-
Period: to
U.S Constitution Timeline
-
The Declaration of Independence is adopted.
With war underway, the 13 colonies officially break away from Great Britain with the Declaration of Independence. To avoid being charged with treason, signers of the document are kept secret. -
Virginia becomes the first state to ratify the Articles on Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation, which form the basis of the new government of the United States, are ratified by Virginia. Many people believe that the lack of a strong central government is a mistake but sign off on the Articles anyway because some type of government was needed. -
The Constitutional Convention begins in Philadelphia.
State delegates meet at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Debate over the idea of a strong central government would continue until September 17, when the Constitution is narrowly approved. -
The U.S. Constitution is ratified.
When New Hampshire becomes the 9th of the 13 states to ratify it, the Constitution becomes the law of the land. It was decided that the new government would take effect on March 4, 1789, when the U.S. Senate met for the first time. -
The Bill of Rights is approved by Congress.
Congress passes 12 amendments to the Constitution. Based in part on the English Bill of Rights, the Bill of Rights protects basic freedoms guaranteed to all American citizens, including freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. Two of the 12 amendments are not ratified. -
The 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery, is ratified.
After the Union defeated the Confederacy in the Civil War, the 13th Amendment is ratified and slavery is abolished in the United States. It is the first of three Reconstruction Amendments. -
The 14th Amendment is adopted
The second Reconstruction Amendment, the 14th, is adopted into the Constitution. A primary element of the amendment is granting citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., including former slaves. -
The 15th Amendment is adopted.
The third Reconstruction Amendment, the 15th, becomes part of the Constitution. It grants voting rights to all citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity. Women are not specifically included in the amendment. -
The 18th Amendment bans the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the U.S.
After years of pressure from lobbyists and temperance groups, the 18th Amendment is ratified. Manufacturing, transporting, and selling alcoholic beverages in the U.S. are banned. -
The 19th Amendment is adoppted.
The Nineteenth Amendment (Amendment XIX) to the United States Constitution prohibits any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. -
The 21st Amendment repeals the 18th Amendment.
The 18th Amendment becomes the first and only amendment to be repealed when the 21st Amendment ends Prohibition. The 18th Amendment was extremely difficult to enforce and led to the rise in organized crime, which made millions of dollars selling alcohol. -
The 27th Amendment, addressing Congressional pay raises, is ratified.
The 27th Amendment, which states that pay raises to members of Congress go into effect in the following Congressional session, is ratified. The amendment failed when it was presented as part of the Bill of Rights in 1789.