U.S. Government Timeline

  • Mayflower Compact

    Mayflower Compact

    An agreement that bound the signers to obey the government and legal system established in Plymouth Colony.
  • The Pilgrim Code of Law

    The Pilgrim Code of Law

    The earliest agreement having many fundamental components of a constitution was the Pilgrim Code of Law.
  • French and Indian War

    French and Indian War

    Britain and France wanted to rule North America and the American Indians wanted to maintain the control of their land and culture.
  • Parliamentary Acts

    Parliamentary Acts

    Act of Parliament creates a new law or changes an existing law
  • Stamp Act Congress

    Stamp Act Congress

    A meeting of delegates from nine American colonies who met to discuss the rights of the colonists regarding British taxation such as the Stamp Act
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party

    A strike against the British government by the American Colonists.
  • First Continental Congress

    First Continental Congress

    Delegates from 12 of the Britain's 13 American colonies met to discuss America's future under growing British aggression.
  • First U.S. Currency issued

    First U.S. Currency issued

    The Continental Congress made paper money called, "continentals."
  • American Revolution War

    American Revolution War

    During the year of 1775, the American Revolution started because of the Intolerable Acts, Stamp Act, Mercantilism, and the lack of representation in the Parliament.
  • The Declaration of Independence

    The Declaration of Independence

    13 colonies declared their independence from Great Britain.
  • Common Sense

    Common Sense

    Thomas Paine wrote the 47-page document "Common Sense" to urge the people of the Thirteen colonies to depart from Great Britain.
  • Articles of Confederation

    Articles of Confederation

    A document outlining the responsibilities of the US national government following its declaration of independence from Great Britain.
  • Shay's Rebellion

    Shay's Rebellion

    When the government passed high taxes on their land that led to the farmers strike outside of the courthouse.
  • Constitutional Convention

    Constitutional Convention

    The gathering that drafted the Constitution of the United States.
  • Northwest Ordinance

    Northwest Ordinance

    Chartered a government for the Northwest Territory, provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory, and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory.
  • Bill of Rights

    Bill of Rights

    The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, defend the rights and liberties of American citizens.
  • Eighth Amendment

    Eighth Amendment

    Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments.
  • Fourth Amendment

    Fourth Amendment

    Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.
  • Fifth Amendment

    Fifth Amendment

    Right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, double jeopardy.
  • First Amendment

    First Amendment

    Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
  • Third Amendment

    Third Amendment

    No quartering of soldiers.
  • Sixth Amendment

    Sixth Amendment

    Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and public trial.
  • Second Amendment

    Second Amendment

    Right to keep and bear arms in order to maintain a well regulated militia.
  • Seventh Amendment

    Seventh Amendment

    Right of trial by jury in civil cases.
  • Tenth Amendment

    Tenth Amendment

    Powers reserved to the states.
  • Ninth Amendment

    Ninth Amendment

    Rights retained by the People
  • Two Party System

    Two Party System

    A political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape.
  • Whiskey Rebellion

    Whiskey Rebellion

    The first test of federal authority in the United States.
  • Eleventh Amendment

    Eleventh Amendment

    Prohibits the federal courts from hearing certain lawsuits against states.
  • Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

    Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

    Condemned the Alien and Sedition Acts as unconstitutional and claimed that because these acts overstepped federal authority under the Constitution, they were null and void.
  • Twelfth Amendment

    Twelfth Amendment

    Instead of casting two votes for President, each elector must pick a President AND a Vice President on his or her ballot
  • War of 1812

    War of 1812

    Due to widespread dissatisfaction about British support for Native Americans, who were also their allies, and the British violations of the American rights on sea.
  • Mexican-American War

    Mexican-American War

    Texas was annexed by the U.S. and Mexico disputed the border.
  • Civil War

    Civil War

    It began when the Union soldiers at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, came under attack from the Confederates. Also because the north was anti-slavery and Lincoln, who was anti-slavery as well, was elected president, the south, which supported slavery, seceded and established a new country.
  • Thirteenth  Amendment

    Thirteenth Amendment

    Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
  • Fourteenth Amendment

    Fourteenth Amendment

    Granted citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized in the United States," including formerly enslaved people, and provided all citizens with “equal protection under the laws”
  • Fifteenth Amendment

    Fifteenth Amendment

    Right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
  • Sixteenth Amendment

    Sixteenth Amendment

    The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
  • Seventeenth Amendment

    Seventeenth Amendment

    Gave people the right to vote for their senators instead of the state legislature.
  • World War I

    World War I

    The homicide of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the primary cause of World War I.
  • Eighteenth Amendment

    Eighteenth Amendment

    This amendment made it illegal to sell or manufacture alcoholic drinks.
  • Nineteenth Amendment

    Nineteenth Amendment

    granted women the right to vote.
  • Twenty-First Amendment

    Twenty-First Amendment

    It repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, making the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic drinks legal again.
  • Twentieth Amendment

    Twentieth Amendment

    Changed the date that the president, vice president, and members of Congress start to January, and it says who becomes president if the president cannot start serving immediately.
  • World War 2

    World War 2

    Britain and France declared war on Germany as a result of the Nazi invasion of Poland.
  • Vietnam War

    Vietnam War

    During the Cold War, the United States used a containment strategy to stop the spread of communism.
  • Korean War

    Korean War

    A coordinated general attack by the Northern Korean  Army entered South Korea at numerous key locations along the 38th parallel.
  • Twenty- Second Amendment

    Twenty- Second Amendment

    Sets a term limit for the President, who can serve no more than two full terms in that office.
  • Twenty- Third Amendment

    Twenty- Third Amendment

    Extends the right to vote in the presidential election to citizens residing in the District of Columbia by granting the District electors in the Electoral College, as if it were a state.
  • Twenty-Fourth Amendment

    Twenty-Fourth Amendment

    Prohibited the federal and state governments from imposing poll taxes before a citizen could participate in a federal election.
  • Twenty-Fifth Amendment

    Twenty-Fifth Amendment

    In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
  • Twenty-Sixth Amendment

    Twenty-Sixth Amendment

    The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.
  • Twenty-Seventh Amendment

    Twenty-Seventh Amendment

    Prevents members of Congress from granting themselves pay raises during the current session.