U.S. Capitol Historical Society

1774-1799 | 1800-1824 | 1825-1849 | 1850-1874 | 1875-1899 | 1900-1924 | 1925-1949 | 1950-1974 | 1975-Modern

1774	September	5	The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia.
1775	March	23	Patrick Henry delivered his speech, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.
	April	19	As the "shot heard round the world" rang, the American Revolution began with its first battles in Lexington and Concord.
	May	9	The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and elected George Washington as Commander in Chief.
	July	6	The Second Continental Congress adopted The Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms leaving the American population with two choices: "unconditional submission to the tyranny of irritated ministers or resistance by force."
1776	January	10	Thomas Paine published his Common Sense pamphlet: "The cause of America is a great measure the cause of all mankind." [Additional Info]
	June	12	George Mason wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights.
	July	4	The Declaration of Independence was signed, establishing the freedom of the 13 North American British colonies.
	December	25	American forces, headed by George Washington, defeated British troops at Trenton, New Jersey.
1777	November	15	Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation.
1778	February	6	France openly joined the American Revolution by signing treaties of alliance and amity and commerce with Congress.
1781	March	1	Maryland was the last to ratify the Articles of Confederation; the Articles were enacted giving Congress the right to wage war, carry on foreign relations, and borrow/issue money. However, it did not give Congress the right to regulate trade, draft troops, or levy taxes directly.
1781	October	19	Lord Cornwallis, the British Commander at Yorktown, surrendered to American and French forces. Yorktown was the last significant battle of the American Revolution.
1783	January	20	The United States and Great Britain signed a Suspension of Arms and Cessation of Hostilities at the Versailles Peace Treaty Conference.
	September	3	The Treaty of Paris officially established peace between the United States and Great Britain.
	December	4	British evacuated their last strongholds in their former 13 colonies in North America.
1784	April	23	The Ordinance of 1784 established a transition of territory to statehood for the land between the Ohio River and the Great Lakes.
1787	January	25	Daniel Shays led a farmer's rebellion of 1100 men who attempted to seize the arsenal in Springfield, MA. The revolt was due to harsh economic conditions and currency shortage.
	May	25	Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia for four months to debate the amendment of the Articles of Confederation; however, they ended up writing a new Constitution.
	July	13	The Northwest Ordinance was passed for the territory northwest of the Ohio River. "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. . . ."
	September	17	George Washington, president of the Constitutional Convention, signed the Constitution.
1789	March	4	The First Federal Congress under the new Constitution met in New York City.
	April	30	George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States of America in New York City. His vice president was John Adams. In his first inaugural address, Washington stressed unity: "since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people."
	July	4	Congress enacted the first tariff bill, which imposed higher taxes on imported goods.
	September	13	Alexander Hamilton, the driving force behind the Federalist political party, was appointed Secretary of Treasury.
	September	24	Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 establishing the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was set up with five associate justices and one chief justice. In addition, this act gave the Supreme Court the power to make the final decision involving constitutionality of state laws.
1790	January	8	Washington's first State of the Union Address.
1790	July	10	Congress passed the Residence Act that would move the federal government from Philadelphia to the permanent Potomac River site by 1800.
1791	December	12	President Washington signed the charter of the Bank of the United States, proposed by Alexander Hamilton, to counteract high debt and inflation from the Revolutionary War.
1791	December	15	The Bill of Rights, consisting of the first 10 amendments, was ratified. The first nine limit Congress from infringing upon the certain basic rights of every American citizen. The last one reserves all powers to states except those that specifically are delegated to the federal government.
1793	December	31	Thomas Jefferson resigned his post as Secretary of State; Edmund Randolph assumed the job.
	April	22	Proclamation of Neutrality by President Washington.
	September	18	George Washington laid the cornerstone for the United States Capitol. [Additional Info]
1794	August	7	Whiskey Rebellion occurred when farmers in western Pennsylvania raised arms against the whiskey tax imposed by the federal government. Neither local nor state governments would suppress the revolt. President Washington personally led the federal militia to Bedford to demonstrate the federal government's supremacy.
1796	September	17	President Washington's Farewell Address stressed the importance of unity rather than political separation.
1797	March	4	John Adams, a Federalist, was inaugurated as the 2^ndPresident of the United States. His Vice President was Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian Republican.
1798	June	26	William Henry Harrison, future president, became the delegate to Congress from the Northwest Territory Congress established the Department of the Navy.



	July	14	Congress passed the Sedition Act confining any persons to imprisonment and/or a fine if they conspired against the United States government.