Prelude to Revolution

1763 to 1775

1763 - The Proclamation of 1763, signed by King George III of England, prohibits any English
settlement west of the Appalachian mountains and requires those already settled in those regions
to return east in an attempt to ease tensions with Native Americans.

1764 - The Sugar Act is passed by the English Parliament to offset the war debt brought on by
the French and Indian War and to help pay for the expenses of running the colonies and newly
acquired territories. This act increases the duties on imported sugar and other items such as
textiles, coffee, wines and indigo (dye). It doubles the duties on foreign goods reshipped from
England to the colonies and also forbids the import of foreign rum and French wines.

1764 - The English Parliament passes a measure to reorganize the American customs system to
better enforce British trade laws, which have often been ignored in the past. A court is
established in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that will have jurisdiction over all of the American colonies
in trade matters.

1764 - The Currency Act prohibits the colonists from issuing any legal tender paper money. This
act threatens to destabilize the entire colonial economy of both the industrial North and
agricultural South, thus uniting the colonists against it.

1764 - In May, at a town meeting in Boston, James Otis raises the issue of taxation without
representation and urges a united response to the recent acts imposed by England. In July, Otis
publishes "The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved." In August, Boston
merchants begin a boycott of British luxury goods.

1765 - In March, the Stamp Act is passed by the English Parliament imposing the first direct tax
on the American colonies, to offset the high costs of the British military organization in America.
Thus for the first time in the 150 year old history of the British colonies in America, the
Americans will pay tax not to their own local legislatures in America, but directly to England.

Under the Stamp Act, all printed materials are taxed, including; newspapers, pamphlets, bills,
legal documents, licenses, almanacs, dice and playing cards. The American colonists quickly
unite in opposition, led by the most influential segments of colonial society - lawyers, publishers,
land owners, ship builders and merchants - who are most affected by the Act, which is scheduled
to go into effect on November 1.

1765 - Also in March, the Quartering Act requires colonists to house British troops and supply
them with food.

1765 - In May, in Virginia, Patrick Henry presents seven Virginia Resolutions to the House of
Burgesses claiming that only the Virginia assembly can legally tax Virginia residents, saying, "If
this be treason, make the most of it." Also in May, the first medical school in America is
founded, in Philadelphia.

1765 - In July, the Sons of Liberty, an underground organization opposed to the Stamp Act, is
formed in a number of colonial towns. Its members use violence and intimidation to eventually

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force all of the British stamp agents to resign and also stop many American merchants from
ordering British trade goods.

1765 - August 26, a mob in Boston attacks the home of Thomas Hutchinson, Chief Justice of
Massachusetts, as Hutchinson and his family narrowly escape.

1765 - In October, the Stamp Act Congress convenes in New York City, with representatives
from nine of the colonies. The Congress prepares a resolution to be sent to King George III and
the English Parliament. The petition requests the repeal of the Stamp Act and the Acts of 1764.
The petition asserts that only colonial legislatures can tax colonial residents and that taxation
without representation violates the colonists' basic civil rights.

1765 - On November 1, most daily business and legal transactions in the colonies cease as the
Stamp Act goes into effect with nearly all of the colonists refusing to use the stamps. In New
York City, violence breaks out as a mob burns the royal governor in effigy, harasses British
troops, then loots houses.

1765 - In December, British General Thomas Gage, commander of all English military forces in
America, asks the New York assembly to make colonists comply with the Quartering Act and
house and supply his troops. Also in December, the American boycott of English imports
spreads, as over 200 Boston merchants join the movement.

1766 - In January, the New York assembly refuses to completely comply with Gen. Gage's
request to enforce the Quartering Act.

1766 - In March, King George III signs a bill repealing the Stamp Act after much debate in the
English Parliament, which included an appearance by Ben Franklin arguing for repeal and
warning of a possible revolution in the American colonies if the Stamp Act was enforced by the
British military.

1766 - On the same day it repealed the Stamp Act, the English Parliament passes the Declaratory
Act stating that the British government has total power to legislate any laws governing the
American colonies in all cases whatsoever.

1766 - In April, news of the repeal of the Stamp Act results in celebrations in the colonies and a
relaxation of the boycott of imported English trade goods.

1766 - In August, violence breaks out in New York between British soldiers and armed colonists,
including Sons of Liberty members. The violence erupts as a result of the continuing refusal of
New York colonists to comply with the Quartering Act. In December, the New York legislature
is suspended by the English Crown after once again voting to refuse to comply with the Act.

1767 - In June, The English Parliament passes the Townshend Revenue Acts, imposing a new
series of taxes on the colonists to offset the costs of administering and protecting the American
colonies. Items taxed include imports such as paper, tea, glass, lead and paints. The Act also
establishes a colonial board of customs commissioners in Boston. In October, Bostonians decide
to reinstate a boycott of English luxury items.

1768 - In February, Samuel Adams of Massachusetts writes a Circular Letter opposing

taxation without representation and calling for the colonists to unite in their actions against the
British government. The letter is sent to assemblies throughout the colonies and also instructs
them on the methods the Massachusetts general court is using to oppose the Townshend Acts.

1768 - In April, England's Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Hillsborough, orders colonial
governors to stop their own assemblies from endorsing Adams' circular letter. Hillsborough also
orders the governor of Massachusetts to dissolve the general court if the Massachusetts assembly
does not revoke the letter. By month's end, the assemblies of New Hampshire, Connecticut and
New Jersey have endorsed the letter.

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1768 - In May, a British warship armed with 50 cannons sails into Boston harbor after a call for
help from custom commissioners who are constantly being harassed by Boston agitators. In June,
a customs official is locked up in the cabin of the Liberty, a sloop owned by John Hancock.
Imported wine is then unloaded illegally into Boston without payment of duties. Following this
incident, customs officials seize Hancock's sloop. After threats of violence from Bostonians, the
customs officials escape to an island off Boston, then request the intervention of British troops.

1768 - In July, the governor of Massachusetts dissolves the general court after the legislature
defies his order to revoke Adams' circular letter. In August, in Boston and New York, merchants
agree to boycott most British goods until the Townshend Acts are repealed. In September, at a
town meeting in Boston, residents are urged to arm themselves. Later in September, English
warships sail into Boston Harbor, then two regiments of English infantry land in Boston and set
up permanent residence to keep order.

1769 - In March, merchants in Philadelphia join the boycott of British trade goods. In May, a set
of resolutions written by George Mason is presented by George Washington to the Virginia
House of Burgesses. The Virginia Resolves oppose taxation without representation, the British
opposition to the circular letters, and British plans to possibly send American agitators to
England for trial. Ten days later, the Royal governor of Virginia dissolves the House of
Burgesses. However, its members meet the next day in a Williamsburg tavern and agree to a
boycott of British trade goods, luxury items and slaves.

1769 - In July, in the territory of California, San Diego is founded by Franciscan Friar Juniper
Serra. In October, the boycott of English goods spreads to New Jersey, Rhode Island, and then
North Carolina.

