-
George Washington's first presidential inauguration took place on April 30, 1789, in New York City, which was the nation's capital at the time. He was inaugurated at Federal Hall after taking the oath of office, and delivered his first inaugural address to a joint session of Congress -
On the night of 16 December 1773, 340 chests of tea were destroyed in Boston Harbour, an event that has gone down in history as the Boston Tea Party. This political and mercantile protest was one of the key events in the lead up to the American Revolutionary War and, ultimately, American independence. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. These battles marked the beginning of armed conflict between Great Britain and its thirteen American colonies. The British aimed to seize military supplies stored in Concord, but colonial militias confronted them, leading to clashes in Lexington and Concord. -
The Declaration of Independence was primarily signed on August 2, 1776, by 56 members of the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. While the document was approved on July 4, 1776, the formal signing took place later. A few delegates signed the document even later, with the last signer, Thomas McKean, signing sometime after January 1777 -
The Winter at Valley Forge, from 1777 to 1778, was a harsh encampment for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Facing a cold winter with scarce supplies, the army endured severe hardships, but also used the time to train and reorganize under the leadership of General George Washington -
The Battle of Yorktown, also known as the Siege of Yorktown, was a decisive land and sea campaign that ended the American Revolutionary War. It involved a joint Franco-American force besieging a British army led by General Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. The siege resulted in the surrender of Cornwallis's army, virtually ensuring American independence. -
The Articles of Confederation were ratified on March 1, 1781, marking the establishment of the first government of the newly independent United States. This ratification came after nearly four years of debate and delay, primarily due to disputes over representation and land claims among the states -
In his farewell address, Washington exhorted Americans to set aside their violent likes and dislikes of foreign nations, lest they be controlled by their passions: “The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave.” -
The U.S. Constitution was ratified, meaning approved, on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it, according to the U.S. Senate. -
The cause of George Washington's death was a throat infection. On December 12, Washington was out on horseback supervising farm activities and it began to snow. Upon returning home, he did not change out of his wet clothes and went straight to dinner. -
Because each state could choose its own day to elect its electors in 1800, before Election Day on December 3, when electors "meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves" -
Marbury v. Madison (1803) is a landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, which is the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law passed by Congress unconstitutional. This case significantly shaped the American legal system by solidifying the judiciary's role in interpreting the Constitution and ensuring its supremacy.