Today in History, July 3rd
On July 3, 1775, George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge. Plus Gettysburg's end and Champlain's founding of Quebec.
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July 3 is best known for 1775, when George Washington formally took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The date also saw the Battle of Gettysburg end in 1863 and the founding of Quebec by Samuel de Champlain in 1608.
The big story: Washington takes command of the Continental Army (1775)
On Cambridge Common in Massachusetts, a Virginia planter rode out in front of a crowd of citizen soldiers, drew his sword and formally took charge of the American cause. The Continental Congress had picked George Washington as commander in chief about two weeks earlier, and not everyone there was sold on him. Part of his appeal was geography. A Virginian at the head of an army camped in New England would help pull the southern colonies into a rebellion centered in the North. He had military experience from the French and Indian War, and he agreed to serve without pay, asking only that his expenses be covered. What he inherited was rough: inexperienced, poorly equipped troops and a would-be nation with no money and long odds. He made early mistakes. But he learned, harassed the British and courted French help, and six years later, on October 19, 1781, the British surrendered at Yorktown.
More events on July 3
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1608 | Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec, the first permanent European base in Canada. |
| 1856 | The U.S. House voted to admit Kansas under its antislavery Topeka Constitution, over the opposition of the Senate and President Franklin Pierce. |
| 1863 | The Battle of Gettysburg ended in a major Confederate defeat, a turning point of the Civil War. |
| 1890 | Idaho was admitted to the Union as the 43rd state. |
| 1918 | Mohammed V, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, died in the middle of World War I. |
| 1952 | The ocean liner S.S. United States left New York on its maiden voyage to Le Havre, France, and set an eastbound speed record. |
| 1969 | Brian Jones, weeks after being fired from the Rolling Stones, was found dead in his swimming pool. |
| 1971 | Jim Morrison, singer for the Doors, died in Paris at age 27. |
| 1985 | Back to the Future was released in U.S. theaters. |
| 1988 | The U.S. Navy cruiser Vincennes shot down an Iranian passenger jet over the Strait of Hormuz, killing all 290 people on board. |
| 2013 | Egypt’s military removed President Mohamed Morsi from office after mass protests against his rule. |
Born on July 3
- 1883: Franz Kafka, German-language writer of unsettling, visionary fiction, born in Prague.
- 1962: Tom Cruise, actor and longtime Hollywood leading man, born in Syracuse, New York.
- 1970: Audra McDonald, Broadway actress and soprano, born in West Berlin.
Sources
- Washington takes command of Continental Army, History.com
- This Day in History: July 3, History.com
- On This Day: July 3, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Franz Kafka, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Tom Cruise, Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Audra McDonald, Encyclopaedia Britannica
