Events from the year 1777 in the United States.
January 2 – American Revolution – Second Battle of Trenton: George Washington's army fights the Second Battle of Trenton, New Jersey.
January 3 – American Revolution – Battle of Princeton: American general George Washington defeats British general Charles Cornwallis.
January 12 – Mission Santa Clara de Asís founded in what is now Santa Clara, California.
January 15 – Vermont declares its independence from New York, becoming the Vermont Republic, an independent country, a status it retains until it joins the United States as the 14th state in 1791.
January 20 - American Revolution: Battle of Millstone
April 13 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bound Brook: A British and Hessian force led by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis surprises a Continental Army outpost in New Jersey commanded by Major General Benjamin Lincoln.
April 27 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Ridgefield: A British invasion force engages and defeats Continental Army regulars and militia irregulars at Ridgefield, Connecticut.
May 16 – Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett shoot each other during a duel near Savannah, Georgia. Gwinnett, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, dies three days later.
May 17 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Thomas Creek.
May 23 – American Revolutionary War: Meigs Raid.
June 13 – American Revolution: The Marquis de Lafayette lands near Charleston, South Carolina to help the Continental Congress train its army.
June 14 – The Stars and Stripes is adopted by the Continental Congress as the flag of the United States.
June 26 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Short Hills
July 6 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Ticonderoga – After a bombardment by British artillery under General John Burgoyne, American forces retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, New York.
July 7 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Hubbardton – British forces engage American troops retreating from Fort Ticonderoga.
July 8
The Constitution of Vermont is adopted. This constitution was the first in what is now the territory of the United States to prohibit slavery, grant suffrage to non-landowning males, and require free public education.
American Revolutionary War: Battle of Fort Anne.
July 31 – The U.S. Second Continental Congress passes a resolution that the services of 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."
August 2–23 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Stanwix.
August 6 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Oriskany – Loyalists gain a tactical victory over Patriots; Iroquois fight on both sides.
August 13–14 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Machias.
August 16 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Bennington – British forces are defeated by American troops.
August 22 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Staten Island.
September – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Henry.
September 3 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Cooch's Bridge – In a minor skirmish in New Castle County, Delaware, the flag of the United States was flown in battle for the first time.
September 11 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Brandywine: The British gain a major victory in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
September 16 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Clouds.
September 19 – American Revolutionary War: First Battle of Saratoga: Battle of Freeman's Farm – Patriot forces withstand a British attack at Saratoga, New York.
September 21 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Paoli.
September 26 – American Revolutionary War: British troops occupy Philadelphia.
September 27 – Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the capital of the United States for one day.
October 4 – American Revolution – Battle of Germantown: Troops under George Washington are repelled by British troops under Sir William Howe.
October 5-November 25 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Red Bank.
October 6 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery: British troops capture Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery (Hudson River) and are able to dismantle the Hudson River Chain.
October 7 – American Revolution – Second Battle of Saratoga: Battle of Bemis Heights: British General John Burgoyne is defeated by American troops.
October 17 – American Revolution – Battle of Saratoga: British General John Burgoyne surrenders to the American troops.
November 15 – American Revolution: After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation in the temporary American capital at York, Pennsylvania.
November 17 – The Articles of Confederation are submitted to the states for ratification.
November 25 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Gloucester
November 29 – San Jose, California is founded. It is the first pueblo in Spanish Alta California.
December 5–8 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of White Marsh
December 11 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Matson's Ford
December 18 – The United States celebrates its first Thanksgiving as a nation, marking the victory by the Americans over General John Burgoyne in the Battle of Saratoga in October.
December 19 – American Revolution: George Washington's Continental Army goes into winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
March 17 – Roger Brooke Taney, Politician, Lawyer and Judge (died 1864)
April 12 – Henry Clay, United States Senator from Kentucky 1806-1807, 1810-1811, 1831-1842 and 1849-1852. (died 1852)
July – Thomas Clayton, United States Senator from Delaware from 1824 till 1827 and from 1837 till 1847. (died 1854)
Date Unknown:
William Bellinger Bulloch, United States Senator from Georgia in 1813. (died 1852)
Jesse B. Thomas, United States Senator from Illinois from 1818 till 1829. (died 1853)
January 12 – Hugh Mercer, soldier and physician (born 1726)
May 19 – Button Gwinnett, 2nd Governor of Georgia in 1777 (born 1735)
September 22 – John Bartram, botanist, horticulturalist and explorer (born 1699)
1777 in the United States Wikipedia (Text) CC BY-SA