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The American Revolution began in April 1775.
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The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4,1776.
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On March 1,1781, the Arcticles of Confideration went into effect.
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On October 19,1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.
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Almost two years later, Congress declared an official end to the Revolutionary War by signing the Treaty of Paris.
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In August 1786, a rebellion led by Daniel Shays broke out in Massachusetts. This showed the weakness of the national government.
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In May 1787, delegates arrived in Philadelphia for a convention. This would later become known as the "Constitutional Convention".
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The Constitution was signed four months later by 39 of the 55 delegates present.
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The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware. This took place on December 7,1787.
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On June 21,1788, the Constitution was put into effect with the approval of the ninth state, New Hampshire.
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George Washington was sworn in as the first president under the Constitution. The date was April 30, 1789.
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In May 1790, Rhode Island became the last state to sign the Constitution.
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On July 16,1790, legislation making the District of Columbia the permanent federal capital was signed.
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On December 15,1791, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, called the Bill of Rights, were approved.