1770 - The population of the American colonies reaches 2,210,000 persons.

1770 - Violence erupts in January between members of the Sons of Liberty in New York and 40
British soldiers over the posting of broadsheets by the British. Several men are seriously
wounded.

March 5, 1770 - The Boston Massacre occurs as a mob harasses British soldiers

who then fire their muskets pointblank into the crowd, killing three instantly, mortally wounding
two others and injuring six. After the incident, the new Royal Governor of Massachusetts,
Thomas Hutchinson, at the insistence of Sam Adams, withdraws British troops out of Boston to
nearby harbor islands. The captain of the British soldiers, Thomas Preston, is then arrested along
with eight of his men and charged with murder.

1770 - In April, the Townshend Acts are repealed by the British. All duties on imports into the
colonies are eliminated except for tea. Also, the Quartering Act is not renewed.

1770 - In October, trial begins for the British soldiers arrested after the Boston Massacre.
Colonial lawyers John Adams and Josiah Quincy successfully defend Captain Preston and six of
his men, who are acquitted. Two other soldiers are found guilty of manslaughter, branded, then
released.

1772 - In June, a British customs schooner, the Gaspee, runs aground off Rhode Island in
Narragansett Bay. Colonists from Providence row out to the schooner and attack it, set the
British crew ashore, then burn the ship. In September, a 500 pound reward is offered by the
English Crown for the capture of those colonists, who would then be sent to England for trial.
The announcement that they would be sent to England further upsets many American colonists.

1772 - In November, a Boston town meeting assembles, called by Sam Adams. During the
meeting, a 21 member committee of correspondence is appointed to communicate with other
towns and colonies. A few weeks later, the town meeting endorses three radical proclamations
asserting the rights of the colonies to self-rule.

1773 - In March, the Virginia House of Burgesses appoints an eleven member committee of
correspondence to communicate with the other colonies regarding common complaints against
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the British. Members of that committee include, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and Richard
Henry Lee. Virginia is followed a few months later by New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Connecticut and South Carolina.

1773 - May 10, the Tea Act takes effect. It maintains a threepenny per pound import tax on tea
arriving in the colonies, which had already been in effect for six years. It also gives the near
bankrupt British East India Company a virtual tea monopoly by allowing it to sell directly to
colonial agents, bypassing any middlemen, thus underselling American merchants. The East
India Company had successfully lobbied Parliament for such a measure. In September,
Parliament authorizes the company to ship half a million pounds of tea to a group of chosen tea
agents.

1773 - In October, colonists hold a mass meeting in Philadelphia in opposition to the tea tax and
the monopoly of the East India Company. A committee then forces British tea agents to resign
their positions. In November, a town meeting is held in Boston endorsing the actions taken by
Philadelphia colonists. Bostonians then try, but fail, to get their British tea agents to resign. A
few weeks later, three ships bearing tea sail into Boston harbor.

1773 - November 29/30, two mass meetings occur in Boston over what to do about the tea
aboard the three ships now docked in Boston harbor. Colonists decide to send the tea on the ship,
Dartmouth, back to England without paying any import duties. The Royal Governor of
Massachusetts, Hutchinson, is opposed to this and orders harbor officials not to let the ship sail
out of the harbor unless the tea taxes have been paid.

December 16, 1773 - About 8000 Bostonians gather to hear Sam Adams tell them
Royal Governor Hutchinson has repeated his command not to allow the ships out of the harbor
until the tea taxes are paid. That night, theBoston Tea Party occurs as colonial activists disguise
themselves as Mohawk Indians then board the ships and dump all 342 containers of tea into the
harbor.

1774 - In March, an angry English Parliament passes the first of a series of Coercive Acts (called
Intolerable Acts by Americans) in response to the rebellion in Massachusetts. The Boston Port
Bill effectively shuts down all commercial shipping in Boston harbor until Massachusetts pays
the taxes owed on the tea dumped in the harbor and also reimburses the East India Company for
the loss of the tea.

1774 - May 12, Bostonians at a town meeting call for a boycott of British imports in response to
the Boston Port Bill. May 13, General Thomas Gage, commander of all British military forces in
the colonies, arrives in Boston and replaces Hutchinson as Royal governor, putting
Massachusetts under military rule. He is followed by the arrival of four regiments of British
troops.

1774 - May 17-23, colonists in Providence, New York and Philadelphia begin calling for an
intercolonial congress to overcome the Coercive Acts and discuss a common course of action
against the British.

1774 - May 20, The English Parliament enacts the next series of Coercive Acts, which include
the Massachusetts Regulating Act and the Government Act virtually ending any self-rule by the
colonists there. Instead, the English Crown and the Royal governor assume political power
formerly exercised by colonists. Also enacted; the Administration of Justice Act which protects
royal officials in Massachusetts from being sued in colonial courts, and the Quebec
Actestablishing a centralized government in Canada controlled by the Crown and English
Parliament. The Quebec Act greatly upsets American colonists by extending the southern
boundary of Canada into territories claimed by Massachusetts, Connecticut and Virginia.

1774 - In June, a new version of the 1765 Quartering Act is enacted by the English Parliament
requiring all of the American colonies to provide housing for British troops in occupied houses
and taverns and in unoccupied buildings. In September, Massachusetts Governor Gage seizes
that colony's arsenal of weapons at Charlestown.

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1774 - September 5 to October 26, the First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia with 56
delegates, representing every colony, except Georgia. Attendants include Patrick Henry, George
Washington, Sam Adams and John Hancock.

On September 17, the Congress declares its opposition to the Coercive Acts, saying they are "not
to be obeyed," and also promotes the formation of local militia units. On October 14,
a Declaration and Resolves is adopted that opposes the Coercive Acts, the Quebec Act, and other
measure taken by the British that undermine self-rule. The rights of the colonists are asserted,
including the rights to "life, liberty and property." On October 20, the Congress adopts
the Continental Association in which delegates agree to a boycott of English imports, effect an
embargo of exports to Britain, and discontinue the slave trade.

1775 - February 1, in Cambridge, Mass., a provincial congress is held during which John
Hancock and Joseph Warren begin defensive preparations for a state of war. February 9, the
English Parliament declares Massachusetts to be in a state of rebellion. March 23, in Virginia,
Patrick Henry delivers a speech against British rule, stating, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
March 30, the New England Restraining Act is endorsed by King George III, requiring New
England colonies to trade exclusively with England and also bans fishing in the North Atlantic.

1775 - In April, Massachusetts Governor Gage is ordered to enforce the Coercive Acts and
suppress "open rebellion" among the colonists by all necessary force.

Conflict and Revolution

1775 to 1776

April 14, 1775 - Massachusetts Governor Gage is secretly ordered by the British to enforce the
Coercive Acts and suppress "open rebellion" among colonists by using all necessary force.

April 18, 1775 - General Gage orders 700 British soldiers to Concord to destroy the colonists'
weapons depot.

That night, Paul Revere and William Dawes are sent from Boston to warn
colonists. Revere reaches Lexington about midnight and warns Sam Adams and John Hancock
who are hiding out there.

