Editing 1781 (section)

=== October&ndash;December ===
* [[October 12]] &ndash; The first [[bagpipes]] competition is held in the Masonic Arms, [[Falkirk]], Scotland. 
* [[October 19]] &ndash; [[American Revolution]]: Following the [[Siege of Yorktown]], General [[Charles Cornwallis]] surrenders to General [[George Washington]] at [[Yorktown, Virginia]], ending the armed struggle of the American Revolution.
* [[October 20]] &ndash; A [[Patent of Toleration]], providing limited [[freedom of religion|freedom of worship]], is approved in the [[Habsburg monarchy]].
* [[November 5]] &ndash; [[John Hanson]] is elected [[President of the Continental Congress]].
* [[November 29]] 
** English [[History of slavery|slave trade]]rs begin to throw approximately 142 slaves taken on in [[Accra]] overboard alive from the [[slave ship]] ''[[Zong massacre|Zong]]'' in the [[Caribbean Sea]] to conserve supplies for the remainder; the [[Liverpool]] owners subsequently attempt to reclaim part of their value from insurers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_british.shtml|title=BBC History British History Timeline|access-date=2007-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909012414/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/launch_tl_british.shtml |archive-date=September 9, 2007<!--Added by DASHBot-->}}</ref>
** [[Henry Hurle]] officially founds the [[Ancient Order of Druids]] in London, England.
* [[December]] &ndash; A school is founded in [[Washington County, Pennsylvania]] that will later be known as [[Washington & Jefferson College]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washjeff.edu/content.aspx?section=372&menu_id=133&crumb=137&id=54 |title=History & Facts |publisher=Washington & Jefferson College |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708173722/http://www.washjeff.edu/content.aspx?section=372&menu_id=133&crumb=137&id=54 |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all |access-date=September 10, 2010 }}</ref>
* [[December 12]] &ndash; [[American Revolutionary War]] &ndash; [[Battle of Ushant (1781)|Second Battle of Ushant]]: The British [[Royal Navy]], commanded by Rear Admiral [[Richard Kempenfelt]] in {{HMS|Victory}}, decisively defeats the French fleet in the [[Bay of Biscay]].