1782

Events from the year **1782 in the United States**.

## Incumbents

* President of the Confederation Congress: John Hanson (until November 4), Elias Boudinot (starting November 4)

## Events

### January - March

* January 3 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Videau's Bridge
* January 7 – The first American commercial bank (Bank of North America) opens in Philadelphia.
* January 11 – American Revolutionary War: Capture of Trincomalee.
* January 15
	+ Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris goes before the United States Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.
	+ American Revolutionary War: Action of 15 January 1782.
* January 19 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Brimstone Hill begins.
* January 22 – American Revolutionary War: Capture of Demerara and Essequibo begins.
* January 25 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Saint Kitts begins.
* January 26 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Saint Kitts ends.
* February 5 – American Revolutionary War: Invasion of Minorca ends.
* February 17 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Sadras.
* February 22 – American Revolutionary War: Capture of Montserrat
* February 24 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Wambaw.
* February 27 – The British House of Commons votes against further war, informally recognizing American independence.
* March 8 – American Revolutionary War: In Ohio, the Gnadenhutten massacre of Native Americans takes place in which 29 men, 27 women and 34 children are killed by white militiamen in retaliation for raids carried out by another Native American group.
* March 16
	+ American Revolutionary War: Battle of Roatán.
	+ American Revolutionary War: Action of 16 March 1782.
* March 22 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Little Mountain.

### April - June

* April 8 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Delaware Bay.
* April 9 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Saintes begins.
* April 12
	+ American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Saintes ends.
	+ American Revolutionary War: Battle of Providien.
* April 13 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Black River begins.
* April 19
	+ The Netherlands recognizes the United States being the second to do so and establishes diplomatic relations.
	+ American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Mona Passage.
* April 20 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 20–21 April 1782.
* April 21 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 20–21 April 1782.
* May 6 – American Revolutionary War: Capture of the Bahamas.
* May 21 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Blomindon.
* May 22 – American Revolutionary War: Newburgh letter sent to George Washington by Lewis Nicola.
* May 25 – American Revolutionary War: Crawford expedition begins.
* May 28 – American Revolutionary War: Naval battle off Halifax begins.
* May 29 – American Revolutionary War: Naval battle off Halifax ends.
* June 12 – American Revolutionary War: Crawford expedition ends.
* June 20 – Congress accepts Charles Thomson's design for the Great Seal of the United States. The bald eagle becomes the national bird of the United States.
* June 30 - American Revolutionary War: Raid on Chester.

### July - September

* July 1 – American privateers attack Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
* July 6 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Negapatam.
* August 7 – George Washington orders the creation of the Badge of Military Merit (or the Order of the Purple Heart) to honor soldiers' merit in battle (reinstated later by Franklin D. Roosevelt and renamed to the more poetic "Purple Heart" to honor soldiers wounded in action).
* August 8 – American Revolutionary War: Hudson Bay Expedition.
* August 15 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Bryan Station begins.
* August 17 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Bryan Station ends.
* August 19 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Blue Licks.
* August 23 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Black River ends.
* August 25 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trincomalee begins.
* August 27 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Combahee River.
* September 3 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Trincomalee ends.
* September 4 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 4 September 1782.
* September 5 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 5 September 1782.
* September 11 – American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Henry begins.
* September 13
	+ American Revolutionary War: Siege of Fort Henry ends.
	+ American Revolutionary War: Grand Assault on Gibraltar.
* September 14 – American Revolutionary War: Review of the French troops under General Rochambeau by General George Washington at Verplanck's Point, New York.
* September 15 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 15 September 1782.

### October - December

* October 18 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 18 October 1782.
* November 1 – Continental Army moves into its eighth and final winter quarters, at the New Windsor Cantonment and in the Hudson Highlands.
* November 14 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of James Island.
* November 30 – American Revolutionary War: In Paris, representatives from the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain sign preliminary peace articles (later formalized in the Treaty of Paris).
* December 6 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 6 December 1782.
* December 12 – American Revolutionary War: Action of 12 December 1782: A naval engagement off Ferrol, Spain, in which the British ship HMS *Mediator* successfully attacks a convoy of French and American ships attempting to supply the United States.
* December 14 – British evacuate Charleston, South Carolina.
* December 20 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Delaware Capes begins.
* December 21 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of the Delaware Capes ends.
* December 27 – Last skirmish of the conflict takes place near Cedar Bridge Tavern in Barnegat Township, New Jersey.

## Memoriam

* August 27 – John Laurens, American soldier and statesman during the Revolutionary War, best known for his efforts to emancipate slaves (killed fighting the British in South Carolina) (aged 27; Beaufort, SC, USA)
* September 6 – Martha Jefferson, wife of Thomas Jefferson (aged 33; Charlottesville, VA, USA)
* October 2 – Charles Lee, general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (aged 50; Philadelphia, PA, USA)