Timeline of the American Revolution/1779
1779
World at War
By 1779 the war had spread across the globe. In spring Spain entered the war as an ally of France and soon declared war on Great Britain. As the year closed, the Continental Army entered into winter camp at Morristown, New Jersey, where they would endure fiercer weather conditions and subsist on fewer supplies than they had at Valley Forge.
January 11
Lafayette returns to France to plead for additional support.
January 29
British occupy Augusta, Georgia.
February 25
George Rogers Clark recaptures Vincennes.
April 12
Spain, which had been contributing aid to the Americans, enters war as an ally of France.
May
Continental Army leaves Camp Middlebrook, New Jersey.
June 1
British occupy Stony Point and Verplancks Point, New York, and secure strategic Kings Ferry on the Hudson River.
June 21
Spain formally declares war on Great Britain.
July 16
Anthony Wayne captures formidable fortress Stony Point, New York, during daring night assault.
July-August
American attempt to attack Penobscot (Maine) fails miserably.
August 29
In only battle of General John Sullivan’s punitive campaign against the Iroquois, Continental Army defeats tory and Indian force at Newtown, New York.
August 19
Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee carries out successful offensive against Paulus Hook, New Jersey, a British stronghold on the Hudson River.
September-October
Allied forces fail to dislodge British garrison during the disappointing Siege of Savannah, Georgia.
September 23
John Paul Jones defeats frigate Serapis near English coast.
September 25
Congress appoints John Jay minister to Spain.
December 1
Continental Army comes into the war’s fifth winter encampment at Morristown, New Jersey, where the army endures an extraordinarily harsh winter.
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