-
The Declaration of Independence
There are 56 signatures on the DOI. And 50 from the original 13 states. -
battle of Germantown
At the Battle of Germantown during the American Revolution, British forces in Pennsylvania defeated the American Continental Army under General George Washington.The defeat at Germantown, which came soon after a similar loss at Brandywine, led some prominent Americans to question Washington’s leadership. Germantown demonstrated that Washington’s once-unskilled army was on its way to becoming the well-trained force that would win the war. -
The Articles of Confederations
This "first constitution of the United States" established a "league of friendship" for the 13 sovereign and independent states. Each state retained "every Power...which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States. The Articles of Confederation also outlined a Congress with representation not based on population – each state would have one vote in Congress. Ratification by all 13 states was necessary to set the Confederation into motion. -
Battle off Cape St Vincent
Cape St Vincent is on the south coast of Portugal and the site of several important naval actions, including this battle. Sir George Rodney was appointed flag officer in the Leeward Island in the autumn of 1779 and it was decided that on his way out he would convoy supplies to beleaguered Gibraltar and to Minorca. For this purpose, his squadron was increased to include 22 sail of the line and 14 frigates. -
Congress Is Threatened
A group of soldiers from Pennsylvania marched on Congress, demanding their pay. Armed and angry, they surrounded Independence Hall. The members of Congress eventually were allowed to leave the building; they fled to Princeton, New Jersey. -
Shays Rebellion
Businesses in Boston and elsewhere demanded immediate payment for goods that farmers had previously bought on credit and often paid off through barter. There was no paper money in circulation and no gold or silver to be accessed by the farmers to settle these debts. This is what caused it to happen. -
Attempts to Revise the Articles of Confederation
In Congress, Charles Pinckney proposed a revision of the Articles of Confederation. A committee debated the question, and recommended several changes, including granting Congress power over foreign and domestic commerce, and enabling Congress to collect money owed by the states. Under the Articles, unanimous approval from all thirteen states would be necessary to pass the suggested changes. Doubting that all the states would ever agree, Congress never acted. -
The constitution
ust a few years after the Revolutionary War, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared their young country was on the brink of collapse. America’s first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn’t regulate commerce, or print money. -
The Constitution Is Ratified by Nine States
On June 21, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the new Constitution, making its adoption official. Preceding New Hampshire were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina. Virginia and New York ratified shortly after New Hampshire, followed by North Carolina in November 1789. Rhode Island was last to ratify, not joining the Union until May 1790. -
The First Presedent Election
Congress sets January 7, 1789 as the date by which states are required to choose electors for the country’s first‑ever presidential election. A month later, on February 4, George Washington was elected president by state electors and sworn into office on April 30, 1789. -
The Whiskey Rebellion
he Whiskey Rebellion was a 1794 uprising of farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania in protest of a whiskey tax enacted by the federal government. Following years of aggression with tax collectors, the region finally exploded in a confrontation that resulted in President Washington sending in troops to quell what some feared could become a full-blown revolution. -
The Bill of Rights Ratification
The House passed a joint resolution containing 17 amendments based on Madison’s proposal. The Senate changed the joint resolution to consist of 12 amendments. A joint House and Senate Conference Committee settled remaining disagreements in September. On October 2, 1789, President Washington sent copies of the 12 amendments adopted by Congress to the states. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states had ratified 10 of these, now known as the “Bill of Rights.”