Editing 1775 (section)

=== Summary ===
The [[American Revolutionary War]] began this year, with the first military engagement on April 19 [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]] on the day after [[Paul Revere]]'s ride. The [[Second Continental Congress]] took various steps toward organizing an American government, appointing [[George Washington]] commander-in-chief (June 14), [[Benjamin Franklin]] postmaster general (July 26) and creating a [[Continental Navy]] (October 13) and a Marine force (November 10) as landing troops for it, but as yet the 13 colonies have not declared independence, and both the British (June 12) and American (July 15) governments make laws.  On July 6, Congress issues the [[Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms]] and on August 23, [[King George III]] of Great Britain declares the American colonies in rebellion, announcing it to Parliament on November 10. On June 17, two months into the colonial [[siege of Boston]], at the [[Battle of Bunker Hill]], just north of Boston, British forces are victorious, but only after suffering severe casualties and after Colonial forces run out of ammunition, [[Capture of Fort Ticonderoga|Fort Ticonderoga is taken]] by American forces in New York Colony's northern frontier, and American forces unsuccessfully [[Invasion of Canada (1775)|invade Canada]], with an attack on [[Montreal]] defeated by British forces on November 13 and an attack on [[Quebec]] repulsed December 31.

Human knowledge and mastery over nature advanced when [[James Watt]] built a successful prototype of a steam engine, and a scientific expedition continued as Captain [[James Cook]] claims the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands in the south Atlantic Ocean for Britain. Nature's power over humanity is dramatically demonstrated when the [[Independence Hurricane]] (August 29 – September 13) devastates the east coast of [[North America]], killing 4,173, and a [[North American smallpox epidemic|smallpox epidemic]] begins in New England. Smallpox vaccine was then developed by [[Edward Jenner]].