1772
First Partition of Poland
Russia, Prussia, and Austria signed treaties stripping Poland-Lithuania of nearly a third of its territory - Frederick taking the crucial West Prussian…
Gaspee Affair
Rhode Island merchants, annoyed by a zealous British customs schooner, rowed out at night and set the Gaspee on fire in Narragansett Bay.
Priestley Identifies Nitrous Oxide
Joseph Priestley, the Unitarian minister and radical, began systematically isolating gases in his Leeds home laboratory.
Somerset Case in English Courts
Lord Mansfield ruled that James Somerset, an enslaved man brought from Boston to London, could not be forcibly shipped to Jamaica - slavery was not recognized…
Daniel Boone Crosses Cumberland Gap
The North Carolina hunter, after years of prowling the Kentucky woods, began leading settler families through the Cumberland Gap and into the bluegrass…
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1772?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1772. The most significant is First Partition of Poland.
What era was 1772 part of?
1772 falls within the Enlightenment (1651-1800). Reason, revolution, and the first global wars.
Which regions saw notable events in 1772?
The events from 1772 span Europe and North America.