At dawn on April 19 about 70 armed Massachusetts militiamen stand face to face

on Lexington Green with the British advance guard. An unordered 'shot heard around the world'
begins the American Revolution. A volley of British muskets followed by a charge with
bayonets leaves eight Americans dead and ten wounded. The British regroup and head for the
depot in Concord, destroying the colonists' weapons and supplies. At the North Bridge in
Concord, a British platoon is attacked by militiamen, with 14 casualties.

British forces then begin a long retreat from Lexington back to Boston and are
harassed and shot at all along the way by farmers and rebels and suffer over 250 casualties. News
of the events at Lexington and Concord spreads like wildfire throughout the Colonies.

April 23, 1775 - The Provincial Congress in Massachusetts orders 13,600 American soldiers to
be mobilized. Colonial volunteers from all over New England assemble and head for Boston,
then establish camps around the city and begin a year long siege of British-held Boston.

5
 May 10, 1775 - American forces led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold capture
Fort Ticonderoga in New York. The fort contains a much needed supply of military equipment
including cannons which are then hauled to Boston by ox teams.

May 10, 1775 - The Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia, with

John Hancock elected as its president. On May 15, the Congress places the colonies in a state of
defense. On June 15, the Congress unanimously votes to appoint George Washington general
and commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army.

June 17, 1775 - The first major fight between British and American troops occurs
at Boston in the Battle of Bunker Hill. American troops are dug in along the high ground of
Breed's Hill (the actual location) and are attacked by a frontal assault of over 2000 British
soldiers who storm up the hill. The Americans are ordered not to fire until they can see "the
whites of their eyes." As the British get within 15 paces, the Americans let loose a deadly volley
of musket fire and halt the British advance. The British then regroup and attack 30 minutes later
with the same result. A third attack, however, succeeds as the Americans run out of ammunition
and are left only with bayonets and stones to defend themselves. The British succeed in taking
the hill, but at a loss of half their force, over a thousand casualties, with the Americans losing
about 400, including important colonial leader, General Joseph Warren.

July 3, 1775 - At Cambridge, Massachusetts, George Washington takes command

of the Continental Army which now has about 17,000 men.

July 5, 1775 - The Continental Congress adopts the Olive Branch Petition which expresses hope
for a reconciliation with Britain, appealing directly to the King for help in achieving this. In
August, King George III refuses even to look at the petition and instead issues
a proclamation declaring the Americans to be in a state of open rebellion.

July 6, 1775 - The Continental Congress issues a Declaration on the Causes and Necessity of
Taking Up Arms detailing the colonists' reasons for fighting the British and states the Americans
are "resolved to die free men rather than live as slaves."

July 26, 1775 - An American Post Office is established with Ben Franklin as Postmaster
General.

November 28, 1775 - The American Navy is established by Congress. The next day, Congress
appoints a secret committee to seek help from European nations.

December 23, 1775 - King George III issues a royal proclamation closing the American colonies
to all commerce and trade, to take effect in March of 1776. Also in December, Congress is
informed that France may offer support in the war against Britain.

January 5, 1776 - The assembly of New Hampshire adopts the first American state constitution.

January 9, 1776 - Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is published in Philadelphia. The

50 page pamphlet is highly critical of King George III and attacks allegiance to Monarchy in
principle while providing strong arguments for American independence. It becomes an instant
best-seller in America. "We have it in our power to begin the world anew...American shall make
a stand, not for herself alone, but for the world," Paine states.

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March 4-17, 1776 - American forces capture Dorchester Heights which overlooks Boston
harbor. Captured British artillery from Fort Ticonderoga is placed on the heights to enforce the
siege against the British in Boston. The British evacuate Boston and set sail for Halifax. George
Washington then rushes to New York to set up defenses, anticipating the British plan to invade
New York City.

April 6, 1776 - The Continental Congress declares colonial shipping ports open to all traffic
except the British. The Congress had already authorized privateer raids on British ships and also
advised disarming all Americans loyal to England.

April 12, 1776 - The North Carolina assembly is the first to empower its delegates in the
Continental Congress to vote for independence from Britain.

May 2, 1776 - The American revolutionaries get the much needed foreign support they had been
hoping for. King Louis XVI of France commits one million dollars in arms and munitions. Spain
then also promises support.

May 10, 1776 - The Continental Congress authorizes each of the 13 colonies to form local
(provincial) governments.

June 28, 1776 - In South Carolina, American forces at Fort Moultrie successfully defend
Charleston against a British naval attack and inflict heavy damage on the fleet.

June-July, 1776 - A massive British war fleet arrives in New York Harbor consisting of 30
battleships with 1200 cannon, 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 sailors, and 300 supply ships, under the
command of General William Howe and his brother Admiral Lord Richard Howe.

June-July, 1776 - On June 7, Richard Henry Lee, a Virginia delegate to the Continental
Congress, presents a formal resolution calling for America to declare its independence from
Britain. Congress decides to postpone its decision on this until July. On June 11, Congress
appoints a committee to draft a declaration of independence. Committee members areThomas
Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Livingston and Roger Sherman. Jefferson is
chosen by the committee to prepare the first draft of the declaration, which he completes in one
day. Just seventeen days later, June 28, Jefferson's Declaration of Independence is ready and is
presented to the Congress, with changes made by Adams and Franklin. On July 2, twelve of
thirteen colonial delegations (New York abstains) vote in support of Lee's resolution for
independence. On July 4, the Congress formally endorses Jefferson's Declaration, with copies to
be sent to all of the colonies. The actual signing of the document occurs on August 2, as most of
the 55 members of Congress place their names on the parchment copy.

July 4, 1776 - United States Declaration of Independence

July 12, 1776 - As a show of force, two British frigates sail up the Hudson River blasting their
guns. Peace feelers are then extended to the Americans. At the request of the British, Gen.
Washington meets with Howe's representatives in New York and listens to vague offers of
clemency for the American rebels. Washington politely declines, then leaves.

August 27-29, 1776 - Gen. Howe leads 15,000 soldiers against Washington's army in the Battle
of Long Island. Washington, outnumbered two to one, suffers a severe defeat as his army is
outflanked and scatters. The Americans retreat to Brooklyn Heights, facing possible capture by
the British or even total surrender.

But at night, the Americans cross the East River in small boats and escape to
Manhattan, then evacuate New York City and retreat up through Manhattan Island to Harlem
Heights. Washington now changes tactics, avoiding large scale battles with the British by a series
of retreats.

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September 11, 1776 - A peace conference is held on Staten Island with British Admiral, Lord
Richard Howe, meeting American representatives including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.
The conference fails as Howe demands the colonists revoke the Declaration of Independence.

September 16, 1776 - After evacuating New York City, Washington's army repulses a British
attack during the Battle of Harlem Heights in upper Manhattan. Several days later, fire engulfs
New York City and destroys over 300 buildings.

September 22, 1776 - After he is caught spying on British troops on Long Island, Nathan Hale is
executed without a trial, his last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my
country."

