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Changes in Calendar
Britain and the British colonies switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. -
Period: to
French and Indian War and the Treaty of Paris
French and Indian War: Final conflict in the ongoing struggle between the British and French for control of eastern North America. The British win a decisive victory over the French on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec. (Sept. 13, 1759) With the Treaty of Paris, the British formally gain control of Canada and all the French possessions east of the Mississippi. -
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre: British troops fire into a mob, killing five men and leading to intense public protests. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party: Group of colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians board three ships in Boston harbor and dump more than 300 crates of tea overboard as a protest against the British tea tax. -
First Continental Congress (Sept. 5 - Oct. 26)
First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia, with 56 delegates representing every colony except Georgia. Delegates include Patrick Henry, George Washington, and Samuel Adams. -
American Revolution
American Revolution: War of independence fought between Great Britain and the 13 British colonies on the eastern seaboard of North America. Battles of Lexington and Concord, Mass., between the British Army and colonial minutemen, mark the beginning of the war. -
Declaration of Independence
Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. -
Valley Forge (Dec. 19, 1777- June 19, 1778)
Battle-weary and destitute Continental army spends brutally cold winter and following spring at Valley Forge, Pa. -
US Flag
Continental Congress approves the first official flag of the United States. -
Articles of Confederation
Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. constitution. -
Constitutional Convention (May-Sept)
Constitutional Convention, made up of delegates from 12 of the original 13 colonies, meets in Philadelphia to draft the U.S. Constitution. -
Yorktown
British general Charles Cornwallis surrenders to Gen. George Washington at Yorktown, Va. -
American Independence
Great Britain formally acknowledges American independence in the Treaty of Paris, which officially brings the war to a close. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays's Rebellion erupts; farmers from New Hampshire to South Carolina take up arms to protest high state taxes and stiff penalties for failure to pay. -
George Washington Becomes President
George Washington is unanimously elected president of the United States in a vote by state electors. -
U.S. Constitution
U.S. Constitution goes into effect, having been ratified by nine states. U.S. Congress meets for the first time at Federal Hall in New York City. -
Washington's Inauguration
Washington is inaugurated as president at Federal Hall in New York City. -
Census
The nation's first census shows that the population has climbed to nearly 4 million. -
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Supreme Court meets for the first time at the Merchants Exchange Building in New York City. The court, made up of one chief justice and five associate justices, hears its first case in 1792. -
Ratification of the Bill of Rights
First ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, are ratified. -
The Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin greatly increases the demand for slave labor. -
Washington's Second Inauguration
Washington's second inauguration is held in Philadelphia. -
John Adams as President
John Adams is inaugurated as the second president in Philadelphia. -
The Report of 1800
The Virginia General Assembly adopts the Report of 1800, a resolution drafted by James Madison arguing for the sovereignty of the individual states under the United States Constitution and against the Alien and Sedition Acts. -
U.S. Library of Congress
The U.S. Library of Congress is founded. -
Second U.S. Census
The 2nd United States Census is conducted. It finds 5,308,483 people living in the U.S. of which 893,602 are slaves. -
Convention of 1800
The Convention of 1800, or Treaty of Mortefontaine, is signed between France and the United States of America, ending the Quasi-War. -
First Washington D.C. Session
The U.S. Congress holds its first Washington, D.C. session.