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Declaration of Rights and Grievances is Passed
This declaration was created by the Stamp Act Congress that stated that declaring taxes on British Colonists was unconstitutional. It was mostly directed towards the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was a direct tax passed onto the Colonies that rose the price on paper imported by London. 14 points were created within this document. Among these points included the basic idea of the Revolutionary War: "no taxation without representation". -
Boston Tea Party
After the Tea Act (which rose the price of imported tea on the Colonies) was passed by Parliament onto the American Colonies, a resistance group called Sons of Liberty, acted upon several British ships carrying tea and dumped it into the Boston Harbor. Many Colonists believed that the Act violated their right to only be taxed by their own representatives. To react to this, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts to in order for the Colonists to repay the damages they caused. -
First Continental Congress Meets
Delegates from 12 British American colonies met with each other in Pennsylvania. Meeting at the beginning of the American Revolution, they pulled together to talk about the Coercive Acts. It was a punishment placed on the Colonies for the Boston Tea Party. They talked about boycotting British trade and petitioning against King Charles III in retaliation of the "Intolerable Acts". This meeting did not catch the attention of the Crown. So, they planned the 2nd Continental Congress. -
Revolutionary War Begins
Shortly after the Boston Tea Party, the relationship between the Colonies and the British Crown escalated in tension. The Intolerable Acts really took a toll on the Colonies and angered them, especially in Massachusetts. To stop the colonists of their defiance, the British Crown selected Thomas Gage to control the British Army in that area & enforce the Acts. Minutemen challenged the troops (which led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord). -
Second Continental Congress Meets
Delegates from the Thirteen Colonies met each each other in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania soon after warfare in the Revolutionary War begun. Here, they managed to work for America's Independence, maintain war effort, and eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. About 56 delegates came to the first meeting. Within this number, new arrivals from the original First Continental Congress shined brightly. These new arrivals include: Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock. -
Declaration of Independence is Signed
The Declaration was a statement that was adopted by the Continental Congress that said that the American Colonies were considering themselves independent from Great Britain. The person behind the original writing was Thomas Jefferson. A committee was created to draft the formal version that Congress would vote on. It is the basis for the American moral standard & is a major statement for human rights. Its most famous line is, "...That all men are created equal". -
The Articles of Confederation is Signed
This document was one of the very first documents that the 13 Colonies agreed with and is considered our first constitution. It allowed the Contiental Congress have the power to direct the Revolutionary War & deal with territorial issues with Europe & Native Americans. Within in its later years, James Madison claimed that it set a weak government and actually had many things wrong with it. In response, he created the Virginia Plan to abolish it and instead adopt the US Consitution. -
Revolutionary War Ends
The Treaty of Paris was created to end the war between Great Britain and America. Within the treaty, ten points were passed that would ensure the future peace of America between Great Britain. The list included the release of prisoners of war on both sides, debts will be repaid on both sides, & the addition of new fishing grounds for America. Although it was a great victory of being seperated, America lost its privileges of being with Great Britain (like protection from pirates). -
Constitutional Congress Opens
Also known as the Philadelphia Convention, it was a convention held to address the issues that America had with the Articles of Confederation. Originally meant to revise the Articles, they were abolished by James Madison, whom had other plans by creating a new government. The result was the US Constitution, which was stronger. Among the list of changes he created, the most important was that Congress would be divided into two houses for voting. -
Final Draft of the Constitution is Signed
Although it was created on 17 Sep 1787, it took an extra two years before it was signed officially. The reason behind this was the creation of the Bill of Rights. Without the Bill of Rights, the Constitution actually had a lot of controversy following it & spilt the US into Federalists & Anti-Federalists which were for & against the Constitution. The 1st ten Amendments are called the Bill of Rights because they addressed the basic rights for Americans such as the Freedom of Speech & Press.