September 26, 1776 - Congress appoints Jefferson, Franklin and Silas Deane to negotiate
treaties with European governments. Franklin and Deane then travel to France seeking financial
and military aid.

October 9, 1776 - San Francisco is established by Spanish missionaries on the California coast.

October 11, 1776 - A big defeat for the inexperienced American Navy on Lake Champlain at the
hands of a British fleet of 87 gunships. In the 7 hour Battle of Valcour Bay most of the American
flotilla of 83 gunships is crippled with the remaining ships destroyed in a second engagement
two days later.

October 28, 1776 - After evacuating his main forces from Manhattan, Washington's army
suffers heavy casualties in theBattle of White Plains from Gen. Howe's forces. Washington then
retreats westward.

November, 1776 - More victories for the British as Fort Washington on

Manhattan and its precious stores of over 100 cannon, thousands of muskets and cartridges is
captured by Gen. Howe. The Americans also lose Fort Lee in New Jersey to Gen. Cornwallis.
Washington's army suffers 3000 casualties in the two defeats. Gen. Washington abandons the
New York area and moves his forces further westward toward the Delaware River. Cornwallis
now pursues him.

December 6, 1776 - The naval base at Newport, Rhode Island, is captured by the British.

December 11, 1776 - Washington takes his troops across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.
The next day, over concerns of a possible British attack, the Continental Congress abandons
Philadelphia for Baltimore.

Among Washington's troops is Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, who now writes
"...These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in
this crisis, shrink from the service of his country: but he that stands it NOW deserves the love
and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered. Yet we have this
consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

December 25-26, 1776 - On Christmas, George Washington takes 2400 of his men
and recrosses the Delaware River.

Washington then conducts a surprise raid on 1500 British-Hessians (German

mercenaries) at Trenton, New Jersey.

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 The Hessians surrender after an hour with nearly 1000 taken prisoner by
Washington who suffers only six wounded (including future president Lt. James Monroe).
Washington reoccupies Trenton. The victory provides a much needed boost to the morale of all
American Patriots.

An Unlikely Victory
1777 to 1783

January 3, 1777 - A second victory for Washington as his troops defeat the British at Princeton
and drive them back toward New Brunswick. Washington then establishes winter quarters at
Morristown, New Jersey. During the harsh winter, Washington's army shrinks to about a
thousand men as enlistments expire and deserters flee the hardships. By spring, with the arrival
of recruits, Washington will have 9000 men.

March 12, 1777 - The Continental Congress returns to Philadelphia from Baltimore after
Washington's successes against the British in New Jersey.

April 27, 1777 - American troops under Benedict Arnold defeat the British at Ridgefield,
Connecticut.

June 14, 1777 - The flag of the United States consisting of 13 stars and 13 white and red stripes
is mandated by Congress;John Paul Jones is chosen by Congress to captain the 18 gun
vessel Ranger with his mission to raid coastal towns of England.

June 17, 1777 - A British force of 7700 men under Gen. John Burgoyne invades from Canada,
sailing down Lake Champlain toward Albany, planning to link up with Gen. Howe who will
come north from New York City, thus cutting off New England from the rest of the colonies.

July 6, 1777 - Gen. Burgoyne's troops stun the Americans with the capture of Fort
Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. Its military supplies are greatly needed by Washington's
forces. The loss of the fort is a tremendous blow to American morale.

July 23, 1777 - British Gen. Howe, with 15,000 men, sets sail from New York for Chesapeake
Bay to capture Philadelphia, instead of sailing north to meet up with Gen. Burgoyne.

July 27, 1777 - Marquis de Lafayette, a 19 year old French aristocrat, arrives in Philadelphia and
volunteers to serve without pay. Congress appoints him as a major general in the Continental
Army. Lafayette will become one of Gen. Washington's most trusted aides.

August 1, 1777 - Gen. Burgoyne reaches the Hudson after a grueling month spent crossing 23
miles of wilderness separating the southern tip of Lake Champlain from the northern tip of the
Hudson River.

August 16, 1777 - In the Battle of Bennington, militiamen from Vermont, aided by

Massachusetts troops, wipe out a detachment of 800 German Hessians sent by Gen. Burgoyne to
seize horses.

August 25, 1777 - British Gen. Howe disembarks at Chesapeake Bay with his troops.

September 9-11, 1777 - In the Battle of Brandywine Creek, Gen. Washington and the main
American Army of 10,500 men are driven back toward Philadelphia by Gen. Howe's British
troops. Both sides suffer heavy losses. Congress then leaves Philadelphia and resettles in
Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

September 26, 1777 - British forces under Gen. Howe occupy Philadelphia. Congress then
relocates to York, Pennsylvania.

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October 7, 1777 - The Battle of Saratoga results in the first major American victory of the
Revolutionary War as Gen. Horatio Gates and Gen. Benedict Arnold defeat Gen. Burgoyne,
inflicting 600 British casualties. American losses are only 150.

October 17, 1777 - Gen. Burgoyne and his entire army of 5700 men surrender to
the Americans led by Gen. Gates. The British are then marched to Boston, placed on ships and
sent back to England after swearing not serve again in the war against America. News of the
American victory at Saratoga soon travels to Europe and boosts support of the American cause.
In Paris the victory is celebrated as if it had been a French victory. Ben Franklin is received by
the French Royal Court. France then recognizes the independence of America.

November 15, 1777 - Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation as the government of the

new United States of America, pending ratification by the individual states. Under the Articles,
Congress is the sole authority of the new national government.

December 17, 1777 - At Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, the Continental Army led by
Washington sets up winter quarters.

February 6, 1778 - American and French representatives sign two treaties in Paris: a Treaty of
Amity and Commerce and a Treaty of Alliance. France now officially recognizes the United
States and will soon become the major supplier of military supplies to Washington's army. Both
countries pledge to fight until American independence is won, with neither country concluding
any truce with Britain without the other's consent, and guarantee each other's possessions in
America against all other powers.

The American struggle for independence is thus enlarged and will soon become a world war.
After British vessels fire on French ships, the two nations declare war. Spain will enter in 1779
as an ally of France. The following year, Britain will declare war on the Dutch who have been
engaging in profitable trade with the French and Americans. In addition to the war in America,
the British will have to fight in the Mediterranean, Africa, India, the West Indies, and on the high
seas. All the while facing possible invasion of England itself by the French.

February 23, 1778 - Baron von Steuben of Prussia arrives at Valley Forge to join
the Continental Army. He then begins much needed training and drilling of Washington's troops,
now suffering from poor morale resulting from cold, hunger, disease, low supplies and desertions
over the long, harsh winter.

March 16, 1778 - A Peace Commission is created by the British Parliament to negotiate with the
Americans. The commission then travels to Philadelphia where its offers granting all of the
American demands, except independence, are rejected by Congress.

May 8, 1778 - British General Henry Clinton replaces Gen. Howe as commander of all British
forces in the American colonies.

May 30, 1778 - A campaign of terror against American frontier settlements, instigated by the
British, begins as 300 Iroquois Indians burn Cobleskill, New York.

