Historical Timeline of the Union and the Constitution

The making of a Nation

A timeline of events follows, regarding the gradual formation of the American Union and its Constitution

If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this in one instance may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed...." (George Washington. Farewell Address, 1796)

USA Territorial composition- History

April 2, 1513 - Juan Ponce De Leon establishes the 1st colony in what is now the United States (St. Augustine, Florida).

December 20, 1606 - Virginia Company settlers left London to establish the first permanent English settlement in North America.

May 14, 1607 - The first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States is established at Jamestown, Virginia

December 4, 1619 - The 1st Thanksgiving is celebrated.

The Revolutionary War

April 19, 1775 - The Revolutionary War officially begins with the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

August 22, 1775 - King George III officially declares a state of open rebellion in the American colonies.

July 4, 1776 - The United States declares

its Independence from Britain (by approving the Declaration of Independence).

Article I. The Stile of this confederacy shall be "The United States

of America"…

July 9, 1778 - The Continental Congress approves the Articles of Confederation February 5, 1778 - South Carolina is the 1st State to ratify the Articles of Confederation. January 30, 1781 - Maryland is the 13th State to ratify the Articles of Confederation.

September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris 1783 is signed by Britain and

the United States, officially ending the Revolutionary War as the United States is recognized as a sovereign nation.

August 8, 1786 - The Continental Congress adopts the "Dollar" and decimal coinage.

May 17, 1787 - Delegates begin meeting in Philadelphia to draw up a change to the Articles of Confederation.

September 17, 1787 - The delegates at

the Philadelphia convention approve the

Constitution and send it to the Continental

Congress.

September 28, 1787 - The Continental Congress sends the new

Constitution to the States for ratification.

October 27, 1787 - The 1st of the Federalist Papers is published in a New York newspaper, calling for a Bill of Rights (written by

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay).

December 7, 1787 – Delaware, one of the 13 Colonies, becomes the "First State” and was the first to ratify the Constitution.

In September of 1787, the U.S. Constitution is signed in

Philadelphia and on December 12, 1787. Pennsylvania, also one of the thirteen colonies, becomes the second state to ratify the Constitution.

December 18, 1787 - New Jersey becomes the 3rd state to ratify the Constitution.

January 2, 1788 - Georgia is the 4th state to ratify the Constitution.

January 9, 1788 - Connecticut is the 5th state to ratify the Constitution.

February 6, 1788 - Massachusetts is the 6th state to

ratify the Constitution.

April 28, 1788 - Maryland is the 7th state to ratify the Constitution.

May 23, 1788 - South Carolina, one of

the thirteen colonies, becomes the eighth state to ratify the Constitution.

June 21, 1788 - New Hampshire, one of the original thirteen colonies, ‘completes’ the new nation by becoming the ninth state and meeting the requirement for nine states to ratify the Constitution.

The United States Constitution goes into effect

June 25, 1788 – Virginia, one of the thirteen

colonies, is the 10th state admitted to the Union.

July 26, 1788 - New York is the 11th state admitted to the Union.

Joining the Union

April 1, 1789 - The United States House of Representatives holds its 1st full meeting in New York City. September 25, 1789 - The United States Congress adopts the Bill of Rights (containing the first 10 Amendments) and sends it to the states to be ratified.

1 1

2

3

4 5

6

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8

10

November 21, 1789 - North Carolina, one of the thirteen colonies, is the 12th state to be admitted into the Union.

May 29, 1790 - Rhode Island is the

13th state admitted to the Union. Rhode Island was the last of the thirteen colonies to join the Union on May 29, 1790.

March 4, 1791 - Vermont is the 14th state admitted to the Union.

December 15, 1791 - The Bill of Rights (containing the 1st 10 Amendments) is ratified by 3/4ths of the states and becomes a part of the U.S. Constitution.

1,2….,10

February 20, 1792 - The United States Postal Service is established. June 1, 1792 - Kentucky is the 15th state admitted to the Union. Kentucky became the first state to be carved from the great western wilderness. February 18, 1793 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that a citizen of one state may sue a citizen of another state in Federal Court.

March 5, 1794 - The 11th Amendment is passed by Congress.

