British and gain their cherished goal, independence. Army enlistments rose after the battle along with Washington's chance at ultimate victory.

Princeton Battlefield State Park & Thomas Clark House

500 Mercer Road

Princeton NJ 08540-4810

[phone]

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January 4, 1725 - Benjamin Franklin Arrives In London

At seventeen years old, Benjamin Franklin traveled from New Jersey to Philadelphia. Penniless, disheveled and wet, he entered the city. His future wife, Deborah Reed remembered seeing him as he arrived, thinking him an odd-looking vagabond.

Printer Extraordinaire

Ben found work as an apprentice printer at one of the two print shops in the city. It was a fateful move as he excelled at the trade. His work was so exemplary that he caught the notice of the deputy governor of Pennsylvania, Sir William Keith. The governor encouraged Franklin to start a print shop. Ben traveled to Boston to ask his father for a loan, which his father denied. Sir William Keith then encouraged Ben to go to England to purchase printing equipment. The deputy governor gave Franklin a letter of introduction. Keith assured him it would be sufficient to garner financial backing in London.Franklin departed for England.

Deceived

Ben arrived on January 4, 1725. Broke, he tried in vain to garner support based upon the letter. During this time, he met an American merchant named Thomas Denham. Denham had tried his hand in business in England and failed. He had migrated to America to escape creditors. While he was in America Denham managed to make a fortune. He had returned to England and thrown a party for his creditors in gratitude for their patience. The creditors thought that the party was the only payment they would get. To their surprise, each found a bank note for the full amount of the money Denham owed them under their plates.

Return to Philadelphia

Denham convinced Franklin that Keith had deceived him. He encouraged the young man to find work and save money so the two could return to Philadelphia together. He found work in the current Church of St Bartholomew-the-Great in the Smithfield area of London. The two men returned to America in 1727. After their return, Denham employed Franklin as clerk, bookkeeper and shopkeeper. Franklin did this until Denham's death in 1727.

Note: Many Day in History Listings note this event as happeing on December 23, 1724. This date is also correct, but is the Old Style date. The confusion over dates arises from the British switch to the Gregorian calendar on September 2, 1752.

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January 5, 1776 - Congress of New Hampshire Adopts Its First State Constitution

The ferment created by the Boston Tea Party in 1773 caused repercussions throughout the colonies. After the Tea Party, the British closed Boston's harbor. Needing a place to land more tea, the British used Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Royal Governor, Sir John Wentworth attempted to prevent a similar incident. He instructed the harbormaster to unload the ship in secret and hide it in the customs house. He accomplished this successfully.

Secret Plans

After Boston Harbor closed, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage had difficulty finding workers. He needed them to build barracks and other buildings needed by the arriving British Troops. This was in spite of the unemployment caused by the harbor's closing. Gage asked Wentworth to help in procuring workers. Someone exposed his secret plans and local revolutionaries denounced him as an enemy to the community.

Wentworth’s Expulsion

His popularity further eroded by his continuing activities aiding the Crown. By 1775, a dispute with the provincial assembly during the period of May through June 1775 tipped the scales. His actions resulted in an armed mob surrounding his house on June 13. Wentworth managed to escape to British protection at Fort William and Mary. His departure left New Hampshire without a government.

A Congress To Write a Constitution

At Continental Congress' urging, New Hampshire citizens elected an assembly to draft a constitution.This assembly, called a Congress, met at Exeter, New Hampshire from December 21, 1775 until January 5, 1776. On that date they voted to adopt the constitution they had drafted.

A New Government

The new Constitution was the first adopted by any of the Colonies, which until now had operated under Royal Charters. It set up a legislature with two houses, a Representative house and an Assembly. This legislature was to appoint all officials of the new entity. The Congress intended for this simple document as a temporary one. A new Constitution superseded it on June 2, 1784.

Experience Pays Off

The other colonies soon followed New Hampshire's lead. During the next several years, the various states wrote fifteen constitutions. This experience at constitution writing paid off. About half of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention participated in writing one of these state constitutions. The delegates experience in knowing what worked and didn’t work resulted in the enduring document we have today.

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January 6, 1759 - George Washington Marries Martha Dandridge Curtis

Ten months after their first meeting, George Washington married Martha Dandridge Curtis. The wedding occurred on January 6, 1759 at her home, The White House. They had spent less than twenty-four hours in mutual company.

Martha Dandridge Curtis

The first daughter of a Virginia planter, she came into the world on June 2, 1731, near Williamsburg, Virginia. As a girl, she loved riding horses, gardening, sewing, playing the spinet and dancing. Her father, John Dandridge, saw to it that she had a good education in basic mathematics, reading and writing. This was unusual for a girl in the Eighteenth Century. When she turned eighteen, wealthy planter, Daniel Parke Curtis, courted and married her on May 15, 1750. Together they had four children, two of which died in infancy. This was common in a time when only sixty percent of babies survived to adulthood.

The White House

They lived at the White House, an 18th-century plantation on the Pamunkey River in New Kent County, Virginia. The plantation house has not survived the ravages of time. Union General George B. McClellan burned the house on June 28, 1862 as Union Troops retreated during the Seven Days Battles. After the war, ended General W.F. Rooney Lee rebuilt the house. It burned down again in 1875. No one ever rebuilt it again.