June 18, 1778 - Fearing a blockade by French ships, British Gen. Clinton withdraws his troops
from Philadelphia and marches across New Jersey toward New York City. Americans then re-
occupy Philadelphia.

June 19, 1778 - Washington sends troops from Valley Forge to intercept Gen. Clinton.

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 June 27/28, 1778 - The Battle of Monmouth occurs in New Jersey as
Washington's troops and Gen. Clinton's troops fight to a standoff. On hearing that American
Gen. Charles Lee had ordered a retreat, Gen. Washington becomes furious. Gen. Clinton then
continues on toward New York.

July 2, 1778 - Congress returns once again to Philadelphia.

July 3, 1778 - British Loyalists and Indians massacre American settlers in the Wyoming Valley
of northern Pennsylvania.

July 8, 1778 - Gen. Washington sets up headquarters at West Point, New York.

July 10, 1778 - France declares war against Britain.

August 8, 1778 - American land forces and French ships attempt to conduct a combined siege
against Newport, Rhode Island. But bad weather and delays of the land troops result in failure.
The weather-damaged French fleet then sails to Boston for repairs.

September 14, 1778 - Ben Franklin is appointed to be the American diplomatic representative in

France.

November 11, 1778 - At Cherry Valley, New York, Loyalists and Indians massacre over 40
American settlers.

December 29, 1778 - The British begin a major southern campaign with the capture of
Savannah, Georgia, followed a month later with the capture of Augusta.

April 1-30, 1779 - In retaliation for Indian raids on colonial settlements, American troops from
North Carolina and Virginia attack Chickamauga Indian villages in Tennessee.

May 10, 1779 - British troops burn Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia.

June 1, 1779 - British Gen. Clinton takes 6000 men up the Hudson toward West Point.

June 16, 1779 - Spain declares war on England, but does not make an alliance with the
American revolutionary forces.

July 5-11, 1779 - Loyalists raid coastal towns in Connecticut, burning Fairfield, Norwalk and
ships in New Haven harbor.

July 10, 1779 - Naval ships from Massachusetts are destroyed by the British while attempting to
take the Loyalist stronghold of Castine, Maine.

August 14, 1779 - A peace plan is approved by Congress which stipulates independence,
complete British evacuation of America and free navigation on the Mississippi River.

August 29, 1779 - American forces defeat the combined Indian and Loyalist forces at Elmira,
New York. Following the victory, American troops head northwest and destroy nearly 40
Cayuga and Seneca Indian villages in retaliation for the campaign of terror against American
settlers.

Sept. 3 - Oct. 28 - Americans suffer a major defeat while attacking the British at
Savannah, Georgia. Among the 800 American and Allied casualties is Count Casimir Pulaski of
Poland. British losses are only 140.

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September 23, 1779 - Off the coast of England, John Paul Jones fights a desperate battle with a
British frigate. When the British demand his surrender, Jones responds, "I have not yet begun to
fight!" Jones then captures the frigate before his own ship sinks.

September 27, 1779 - John Adams is appointed by Congress to negotiate peace with England.

October 17, 1779 - Washington sets up winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey, where his
troops will suffer another harsh winter without desperately needed supplies, resulting in low
morale, desertions and attempts at mutiny.

December 26, 1779 - British Gen. Clinton sets sail from New York with 8000 men and heads for
Charleston, South Carolina, arriving there on Feb. 1.

April 8, 1780 - The British attack begins against Charleston as warships sail past the cannons of
Fort Moultrie and enter Charleston harbor. Washington sends reinforcements.

May 6, 1780 - The British capture Fort Moultrie at Charleston, South Carolina.

May 12, 1780 - The worst American defeat of the Revolutionary War occurs as the British
capture Charleston and its 5400-man garrison (the entire southern American Army) along with
four ships and a military arsenal. British losses are only 225.

May 25, 1780 - After a severe winter, Gen. Washington faces a serious threat of mutiny at his
winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey. Two Continental regiments conduct an armed march
through the camp and demand immediate payment of salary (overdue by 5 months) and full
rations. Troops from Pennsylvania put down the rebellion. Two leaders of the protest are then
hanged.

June 11, 1780 - A new Massachusetts constitution is endorsed asserting "all men are born free
and equal," which includes black slaves.

June 13, 1780 - Gen. Horatio Gates is commissioned by Congress to command the Southern
Army.

June 23, 1780 - American forces defeat the British in the Battle of Springfield, New Jersey.

July 11, 1780 - 6000 French soldiers under Count de Rochambeau arrive at Newport, Rhode
Island. They will remain there for nearly a year, blockaded by the British fleet.

August 3, 1780 - Benedict Arnold is appointed commander of West Point. Unknown to the
Americans, he has been secretly collaborating with British Gen. Clinton since May of 1779 by
supplying information on Gen. Washington's tactics.

August 16, 1780 - A big defeat for the Americans in South Carolina as forces under Gen. Gates
are defeated by troops ofGen. Charles Cornwallis, resulting in 900 Americans killed and 1000
captured.

August 18, 1780 - An American defeat at Fishing Creek, South Carolina, opens a route for Gen
Cornwallis to invade North Carolina.

September 23, 1780 - A British major in civilian clothing is captured near Tarrytown, New
York. He is found to be carrying plans indicating Benedict Arnold intends to turn traitor and
surrender West Point. Two days later, Arnold hears of the spy's capture and flees West Point to
the British ship Vulture on the Hudson. He is later named a brigadier general in the British Army
and will fight the Americans.

October 7, 1780 - Gen. Cornwallis abandons his invasion of North Carolina after Americans
capture his reinforcements, a Loyalist force of 1000 men.

October 14, 1780 - Gen. Nathanael Greene, Washington's most able and trusted General, is
named as the new commander of the Southern Army, replacing Gen. Gates. Greene then begins a
strategy of rallying popular support and wearing down the British by leading Gen. Cornwallis on

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a six month chase through the back woods of South Carolina into North Carolina into Virginia
then back into North Carolina. The British, low on supplies, are forced to steal from any
Americans they encounter, thus enraging them.

January 3, 1781 - Mutiny among Americans in New Jersey as troops from Pennsylvania set up
camp near Princeton and choose their own representatives to negotiate with state officials back in
Pennsylvania. The crisis is eventually resolved through negotiations, but over half of the
mutineers abandon the army.

January 17, 1781 - An American victory at Cowpens, South Carolina, as Gen. Daniel
Morgan defeats British Gen. Tarleton.

January 20, 1781 - Mutiny among American troops at Pompton, New Jersey. The rebellion is
put down seven days later by a 600-man force sent by Gen. Washington. Two of the leaders are
then hanged.

March 15, 1781 - Forces under Gen. Cornwallis suffer heavy losses in the Battle of Guilford
Courthouse in North Carolina. As a result, Cornwallis abandons plans to conquer the Carolinas
and retreats to Wilmington, then begins a campaign to conquer Virginia with an army of 7500
men.

