-
Period: to
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston tea party was a political protest that occurred December 16, 1773 at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing taxation without representation, dumped 342 chests of teas, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, kicked off the American Revolutionary War. On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache. -
The Declaration of Independence is Signed
The Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the historic document by means of which the 13 American colonies severed their political connections with Great Britain and declared themselves to be the United States of America -
Winter at Valley Forge
Valley Forge is the location of the 1777-1778 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington. Here the Continental Army, a collection of disparate colonial militias, emerged under Washington's leadership as a cohesive and disciplined fighting force. -
The Death of George Washington
On December 14, 1799, George Washington died at his home after a brief illness and after losing about 40 percent of his blood. -
Articles of Confederation are Ratified
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777. However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation by all thirteen states did not occur until March 1, 1781. -
The Battle of Yorktown
On September 28, 1781, General George Washington, commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops, begins the siege known as the Battle of Yorktownagainst British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and a contingent of 9,000 British troops at Yorktown, Virginia, in the most important battle of the Revolutionary -
The Constitution is Ratified
The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. -
Inauguration of President George Washington
George Washington acknowledged Providence as guiding the nation's steps: “No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States.” -
Washington's Farewell Address
In his farewell Presidential address, George Washington advised American citizens to view themselves as a cohesive unit and avoid political parties and issued a special warning to be wary of attachments and entanglements with other nations. -
Election Day, 1800
In what is sometimes referred to as the "Revolution of 1800", Vice President Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party defeated incumbent President John Adams of the Federalist Party. The election was a realigning election that ushered in a generation of Democratic-Republican leadership. -
Marbury vs. Madison
Madison, legal case in which, on February 24, 1803, the U.S. Supreme Court first declared an act of Congress unconstitutional, thus establishing the doctrine of judicial review. The court's opinion, written by Chief Justice John Marshall, is considered one of the foundations of U.S. constitutional law
