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The Ratification Process
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First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met for the first time on September 5, 1774. They sent a Declaration of Rights to King Geroge III, which protested England's colonial policies. Their final meeting was October 26, and they agreed to meet the following May. -
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The American Revolution
The Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. It lasted five and a half years, ending on October 19, 1781, with the Battle of Yorktown. -
Second Continetal Congress
The Second Continental Congress met for the first time on May 10, 1775. They discussed the war for independence, became our first national government, and created the Declaration of Independence. They continued meeting until the Articles of Confederation went into effect in March of 1781. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. It contained points such as every citizen's natural rights, a list of crimes committed by King George III and Great Britain, and that the 13 colonies should be free and independent states. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was approved by Congress on November 15, 1777. It was the first official United States Government. However, it had major flaws. -
The Articles Go into Effect
Maryland is the last state to approve the Articles of Confederation, making it the national government on March 1, 1781. One of the major flaws of the Articles was that it didn't bring the states together as one whole country very well: proven by the fact that it took almost five years for all the states to approve it. -
Maryland and Virginia Meet
Representatives from Maryland and Virginia meet in March of 1785 against Congress' orders, in order to discuss the need for a stronger government. In January, 1786, they agreed that a meeting with more of the states represented was necessary. That meeting took place September 11, 1786, in Annapolis, Maryland. Representatives from 5 of the 13 states were present. -
Convention in Philadelphia
The first Consitution Convention began on May 25, 1787. There were representatives from all 13 states except Rhode Island. Within five days, they had decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation and start over. -
New Plans for Government
The New Jersey Plan for a government with more power to the states was presented on this day. This was in response to the Virginia Plan, submitted on May 29, which called for a stronger central government. -
Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise was submitted on this date, and was the first of several compromises the Convention had. It made a bicameral legislature, with the lower house being represented by population, and the higher house, the Senate, being represented equally for all states. Other compromises include the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the Slave Trade and Commerce Compromise. -
Consitutional Committee
On this date, the Convention named a few representatives to draft the new government into one document. This group included Gouverneur Morris, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, who led the group to compile all of the convention's work onto one paper: The Constitution. -
Signing of the Constitution
Madison's work was signed on September 17, 1787. 39 people signed the final document on that day, and the Consitutional Convention had officially completed its work. However, it was almost two years before George Washington was sworn in as our nation's first president, and almost three before Rhode Island became the last of the 13 states to ratify the Consitution as our nation's new government.