Widowed

Mr. Curtis died suddenly of an illness in 1757. He left Martha a wealthy widow with two young children. She had 17,000 acres of plantation to run on five plantations and almost 300 hundred slaves to manage. As a widow, the death of her husband freed her from coverture. This legal status meant that a husband took over his wife's legal rights and obligations. Mr. Curtis' death meant that now Martha could own property and sign legal papers.

George Washington

The eldest son of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington, George was born on February 22, 1731. His birthplace was on the family plantation, Pope's Creek Estate. It is near Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Augustine had married once before and had two sons by his first wife, Jane Butler Washington. These older half brothers were Lawrence and Augustine. George spent most of his boyhood at Ferry Farm in Stafford County near Fredericksburg, Virginia. George inherited this farm in 1743 after his father died. His boyhood home on the farm had burned in 1740 and never rebuilt. One of George's brothers, Laurence, inherited another property along the Potomac River. He named it Mount Vernon after his commanding officer, Admiral Edward Vernon.

Laurence entered the role of father for young George after the death of their father. He received an elementary education. He briefly considered entering the Royal Navy, an idea nixed by his mother. Laurence managed to get George appointed official surveyor for Culpeper County. This well paid position allowed George to find choice tracts of land, allowing him to purchase them. He acquired tracts in the Shenandoah Mountains because of this position.

Laurence’s Death

In 1751, Laurence contracted tuberculosis. He and George traveled to Barbados for Laurence's health, which did not improve. While there, George contracted smallpox. He recovered, now with immunity to the disease. Laurence died in 1752, bequeathing Mount Vernon to his wife, Anne. George would lease Mount Vernon from 1754 until Laurence’s widow died in 1763,

Adjutant General

Virginia created four Adjutant General Offices from Laurence's position after his death. Lieutenant governor Robert Dinwiddie appointed George to one of these four new offices.

Martha and George Meet

It was this position that taught him the art of war, which he found he excelled at during the French and Indian War. He rose in command to Colonel of the Virginia Regiment and Commander in Chief of all forces now raised in the defense of His Majesty's Colony. He longed for a commission in the British Army, a desire never fulfilled.

He was on leave from his military duties in Williamsburg in 1758 when he heard of widow Martha Dandridge Curtis. He traveled to her home at The White House where mutual friends introduced them on March 16, 1758.

Engagement and Marriage

Their courtship began, though another Virginia planter, Charles Carter, also paid court to her. They would meet one other time three weeks later and realized that they were meant for each other.George proposed and left for six months to complete his military obligations. During this time, they corresponded by letters, which Martha destroyed the bulk of after his death. He resigned his commission at the end of 1758. He had begun extensive renovations at the plantation house at Mount Vernon.They moved there after their marriage.

The marriage prospered through the tough times of the Revolution and his presidency until his death in 1799. She followed him in death in 1802.

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January 7, 1698 - Fire Destroys Jamestown Virginia

After its establishment in May of 1607, the colonists in Jamestown faced a harrowing existence. Salt poisoning from the briny river water they drank, dysentery and typhoid ravaged the men of the colony. The relationship with the surrounding native tribes ranged from hostility to reluctant friendship. There was the constant threat of attack by the Spanish, who often explored the area. Their arrival coincided with the beginning of a seven-year drought, thus adding to their difficulties.

A Commercial Venture

Since the settlement was primarily a commercial venture, the men had not expected to hunt or grow food. They expected provisions from England or trade for supplies with the local native tribes. These men did not wish to spend time hunting or growing crops. Additionally, the directive from the King that the first five years be an experiment in communal living had failed. They depended upon the exploration and scavenging ability of Captain John Smith, whom a few months earlier, they had condemned to death for accused insurrection. Only the intervention of Bartholomew Gosnold saved his life, but they kept him in shackles. They only released him upon discovery that his name was on a list of seven names, handpicked in England and placed in a sealed box. This list named him a member of the seven-member council that would lead the colony.

Progress

In spite of the difficulties, by January 1608 the men managed to build a storehouse, church, and several houses. They surrounded this settlement with a log palisade for protection from the Spanish and the native tribes.

Capture

Captain John Smith engaged in frequent explorations of the area surrounding them. He usually returned with corn and other foodstuffs acquired by trade or theft from the Algonquin tribes. It was on one of these missions that a party of Powhatan captured Smith after killing his two companions. The Powhatan chief threatened to kill Smith also. This was the fabled encounter with Pocahontas. Smith later claimed the eleven-year-old girl saved his life.

Return

They allowed him to return after agreeing to give the colonists food in exchange for iron hatchets and copper trinkets.

Condemned Again

When he returned, what remained of the population accused him of causing his companions death. The Council condemned him to death.

Supply Ship Returns

Captain Christopher Newport, after leaving the previous summer to gather supplies, returned. Captain Newport found a colony in collapse. Of the original 104 men, only 38 survived and of these, only ten were able to work. Disease and hunger had so weakened the rest that they could not walk. One of the leaders, John Smith, was under sentence of death and food was in short supply. His ship’s arrival with fresh supplies and a new contingent of colonists revived the colony.

Disaster

Then, on January 7, a few days after the ship arrived, disaster struck. A spark somewhere in the colony started a fire. It took little time for the fire to spread and consume the buildings, the new supplies and the fort.

Captain Smith again saved the colony by returning to the Powhatans and negotiating for food and supplies.

Perseverance

The colony persevered, rebuilding the buildings and the fort by spring. The colonists eventually elected Smith leader of the colony and it was his leadership that saved the colony.

