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The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War, sparked by a British attempt to seize colonial military supplies in Concord. Colonial militiamen confronted the British troops first at Lexington and then at the North Bridge in Concord, and the subsequent retreat by the British was harried by militia attacks, leading to significant British casualties and a major victory for the colonists. -
The signing of the Declaration of Independence is a date associated with the foundational document, but the July 4, 1776, date marks the approval of the final text by the Continental Congress, not the signing. The official signing on an engrossed parchment copy began on August 2, 1776, with most delegates signing then, while some signed even later -
The winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge was a brutal period for the Continental Army, marked by extreme hardship, disease, and death, despite not being the coldest winter of the war -
On March 1, 1781, the Articles of Confederation were ratified, establishing the first government of the United States after it declared independence. Maryland's final ratification made the document, which created a weak central government and a loose alliance of sovereign states, the official law of the land. -
Supported by the French army and navy, Washington's forces defeated Lord Charles Cornwallis' veteran army dug in at Yorktown, Virginia. Victory at Yorktown led directly to the peace negotiations that ended the war in 1783 and gave America its independence. -
The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783, officially ending the American Revolutionary War by formally recognizing the United States as a free and independent nation. Key terms included Great Britain granting the United States a vast territory to the Mississippi River, securing American fishing rights, and resolving issues with debts and property claims. The treaty was ratified by the Continental Congress on January 14, 1784. -
The U.S. Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it, making it the official framework for the U.S. government. This followed months of debate and a contentious ratification process, with Delaware being the first state to ratify it on December 7, 1787. The new government officially began operating on March 4, 1789. -
George Washington's inauguration as the first President of the United States took place on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City. He took the oath of office on a balcony before a crowd of thousands, administered by Chancellor Robert Livingston. After reciting the oath, Washington, with his hand on a Bible, delivered his inaugural address to a joint session of Congress and then attended a service at St. Paul's Chape -
The Whiskey Rebellion was a 1791–1794 uprising by western Pennsylvania farmers protesting the new federal excise tax on distilled spirits, which they saw as an unfair tax on their livelihood. The rebellion began with acts of intimidation against tax collectors, escalating to violence and a larger confrontation with the federal government, which eventually sent a large militia led by President George Washington to put it down. -
On December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified, making the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution official law. Virginia's ratification completed the process, as it was the eleventh state to approve the amendments and provided the necessary three-fourths of the states required for ratification. -
George Washington's 1796 Farewell Address was a public letter that announced his retirement and offered advice to the nation, warning against the dangers of sectionalism, political parties, and foreign entanglements. He stressed the importance of national unity and a strong, independent republic, urging Americans to prioritize their identity as citizens of the United States over regional or partisan interests. His advice against permanent alliances influenced Americans. -
George Washington died at his Mount Vernon estate on December 14, 1799, likely from acute bacterial epiglottitis, after a short and severe throat infection. His death came after a few days of illness, which began with a cold and wet ride around his property, and was complicated by aggressive, but ultimately ineffective, 18th-century medical treatments like bloodletting. His final words, recorded by his secretary Tobias Lear, were "Tis well -
Presidential elections were held in the United States from October 31 to December 3, 1800. In what is sometimes called the "Revolution of 1800", -
Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137, was a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that established the principle of judicial review, meaning that American courts have the power to strike down laws and statutes they find to violate the Constitution of the United States