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The Ratification of The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first collection of laws developed for the collective national government that limited the amount of power that a centralized government would have. -
The Signing of The Treaty of Fort Stanwix
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was an agreement between the Iroquois and the colonists that expanded the United States territory westward through Pennsylvania. Although there were tensions and disagreements the treaty ended with the land going to the colonists and an agreement on an exchange of prisoners. -
The Proposal of the New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey plan was a proposal that introduced ideas that highlighted the needs of smaller states and created one legislative house in the federal government and granted each state equal representation. -
The Creation of The Statute of Religious Freedom
A Virginia Assembly statute that ensured separation of Church and State and essentially guaranteed religious freedom, was the first of its kind and paved the way for separation of Church and State. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay’s Rebellion was an uprising of farmers in Massachusetts who were up in arms over a lack of payment from the government for fighting in the Revolutionary war. Due to a lack of funding within the government the rebellion was mishandled, and the instigator, Daniel Shay, escaped punishment and fled. The realization that the government failed to adequately put down the rebellion is what eventually led to the reforming of the Articles of Confederation. -
Beginning of the Virginia Plan
The Virginia plan was a proposal that introduced ideas of a strong central government, two legislative branches, and a representative system based on population. It was introduced by James Madison. -
The Signing of The 3/5ths Compromise
A compromise between northern and southern delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention to count enslaved people are three-fifths of a free person when discussing representation in the House of Representatives and taxation by the federal government. -
Constitutional Convention
A meeting that took place in Philadelphia from May 25th to September 17th. It was called to amend the articles of confederation. MAjority of the delegates arrived with the intention to simply draft a new constitution, one that is still used today. It included 74 people chosen by state legislatures of which 55 took part and only 39 of those 55 signed the constitution. -
The Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers were a collection of letters written in 1787 urging ratification of the Constitution. The papers mainly targeted citizens of New Yorker. The authors included Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, and the papers included included 85 articles and essays. -
The Ratification of the Constitution
The Constitution was officially signed on September 17, 1787, however it did not get ratified until June 21, 1788. Finally, the government began operating under the Constitution on March 9, 1789.
