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First Continental Congress
Parliament passed a set of laws to punish the colonists for the troubles in Boston. For many months, the men in this group discussed the worsening situation and an action plan. Many of these people wanted a compromise rather than independence. -
Second Continental Congress
A meeting was held in Philadelphia soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary war had begun. These people wanted independence and adopted the Declaration of Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
A statement that declared the United States independent from Britain. This stated that the colonists' had their own right to self govern. -
Articles of Confederation
An agreement with a weak federal government created by the original 13 states as a first attempt at creating a working government. This agreement gave little power to the central government in fear of being controlled by the government. Only the states could pass their own taxes and issue their own currency, which brought in money to the state, but not the federal government. There was very little money for the nation to use to create and sustain an army. -
Treaty of Paris
Signed between Great Britain and America clarifying that the United States were independent from Britain. -
Constitutional Convention
A meeting where delegates from five states met to discuss the revision of the Articles of Confederation which turned into discussion of creating a new kind of government for the United States -
Northwest Ordinance
One of the most important legislative acts of the Confederation Congress that established that the federal government would be sovereign and the expansion westward for gaining new states. -
Virginia Plan Proposed
idea for the new government:
bicameral
number of representatives based on state population -
New Jersey Plan Proposed
idea for the new government:
Unicameral
same number of representatives per state
limited powers to tax and to regulate trade between states -
Constitution Ratified
A document that states the fundamentals that the US government follows. This was ratified after the federalists added the Bill of Rights to ensure the government wouldnt be too strong