Steady As She Goes
This Week in 1776, #16
“This Week in 1776” is an ongoing almanac of events from the American Revolution, mostly political and military in nature. I drew on these very loosely for my Engines of Liberty series of YA novels.
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For the second week in a row, things are relatively calm on the military front. Down in North Carolina, the Fourth Provincial Congress unanimously adopts the aforementioned Halifax Resolves, finalizing a process begun last week. They assert their independence from Britain, along with the right to form their own constitution and laws. Other states would follow their example in the coming months.
George Washington arrives in New York City and sets out to fortify the place just like he did in Boston, hoping for a repeat victory. It’s all military logistics, which can seem boring but it forms a crucial part of battlefield success.
Meanwhile, off the coast of Virginia, a 16-gun Continental ship Lexington captures a British sloop, the HMS Edward, which had a similar complement of firepower. The battle lasted around four hours off the Virginia Capes. Much like the Patriot success at Moore’s Creek Bridge, this provided a morale boost, which would spread even farther than the tangible victory of the ship’s capture.
People needed to believe in the idea, and for that, they needed to see wins. Congress’s decision to legalize privateering was already returning dividends.
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