-
French and Indian War begins
The French and Indian War was a struggle for supremacy in America between Great Britain and France. -
French and Indian War ends
This war helped lead to the future American Revolution just 15 years later. -
Boston Massacre
This effected the US because it aroused the desire for freedom. -
Boston Tea Party
Americans stood up against the king's taxes and refused to pay, this was a big act towards American independence -
Quartering Act is passed by Parliament
Parliament passed the Quartering Act, outlining the locations and conditions in which British soldiers are to find room and board in the American colonies. This again gave us more independence. -
First Continental Congress convenes
Twelve of the 13 colonies sent delegates and a declaration of colonial rights was drafted and sent to London. -
American Revolution begins
This was the war where we fought for our independence from Britain. -
Second Continental Congress convenes
The Second Continental Congress sent the king a petition called the olive branch. The olive branch was asking the king for freedom or liberty. Also, this moved us incrementally towards independence and adopting the United States Declaration of Independence. -
Ben Franklin presents a plan for confederation
Benjamin Franklin presented a plan for a government for a united colonial confederation, proposing a union of American provinces. -
Richard Henry Lee introduces independence resolution
Richard Henry Lee read a resolution before the Continental Congress "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." -
Declaration of Independence adopted
This is the first time that people were declared rights away from British law. -
Third Continental Congress convenes
This is where they prosecuted the war and also modified and finalized the Articles of Confederation -
Articles of Confederation proposed
This was a huge step in establishing the "united colonies" as free and Independent States. -
Articles of Confederation ratified
The Articles of Confederation was an agreement among the 13 founding states that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution. -
Revolutionary War Ends
We gain our independance. -
Shays' Rebellion
This made people realize that the Articles of Confederation needed to be relooked at and revised. -
Constitutional Convention opens
This was the meeting where they started our Constitution. -
Final draft of the Constitution sent to Congress
This was the first time people got rid of the Articles of Confederation and went under a better form of government. -
Constitution Ratified
The Constitution of the United States created a form of government known as federalism. The national and state governments each have specific powers and functions, while also sharing some of the same powers, and having the ability to check the powers of the other two branches. -
The Constitution goes into effect
The United States now had a functional government. -
George Washington elected first President of the USA
George Washington oversaw the creation of the national government. He was also one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, The Constitution established the position of President of the republic, which Washington was the first to hold. -
French Revolution
Napoleon was the Seller to the United States of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 which almost doubled the size of the states which hugely effected our country. -
First Supreme Court assembled
This was important because they had to fulfill Article III, section 1 in the constitution, which states that the "judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court. -
The United States Capital officially moved from New York City to Philadelphia
The capital moved from Idenpendance Hall to Federal Hall when a mob of angry soldiers converged upon Independence Hall. They demanded payment for their service during the American Revolutionary War. -
The Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments) added to the Constitution
These served to protect the natural rights of life, liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers for the states and the public. -
US capital moves to Washington
This was so there could be a permanent capital in the US. -
Confederate Constitution adopted
The Constitution of the Confederate States of America was the supreme law of the Confederate States of America and went into effect through the conclusion of the American Civil War. The document is almost identical to the United States Constitution, but there are crucial differences between the two documents,in legal content and having to do with the topics of states' rights and slavery. -
Civil war begins
The war had its origin in the huge issue of slavery, and after four years of fighting, the Confederacy was defeated, slavery was abolished, and the difficult Reconstruction process of restoring unity and guaranteeing the same rights to the freed slaves began. -
Abraham Lincoln elected President
He is elected the 16th president and was able to preserve the Union and bring an end to slavery. -
The 13th amendment was passed by the Senate
This amendment to abolish slavery was passed by the U.S. Senate but didn't go through the House, as Democrats ruled in the name of states' rights. -
The 13th amendment was also passed by the House
Once again, this amendment was brought up and this time was passed by both the House and the Senate, which officially abolished slavery in the US. -
Civil War ends
The union ended up winning the war because the confederates were low on men, which ultimately led to the surrender of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. -
Amendment 14 was passed
This gave the Right of citizenship to all people born in USA and included former slaves who had just been freed after the Civil War. The amendment had been rejected by most Southern states but was ratified by the required three-fourths of the states. -
Amendment 19 was ratified
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote. At the time the U.S. was founded, the female citizens did not share all of the same rights as men, including the right to vote. -
Amendment 26 ratified
The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, allowing millions of young people to participate actively in the democratic process and to have a powerful voice in shaping their political future.