May 21, 1781 - Gen. Washington and French Gen. Rochambeau meet in Connecticut for a war
council. Gen Rochambeau reluctantly agrees to Washington's plan for a joint French naval and
American ground attack on New York.

June 4, 1781 - Thomas Jefferson narrowly escapes capture by the British at Charlottesville,

Virginia.

June 10, 1781 - American troops under Marquis de Lafayette, Gen. Anthony Wayne and Baron
von Steuben begin to form a combined force in Virginia to oppose British forces under Benedict
Arnold and Gen. Cornwallis.

June 11, 1781 - Congress appoints a Peace Commission comprised of Benjamin Franklin,
Thomas Jefferson, John Jay and Henry Laurens. The commission supplements John Adams as
the sole negotiator with the British.

July 20, 1781 - Slaves in Williamsburg, Virginia, rebel and burn several buildings.

August 1, 1781 - After several months of chasing Gen. Greene's army without much success,
Gen. Cornwallis and his 10,000 tired soldiers arrive to seek rest at the small port of Yorktown,
Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay. He then establishes a base to communicate by sea with Gen.
Clinton's forces in New York.

August 14, 1781 - Gen. Washington abruptly changes plans and abandons the attack on New
York in favor of Yorktown after receiving a letter from French Admiral Count de
Grasse indicating his entire 29-ship French fleet with 3000 soldiers is now heading for the
Chesapeake Bay near Cornwallis. Gen. Washington then coordinates with Gen. Rochambeau to
rush their best troops south to Virginia to destroy the British position in Yorktown.

August 30, 1781 - Count de Grasse's French fleet arrives off Yorktown, Virginia. De Grasse
then lands troops near Yorktown, linking with Lafayette's American troops to cut Cornwallis off
from any retreat by land.

September 1, 1781 - The troops of Washington and Rochambeau arrive at Philadelphia.

September 5-8, 1781 - Off Yorktown, a major naval battle between the French fleet of de Grasse
and the outnumbered British fleet of Adm. Thomas Graves results in a victory for de Grasse. The
British fleet retreats to New York for reinforcements, leaving the French fleet in control of the
Chesapeake. The French fleet establishes a blockade, cutting Cornwallis off from any retreat by
sea. French naval reinforcements then arrive from Newport.

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September 6, 1781 - Benedict Arnold's troops loot and burn the port of New London,
Connecticut.

September 14-24, 1781 - De Grasse sends his ships up the Chesapeake Bay to transport the
armies of Washington and Rochambeau to Yorktown.

September 28, 1781 - Gen. Washington, with a combined Allied army of 17,000 men, begins
the siege of Yorktown. French cannons bombard Gen. Cornwallis and his 9000 men day and
night while the Allied lines slowly advance and encircle them. British supplies run dangerously
low.

October 17, 1781 - As Yorktown is about to be taken, the British send out a flag of truce. Gen.
Washington and Gen. Cornwallis then work out terms of surrender.

October 19, 1781 - As their band plays the tune, "The world turned upside down," the British
army marches out in formation and surrenders at Yorktown. Hopes for a British victory in the
war against America are dashed. In the English Parliament, there will soon be calls to bring this
long costly war to an end.

October 24, 1781 - 7000 British reinforcements under Gen. Clinton arrive at Chesapeake Bay
but turn back on hearing of the surrender at Yorktown.

January 1, 1782 - Loyalists begin leaving America, heading north to Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick.

January 5, 1782 - The British withdraw from North Carolina.

February 27, 1782 - In England, the House of Commons votes against further war in America.

March 5, 1782 - The British Parliament empowers the King to negotiate peace with the United
States.

March 7, 1782 - American militiamen massacre 96 Delaware Indians in Ohio in retaliation for
Indian raids conducted by other tribes.

March 20, 1782 - British Prime Minister, Lord North, resigns, succeeded two days later by Lord
Rockingham who seeks immediate negotiations with the American peace commissioners.

April 4, 1782 - Sir Guy Carleton becomes the new commander of British forces in America,
replacing Gen. Clinton. Carleton will implement the new British policy of ending hostilities and
withdraw British troops from America.

April 12, 1782 - Peace talks begin in Paris between Ben Franklin and Richard Oswald of Britain.

April 16, 1782 - Gen. Washington establishes American army headquarters at Newburgh, New
York.

April 19, 1782 - The Dutch recognize the United States of America as a result of negotiations
conducted in the Netherlands by John Adams.

June 11, 1782 - The British evacuate Savannah, Georgia.

June 20, 1782 - Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States of America.

August 19, 1782 - Loyalist and Indian forces attack and defeat American settlers near Lexington,
Kentucky.

August 25, 1782 - Mohawk Indian Chief Joseph Brant conducts raids on settlements in
Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

August 27, 1782 - The last fighting of the Revolutionary War between Americans and British
occurs with a skirmish in South Carolina along the Combahee River.

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November 10, 1782 - The final battle of the Revolutionary War occurs as Americans retaliate
against Loyalist and Indian forces by attacking a Shawnee Indian village in the Ohio territory.

November 30, 1782 - A preliminary peace treaty is signed in Paris. Terms include recognition of
American independence and the boundaries of the United States, along with British withdrawal
from America.

December 14, 1782 - The British evacuate Charleston, South Carolina.

December 15, 1782 - In France, strong objections are expressed by the French over the signing
of the peace treaty in Paris without America first consulting them. Ben Franklin then soothes
their anger with a diplomatic response and prevents a falling out between France and America.

January 20, 1783 - England signs a preliminary peace treaty with France and Spain.

February 3, 1783 - Spain recognizes the United States of America, followed later by Sweden,
Denmark and Russia.

February 4, 1783 - England officially declares an end to hostilities in America.

March 10, 1783 - An anonymous letter circulates among Washington's senior officers camped at
Newburgh, New York. The letter calls for an unauthorized meeting and urges the officers to defy
the authority of the new U.S. national government (Congress) for its failure to honor past
promises to the Continental Army. The next day, Gen. Washington forbids the unauthorized
meeting and instead suggests a regular meeting to be held on March 15. A second anonymous
letter then appears and is circulated. This letter falsely claims Washington himself sympathizes
with the rebellious officers.

March 15, 1783 - General Washington gathers his officers and talks them out of a rebellion
against the authority of Congress, and in effect preserves the American democracy. Read more
about this

April 11, 1783 - Congress officially declares an end to the Revolutionary War.

April 26, 1783 - 7000 Loyalists set sail from New York for Canada, bringing a total of 100,000
Loyalists who have now fled America.

June 13, 1783 - The main part of the Continental Army disbands.

June 24, 1783 - To avoid protests from angry and unpaid war veterans, Congress leaves
Philadelphia and relocates to Princeton, New Jersey.

July 8, 1783 - The Supreme Court of Massachusetts abolishes slavery in that state.

September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris is signed by the United States and Great Britain.
Congress will ratify the treaty on January 14, 1784.

October 7, 1783 - In Virginia, the House of Burgesses grants freedom to slaves who served in
the Continental Army.

