The world in
What happened in 1777?
14 events across 5 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Industrial Revolution
A transition in manufacturing processes that began in Great Britain around the 1760s and spread to continental Europe and the United States by about 1840. It was marked by the replacement of human and animal power with machinery and of handicraft with factory production, signaling a historic shift from agrarian to industrial society.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Caucasian War
The Caucasian War was a 19th-century conflict of conquest by the Russian Empire against various peoples of the North Caucasus, lasting from 1817 to 1864. Imam Shamil led fierce resistance, repeatedly repelling Russian attacks, until the fall of Gunib and his capture in 1859. The war ended with the final subjugation of the Circassians and the annexation of the region in 1864.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Russo-Circassian War
In 1763, the Russian Empire invaded Circassia and occupied Mozdok, prompting the Circassian people to organize a resistance movement to preserve their independence, marking the beginning of the Russo-Circassian War. This conflict became the longest war in the history of the Caucasus and of Russia, ending in 1864 with the defeat of Circassian forces.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Signing of the First Treaty of San Ildefonso
On 1 October 1777, Spain and Portugal signed the First Treaty of San Ildefonso at the Royal Palace of La Granja, fixing their colonial borders in South America. Portugal recognised Spanish sovereignty over present-day Uruguay while gaining the Amazon Basin; Spain withdrew from other areas it had conquered in southern Brazil. The treaty also adjusted control of certain islands in the Gulf of Guinea.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of the Naples National Archaeological Museum
In the late 18th century, the Naples National Archaeological Museum was founded, later becoming one of Italy's and the world's leading archaeological museums, housing Greco-Roman artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Foundation of Chesme Church
In 1777, Russian Empress Catherine the Great ordered the foundation of Chesme Church near Saint Petersburg, a small Orthodox memorial church commemorating Russia's victory over the Turkish fleet at the Battle of Chesma. Designed by Yury Felten, it stands adjacent to Chesme Palace, its striking red-and-white striped facade making it a rare example of Gothic Revival architecture in Russia.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Construction of the Tiefer Georg Adit begins
The Tiefer Georg Adit was begun in 1777 to drain the Upper Harz mines. Named after King-Elector George III, it was the longest and deepest drainage adit in the region at the time.
North America
- American Revolution
The American Revolution was a political and military struggle in the latter half of the 18th century, in which the Thirteen North American Colonies of Great Britain revolted against British rule and established the United States of America. The resistance began with colonial opposition to British taxation without parliamentary representation. The Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 opened the Revolutionary War, after which the Continental Congress created the Continental Army under General Washington. The Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. The decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781 forced Britain to negotiate, culminating in the 1783 Treaty of Paris that recognized American independence.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Battles of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga were a decisive engagement in the American Revolutionary War fought on September 19 and October 7, 1777. British General John Burgoyne led an army south from Canada, hoping to meet other forces near Albany, but they never arrived. Surrounded near Saratoga, New York, Burgoyne fought two battles and surrendered his entire army on October 17. The American victory persuaded France to enter the war as an ally, marking a turning point in the conflict.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Battle of Brandywine
In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army under George Washington and the British Army led by Sir William Howe clashed at Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania. The battle involved more troops than any other engagement of the war and lasted 11 hours, making it one of the longest single-day battles. The British victory forced the Continental Army to withdraw, ultimately leading to the abandonment of Philadelphia, the American capital at the time.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Battle of Princeton
During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army attacked British forces near Princeton, New Jersey, on January 3, 1777. This victory, together with the earlier Battle of Trenton, boosted patriot morale and led many recruits to join the Continental Army in the spring.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- First Anglo-Maratha War begins
In 1775, the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire went to war over a succession dispute. The Company backed the deposed Raghunathrao as peshwa, leading to intermittent, inconclusive fighting until 1782. The highly mobile Marathas avoided decisive defeat. It ended with the Treaty of Salbai: both sides returned captured territories, and the British withdrew support for Raghunathrao. The peace lasted two decades until the Second Anglo-Maratha War.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Havana Cathedral
Havana Cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Havana, located in the Plaza de la Catedral in Old Havana. Built in the 18th century in Baroque style, it is one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas. The remains of Christopher Columbus were kept here from 1796 to 1898.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central Asian steppe
- Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga campaign was a pivotal series of battles in the American Revolutionary War, fought from June to October 1777 in upstate New York. The British attempt to seize control of the strategic Hudson River valley ended in the surrender of a British army. This outcome is widely considered a turning point, as it secured crucial foreign support for the American cause.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1777
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Founding of Kew Gardens
- Establishment of the British Convict System in Australia
- Completion of the Jantar Mantar observatory complex
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Creation of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm
- Construction of Hwaseong Fortress Begins
- Construction of the Palace of Mafra begins
- Founding of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew