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Declaration of Independence
In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was approved by the 2nd Continental Congress in Pennsylvania. The Declaration of Independence (from Great Britain) was written mostly by Thomas Jefferson. -
The Great New York Fire
The Great Fire of New York was a fire that burned the West side of New York city in Manhattan. It broke out during the military occupation by Great Britain. The fire destroyed about one third of the city and much of the city was also looted. -
The US Constitution
On March 4, 1789, the Confederation Congress handed off their power to the newly established constitutional government. The first session was held in New York. -
George Washington is First President of the US
On April 30, 1789 George Washington took his oath of office as the first US president. He took his oath of office in New York City. -
The Bill of Rights was Ratified
On December 15th, Virginia became the 10th of 14 states to approve 10 of the amendments. This gave the Bill of Rights the two-thirds majority of the states required to make it legal. -
Library of Congress Established
The Library of Congress was established by the legislature of the new Republic. This legislation also stated that the center of government would move from Philadelphia to the new capital city of Washington. On April 24, 1800, Pres. John Adams approved the law to use $5,000 to purchase books to be used by the Congress. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a land deal between the United States and France. The US purchased 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
In May of 1804 the Lewis and Clark expedition left St. Louis, Missouri to explore the Northwest from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Sacagawea, the Native American wife of a fur trader, traveled with them and introduced the travelers to her people when they crossed the Continental Divide. The expedition brought back information about the territory that was unexplored before the Lewis and Clark expedition. -
The War of 1812 Begins
Great Britain was in a conflict with France that the led to the war of 1812. Both countries blocked trade with the US in order to keep their supplies from reaching the enemy. The "war hawks" in the congress wanted to go to war with Great Britain to keep keep trade open and to keep Great Britain from taking land that was still available to colonization in the US. -
Missouri Compromise
To resolve a disagreement between the slave states and the free states, the Missouri Compromise was passed. The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri to the US as a slave state and added Maine to the US as a free state. In 1854 the Missouri Compromise was reversed.