November 2, 1783 - George Washington delivers his farewell address to his army. The next day,
remaining troops are discharged.

November 25, 1783 - Washington enters Manhattan as the last British troops leave.

November 26, 1783 - Congress meets in Annapolis, Maryland.

December 23, 1783 - Following a triumphant journey from New York to

Annapolis, George Washington, victorious commander in chief of the American Revolutionary

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Army, appears before Congress and voluntarily resigns his commission, an event unprecedented
in history.

A New Nation
1784 to 1790

January 14, 1784 - The Treaty of Paris is ratified by Congress. The Revolutionary War
officially ends.

March 1, 1784 - A congressional committee led by Thomas Jefferson proposes to divide up

sprawling western territories into states, to be considered equal with the original 13. Jefferson
also proposes a ban on slavery everywhere in the U.S. after 1800. This proposal is narrowly
defeated.

August 30, 1784 - Beginning of the China Trade, as the American Ship Empress of China,
sailing from New York, arrives at Canton, China. The ship will return with exotic goods,
including silks and tea, spurring large numbers of American merchants to enter the trade.

September 22, 1784 - Russians establish their first settlement in Alaska, on Kodiak Island.

January 11, 1785 - Congress relocates to New York City, temporary capital of the U.S.

February 24, 1785 - Although England refuses to send an ambassador to the U.S., John
Adams is sent as the American ambassador to Britain. He will spend the next three years trying
without success to settle problems regarding the existence of a string of British forts along the
Canadian border, pre-war debts owed to British creditors, post-war American treatment of
Loyalists, and the closing of the West Indian colonies to American trade.

May 8, 1785 - Congress passes the Land Ordinance of 1785 which divides the northwest
territories into townships, each set at 6 square miles, subdivided into 36 lots of 640 acres each,
with each lot selling for no less than $640.

January 16, 1786 - The Virginia legislature passes Jefferson's Ordinance of Religious

Freedom guaranteeing that no man may be forced to attend or support any church or be
discriminated against because of his religious preference. This will later serve as the model for
the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Summer of 1786 - Americans suffer from post-war economic depression including a shortage of
currency, high taxes, nagging creditors, farm foreclosures and bankruptcies.

August 8, 1786 - Congress adopts a monetary system based on the Spanish dollar, with a gold
piece valued at $10, silver pieces at $1, one-tenth of $1 also in silver, and copper pennies.

August 22-25, 1786 - Angry representatives from 50 towns in Massachusetts meet to discuss
money problems including the rising number of foreclosures, the high cost of lawsuits, heavy
land and poll taxes, high salaries for state officials, and demands for new paper money as a
means of credit.

August 31, 1786 - In Massachusetts, to prevent debtors from being tried and put in prison, ex-
Revolutionary War CaptainDaniel Shays, who is now a bankrupt farmer, leads an armed mob
and prevents the Northampton Court from holding a session.

September 20, 1786 - In New Hampshire, an armed mob marches on the state assembly and
demands enactment of an issue of paper money.

September 26, 1786 - Shays' rebels, fearing they might be charged with treason, confront 600
militiamen protecting the state Massachusetts Supreme Court session in Springfield and force the
court to adjourn.

October 16, 1786 - Congress establishes the United States mint.

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October 20, 1786 - Congress authorizes Secretary of War Henry Knox to raise a an army of
1340 men over concerns of the safety of the federal arsenal at Springfield, Mass.

December 26, 1786 - Shays assembles 1200 men near Worcester, Mass. and heads toward
Springfield. Massachusetts Governor, Bowdoin, then orders mobilization of a 4400 man force.

January 26, 1787 - Shays' rebels attack the federal arsenal at Springfield but are unsuccessful.
Revolutionary War hero, Gen. Benjamin Lincoln, then arrives with reinforcements from Boston
to pursue the rebels.

February 4, 1787 - Gen. Lincoln's troops attack Shays' rebels at Petersham, Massachusetts, and
capture 150 rebels. Shays flees north to Vermont.

February 21, 1787 - Amid calls for a stronger central government, due in part to Shays'
Rebellion, Congress endorses a resolution calling for a constitutional convention to be held in
Philadelphia, beginning in May.

May 25, 1787 - With 29 delegates from nine states present, the constitutional convention begins
in the state house (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. A total of 73 delegates have been chosen
by the states (excluding Rhode Island) although only 55 will actually attend. There are 21
veterans of the Revolutionary War and 8 signers of the Declaration of Independence. The
delegates are farmers, merchants, lawyers and bankers, with an average age of 42, and include
the brilliant 36 year old James Madison, the central figure at the convention, and 81 year old Ben
Franklin. Thomas Jefferson, serving abroad as ambassador to France, does not attend.

The delegates first vote is to keep the proceedings absolutely secret. George Washington is then
nominated as president of the constitutional convention.

June 19, 1787 - Rather than revise the Articles of Confederation, delegates at the constitutional
convention vote to create an entirely new form of national government separated into three
branches - the legislative, executive and judicial - thus dispersing power with checks and
balances, and competing factions, as a measure of protection against tyranny by a controlling
majority.

July 13, 1787 - Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance which establishes formal procedures
for transforming territories into states. It provides for the eventual establishment of three to five
states in the area north of the Ohio River, to be considered equal with the original 13. The
Ordinance includes a Bill of Rights that guarantees freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury,
public education and a ban on slavery in the Northwest.

July 16, 1787 - At the constitutional convention, Roger Sherman proposes a compromise which
allows for representation in the House of Representatives based on each state's population and
equal representation for all of the states in the Senate. The numerous black slaves in the South
are to counted at only three fifths of their total number. A rough draft of the constitution is then
drawn up.

August 6-10, 1787 - Items in the draft constitution are debated including the length of terms for
the president and legislators, the power of Congress to regulate commerce, and a proposed 20
year ban on any Congressional action concerning slavery.

September 17, 1787 - Thirty nine delegates vote to approve and then sign the
final draft of the new Constitution.

The Legislative Branch will consist of two houses. The upper house (Senate) to be composed of
nominees selected by state assemblies for six year terms; the lower house (House of
Representatives) to be elected every two years by popular vote.

The Executive Branch is to be headed by a chief executive (President) elected every four years
by presidential electors from the states. The President is granted sweeping powers including:
veto power over Congress which can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house;
commander in chief of the armies; power to make treaties with the advice and consent of two-

17
thirds of the Senate; power to appoint judges, diplomats and other officers with the consent of
the Senate; power to recommend legislation and responsibility for execution of the laws.

The President is required to report each year to the legislative branch on the state of the nation.
The legislative branch has the power to remove the President from office. The House can
impeach the President for treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors with actual
removal from office occurring by a two-thirds vote of the Senate.

The Judicial Branch consists of a Supreme Court headed by a chief justice. The court has the
implied power to review laws that conflict with the Constitution.

September 19, 1787 - For the first time the proposed Constitution is made public as printed
copies of the text are distributed. A storm of controversy soon arises as most people had only
expected a revision of the Articles of Confederation, not a new central government with
similarities to the British system they had just overthrown.

