1775
In a defining escalation, the British Parliament presented an address to King George III declaring that a state of rebellion existed in the province of Massachusetts Bay. This legal move authorized the use of force to suppress colonial resistance, effectively ending any lingering hopes for a peaceful resolution and making the Battles of Lexington and Concord almost inevitable two months later.
1776
In New York, the local Provincial Congress took steps to bolster the city's defenses against a rumored British naval arrival. This day marked a shift as local revolutionary committees began seizing control of military stores and formalizing their break from the royal governor’s authority.