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1st Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 out of 13 colonies who meet from September 5 to October 26, 1774 at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that encouraged colonists to continue boycotting goods and prepare for war. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet urging the colonies to declare independence and establish a republican government. The widely read pamphlet helped convince colonist to support the Revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
Formal pronouncement of Independence drafted by Thomas Jefferson and approved by Congress. The declaration allowed Americans to appeal for foreign aid and served as an inspiration for later revolutionary movements worldwide. -
Articles of Confederation
First American constitution that established the United States as a loose confederation of states under a weak national Congress, which was not granted the power to regulate commerce or collect taxes. The Articles were replaced by a more efficient Constitution in 1789. -
Virginia's Statute of Religious Freedom
Measure enacted by the Virginia legislature prohibiting state support for religious institutions and recognizing freedom of worship. Served as a model for the religion clause of the first amendment to the Constitution. -
Northwest Ordinance Continental Convention in Philadelphia
The Northwest Ordinance created a policy for administering the Northwest Territories. It included a path to statehood and forbade the expansion of slavery into the territories.
