Genealogy information and records concerning 
ancestors in the thirteen original American colonies.

 
 

On This Page
A Colonial event for each day of August taken from a book published in 1899.  These events are not in chronological order, but rather an event for each day of the year, like a "This Day is History".
   

  

 

 

 

  
This Day in Colonial Times - August

Source:  A Year Book of Colonial Times Compiled by the Rev. Frederick S. Sill, D.D. Member of the Society of Colonial Wars, E. P. Dutton & Company, New  York, 1899 

August  1 1759 - The French abandoned Crown Point
August  2 1675 - Battle with Indians at Brookfield, Massachusetts
August  3 1715 - Call issued for enlistment of troops to garrison the Fort at Brunswick, Me.
August  4 1735 - Trial of Zenger, the editor, for libel against the Government of New York.  Defended by Andrew Hamilton.
August  5 1620 - The Pilgrims first sailed from Southhampton, England.
August  6 1629 - The Salem Colonists ordained their own minister, the first lay ordination, and published their covenant.
August  7 1679 - The ship Griffin sailed from Niagara River to the Upper Lakes.
August  8 1757 - Surrender of Fort William Henry to Montcalm.
August  9 1690 - General Phips's expedition against Quebec sailed from Nantasket.
August 10 1766 - British soldiers cut down the Liberty Pole on the Common of New York.
August 11 1762 - Havana capitulated to the English forces.
August 12 1676 - Death of King Philip, the Indian Chief.
August 13 1730 - Governor Montgomerie gave a warrant to the Attorney-General to prepare a new Charter for New York.
August 14 1621 - An expedition against the hostile Indians was undertaken by Captain Standish.
August 15 1696 - Fort Peraquid, Me., was captured and destroyed by the French and Indians.
August 16 1607 - The Popham Colonists entered the Kenebec River in Main in the Mary and John and the Gift of God.
August 17 1673 - New York changed to New Orange on Temporary restoration of Dutch government.
August 18 1587 - Birth of Virginia Dare, daughter of Ananias Dare and Eleanor White, the daughter of the the Governor of Roanoke.
August 19 1692 - Five persons were hanged for witchcraft at Salem, Rev. George Burroughs among them.
August 20 1752 - Rev. Dr. James MacSparran wrote a letter to Col. Henry Cary on "America Dissected"
August 21 1770 - Statue of George III was erected in the Bowling Green, New York.
August 22 1711 - The fleet under Admiral Walker on its way to Quebec ran aground, and the expedition against Canada was abandoned.
August 23 1756 - The first stone of King's College, Columbia University, was laid.
August 24 1678 - H. H. Obe was appointed the Drummer for New York City.
August 25 1675 - Fight with Indians at Sugar-Loaf Hill, Massachusetts.
August 26 1629 - John Winthrop, Thomas Dudley, and others at Cambridge, England, covenanted to go to New England, covenanted to go to New England, if a Patent could be obtained.
August 27 1664 - New Amsterdam was surrendered to the English by the Dutch, and became New York.
August 28 1619 - About this date twenty Negro slaves were brought in a Dutch man-of-war to the Virginia Colony.
August 29 1692 - Governor Benjamin Fletcher arrived at New York.
August 30 1675 - The Christian Indian forces were disbanded by order of the Massachusetts Council.
August 31 1764 - Colonel Gladwin was relieved of his command at Fort Detroit, the French having been entirely dispossessed of this part of the country.

 
Other Resources:
  
New England Early Genealogy Database
 Search this 73,000+ name database of ancestors from the early New England period of 1600+/- to 1700+/- to see if your ancestors are included. The index of this database is free and will show the names included, however, a subscription is required for full access. 

Surname:

Search Revolutionary War Rolls   See images of the actual regimental rolls from the National Archives.  They are being put online through the joint project of National Archives and Footnote.com.

Search Revolutionary War Service Records Images   Images of the records from the National Archives.  Search the images to see if your ancestors' records have been added yet.  If they are not be sure to check back since this is an in-process project.  Footnote.com is in the process of working with the National Archives to put images of these records online to be searched.  

Search Revolutionary War Officers   Collection of Revolutionary Officers Information

Search Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775-83   This database is a collection of records kept by the National Archives listing men who fought for the colonies during the war.  This database contains only those records available in the National Archives and may not include all persons involved in the American Revolutionary War.  Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR)Each volunteer soldier has one Compiled Military Service Record (CMSR) for each regiment in which he served.

Search Colonial Families in the U.S.   This database covers the families of the early English colonies in America. Beginning with the first landing at Jamestown this series covers families up through the start of the American Revolutionary War and beyond into the Nineteenth Century. Many vital records are included, as well as locations of births, marriages, and deaths. In addition to containing family genealogies this database also contains armorial bearings, or coats of arms, for some of the more prominent families from England and Scotland. 

Old Colony Ancestors Online    Access this database of nearly 200,000 names with roots in Southeastern Massachusetts, complete with citations, containing information on over 57,000 marriages, with a total of more than 950,000 text records. Some families are followed for only 2-3 generations, but many are traced for up to 15 generations. Once a family moved beyond the Southeastern Massachusetts area, most reports stop. Some are followed as they migrated westward into the Berkshires and up into Vermont and upstate New York.

Revolutionary War Books and CD's
Check out all the resources available here.

 

© Copyright  Colonial Ancestors   2000 - 2007, All rights reserved                 Privacy Statement              Contact Us          Site Map

   
This free genealogy site may be linked to freely for personal and commercial purposes.   All free genealogy information on this site may be used freely for personal genealogy research.  The source, Colonial Ancestors should be cited in your work along with any other sources cited on our page for the information.  No information on this site can be used for any commercial purpose, other than linking, without written consent of Colonial Ancestors.  This site contains links to other sites, and Colonial Ancestors makes no warranty and has no responsibility for the content of those sites.