The Wealth of Nations
Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations, analysing markets, specialisation and economic growth.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1776 in Great Britain
Explore 25 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1776.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1776
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 25 of 25 unique records.
25Unique records
1 of 1Page
25Named events on this page
11Named people on this page
10Places on this page
March
July
Death of James Cook
Returns to Hawaii from the North West Passage & killed in a scuffle with the Islanders
September
Peace
Meets John Adams & Benjamin Franklin at a peace conference at Staten Island. Demands revocation of the Declaration of Independence
Peace Conference
Meets John Adams & Benjamin Franklin at a peace conference at Staten Island
Capture of New York
The British occupy New York
November
Birth of James Abercromby
Birth of James Abercromby
December
American Crisis
Publication of "American Crisis", essay
American Crisis", essay
Publication of "American Crisis", essay
Other events (month unknown)
Alliance William Howe and loyalist army of 1,000 for a trip to Nova Scotia
Leads a British force to join a loyalist army of 1,000 for a trip to Nova Scotia
A Fragment on Government
Publication of "A Fragment on Government"
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Publication of "The Wealth of Nations", criticizes mercantilism
Argument for American Independence
Paine's Common Sense advanced a forceful case for independence from Britain and helped popularize republican arguments.
Boulton and Watt
Manufactures Boulton and Watt steam engines from Birmingham’s Soho works.
Budget
Raises land tax to four shillings to help pay for the American War of Independence
Common Sense
Publication of "Common Sense"
Death of David Hume
Hume died in Edinburgh, having established a lasting legacy in philosophy and historical writing.
Discovery of Bering Straits
Maps the Bering Straits & attempts to look for the North West Passage
Discovery of Cook Islands
Visits the Cook Islands & Hawaii
Discovery of Hawaii
Visits the Cook Islands & Hawaii
First American Crisis Essay
Paine issued the first American Crisis essay to encourage the revolutionary cause during a period of military danger.
My Own Life Autobiography
Hume wrote My Own Life, a short autobiographical account composed shortly before his death.
North West Passage
Maps the Bering Straits & attempts to look for the North West Passage
Republican Government and Representation
In Common Sense, Paine advocated representative government rather than hereditary monarchy.
Return to England
Returns to Britain after illness ends his East Indies service.
Siege of New Jersey
Drives Wasington out of New Jersey
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.