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January 8, 1790 - George Washington Delivers 1St State Of The Union Address

Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution:

He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

The First Speech

As commanded by the new United State Constitution, the first President of the United States, George Washington, delivered the first State of the Union Address on January 8, 1790. The Constitution provides no concrete specifications for this address. It only specifies that it take place from time to time. Washington established the precedent of delivering his oral address to the First Congress. The Congress had assembled in joint session at the Federal Hall in the Senate Chamber in New York City. New York served at the first capital of the fledgling republic until 1790. It moved to Congress Hall in Philadelphia on December 6, 1790. The Federal Building in New York was demolished in 1812. The National Park Service operates the site now as the Federal Hall National Memorial.

Eleven States in the Union

By the time Washington gave the address, the State of North Carolina had just ratified the Constitution becoming the eleventh State to do so. North Carolina had previously rejected the document because it did not contain a Bill of Rights. After Congress rectified that, the state ratified.

Last Oral Delivery Until Roosevelt

His speech contains several recommendations to Congress on legislation they needed to consider. It also outlined some things it had already accomplished. Washington gave the speech annually to the assembled Congress. President Thomas Jefferson discontinued this practice as monarchical. He felt it to similar to the British king's Speech from the Throne. He had his State of the Union addresses hand delivered. The practice of written delivery continued until President Woodrow Wilson. He resumed delivery of an annual speech in 1913. In the interim, the address consisted of a written, often long, address. The term State of the Union did not arise until the 1934 address of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

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January 9, 1788 - Connecticut Becomes Fifth State to Ratify the Constitution

Connecticut played a crucial role in the drafting of the Constitution. Debate raged during the hot summer in Philadelphia. Delegates from large and small states locked in disagreement. Large states wanted proportional representation in the legislative assembly. Small states wanted equal representation. The arguments on both sides had merit and neither side would budge.

The Great Compromise

Connecticut’s delegates, Oliver Ellsworth, William Samuel Johnson, and Roger Sherman proposed a compromise. Their plan became known as the Great Compromise, sometimes the Connecticut Compromise. They proposed a bicameral, or two house, legislature. One house, a House of Representatives, would have proportional representation. The upper house, a Senate, would have equal representation.

Congressional Approval

The other states eventually accepted this compromise. The Constitution passed the Convention and sent it out to the states.

Distrust

In Connecticut, as in all the states, debates raged. Then, as now, the urban population and the agricultural population, divided on opposing lines. City merchants typically wanted a stronger federal government that would protect trade. Farmers distrusted a strong federal government and the additional taxes it might bring. They also feared that a new powerful new merchant-aristocracy class might form.

Ratification

Oliver Ellsworth addressed the Connecticut’s ratifying convention in Hartford on January 4, 1788.The Convention ratified the new constitution 128 - 40 on January 9, 1788.

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January 10, 1776 Common Sense By Thomas Paine Published

Few men were as influential to the cause of American independence as Thomas Paine. His forty-seven page pamphlet Common Sense, published in 1776, became the most read pamphlet in the colonies. Many historians feel that most of the 2.5 million Americans either read it, or had it read to them. Many estimate that printers published over 400,000 copies. Many newspapers at the time printed the entire text of the document.

Birth and Early Life

Francis Cocke Paine presented her husband Joseph Pain with a baby boy, Thomas, on January 29, 1736. After attending Thetford Grammar School, Thomas apprenticed to his father, a stay-maker. He was thirteen at the time. He later served a stint at sea, and then moved to Sandwich, Kent where he established a shop. He married Mary Lambert on September 27, 1759. She and her infant later died in childbirth. Thomas migrated back to Thetford, England after his business failed. He became a master stay maker and became involved in both church and politics. He lived in a room above Samuel Ollive and Esther Ollive's tobacco shop. Paine later married their daughter, Elizabeth in 1771.

Rough Times

Serving as an Excise Officer, Thomas advocated for better pay and working conditions. He published his first political pamphlet, The Case of the Officers of Excise, in 1772. On June 4, 1774, he separated from his wife. His business again failed and he faced financial ruin and debtor's prison. He migrated to London where a mutual friend introduced him to Benjamin Franklin who was in London at the time.

Emigration to America

Franklin recommended that he move to America and gave him a letter of recommendation. Paine took the advice and boarded a ship to Philadelphia in October 1774. He contracted typhus from contaminated drinking water on the ship. He arrived in Philadelphia more dead than alive. Franklin's physician met him at the dock, took him home and nursed him back to health. By 1775, he rose to become editor for the publication Pennsylvania Magazine. He had found his home, as he found he excelled at publishing.

Common Sense

During this period, pamphlets were the most popular way of disbursing ideas. With revolution brewing in the air, Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense. First titled Plain Truth, future Founding Father Benjamin Rush helped him edit and publish it. Rush convinced him to change the title to Common Sense. Paine first published it anonymously as the content was treasonous. In this period, most Americans still thought of themselves as aggrieved Britons. After Common Sense swept through the colonies, that thinking changed. Many began thinking of themselves in a different light.

He Develops His Ideas

He divided the ideas conveyed in Common Sense into four sections. The first section describes the difference between society and government. He describes how people form a society. They then devise government to deal with complex issues that arise when people form into larger groups. The second section deals with his theory of all men born equal. Using theology, he debates that the distinction between monarchs and commoners is unnatural. The third section describes the state of affairs between Britain and the Colonies in 1776. Paine develops his model of an ideal government in this section also. The last section contains some general thoughts and views on how America could rise to rival Britain.

