-
The Second Continental Congress met on May 10th, 1775 in Philadelphia. A man named Peyton Randolph was elected president of the congress. On May 24th, 1775, Congress elected John Hancock to replace Randolph after he left for Virginia in late May. They discussed raising an army and who would lead it. They unanimously selected George Washington as the commander in chief of the continental army. -
The Townshend Acts were passed on June 29th, 1767. These acts were instilled to help pay the expenses that came with governing the new American colonies and the judges. These acts basically put taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. People resisted this act, and the "Ladies of The First Quality" releases newspaper reports to inspire their readers to take action against the Townshend acts. -
The Boston Massacre occurred on March 5th, 1770. Seven British soldiers shot into a crowd of Bostonians. Five dead, six wounded, and the whole colony angry. The Boston Massacre did not happen only because it did, but because of the tensions growing between the Boston Colonists and the English Parliament. After the Boston Massacre, March 8th, 10,000 people attended the funeral procession of Samuel Gray, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, and Crispus Attucks. -
The first continental congress met between September 5th and October 26th, 1774. Delegates from twelve of Britain's thirteen American Colonies met in Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They discussed what future America could have when the British are still attacking the new Country. Samuel Adams, George Washington, and John Adams discussed the possibility of boycotting the British's goods. They believed this would be a way of putting their foot down for the rights of Americans.
-
The Boston Tea Party took place in December 15th, 1773. Ships named the Eleanor and the Beaver arrived at Griffin's Wharf. These ships were required to pay their dues by December 17th, and they were not allowed to land. They could not store, sell, or consume the tea on board. 30 to 60 men dressed as Indians were chased down to Griffin's Wharf and proceeded to dump 342 chests of tea into the sea. -
The Articles of Confederation were created in 1777-1778. Before the Articles of Confederation could be published, matters of a national government were discussed. Congress disagreed on many things, including whether the voting and representation would be proportional or state-by-state. The Articles of confederation was an agreement on state-by-state voting and proportional state tax burdens based on land values. The Articles were anything but perfect, and they were ratified in 1781.
-
Thomas Paine's famous historical document, "Common Sense", was published on January 10th, 1776. Thomas Paine was an immigrant whom published a small pamphlet , which would soon be a very famous piece of writing. This pamphlet ignited what we know as American Independence from Britain. Thomas Paine shifted the focus from reform with the British to independence from them. In just three months, one hundred twenty thousand copies of "Common Sense" were sold to the "common" people of America. -
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26th, 1776. The battle was small but mighty, leaving the continental army with a victory. The morale had been boosted, leading to another victory at Princeton just a week later. Through both battles, George Washington stayed strong and won the loyalty of his soldiers, as well as saved the continental army. -
The declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th,1776. Congress appointed a committee of five to create a statement of independence for the colonies. The committee included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. -
The Battle of Yorktown went from September 28th through October 19th,1781. The battle ended in an American victory. The British troops were outnumbered and outfought. The battle lasted three weeks and the British troops surrendered to the Continental Army.
-
The Constitution was ratified on June 21st, 1788. The Constitution was now the official guideline for the U.S. government. Before the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation governed the country. Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant coming to New York, proposed a reevaluation of the Articles. The original purpose was to fix the Articles, though the outcome was a completely new government. -
The Great Compromise was created in 1787 during the constitutional convention. The compromise established a dual system of congressional representation. Parts from the Virginia plan and the New Jersey plan were merged together. The compromise was important for shaping the whole congress. This was needed to support the new Constitution. -
The Constitutional Convention met from May 14th through September 17th, 1787. The delegates gathered to correct the various problems with the Articles of Confederation. After the war of independence, Washington retired for a short while.
-
The Constitutional Convention met from May 14th through September 17th, 1787. The delegates gathered to correct the various issues with the Articles of Confederation. After the war of independence, Washington retired for a short while.
-
The 3/5 compromise was brought up during the 1787 Constitutional convention. The compromise stated that 3 out of every 5 slaves were counted when the population of every state was determined. This was simply done for legislative representation and taxation purposes. On June 11th, 1787, the compromise was made complete and put into action. Every White citizen would be counted as a whole person, while Black citizens were counted as only 3/5 of a person. -
The Bill of Rights were adopted on September 25th, 1789. This document contains the first ten amendments of the constitution. It was influenced by the Virginia Declaration of the Rights, the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, the English Bill of Rights, and the Massachusetts Body of Liberties. The Bill of Rights was created to please the people that believed the Constitution needed a Bill of Rights.