The Day the Sun Disappeared: The New England Dark Day of 1780
đź“šWhat You Will Learn
- What caused the sudden midday blackout in 1780.
- How people reacted—churches, taverns, and bold leaders.
- Scientific proof from tree rings and diaries.
- Why it remains one of history's strangest weather events.
đź“ťSummary
ℹ️Quick Facts
- May 19, 1780: Noon darkness so thick, reading by a window was impossible.
- Smoke from Ontario wildfires, proven by tree-ring fire scars.
- Abraham Davenport: 'Bring the candles' in Hartford legislature.
đź’ˇKey Takeaways
- Wildfires can blanket regions in smoke, mimicking apocalyptic events.
- Eyewitness accounts describe birds singing evening songs at noon and sooty ash rain.
- The event fueled religious panic but leaders urged calm duty.
- Modern science links it to vast, undetected Canadian forest fires.
- Darkness lasted into the next night, with a blood-red moon emerging after midnight.
Days before May 19, 1780, New England skies hinted at trouble. Diaries noted smoky air and a red sun at dawn and dusk. On May 18, yellowish skies loomed with heavy, dark clouds.
By morning of the 19th, the sun rose deep red, barely piercing the haze. Around noon, 'midnight darkness' fell—complete, bewildering blackout.
Birds burst into evening songs mid-morning; fowls roosted, cattle lowed and headed to barns. Frogs peeped, roosters crowed as if night had come.
People lit candles at midday; one couldn't read scripture even inches from the flame. A sooty smell filled the air; dark rain dropped ash and burnt leaves. Clean silver turned brass-colored in the eerie half-light.
Many fled to churches fearing Judgment Day or divine wrath. Others sought taverns; newspapers called it a 'portentous omen.'
In Hartford, legislators debated adjourning amid panic.
Hero Abraham Davenport stood firm: 'Bring the candles... I choose to be found doing my duty.' George Washington diary-noted the gloom from New Jersey.
Darkness peaked in northeastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, southwestern Maine, but spread across New England to New York. It lingered until the next night, when a blood-red moon broke through.
2007 research in the International Journal of Wildland Fire pinned it on massive spring wildfires in eastern Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park. Tree-ring fire scars and diaries matched perfectly.
By May 20, normalcy returned, but the event scarred history as 'New England's Dark Day' or 'Black Friday.' Colonists sensed burning but couldn't pinpoint distant inland fires.
It inspired quilts, paintings, and poems, symbolizing resolve in uncertainty. Today, it warns of wildfires' far-reaching, hidden fury.
⚠️Things to Note
- Occurred during Revolutionary War; George Washington noted it in his diary.
- Darkest in northeastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, southwestern Maine.
- Preceded by smoky air, red sunrises; ash piled 4-5 inches thick in some areas.
- Inspired art like Harriet Powers' 1886 quilt panel.