Revolutionary War Historical Article
The American Revolution Month-by-Month May 1776
By Compatriot Andrew "Andy" Stough
Editor's Note: This article was reprinted by Permission of the Gold Country Chapter No. 7 of the CSSAR and was slightly Edited by the Sons of Liberty Chapter of the CSSAR.
May 1776 Chronology
May, 1776. Comte de Vergennes, France's newly installed Minister of Finance, saw support of the colonies as a great way for France to get some revenge against the detested English without another bloody war. In May, Vergennes set up the firm of Hortolez et cie. Soon thereafter from 1776-1777, under Caron de Beaumarchais, they purveyed over three quarters of the gunpowder used by the Continental Army. Blended by a fine scientist named; Lavoisier, the powder was of exceptional quality.
May 2, 1776. France and Spain each put up $185,000 for America to purchase munitions.
May 3. 1776. The armada, which had departed Cork February 13th, was disrupted by a storm and finally reassembled as a whole fleet minus a few smaller vessels.
May 15, 1776. The American Open Port Decree, the open port commanded by the colonists, was an invitation to other nations to do legitimate business in North American ports. Adams viewed this as a great way to allow other nations to shirk British might without going to war. He also foresaw that without a declaration of independence from England that such flagrant disregard of Mother England's rule and trading under her nose would be, in effect, an act of war against the British Decree of the Closed Port Authority so long as the colonies had not declared themselves.
The first bold moves had been made toward independence from Britain. The Crown disempowered itself by removing the American colonies from British protection,
the American Open Port Decree was allowing pugnacious ongoing trade and violent direct military action by Royal governors against his subjects in at least three colonies brought the situation to the point that Congress passed a resolve that each colony should consider itself without a government and like Massachusetts establish its own assembly.
May 31, 1776. All military and naval forces were placed under Sir Henry Clinton so he might restore British authority in Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. After he appointed trusted Loyalists in command, he was supposed to rejoin Howe's operations in the north, which would begin when the northern coast waters had their ice break up and weather make navigation practicable.
After the defeat at Moore's Bridge, Clinton lost heart and chose to move back into Chesapeake Bay. Sir Peter Parker urged Clinton to focus on a much more valuable mission, Charleston. The British fleet weighed anchor departing for Charleston. Almost immediately, bad weather intervened. Clinton and his fleet left Wilmington and put to sea.
References: Arthur Meier Schlesinger’’s “Almanac of American History”; John Alden’s “A History of the American Revolution”; Don Higginbotham’s “The War of American Independence”; A. J. Langguth’s “Patriots: The men who started the American Revolution”; Bruce and William B.Catton’s “The Bold and Magnificent Dream”; Robert Leckie’s “George Washington’s War”; Christopher Ward’s “The War of the Revolution”
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