May 8, 1794 - The United States Post Office is established.

June 1, 1796 - Tennessee is the 16th state admitted to the Union.

11th

January 8, 1798 - The 11th Amendment is added to the Constitution.

July 11, 1798 - The United States Marine

Corps is established.

May 7, 1800 - The Indiana and Ohio

Territories are organized.

11th

December 12, 1800 - Washington, D.C.

becomes the official capital of the

United States.

March 1, 1803 - Ohio is the 17th state

admitted to the Union. Ohio became the first state west of the Alleghenies.

April 30, 1803 - The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory for $15 million, containing what is now Arkansas, part of Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, part of Minnesota, Missouri, part of Montana, part of North Dakota, part of Oklahoma, South Dakota, and part of Wyoming.

May 17, 1804 - Louis & Clark begin their expedition of the Louisiana Territory.

September 25, 1804 - The 12th Amendment is added to the Constitution.

January 11, 1805 - The Michigan Territory is organized.

12th

September 23, 1806 - Lewis and Clark return from exploring the Louisiana Territory.

February 3, 1809 - The Illinois Territory is organized. October 27, 1810 - The United States annexes what is now part of

Alabama, part of Louisiana, and part of Mississippi.

April 30, 1812 - Louisiana is the 18th state

admitted to the Union. May 14, 1812 - The Mississippi Territory is organized. June 4, 1812 - The Missouri Territory is organized.

The War of 1812

June 18, 1812 - United States declares war on Britain

September 20, 1814 - The “Star-Spangled Banner” becomes the official national Anthem.

December 24, 1814 - The United States and Britain sign the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.

January 8, 1815 - American forces win the Battle of New Orleans

(they didn't know the war is over).

The consolidation continues

December 11, 1816 - Indiana is the 19th state admitted to the Union

March 3, 1817 - The Alabama Territory is organized December 10, 1817 – Mississippi is the 20th state

admitted to the Union

December 3, 1818 - Illinois is the 21st state admitted to the Union

February 22, 1819 - The United States annexes Florida March 2, 1819 - The Arkansas Territory is organized

December 14, 1819 - Alabama is the 22nd state admitted to the Union.

March 15, 1820 - Maine is the 23rd state admitted to the Union. Its

admission to the Union balances the simultaneous admission of Missouri as an slave state.

August 10, 1821 - Missouri is the 24th state admitted to the Union.

Missouri had been admitted as an slave state, after the agreement known as the ‘Missouri Compromise’ in which Maine was admitted as a free state.

March 30, 1822 - The Florida Territory is organized June 30, 1834 - The Indian Territory is established in what is now

Oklahoma Apr 20. 1836 - The Wisconsin Territory is organized

June 15, 1836 - Despite opposition in Congress to a new slave state. Arkansas is the 25th state admitted to the Union

January 26, 1837 - Michigan is the 26th state admitted to the Union June 11, 1838 - The Iowa Territory is organized

April 12, 1844 - The United States annexes what are now parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas as a result of the Adams-Onis Treaty with Spain.

March 3, 1845 - Florida is the

27th state admitted to the Union, a move delayed by the reluctance of Congress to admit another slave state.

December 29, 1845 - After ten years of independence Texas is the

28th state admitted to the Union.

And the Union keeps

growing….

During the Mexican War …

August 22, 1846 - The United States annexes what is now Arizona and New Mexico. December 28, 1846 - Iowa is the 29th state admitted to the Union. It

became the first free State in the old Louisiana Territory. September 14, 1847 - American forces take Mexico City.

February 2, 1848 - Mexico and the United States sign the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War.

February 2, 1848 - The United States gains what is now California,

Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

May 29, 1848 - Wisconsin is the 30th state

admitted to the Union.

August 14, 1848 – The United States annexes the Oregon Territory containing what is now Idaho, part of Montana, Oregon, Washington, part of Wyoming.

May 30, 1850 - The Kansas and Nebraska Territories are organized. September 9, 1850 - California is the 31st state admitted to the Union. Congress hesitated to welcome a new free state, but because of its booming population and the discovery of gold, California was admitted. On the same date, Utah is organized.

