-
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence. -
served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. -
Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. -
Congress sets dates for the first feaderal elections -
he process set out in the Constitution for its ratification provided for much popular debate in the States. The Constitution would take effect once it had been ratified by nine of the thirteen State legislatures -
In 1789, the first presidential election, George Washington was unanimously elected president of the United States. With 69 electoral votes, -
increase in the period of required residence in the United States before an alien can be naturalized from two to five years. -
Adams signed the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts and built up the Army and Navy in an undeclared naval war with France -
The Alien Friends Act and the Sedition Act expired after a set number of years, and the Naturalization Act was repealed in 1802. -
all the Alien and Sedition Acts expired or were repealed during the next two years, except for the Alien Enemies Act, which remained in -
John Adams was elected to office in 1796 and succeeded Washington in 1797. -
three-fourths of the states had ratified 10 of these, now known as the Bill of Rights.