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The declaration of independence was signed.
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Congress adopts articles of confederation
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The articles of confederation go into effect
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Land Ordinance of 1785 creates a plan for surveying and selling land in the Northwest Territory
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Representatives from five states meet at Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss interstate trade. Because so few representatives attend, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison call for another convention to be held in Philadelphia.
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In September 1786, Daniel Shays, a veteran who had fought at Bunker Hill, led a crowd to close the courthouse at Springfield. In January 1787, Shays led a larger group of angry farmers to break into the military arsenal at Springfield, where hundreds of guns were stored.
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Constitutional Convention meets in Philidelphia
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A five-man committee consisting of Oliver Ellsworth, Nathaniel Gorham, Edmund Randolph, John Rutledge, and James Wilson sat down to write a final document for Checks and Balances.
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Throughout 1787 states started to choose delegates from their states.
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The delegates who met at Philidelphia in May 1787 expected to revise the Articles of Confederation and make the government stronger. Instead, they essentially threw out the Articles and wrote a new Constitution. The New Constitution put forth the framework for a strong national government with certain powers left to the states.
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Congress approves the Constitutional convention.
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Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote the 85 federalist papers. These federalist papers were defending the new constitution. John Jay only wrote 5 essays contributing to the papers, James Madison wrote 29, and Alexander Hamilton wrote 51 of the 85 federalist papers
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The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.
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The first Congress meets in New York
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Throughout 1790, the newly established states slowly started to adopt the Bill of Rights
