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Britain declares war on Holland

The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (Dutch: Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic.

The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (Dutch: Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, contemporary with the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that war.

Although the Dutch Republic did not enter into a formal alliance with the insurgent Americans and their French and Spanish allies, American envoy (and future president) John Adams had his credentials accepted as ambassador, establishing diplomatic relations with the Dutch Republic, making it the second European country to diplomatically recognize the United States of America in April 1782 as a sovereign nation.

Historical Significance

The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (Dutch: Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic.

Events Before

  1. Botanist Joseph Banks (36) weds Dorothea Hugessen

    Botanist Joseph Banks (36) weds Dorothea Hugessen

  2. US Defector General Benedict Arnold (38) weds Peggy Shippen (18) at Shippen's townhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    US Defector General Benedict Arnold (38) weds Peggy Shippen (18) at Shippen's townhouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  3. Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasts

    Spain declares war on Great Britain in support of France and the USA, starting the Great Siege of Gibraltar, which lasts 3 years, 7 months, and 2 weeks

  4. John Adams is appointed to negotiate Revolutionary War peace terms with Great Britain

    John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801.

  5. Joséphine de Beauharnais, future Empress of the French, marries her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, in Paris

    Joséphine Bonaparte was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810.

Events After

  1. British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia

    The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.

  2. William Herschel sees what he thinks is a "comet" but actually discovers the planet Uranus

    Frederick William Herschel was a German-British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline Herschel.

  3. Los Angeles is founded by 44 Spanish-speaking mestizos in the Bahía de las Fumas (Bay of Smokes)

    Los Angeles is founded by 44 Spanish-speaking mestizos in the Bahía de las Fumas (Bay of Smokes)

  4. A French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeats British forces under Admiral Thomas Graves and Samuel Hood at t

    A French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeats British forces under Admiral Thomas Graves and Samuel Hood at the Battle of the Chesapeake (Battle of the Virginia Capes) and traps General Lord Charles Cornwallis during the American Revolutionary War

  5. 9,000 American and 7,000 French troops begin the Siege of Yorktown

    The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final major land engagement of the American Revolutionary War.

More from the 1780s

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831

British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia

The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 20, 1780?
The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (Dutch: Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. The war, contemporary with the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), broke out over British and Dutch disagreements on the legality and conduct of Dutch trade with Britain's enemies in that war. Although the Dutch Republic did not enter into a formal alliance with the insurgent Americans and their French and Spanish allies, American envoy (and future president) John Adams had his credentials accepted as ambassador, establishing diplomatic relations with the Dutch Republic, making it the second European country to diplomatically recognize the United States of America in April 1782 as a sovereign nation.
Why is Britain declares war on Holland significant?
The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War (Dutch: Vierde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog; 1780–1784) was a conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Dutch Republic.

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December 20 in HistoryYear 1780