When Does “Johnny Tremain” (1943) Take Place?

“Johnny Tremain” is a historical fiction war novel written by Esther Forbes that released September 9th, 1943. So when is "Johnny Tremain" set? 

 

It takes place in the years: 

1773 AD - 1775 AD 

We know this because the real-world politician. John Hancock appears. Hancock was born on January 12th, 1736 AD and died on October 8th, 1793 AD. So it must be between 1736 AD and 1793 AD. 

Furthermore, the story begins a few months before the famous Boston Tea Party event, which happened in the real world on the night of December 16th, 1773 AD. Earlier, near the halfway point of the novel, the print shop is commissioned to produce a poster inviting the city of Boston to a town meeting and it is dated "Nov. 29, 1773". 

Almost exactly halfway through the novel, one clear date is mentioned: "On that day, that first of June, 1774". This establishes that the novel travels through 1774 AD along its path to the real-world American Revolutionary War. 

Chapter ten opens with the words "The fourteenth of April, 1775" and the narrative ends just after the famous and tragic Battle of Lexington and Concord, which occurred in the real world on April 19th, 1775 AD. 

It was adapted to film in 1957.