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The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea was for American colonists, angry about Britain for imposing "taxation without representation." They dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
In this first battle of the American Revolution, Massachusetts colonists defied British authority, outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats, and embarked on a lengthy war to earn their independence. -
The Declaration of Independence is Signed
After long debates, the Second Continental Congress ultimately agreed to the Declaration of Independence. They signed it on August 2, 1776, in the Pennsylvania State House. -
The Winter at Valley Forge
The winter of 1777-78 was not the coldest nor the worst winter experienced during the war, but regular freezing and thawing, plus intermittent snowfall and rain, coupled with shortages of provisions, clothing, and shoes, made living conditions extremely difficult -
Article of Confederation are Ratified
The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown proved to be the decisive engagement of the American Revolution. The British surrender forecast the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation—the United States of America. -
Presidential Inauguration of George Washington
Robert Livingston, Chancellor of New York, administered the oath. Samuel Otis, Secretary of the Senate, held the ceremonial Bible, which was a Masonic Bible acquired at the last minute from St. John's Lodge. Washington took the oath with his hand on the Bible, and kissed the Bible after taking the oath. -
The Constitution is Ratified
Each state had been given 6 months to meet and vote on the proposed Constitution. Delaware was the first state to vote on December 7, 1787. -
Washington’s Farewell Address
The letter was first published as The Address of Gen. Washington to the People of America on His Declining the Presidency of the United States in Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796, about ten weeks before the presidential electors cast their votes in the 1796 election. -
The Death of George Washington
Washington passed away because he had a throat infection. On December 12 Washington went out on horseback to supervise farm activities. While he was doing that it began to snow. When he returned home he hadn't changed out of his wet clothes and went right to dinner. -
Election Day, 1800
It was held from October 31 to December 3, 1800. In what is sometimes called the "Revolution of 1800", the Democratic-Republican Party candidate, Vice President Thomas Jefferson, defeated the Federalist Party candidate, incumbent president John Adams. -
Marbury vs. Madison
The U.S. Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review—the power of the federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional. The unanimous opinion was written by Chief Justice John Marshall