Huge Role in Independence

Common Sense played a huge role in public debate about independence, subdued before publication. Common Sense brought the debate out into the open. Though the pamphlet did not influence the Continental Congress, it did aid it in making the case for Independence. Six months later the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence.

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January 11, 1785 - Continental Congress Convenes In New York City NY

During the Articles of Confederation, the Congress of the Confederation still referred to itself as the Continental Congress. The seat of government moved several times during this period. Initially it met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from March 1, 1781 to June 21, 1783. From June 30, 1783 to November 4, 1783, it met at Nassau Hall, in Princeton, New Jersey. Its next home was in Annapolis, Maryland from November 26, 1783 to August 19, 1784 at the Maryland State House. The French Arms Tavern, in Trenton, New Jersey served as the nation's capital from November 1, 1784 to December 24, 1784.

New York Federal Hall

The last home of the Congress of the Confederation was at Federal Hall in New York, New York. It would meet at that location from January 11, 1785 until March 2, 1789. It then dissolved itself to allow the new Congress of the United States to form a government.

Six Presidents

Six Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled (USCA) led the Congress during this period. These men were:

Richard Henry Lee

John Hancock

Nathaniel Gorham

Arthur St. Clair

Cyrus Griffin

Last Home of the United States in Congress Assembled

Federal Hall, constructed between 1699 and 1702, stood on the corner of Wall and Nassau Streets. Its first use was to house the New York City government. In 1763, the building underwent extensive remodeling. The USCA opened deliberations in what had served as the New York Supreme Court. A school occupied the room next door. The sound of the students reciting interrupted the proceedings of Congress. The school moved after the Congressional delegates complained of the noise.

Dissolution

The delegates debated many pieces of important legislation in that hall. The Northwest Ordinance that opened up an area that would become five states came into being here. The delegates also debated the Constitution of 1787 in the hall. On October 10, 1788, the Congress formed a quorum for the last time. It would meet sporadically after that, fail to achieve quorum, and adjourn. The last date the USCA met was on March 2, 1788 with one member, Philip Pell, in attendance. Pell, an ardent anti-Federalist and opponent of the new Constitution, adjourned. His exit left the hall open for the new Congress to convene on March 4, 1788.

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January 12, 1773 - First Public Museum Established in the American Colonies

Members of the Charleston Library Society established the Charleston Museum on January 12, 1773. The British Museum, established in 1753, served as an inspiration for its establishment.

Charleston Library Society

The Charleston Library Society began serving Charleston in 1748. It is the third oldest library in the United States. Only the Library Company of Philadelphia (1731) and the Redwood Library and Athenaeum of Newport, Rhode Island (1747) are older. At a meeting on June 13, 1748, seventeen Charleston citizens contributed ten pounds sterling to buy land for a library. By December, the project had advanced far enough for them to begin acquiring books. By 1773, the Library was ready to tackle another ambitious project.

Charleston Museum

A fire in 1778 destroyed most of the museum's original collection. By 1852, the Museum had rebuilt the collection for scientist Louis Aggasiz to declare it one of the finest in America. The Museum closed for a time during the disruptions of the Revolutionary War.By the 1790's the museum had resumed operations and collections of artifacts. The museum again had to close during the American Civil War but again reopened after the conflict. It opened to the public in 1824. The Charlestown Museum operates three other sites:

Joseph Manigault House

Heyward-Washington House

Dill Sanctuary

Joseph Manigault House

Built in 1803, this antebellum mansion on Mission Street is a fine example of Federal period architecture. The home is open to the public.

Heyward-Washington House

A Georgian-style double house constructed in 1773, this home served as the home of Thomas Heyward. Heyward was one of South Carolina's four signers of the Declaration of Independence. President George Washington stayed in the house for a week in 1791 when he stayed in Charleston.

Dill Sanctuary

Owned by the Charleston Museum, the Sanctuary is on James Island. The only visitors permitted are participants in one of the Museums educational programs.

Charleston Museum

360 Meeting Street

Charleston, SC 29403

843-722-2996

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January 13, 1733 - James Oglethorpe and 114 Colonists Arrive At Charleston, South Carolina

After an eighty-eight day voyage, James Oglethorpe and a group of colonists landed at Charleston, South Carolina. They were en route to their task of establishing the new colony of Georgia.

James Oglethorpe (1696-1785)

The third son of Sir Theophilus and Lady Eleanor Wall Oglethorpe and James Edward Oglethorpe entered the world on June 1, 1689 at Westminster, England. He attended Corpus Christi College after his admission in 1714. He later served with distinction in the British army. After retiring from the military, he won a seat on Parliament in 1722. His father and two older brothers had previously held this seat and his sons would occupy it later on.

Prison Reform

After a close friend died in debtor's prison from smallpox, Oglethorpe began a movement for prison reform. He secured appointment as chairman of a parliamentary committee to investigate prison conditions. During the investigation the deplorable conditions inmates lived he discovered appalled him. It further distressed him that many English faced imprisonment because they had incurred debt. He became involved with John Lord Viscount Percival, a member of the committee. They thought they could establish a colony in the New World to help the worthy poor. Their idea was that with the right opportunity the poor could become farmers, merchants, and artisans.

