This Month in American Revolution History . . .

Ever wondered what happened on this month during the American Revolution? Covering the years from 1764 to 1784.

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The month of April . . .

April 1764 . . .
5th: In Revenue Act, British Parliament asserted its authority to levy duties on colonial trade to raise revenue in order to defray expenses of defending and securing British Empire.
April 1770 . . .
12th: Parliament repealed all Townshend Revenue Act duties except tax on tea.
April 1775 . . .
15th: In Boston, 23 flank (light infantry and grenadier) companies of 11 British regiments then composing garrison went detached, ostensibly for separate training.
18th: In late evening, British assembled flank companies in Boston for expedition to destroy colonial stores at Concord, and Paul Revere and William Dawes set out with this news to arouse militia and minutemen of towns along and surrounding line of march.
19th: In battles of Lexington, Concord, and during British retreat to Boston, about 4,000 patriot minutemen and militia and about 1,800 British troops were engaged, sustaining losses totaling about 95 on patriot side and 270 on British. Lexington and Concord marked transition from agitation to armed rebellion, and  patriot propagandaist versions of action did much to cement popular sentiment in 13 colonies behind armed rebellion.
19th: Secret committee in Charleston, South Carolina, seized mail arriving on British packet ship Swallow disclosing intentions of British Government to coerce colonies into submission. This action gave timely warning to patriots in Carolinas and Georgia, and disclosed to Second Continental Congress first clear evidence of British intentions.
20th: Massachusetts Committee of Safety, acting on behalf of Provincial Congress, called out entire militia of colony.
20th-21st: When Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore (John Murray) seized provincial powder supply at Williamsburg, open fighting with patriots was barely averted.
21st: Patriots in Charleston, South Carolina, seized all powder from public magazines.
25th: People of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after hearing news of Lexington and Concord, agreed to associate "for the purpose of defending with arms, their lives, their property, and liberty."
April 1776 . . .
6th: Congress, disregarding British navigation Acts and Prohibitory Act of December 1775, opened ports of United Colonies to trade of all nations, except for trade with British dominions and in British goods, and except also for import of slaves.
12th: Provincial government of North Carolina instructed its delegates in Continental Congress to vote for Independence - first of new governments of United Colonies to do so.
13th: General Washington arrived in New York, to whichbulk of Continental forces that had besieged Boston had already been moved.
April 1777 . . .
13th: British force of 2,000 under Cornwallis attacked patriot outpost at Bound Brook, New Jersey, manned by 500 Continentals under command of General Benjamin Lincoln. Lincoln mangaed to extricate most of his force with loss of 35 or so.
14th: Congress approved establishment of magazine and laboratory in Sprigfield, Massachusetts, genesis of Springfield Arsenal and Springfield Armory.
25-28th: British raiding force of 2,000 from New York landed near Fairfield, Connecticut, and next day attacked and largely destroyed important patriot supply depot at Danburry, Connecticut, together with a number of dwellings. While unopposed at Danburry, raiding force was harried by militia on its return, at Ridgefield on 27th and at Compo Hill near its embaration point on 28th. Patriots killed and wounded in these actions totalled 80, British, 154.
April 1778 . . .
1st:

Still to go, April of 1778 to April of 1783.

Resource obtained from 'The War of the American Revolution' by Robert W. Coakley & Stetson Conn, Center of Military History.

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