What Else Happened In 1776?

Widening the narrow view of this important year

(Public domain)

In the United States, the year 1776 is extremely important. It is the year that the nation was born in the words of the Declaration of Independence. It is also the year that saw the Revolutionary War tick up a notch and become more intense and widespread than it had been in 1775. The powerful magnetic draw of the American Revolution has shrunk the year so that it is only associated with these events.

But the world is a large place, and more was going on than just the American Revolution.

Here are some other notable things that happened in 1776 not related to the American Revolution.

Famous Books

Adam Smith (Public domain)

• The first volume of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is published by Edward Gibbon. It is a seminal work that will shape generations of thinkers and historians. (I have a copy on my bookshelf today.)
• Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations in London. Another seminal work that will go on to be a foundation for generations of thinkers and educators for centuries. The Wealth of Nations gives us the…