The Charter

In 1732 King George II granted Oglethorpe and 21 other trustees a charter to establish a colony for the use of debtors and other poor persons all the country between the Savannah and the Altamaha Rivers, and as far westward as they might choose to go."

Gathering the Colonists

Practicality replaced charity as Oglethorpe and the other trustees began interviewing prospective colonists. Instead of debtors, they interviewed carpenters, tailors, bakers, farmers, merchants and other skilled people. By the time they had gathered their 114 men, women, and children not one debtor gained a berth. In November 1732, the group gathered at Gravesend on the River Thames. Here they boarded the ship Anne on November 16, 1732 and sailed for the New World. The Anne contained tools, provisions and other implements needed for a life in the wilderness.

Arrival

The group arrived at Charleston on January 13, 1733. They stayed in Charlestown for several days as Oglethorpe consulted with Governor Robert Johnson. From a base at Fort Royal, South Carolina, Oglethorpe and a band of Carolina Rangers searched for a place to establish a colony. By early February, they were ready to sail to the site they picked and found the thirteenth, and last, colony.

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January 14, 1639 - First Connecticut Constitution

The Fundamental Orders of 1639 are often referred to as the first Constitution in the Colonies. The State's nickname Constitution State refers to The Orders as its origin. Legal scholars dispute this, as the document does not set up a true constitutional form of government.

The document did provide the first governmental framework written by a representative body in the colonies.

Three Towns

During 1635 - 1636, a sect of Congregationalists broke away from the Massachusetts colony. These settlers established three towns along the Connecticut River, Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford. Thomas Hooker, an influential preacher, was the leader of the group that broke away.

Reverend Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 – July 7, 1647)

Known as the Father of Connecticut, Thomas Hooker was an influential leader in the early colonial period. He received degrees at Queen's College and Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1608. Then he earned his Masters of Arts in 1611. Education completed, he went on to take a post at Esher parish in Surrey, England. Disagreements with church leaders brought him before Court of High Commission in 1629. He fled to Rotterdam, Netherlands, and then to the Massachusetts colony aboard a ship called the Griffin. He settled in Newtown and took a post at The Church of Christ at Cambridge. Some of the members of that church may have been members of his church in England. Nonetheless, this congregation soon became known as Mr. Hooker's Company.He dissented with the Puritan leaders over the limiting nature of voter suffrage. Seeking more freedom, he influenced many members of his flock to follow him to form a new settlement.

Hartford

Thomas Hooker and a group of 100 followers from his church migrated into unsettled land in current Connecticut. The band founded Hartford in 1635 in a favorable site along the Connecticut River. Hartford would form associations with two other nearby towns, Windsor and Wethersfield.

Windsor

Originally called Dorchester, the first settlers founded it at the junction of the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers in 1633. Dorchester is the oldest English settlement in Connecticut. In 1637, the town's general court renamed the settlement Windsor.

Wethersfield

Settled in 1634 along the Connecticut River, the town competes with Windsor for first town status. The first settlers were a Puritan settlement party. Known as the 10 Men the group included Puritan leaders John Oldham, Robert Seeley and Nathaniel Foote.

Loose Association of Three Towns

These three grapevines on the State Flag of Connecticut represent these three towns. They formed a loose association. Each sent magistrates and representatives to a meeting to make decisions periodically. The need for a more formal arrangement soon became clear.

The Sermon

On May 31, 1638, Thomas Hooker delivered a sermon that contained the phrase.

He said, The foundation of authority is laid firstly in the free consent of people.

At a time when most of the world's people lived under kings, emperors and tsars this was a revolutionary concept. Hooker and his fellow Puritans lived their lives by the bible and he took his inspiration from it. He believed that God granted people the right to choose the people that governed them. He also believed that they had the right to place limits on that power. In that time, ordinary people had no voice in the laws that governed them.

Fundamental Orders of 1639

Taking inspiration from the concept, lawyer Roger Ludlow drafted a governing document. This document has become known as the Fundamental Orders of 1639. Probably assisted by John Haynes, Edward Hopkins, and John Steel the group worked in secret perfecting it.The general council accepted the document in Hartford on January 14, 1639. The Fundamental Orders served as the governing document until 1662 when the colony received a Charter.

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January 15, 1680 - French Explorer René Robert Cavelier Sieur De La Salle Builds Fort Crèvecoeur

On November 22, 1643, Catherine Geeset birthed a son, René Robert Cavelier. The boy entered the world in St. Herbland parish, Rouen, France. His father, Jean Cavelier, was a wealthy wholesale merchant. René Robert Cavelier gained the title, La Salle, from a family estate near Rouen.

The boy at first studied to be a priest. He entered the Jesuit College, forfeiting his inheritance in the process. However, the life of adventure beckoned him and he abandoned his education.

Trading Post

His brother, Jean, had settled in New France in 1665 with the order of St. Sulpice.René followed him in 1666. He obtained a land grant from the Sulpicians. The land was north of Montreal and he established a fort and trading post that became quite successful.

Search for the Vermilion Sea

Through his dealings with the Indian tribes, he learned of lands to the west that intrigued him. He became obsessed with finding a passage west that would lead to the Vermilion Sea, or Pacific Ocean. Obsessed with the idea of finding the Pacific, he sold his land and holdings back to the Sulpicians. He outfitted his first expedition in 1670. This expedition consisted of twenty-four men and some canoes. The men traveled west on the St. Lawrence River, traversing Lakes Erie and Ontario.The exact route of this expedition from this point on is unknown. They made their way south, eventually reaching the Falls of the Ohio on the Ohio River. Here his men mutinied and returned to Canada. La Salle attempted to explore further on his own, gave up and returned to Canada. He and his group became the first Europeans to see the Ohio River. Some historians dispute that he actually arrived at the river.

