Timeline: Civics

Apr 19, 1773

" Shot Heard Round the World"

The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington Concord, Massachusetts.

Period: Mar 1, 1781 to Mar 4, 1789

Articles of Confederation

The United States' first constitution which created a single-house Congress with limited authority. Provided a weak Federal Government.

Sep 3, 1783

Treaty of Paris

Official end of the Revolutionary War.

Period: May 25, 1787 to Sep 17, 1787

The Constitutional Convention

Delegates met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation to create a more effective government. They decided to discard the Articles of Confederation and start over to create a stronger Federal Government.

Sep 17, 1787

U.S. Constitution Signed

The U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787 by 55 delegates in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after weeks of planning, negotiations, and compromise.

Jun 21, 1788

U.S. Constitution Ratified

The U.S. Constitution is approved by 9 states and therefore becomes the law of the land.

Sep 11, 2001

Terrorist Attacks on the US

19 terrorists from the extremist group Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. The coordinated attacks killed 2,977 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.