1776
Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations
A Scottish moral philosopher published a long inquiry into how nations got rich.
Declaration of Independence
After Jefferson's draft was trimmed by committee (they cut his passage blaming slavery on the king), Congress adopted the Declaration.
Paine's Common Sense
A failed corset-maker lately arrived from England published a 47-page pamphlet in Philadelphia that argued, in prose a blacksmith could read, for total…
Washington Crosses the Delaware
On a sleet-lashed Christmas night, Washington ferried 2,400 men across ice-choked water and marched on Trenton.
Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
The first volume of Edward Gibbon's vast history appeared in London.
Virginia Declaration of Rights
George Mason drafted, and Virginia's convention adopted, a ringing declaration that all men were by nature free and independent, with inherent rights.
Bentham's Fragment on Government
A young London barrister named Jeremy Bentham published a cold attack on Blackstone's Commentaries, arguing that law should be judged only by its consequences…
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1776?
Saeculum lists 8 events from 1776. The most significant is Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations: A Scottish moral philosopher published a long inquiry into how nations got rich.
What era was 1776 part of?
1776 falls within the Enlightenment (1651-1800). Reason, revolution, and the first global wars.
Which regions saw notable events in 1776?
The events from 1776 span Europe and North America.