Builder of Forts

He dreamed of extending New France. He desired to build a system of forts to expand France's dominions into the Mississippi and Ohio River Valley. He began another expedition on August 7, 1679. This expedition set forth from Niagara on a ship he had built, Le Griffon. This was the first ship to travel on the Great Lakes. It followed a course up Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron. It continued down the length of Lake Michigan. Crossing lower Illinois, the expedition, after many difficulties, reached the Mississippi. By January 15, they reached Starved Rock on the Illinois River. On this spot, he established Fort Crèvecoeur. The site is now a state park, Fort Crevecoeur.

The Louisiana Territory

There, on April 9, 1682 he reached its mouth and becoming the first European to travel the length of the Mississippi. During this voyage, La Salle claimed the entire Mississippi basin for the French Crown. The king later expanded this claim to the entire Mississippi River Watershed Basin. The French established New Orleans to fortify the lower portion of the River. The lands he claimed on this voyage became known as the Louisiana Territory.

Fort Crevecoeur

301 Lawnridge

Creve Coeur, IL 61610

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January 16, 1493 Columbus Returns To Spain On His First Trip

After three months of exploring, Christopher Columbus departed the New World to return to Spain. He left behind the first European settlement in the Americas.

La Española

On December 5, 1492, Columbus and his crew made landfall on the island Columbus named La Española. The natives called this island Haiti. In the first Latin accounts, the writers changed Columbus' first name, La Española to Hispaniola. During the explorations of this island, the Santa Maria ran aground on December 25, 1492. They had to abandon it. The other ships could not hold the extra crew. Columbus negotiated with the local chieftain, Guacanagari, to allow the men to remain. After erecting a small fort, thirty-nine men occupied this first European outpost. They called it La Navidad.

Departure

By January 16, 1493, Columbus prepared to return to Spain. After leaving a promise to return, Columbus set sail in the remaining ships, the Pinta and the Nina. They departed from Samana Bay for the Azores.

The Voyage Back

The two ships battled a terrible North Atlantic storm on February 14. The storm separated the two ships and the crews of each ship thought the other had sunk in the storm. The ships reunited at the Azore islands a day later. Departing from the island of Santa Maria for Spain, Columbus and his crew encountered another storm. This one forced the ships into the harbor at Lisbon, Portugal on March 5, 1493. Columbus requested a meeting with the King of Portugal and received one, at Vale do Paraíso. After spending a week or so in Portugal, he departed for Barcelona, arriving there on March 15, 1493. The Spanish erected a 197-foot tall monument, the Monument a Colom, in 1888 to commemorate Columbus' return.

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January 17, 1821 -México Permits Moses Austin & 300 US Families To Settle In Texas

Moses Austin attempted to convince the Spanish government to allow American settlement in Texas. The Spanish governor, Antonio María Martínez rejected his initial request. He finally relented. He granted permission to Moses Austin to settle 300 American families there.

Moses Origins

Elias Austin and Eunice Phelps Austin enjoyed the birth of their new son, Moses, on October 4, 1761 in Durham, Connecticut. In 1785, Moses married Mary Brown. Mary's family was successful in the iron mining industry. Mary Brown produced a son on November 3, 1793. They named him Stephen Fuller Austin in honor of Moses’ brother and Mary's great uncle.

Business Man

In 1784, Moses and his brother Stephen formed a partnership and opened a dry goods store in Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, they opened a second store in Richmond, Virginia. In 1791, hoping to develop his own mining business, Moses developed lead mines in southern Virginia. The operation became successful.Area residents called he town that grew there Austinville and Moses Austin became the Lead King.

Failure

After the War of 1812, the economy collapsed and the various businesses failed.

Moses departed the area to avoid imprisonment for debt, heading for Spanish Louisiana. Once there, he developed lead mines in the territory and invested in the Bank of St. Louis. The Bank failed and again Moses was broke and in debt.

A Plan for Colonization

He envisioned a plan to settle Americans in the Spanish province of Tejas in an attempt to rebuild his fortune. In 1820, he traveled to San Antonio to petition the Spanish governor. The governor initially refused the petition. An old friend of Moses', Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, lived in San Antonio when Moses made his attempt. The governor and Felipe were also friends, and the Baron prevailed upon the governor to grant Moses the land. On January 17, 1821, the governor relented and granted Moses 200,000 acres of Texas land.

Death of Moses Austin

The news of his new acquisition thrilled him and Moses began his journey back to the United States. The wet, cold weather he encountered on his four-week trip back to his home in Missouri caused him to catch pneumonia. He died on June 10, 1821, two weeks after his return. His son, Stephen, carried on his father's plans of Texas colonization. Back to January Table of Contents

January 18, 1778 Captain James Cook Discovers the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands)

The marriage of James Cook and Grace Pace produced eight children, the most famous of which was James, born October 2, 1728. The family lived in Marton in Yorkshire, England. James' name appears in the baptismal records of St. Cuthbert church.

