1781

Events from the year **1781 in the United States**. This year marked the beginning of government under the Articles of Confederation as well as the surrender of British armed forces in the American Revolution.

## Incumbents

* President of the Second Continental Congress: Samuel Huntington (until February 28)
* President of the Continental Congress:
	+ March 1-July 6: Samuel Huntington
	+ July 10-November 5: Thomas McKean
	+ starting November 5: John Hanson

## Events

### January - March

* January 1
	+ Pennsylvania Line Mutiny begins.
	+ Raid on Richmond begins.
* January 2 – Virginia passes a law ceding its western land claims, paving the way for Maryland to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
* January 5 – American Revolution: Richmond, Virginia is burned by British naval forces led by Benedict Arnold.
* January 6 – American Revolution: Battle of Jersey.
* January 7 – American Revolution: Battle of Mobile.
* January 17 – American Revolution: Battle of Cowpens: Americans under Daniel Morgan defeat British forces.
* January 19 – Raid on Richmond ends.
* January 20 – Pompton Mutiny.
* January 29 – Pennsylvania Line Mutiny ends.
* February 1 – American Revolution: Battle of Cowan's Ford.
* February 2 – The Articles of Confederation are ratified by Maryland, the 13th and final state to do so.
* February 3 – American Revolution: Capture of Sint Eustatius.
* February 24 – Pyle's Massacre.
* March 1 – The United States Continental Congress implements the Articles of Confederation, forming its Perpetual Union as the United States in Congress Assembled.
* March 6 – American Revolution: Battle of Wetzell's Mill.
* March 8 – American Revolution: Skirmish at Waters Creek.
* March 9 – American Revolution: Siege of Pensacola begins.
* March 15 – American Revolution: Battle of Guilford Court House: American General Nathanael Greene loses to the British.
* March 16 – American Revolution: Battle of Cape Henry.

### April - June

* April 15
	+ American Revolution: Siege of Fort Watson begins.
	+ American Revolution: Battle of Porto Praya.
* April 23 – American Revolution: Siege of Fort Watson ends.
* April 25
	+ American Revolution: Battle of Blandford.
	+ American Revolution: Battle of Hobkirk's Hill.
* April 27 – American Revolution: Action at Osborne's.
* April 29 – American Revolution: Battle of Fort Royal.
* May 1 - American Revolution: Action of 1 May 1781.
* May 8
	+ American Revolution: Siege of Pensacola ends.
	+ American Revolution: Battle of Fort Motte begins.
* May 12 – American Revolution: Battle of Fort Motte ends.
* May 14 – American Revolution: Battle of Pine's Bridge.
* May 22
	+ American Revolution: Siege of Augusta begins.
	+ American Revolutionary War: Siege of Ninety-Six begins.
* May 24 – American Revolution: Invasion of Tobago begins.
* May 26 – Bank of North America is chartered by the Confederation Congress.
* May 30 – American Revolution: Action of 30 May 1781.
* June 2 – American Revolution: Invasion of Tobago ends.
* June 3 – American Revolution: Jack Jouett begins a "midnight ride" to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature of approaching British cavalry led by Banastre Tarleton who have been sent to capture them.
* June 6 – American Revolution: Siege of Augusta ends.
* June 19 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Ninety-Six ends.
* June 26 – American Revolution: Battle of Spencer's Ordinary.

### July - September

* July 6 – American Revolution: Battle of Green Spring.
* July 9 – American Revolution: Francisco's Fight begins.
* July 21 – American Revolution: Naval battle of Louisbourg.
* July 24 – American Revolution: Francisco's Fight ends.
* July 29 – American Revolution: Skirmish at the House in the Horseshoe: A Tory force under David Fanning attacks Phillip Alston's smaller force of Whigs at Alston's home in Cumberland County, North Carolina (in present-day Moore County, North Carolina). Alston's troops surrender after Fanning's men attempt to ram the house with a cart of burning straw.
* August 5 – American Revolution: Battle of Dogger Bank.
* August 19
	+ Congress passes an act saying they will recognize the secessionist state of Vermont (formed in 1777 by unilateral separation from New York) and agree to admit that state to the Union if Vermont will renounce its claims to territory east of the Connecticut River and west of Lake Champlain. (The following spring the Vermont legislature agreed, but nonetheless New York continued to block its admission until 1791.)
	+ American Revolution: Invasion of Minorca.
* August 24 – American Revolution: Lochry's Defeat.
* August 30 – American Revolution: A French fleet under Comte de Grasse enters Chesapeake Bay, cutting British General Charles Cornwallis off from escape by sea.
* September 4 – Los Angeles is founded as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora La Reina de Los Ángeles de Porciuncula (City of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula) by a group of 44 Spanish settlers.
* September 5 – American Revolution: Battle of the Chesapeake: A British fleet under Thomas Graves arrives and fights de Grasse, but is unable to break through to relieve the Siege of Yorktown.
* September 6 – American Revolution: Battle of Groton Heights: British forces under Benedict Arnold attack a fort in Groton, Connecticut, achieving a strategic victory.
* September 8 – American Revolution: Battle of Eutaw Springs.
* September 10 – American Revolution: Graves gives up trying to break through the now-reinforced French fleet and returns to New York, leaving Cornwallis to his fate.
* September 13
	+ American Revolution: Battle of Lindley's Mill
	+ American Revolution: Long Run Massacre.
* September 28 – American Revolution: American and French troops begin a siege of the British at Yorktown, Virginia.

### October - December

* October 3 – American Revolution: Battle of Fort Slongo.
* October 19 – American Revolution: Following the Siege of Yorktown, General Cornwallis surrenders to General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, ending the armed struggle of the American Revolution.
* October 21 – American Revolution: Siege of Negapatam begins.
* October 25 – American Revolution: Battle of Johnstown.
* November 5 – John Hanson is elected President of the Continental Congress.
* November 11 – American Revolution: Siege of Negapatam ends.
* December 1 – Continental Army returns to Hudson Highlands and Morristown New Jersey for its seventh winter encampment.
* December 12 – American Revolution: Second Battle of Ushant.
* December 31 – Bank of North America chartered.

## Memoriam

* February 28 – Richard Stockton, signatory of the Declaration of Independence (aged 50; Princeton, NJ, USA)
* April 18 – Mann Page, lawyer, politician and planter (aged 32; Spotsylvania County, VA, USA)