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Declaration of Independence
On July 4th, 1776, American colonists declared independence from Great Britain. This event built a new country and paved the way for not only the US but also inspired other colonies of different countries to do the same. -
Articles of Confederation
A few years after declaring independence, at the height of the American Revolution, the leaders in the colonies had decided to form a government to keep the country in unity during times of revolution. They wanted to ensure partial peace within the country, not only to guarantee its survival but also to improve their chances of winning the war against Britain. -
Treaty of Paris
On September 3rd, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed into law, stating that the United States of America was a sovereign nation, separate from Great Britain. This event marked the ending of the original American revolt against British rule, proving the country could hold its own in war. -
Shays' Rebellion
In 1786, rural farmers in Massachusetts became fed up with rising taxes from the US government, as well as the debt and poverty that came with it. The farmers won, and the government began to make legislation to decrease the severity of the taxes. This rebellion showed the weaknesses within the Articles of Confederation, proving its uselessness, and increasing support in the movement for a new governing document. -
Annapolis Convention
Delegates in the government met from various states to discuss trade and commerce deals within the country. Ultimately the meeting shifted into a conversation of potentially meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation. Talks between groups of people sprouted the conversation, making it so that they would later meet to revise the Articles and eventually draft the new constitution. -
Constitutional Convention
After the events of Shays' Rebellion and the increased discourse about the Articles of Confederation and its effects on the country. Delegates representing almost all states at the time decided to meet at the Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. This event was planned to revise the Articles, but eventually they decided to rewrite the document into something with a stronger central government. -
Three-Fifths Compromise
The 3/5 Compromise, although taken out later on, played a crucial role in the handling of the matters of representation for people of color in the US. It was an agreement that 3/5 of an enslaved person counted as an individual for taxation and representation purposes. -
The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise of 1787 refers to the deals that were made within the constitutional convention that decided the fate of how the new constitution was set up. The compromise concluded that a two-house legislature in the U.S. Constitution where a House of Representatives would be based on population and a Senate would have equal representation. This would balance the states' powers, ultimately setting up a large basis of the Constitution. -
Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. It was created in order to encourage the country to ratify the Constitution and prove it to be the superior document over the Articles of Confederation. They used it due to the opposition of the document by the public due to fear of tyranny and a new king. They wanted to prove the document would be the best for the country and not pave a way for a new king. -
First Congress
The first official Congress session after the Constitution was ratified happened on March 4th, 1789. This paved the way for a crucial part of the US government to implement and interpret laws. -
Election of First US President
On April 30th, 1789, US citizens unanimously elected George Washington as the first US president under the new Constitution. This was a monumental event that paved the way for not only every presidency after this, but also ideas and amendments that were to be added into this constitution that affects every US citizen today. -
The Ratification of the Bill of Rights
At the end of 1791, 15 years after the declaring on independence from Britain, the final part of the original US Constitution was ratified. To gain support for the document, the founding fathers promised a complete list of inalienable rights to ensure citizens that they would be protected by the government.