Early Life of James Cook

At sixteen, James moved to Staithes, England to apprentice to a grocer. This town is on the seacoast and here James first saw and fantasized about the sea. James was not a suitable grocer's apprentice. After eighteen months, the owner, William Sanderson, took the boy to John and Henry Walker. The Walkers were prominent ship owners and apprenticed James in their small merchant navy. During this apprenticeship, James studied algebra, geometry, trigonometry, navigation and astronomy. These were all skills he would use later in life as an explorer.

Royal Navy

His apprenticeship complete, James volunteered for the Royal Navy on June 17, 1755 at the beginning of the Seven Years War. His first posting, the HMS Eagle, he entered as a master's mate. He rose in rank, eventually achieving his first command, the Cruizer, in March 1756. In June 1757, he completed his master’s exams, qualifying him to command a ship of the King's fleet. He went on to further his navy career when he participated in the Conquest of Canada. During that conflict, England wrested control of Canada from the French during the years of 1758 – 1763.

The First Voyage of Discovery - 1768 – 1771

After mapping Newfoundland, the Royal Society engaged Cook to undertake his first discovery voyage. His voyage consisted of two parts, recording the transit of Venus across the sun. Once he completed this, he opened sealed orders. These instructed him to search for the southern continent of Terra Australis. Scholars had theorized since antiquity about this unknown continent. This land he did not discover, but he did map New Zealand's coastline. He became the first European to see the eastern coast of Australia. He also made the first recorded contact with indigenous Australians.

The Second Voyage of Discovery - 1772 – 1775

The Royal Society again commissioned him to discover Terra Australis. His ship, the HMS Resolution traveled with another ship, the HMS Adventure. They explored the area below the Anarchic Circle, becoming the first to do so. Fog obscured the seas and the ships separated. The Resolution returned to England. Though he came close to sighting Antarctica, he missed it and sailed north to Tahiti to re-supply his ship. A second attempt to find it was also unsuccessful, but he did discover several islands, many of which he claimed for England. He returned to England. Even though he did not discover Terra Australis, the voyage was a huge success and he gained much fame.

The Third Voyage of Discovery 1776 – 1779

This was his last voyage. His ostensible mission was to return to the south Pacific. The real mission was to discover the Northwest Passage. This fabled passage supposedly united the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through North America. It was during this voyage that he became the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, on January 18, 1778. He named them the Sandwich Islands after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, the First Lord of the Admiralty. The native Hawaiians never accepted this name and it has never stuck.

He sighted the island of Oahu on that January date and landed on the island of Kauai two days later. The Hawaiians greeted him as a sacred god or chief. They traded him a quantity of food and water for iron nails and other implements.

From Hawaii, Cook continued his explorations. He traveled next to the current area of Oregon and Washington to search for the fabled passage.

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January 19, 1770 - Battle of Golden Hill (Lower Manhattan)

The Battle of Golden Hill occurred on January 19, 1770 in New York City. It was in the northwest corner of current City Hall Park near Broadway, Warren and Chambers Streets. This clash was the first significant struggle in the days before the American Revolution. There were many factors leading up to this clash but the main ones were the Townsend Acts.

The Townsend Acts take their name from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Townsend. These acts, passed during the years 1765 through 1767. The two most objectionable to the Americans were the Quartering Act and the Townsend Duty Act.

Quartering Act

One of the precipitating factors was the British Parliament's passing of the Quartering Act in 1765. This Act, passed in March, was intended to pay for the costs of maintaining a standing army in the Colonies. The British reasoned that since the troops were there for the defense of the colonies, they should pay for them. The British had built up a large contingent of troops to fight the French and Indian War in the Colonies. If they brought them home, they would have to pay pensions to them. If they could keep them in active service, they could induce the Colonies to pay their expense, thus saving money. The Colonies viewed the troops with suspicion. They felt the troops were to ensure Colonial compliance with the unpopular acts by Parliament. The Act required the colonial assemblies to billet soldiers in taverns and unoccupied houses. They also had to provide the daily needs of the soldiers. The Act specified bedding, cooking utensils, firewood, beer or cider and candles. The colonies did not trust standing armies and relied upon militia for defense. The Third Amendment to the Constitution mirrors this act. It says, No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Townsend Duty Act

The previous Stamp Act had raised many protests in the Colonies and Parliament repealed it. The British Parliament still needed funds to pay the debt incurred by the French and Indian War. The Stamp Act had taxed legal documents, diplomas, almanacs, broadsides, newspapers and playing cards. These things, produced in the Colonies, led to protests that it was an internal tax that Parliament had no right to impose. Parliament repealed this Act. The Townsend Duty Act taxed paint, paper, glass, lead and tea imported into the colonies. Townsend considered this unobjectionable as these products were externally produced and imported into the colonies.

Sons of Liberty

The Sons of Liberty was an organization of men that arose in the years preceding the Revolutionary War. They arose to protect the rights of the colonists. They would take to the streets in to protest Acts of Parliament they felt infringed upon their rights. Their main objections were taxes that Parliament imposed. They believed them wrong because the Colonies had no representation there. Their motto became, No Taxation without Representation. One of their main ways of protest was to erect a Liberty Pole. in a public place, like a town square.

Liberty Pole

Typically, a Liberty Pole was a tall wooden pole with a Phrygian Cap on top. A Phrygian Cap was a cap worn by freed slaves in Rome. The symbol arose in 44 BC after the assassination of Emperor Julius Caesar. A Liberty Pole marked a meeting place of the Sons of Liberty and was a symbol of their protests. British troops frequently cut these poles down, which was a highly provocative act.

