January 1 » American Revolutionary War: Norfolk, Virginia is burned by combined Royal Navy and Continental Army action.
May 15 » American Revolution: The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence.
June 28 » American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Sullivan's Island ends with the American victory, leading to the commemoration of Carolina Day.
July 12 » Captain James Cook begins his third voyage.
September 11 » British–American peace conference on Staten Island fails to stop nascent American Revolutionary War.
December 7 » Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, arranges to enter the American military as a major general.
Day of burial December 20, 1776
The temperature on December 20, 1776 was about 5.0 °C. There was 4 mm of rainWind direction mainly west. Weather type: zeer betrokken. Source: KNMI
May 4 » Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III.
July 4 » American Revolution: The United States Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress.
July 8 » Church bells (possibly including the Liberty Bell) are rung after John Nixon delivers the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence of the United States.
October 11 » American Revolution: A fleet of American boats on Lake Champlain is defeated by the Royal Navy, but delays the British advance until 1777.
December 7 » Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, arranges to enter the American military as a major general.
December 19 » Thomas Paine publishes one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled "The American Crisis".
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Jim Joosten, "Emigranten", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/emigranten/I9863.php : accessed March 16, 2026), "Elisabeth de Gardeijn (1730-1776)".
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