1775
While still in London attempting to avert war, Benjamin Franklin published a satirical piece titled “An Imaginary Speech.” In it, he defended the courage and character of American colonists against British slurs that depicted them as cowards, underscoring the deepening cultural and political rift between the two nations.
1777
Near present-day Piscataway and South Plainfield, a significant skirmish erupted when British forces attempted to gather supplies. American militia and Continental troops ambushed a British forage party, resulting in a fierce firefight. These constant stabs at the British perimeter forced General Howe to keep his troops crammed into New Brunswick, where disease and hunger began to take a heavy toll.
From his winter headquarters at Arnold’s Tavern in Morristown, George Washington spent February 7 drafting orders to coordinate the various militia units harassing British outposts. His goal was to make the British occupation of NJ so “expensive” in terms of men and supplies that they would be forced to retreat to New York.
1778
In a major shift for the British war effort, General William Howe was replaced by Sir Henry Clinton as Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America. Howe’s resignation followed his failure to destroy George Washington’s army during the Philadelphia campaign.
1780
During the “Hard Winter” at Jockey Hollow, the New Jersey legislature worked on strengthening the militia laws. On this day, they focused on providing better equipment for the “Frontier Guard,” which protected Bergen and Essex counties from frequent Loyalist raids originating from British-held New York City.
1781
British and American forces clashed at Shallow Ford in Forsyth County, North Carolina. While the British secured a tactical victory, General Nathanael Greene’s Continental Army continued its successful strategic retreat, further exhausting Lord Cornwallis’s troops.
1783
Though taking place in Europe, this event was a direct consequence of the American Revolution’s expansion into a global war. On this day, French and Spanish forces finally lifted the Great Siege of Gibraltar after failing to capture the territory from the British. The resolution of this theater was a critical precursor to the final peace negotiations in Paris.