Battle of Golden Hill

Tensions rose during the years after the French and Indian War. Parliament imposed these and other taxes along with other Acts that were unpopular with the Colonists. New York was a hotbed of protest. Scuffling incidents between British troops and colonists became common. On January 17, 1770, the British commander ordered a contingent of soldiers to cut down a Liberty Pole. Two days later, on January 19, colonists abducted a group of British soldiers. Some of the soldiers in the group escaped and ran to their barracks to warn the other soldiers. These soldiers issued forth to rescue their compatriots.

The soldiers arrived to rescue their fellows to find a growing mob, some armed with clubs and cutlasses. The soldiers fixed bayonets at the ends of their rifles. This was a bad sign to the gathered mob. They retreated to a nearby field the locals called Golden Hill. The mob continued to taunt the soldiers. The officer in command gave the order, Soldiers, draw your bayonets and cut your way through them.

The battle that ensued caused no casualties. Several soldiers and colonists received wounds. It increased tension between the British and the colonists. A few months later the Boston Massacre would create more.

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January 20, 1778 - First American Military Court Martial Trial Begins

The oldest son of Samuel and Elizabeth Cheever Henley, David, was born on February 5, 1749 in Cambridge, MA.

Continental Army Officer

Henley served in several capacities in the Army during and after the American Revolution. It was during his tenure as Prisoner Of War Commandant in Cambridge that the court-martial occurred. The British prisoners from the Battle of Saratoga came under his jurisdiction. One of the prisoners proved insolent and uncooperative. Henley stabbed the prisoner, an offense for which he was court-martialed.

The Trial lasted from January 20, 1778, to February 25, 1778. He was acquitted of charges.

He went on to serve as an intelligence officer for General George Washington. Washington later appointed him as an agent of the Department of Warin 1793. While serving as a clerk in the War Department he died, on January 1, 1823.

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January 21, 1677 - First Medical Publication In America

It is no accident that the first medical publication written in Colonial America concerned smallpox. The disease ravaged Europe and the colonies in the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Centuries.

Smallpox

Smallpox was a disfiguring disease at the least, and fatal in about twenty-five percent of cases. It has incubation from time of infection to the first symptoms of about nine to twelve days. Primary symptoms include headache, backache, chills, fever and nausea. As the disease advances convulsions, delirium, fever and pain afflict the victim. After a few days, the smallpox rash appears, first in the mouth, then the face, upper back, chest, and then arms and legs. It can attack the internal organs. The rash evolves into pimples, blisters, pustules, and then scabs. A virus called variola, a member of the poxvirus family, causes the disease. It is a disease of humans; animals do not get it. It is extremely contagious.

Smallpox Epidemics

Smallpox epidemics can ravage an entire community in days. It can kill a large portion of the population and leave survivors weak and disfigured. The American Indians had no exposure to the disease before Europeans arrived. Their suffering from the disease was devastating with entire villages wiped out. Smallpox leaves survivors disfigured, sometimes sterile, blind or with pockmarked faces. Smallpox can survive on objects for several hours. Not all people exposed will get it and some may only get mildly sick.

1677 Boston Epidemic in Boston

Ships carrying the disease arrived in Boston harbor from England. At the height of the outbreak, thirty people a day died from it.

A Brief Rule to guide the Common People

Reverend Thomas Thacher, the first minister of Boston's Old South Church, tried to help manage the disease. He wrote a pamphlet about smallpox. The pamphlet bore the title, "A Brief Rule to guide the Common People of New England How to order themselves and theirs in the Small Pocks, or Measles." He intended the 12 inch by 17-inch pamphlet to help deal with disease and calm the populace. Printer John Foster printed it. Thacher released a second version in 1702.

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January 22, 1690 - Iroquois Tribes Renew Allegiance to British Against French

The first war of what would be a series of four wars broke out in 1689 between the English in New York and French in Canada. This war, known as King William’s War began a series of wars that historians call the French and Indian Wars. Readers should not confuse this with the last war between France and England of the four, which we know as the French and Indian War. Historians use this name because of the important role the American Indian tribes played in the conflicts. In these wars, the various Indian tribes allied themselves with either France or Britain. It was on January 22, 1690 that the Iroquois League renewed its alliance with the British.

The Iroquois League

Known also as the Five Nations, the League comprised five Indian tribes. These were the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga and Seneca. These five tribes formed a powerful confederacy and dominated the eastern part of North America. Indian Tribes as far away as in the Ohio River Valley and Virginia felt the fury of their war parties. Most anthropologists feel the league formed between 1450 and 1600. Others contend it may have begun much earlier. The tribes mainly occupied territory along the southern shore of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River.

Part of a Wider War

This war, waged from 1689 to 1697, had an European theatre and a North American one. The war began when a group of English Protestant Parliamentarians deposed Catholic King James II in 1688. James fled to France. Parliament invited William and Mary from the Netherlands to take the throne, which they did in February 1689. King William joined the League of Augsburg. This was an alliance of between these countries:

Austria

Bavaria

Brandenburg

The Dutch Republic

England

The Holy Roman Empire

Ireland

The Palatinate of the Rhine

Portugal

Savoy

Saxony

Scotland

Spain

Sweden

These nations united against France. The name War of the Grand Alliance signifies the European portion of the war.

Tensions Between New England and Canada

Tensions between the English in New England and the French colonists in Canada