Main Page/Historical events
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4-14-1772 - The Pine Tree Riot breaks out in Weare, New Hampshire, protesting the king's collection of fines (taxes) on the harvesting of pine trees in the colonies.
12-16-1773 - The Sons of Liberty throw a shipload of British tea into the Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation.
3-23-1775 – Patrick Henry says, "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" in a speech at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia.
4-18-1775 – Paul Revere and William Dawes, ride from Boston to Lexington warning that "The British are coming" to seize John Hancock, Sam Adams and the colonial guns and ammo in Concord.
5-10-1775 – The Second Continental Congress meets, elects John Hancock president, raises the Continental Army under George Washington as commander and authorizes the colonies to adopt their own constitutions.
6-14-1775 – The Continental Congress selects George Washington as commander of the Continental Army.
7-5-1775 – The Continental Congress offers the Olive Branch Petition, in hopes of reconciliation with the British.
7-6-1775 – The Continental Congress issues the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, stating: "...Our cause is just... being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live slaves...".
8-23-1775 – Refusing to even look at the Olive Branch Petition, King George issues a Proclamation of Rebellion against the American colonies.
1-10-1776 – Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet Common Sense arguing for independence from British rule in the Thirteen Colonies.
3-9-1776 – Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations in London, greatly advancing understanding of free market economics.
5-4-1776 – Rhode Island becomes the first colony to renounce allegiance to King George III of Great Britain.
7-2-1776 – The Declaration of Independence is completed by the Continental Congress. The Lee Resolution is passed declaring the colonies to be independent of the British Empire.
7-9-1776 – An angry mob topples a statue of George III of Great Britain in Bowling Green, NY.
12-23-1776 – Thomas Paine begins publishing The American Crisis, which includes the famous phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls."
1-3-1783 – Great Britain acknowledges the independence of the United States.
4-15-1783 – Preliminary articles of peace ending the American Revolutionary War are ratified.
1-14-1784 – The Congress of the United States ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain officially ending the Revolutionary War.
11-28-1785 – The Treaty of Hopewell is signed between the United States of America and the Cherokee Nation.
1-3-1786 – The third Treaty of Hopewell is signed between the United States of America and the Choctaw.
9-11–1786 – Annapolis Convention held, resulting in scheduling of the Philadelphia Convention.
2-4-1787 – Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts. War veterans take up arms because of poor treatment by the government.
5-14-1787 – In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates begin arriving for a Constitutional Convention.
9-17-1787 – The United States Constitution is adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
10-27-1787 – The first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the U.S. Constitution, is published in a New York paper.
12-7-1787 – Delaware ratifies the Constitution and becomes the first U.S. state.
12-12-1787 – Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, five days after Delaware became the first.
12-18-1787 – New Jersey becomes the third U.S. state.
9-25-1789 – The Bill of Rights is proposed by Congress.
12-15-1791 – The Bill of Rights is ratified by the states.
2-7-1795 – The 11th Amendment is ratified by the states, limiting federal jurisdiction in law suits against states by out-of-state entities.
4-7-1795 – Adoption of the metric system in France.
8-3-1795 – Signing of the Treaty of Greenville puts an end to the Northwest Indian War.
8-22-1795 – The French Constitution of 1795 is ratified by the National Convention.
10-27-1795 – The United States and Spain sign the Treaty of Madrid, establishing the boundaries between their respective lands in America.
6-15-1804 – The 12th Amendment is ratified by the states, changing the presidential election procedures.
12-30-1816 – Treaty of St. Louis signed by the United States and the united Ottawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi Indian tribes.
12-30-1825 – Treaty of St. Louis signed by the United States and the Shawnee Nation.
12-6-1865 – The 13th Amendment is ratified by the states, abolishing slavery.
7-9-1868 – The 14th Amendment is ratified by the states, extending due process, equal protection, and other protections to citizens within state jurisdiction.
2-3-1870 – The 15th Amendment is ratified by the states, recognizing the right to vote for all races.
2-3-1913 – The 16th Amendment is ratified by the states, allowing the federal government to impose an income tax.
4-8-1913 – The 17th Amendment is ratified by the states, establishing the direct election of Senators by popular vote.
4-20-1914 - About two dozen people in a tent colony of 1,200 striking coal miners, including miners' wives and children, are killed by the Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel & Iron Company camp guards in Ludlow, Colorado.
1-16-1919 – The 18th Amendment is ratified by the states, banning the manufacture and sale of alcohol.
8-18-1920 – The 19th Amendment is ratified by the states, recognizing the right to vote for all people irrespective of sex.
1-23-1933 – The 20th Amendment is ratified by the states, changing the dates on which the President and Vice President, and the Congress begin their terms. (January 20th and January 3rd, respectively).
12-5-1933 – The 21st Amendment is ratified by the states, repealing the 18th Amendment – lifting the ban on alcohol.
2-19-1942 – Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9066, imprisoning 120,000 totally innocent Japanese Americans, mostly U.S. citizens, in internment camps.
11-9-1942 – Supreme Court issues its opinion in Wickard v. Filburn claiming that, based on the Commerce Clause, the Congress has unlimited power to prohibit virtually any activity.
1-27-1951 – The 22nd Amendment is ratified by the states, limiting presidents to two terms.
3-29-1961 – The 23rd Amendment is ratified by the states, including Washington D.C. in the electoral college.
8-28-1963 - Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his historic "I Have a Dream" speech, culminating the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
1-23-1964 – The 24th Amendment is ratified by the states, eliminating poll taxes.
2-10-1967 – The 25th Amendment is ratified by the states, adjusting the procedures for presidential succession.
7-1-1971 – The 26th Amendment is ratified by the states, recognizing the right to vote for anyone eighteen years of age and over.
11-9-1989 - The Berlin Wall falls, allowing people to freely travel to/from East Berlin.
5-7-1992 – The 27th Amendment is ratified by the states, which makes members of Congress face the voters before any change in their salary takes effect.
12-12-2000 – The United States Supreme Court releases its decision in Bush v. Gore, selecting the President.