September 28, 1787 - Congress votes to send the Constitution to the state legislatures for
ratification, needing the approval of nine states.

October 27, 1787 - The Federalists, who advocate a strong central government and approval of
the new Constitution, begin publishing essays in favor of ratification. Written by Alexander
Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, the total number of articles will eventually reach 85 and
be compiled and published as the Federalist Papers.

December 7, 1787 - Delaware is the first of the nine states needed to ratify the Constitution. To
be followed by: Pennsylvania (Dec. 12) New Jersey (Dec. 18) Georgia (Jan. 2, 1788)
Connecticut (Jan. 9) Massachusetts (Feb. 7) Maryland (April 28) South Carolina (May 23) and
New Hampshire (June 21).

February 6, 1788 - Anti-Federalists in Massachusetts, led by Sam Adams and John Hancock,

favor a more decentralized system of government and give their support to ratification of the
Constitution only after a compromise is reached that amendments will be included which
guarantee civil liberties.

February 27, 1788 - In Massachusetts, following an incident in which free blacks were
kidnapped and transported to the island of Martinique, the Massachusetts legislature declares the
slavery trade illegal and provides for monetary damages to victims of kidnappings.

March 24, 1788 - In Rhode Island, the Constitution is rejected by a popular referendum. The
state, fearful of consolidated federal power, had refused to send a delegation to the constitutional
convention in Philadelphia and had subsequently rejected a state convention to consider
ratification.

June 2, 1788 - In Virginia, anti-Federalist forces, led by Patrick Henry and George Mason,
oppose ratification of the Constitution. They are joined by Richard Henry Lee who calls for a bill
of rights and a lower house set up on a more democratic basis.

June 25, 1788 - In Virginia, the Federalists, led by James Madison, finally prevail as ratification
of the Constitution (with a proposed bill of rights and 20 other changes) is endorsed by a close
vote of 89 to 75.

July 2, 1788 - A formal announcement is made by the president of Congress that

the Constitution of the United States is now in effect, having been ratified by the required nine
states.

July 8, 1788 - A committee in the old Congress (still under the Articles of Confederation) is
established to prepare for an orderly transfer of power, including procedures for electing
representatives to the first Congress under the new Constitution and procedures for choosing the
electors of the first president.

July 26, 1788 - The state of New York votes 30 to 27 to endorse ratification while also
recommending a bill of rights be included.

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September 13, 1788 - New York City is chosen by Congress to be the temporary seat of the new
U.S. government.

October-December - Commodity prices stabilize, spurring economic recovery and a gradual

return to pre-war levels of prosperity.

November 1, 1788 - The old Congress, operating under the Articles of Confederation, adjourns.
The U.S. is temporarily without a central government.

November 21, 1788 - North Carolina endorses the Constitution by a vote of 194 to 77.

December 23, 1788 - Maryland proposes giving a 10 square-mile area along the Potomac River
for the establishment of a federal town to be the new seat of the U.S. government.

January 7, 1789 - Presidential electors are chosen in the 11 ratifying states, except New York.

January 23, 1789 - Georgetown University, the first Catholic college in the U.S., is founded by
Father John Carroll.

February 4, 1789 - Ballots are cast in the first presidential election, to be counted on April 6.

March 4, 1789 - The first Congress convenes in New York City, but is unable to achieve a
quorum, since most members are still traveling there.

April 1, 1789 - A quorum is reached in Congress with 30 of 59 members present and the House
of Representatives begins to function. Of the 59 members, 54 had also been delegates to the
constitutional convention.

April 6, 1789 - In the Senate, with 9 of 22 senators present, the presidential ballots cast on Feb. 4
are counted. George Washington is the unanimous choice for President with 69 votes. John
Adams is elected Vice President with 34 votes. Messengers are then sent to inform Washington
and Adams.

April 14, 1789 - Charles Thomson, secretary of Congress, arrives at Mount Vernon and informs
George Washington of his election as President. Two days later, Washington leaves for New
York City.

April 21, 1789 - John Adams arrives in New York and is sworn in as Vice President, then takes
his seat as presiding officer of the Senate.

April 23, 1789 - After an eight day triumphal journey, Washington arrives in New York City.

April 30, 1789 - On the balcony of New York's Federal Hall, George Washington, at age 57, is
sworn in as the first President of the United States. He then enters the Senate chamber to deliver
his inaugural address.

May 7, 1789 - The first inaugural ball occurs in honor of President Washington.

June 1, 1789 - In its first act, Congress establishes the procedure for administering oaths of
office.

July 4, 1789 - Congress passes its first tax, an 8.5 percent protective tax on 30 different items,
with items arriving on American ships charged at a lower rate than foreign ships.

July 14, 1789 - In France, the French Revolution begins with the fall of the Bastille in Paris, an
event witnessed by the American ambassador, Thomas Jefferson.

July 20, 1789 - Congress passes the Tonnage Act of 1789 levying a 50 cents per ton tax on
foreign ships entering American ports, 30 cents per ton on American built but foreign owned
ships, and 6 cents per ton on American ships.

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July 27, 1789 - Congress begins organization of the departments of government with the
establishment of the Department of Foreign Affairs, later renamed the Department of State.
Followed by the War Department (Aug. 7) Treasury Dept. (Sept. 2) and Postmaster General
under the Treasury Dept. (Sept. 2).

September 22, 1789 - The Federal Judiciary Act passed by Congress establishes a six-man

Supreme Court, attorney general, 13 federal district courts and 3 circuit courts. All federal cases
would originate in the district court and, if appealed, would go to the circuit court and from there
to the Supreme Court.

September 25, 1789 - Congress submits 12 proposed constitutional amendments to

the states for ratification. The first ten will be ratified and added to the Constitution in 1791 as
the Bill of Rights.

September 29, 1789 - The U.S. Army is established by Congress. Totaling 1000 men, it consists
of one regiment of eight infantry companies and one battalion of four artillery companies.

November 26, 1789 - A Day of Thanksgiving is established by a congressional resolution and a

proclamation by George Washington.

March 1, 1790 - A Census Act is passed by Congress. The first census, finished on Aug. 1,
indicates a total population of nearly 4 million persons in the U.S. and western territories.
African Americans make up 19 percent of the population, with 90 percent living in the South.
Native Americans were not counted, although there were likely over 80 tribes with 150,000
persons. For white Americans, the average age is under 16. Most white families are large, with
an average of eight children born. The white population will double every 22 years.

The largest American city is Philadelphia, with 42,000 persons, followed by New York (33,000)
Boston (18,000) Charleston (16,000) and Baltimore (13,000). The majority of Americans are
involved in agricultural pursuits, with little industrial activity occurring at this time.

April 17, 1790 - Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at age 84. His funeral four days later
draws over 20,000 mourners.

July 10, 1790 - The House of Representatives votes to locate the national capital on a 10 square-
mile site along the Potomac, with President George Washington choosing the exact location.

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