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.
August 31 » William Livingston, the first Governor of New Jersey, begins serving his first term.
September 7 » According to American colonial reports, Ezra Lee makes the world's first submarine attack in the Turtle, attempting to attach a time bomb to the hull of HMS Eagle in New York Harbor (no British records of this attack exist).
September 21 » Part of New York City is burned shortly after being occupied by British forces.
November 16 » American Revolutionary War: British and Hessian units capture Fort Washington from the Patriots.
December 19 » Thomas Paine publishes one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled "The American Crisis".
Christening day December 25, 1776
The temperature on December 25, 1776 was about 4.0 °C. Wind direction mainly north-northwest. Weather type: zeer betrokken. Source: KNMI
January 15 » American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present-day Vermont) declares its independence.
July 31 » The U.S. Second Continental Congress passes a resolution that the services of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette "be accepted, and that, in consideration of his zeal, illustrious family and connexions, he have the rank and commission of major-general of the United States."
October 4 » American Revolutionary War: Troops under George Washington are repelled by British troops under William Howe.
October 6 » American Revolutionary War: British forces capture Forts Clinton and Montgomery on the Hudson River.
October 22 » American Revolutionary War: American defenders of Fort Mercer on the Delaware River repulse repeated Hessian attacks in the Battle of Red Bank.
December 16 » Virginia becomes the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation. [1]
Day of burial January 7, 1777
The temperature on January 7, 1777 was about 1.0 °C. Wind direction mainly south. Weather type: zeer betrokken. Source: KNMI
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Rob Vredeling, "Family tree Vredeling", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/stamboom-vredeling/I2011.php : accessed January 13, 2026), "Hendrik Dirksen (1776-1777)".
Copy warning
Genealogical publications are copyright protected. Although data is often retrieved from public archives, the searching, interpreting, collecting, selecting and sorting of the data results in a unique product. Copyright protected work may not simply be copied or republished.
Please stick to the following rules
Request permission to copy data or at least inform the author, chances are that the author gives permission, often the contact also leads to more exchange of data.
Do not use this data until you have checked it, preferably at the source (the archives).
State from whom you have copied the data and ideally also his/her original source.