March 2, 1853 - The Washington and Oregon Territories are organized.

December 30, 1853 - The United States purchases what is now part of Arizona and New Mexico.

May 11, 1858 - Minnesota is the 32nd state admitted to the Union.

February 14, 1859 - Oregon is the 33rd state admitted to the Union.

The Union in Danger? Secession

December 20, 1860 - South Carolina is the 1st state to secede from the Union.

January 9, 1861 - Mississippi is the 2nd state to secede from the Union.

January 10, 1861 - Florida is the 3rd state to secede from the Union.

January 11, 1861 - Alabama is the 4th state to secede from the Union.

January 19, 1861 - Georgia is the 5th state to secede from the Union.

January 26, 1861 - Louisiana is the 6th state to secede from the Union

January 29, 1861 - Kansas is the 34th state admitted to the Union. Kansas became a free state on January 29, 1861, after seven years of bloody feuding between residents over whether to be admitted as a slave or free state.

February 4, 1861 - The Confederate States of America is formed.

On the same date, the Apache declare war on the United States

February 22, 1861 - The Nevada Territory is

organized. February 23, 1861 - Texas is the 7th state to

secede from the Union.

February 28, 1861 - The Colorado Territory is organized.

March 2, 1961 – The Dakota Territory is

organized. March 11, 1861 - The Confederate

Congress adopts their Constitution.

April 17, 1861 - Virginia is the 8th state to secede from the Union.

April 19, 1861 - Union blockade of Confederate ports is initiated (1st part of the Anaconda Plan).

April 27, 1861 - 48 counties in western Virginia secede to rejoin the Union (reducing Virginia's size to 42,326sq. miles).

May 6, 1861 - Arkansas is the 9th state to secede from the Union.

During the Civil War

May 6, 1861 - President Abraham Lincoln declares a state of insurrection in the southern states. May 21, 1861 - North Carolina is the 10th state to secede from the Union. May 21, 1861 - Richmond, VA. becomes the official capital city of the Confederate States.

June 8, 1861 - Tennessee is the 11th state to secede from the Union. September 22, 1862 - The Emancipation Proclamation is issued. December 13, 1862 - Confederate forces win the Battle of Fredericksburg

February 24, 1863 - The New Mexico and Arizona Territories are organized.

May 4, 1863 - Confederate forces win

the Battle of Chancellorsville. June 20, 1863 - West Virginia is the

35th state admitted to the Union

May 26, 1864 - The Idaho and Montana Territories are organized. October 31, 1864 - At the urging of President Abraham Lincoln, Nevada is the 36th state admitted to the Union. Only a short four years earlier, it had been a wilderness.

February 1, 1865 - The 13th Amendment is passed by Congress. April 9, 1865 - The Confederate States of America forces are surrounded at Appomattox Courthouse, thus ending the Civil War.

The Reconstruction

December 18, 1865 - The 13th Amendment is added to the Constitution.

Jun 16, 1866 - The 14th Amendment is passed by Congress. July 24, 1866 - Tennessee is the 1st state to be readmitted to the Union.

March 1, 1867 - Nebraska is the 37th state admitted to the Union. March 30, 1867 - The United States purchases the Alaska Territory from Russia for $7.2 million

13th

14th

August 28, 1867 - The U.S. annexes the Midway Islands.

January 7, 1868 - The Arkansas constitutional convention meets in Little Rock. The Mississippi constitutional convention meets in Jackson.

January 14, 1868 - The North Carolina constitutional convention meets in Raleigh. The South Carolina constitutional convention meets in Columbia.

January 14, 1868 - April 16, 1868 - Louisiana adopts a new constitution. June 1, 1868 - The Texas constitutional convention meets in Austin.

In June , 1868

- Arkansas

- Florida

- Alabama

- Louisiana

- North Carolina

- South Carolina

are readmitted to the Union, in that order.

July 23, 1868 - The 14th Amendment is added to the Constitution.

July 25, 1868 - The Wyoming Territory is organized.

December 25, 1868 - President Andrew Johnson issues an unconditional pardon to all those who participated in the southern rebellion.

February 27, 1869 - The 15th Amendment is passed by Congress.

14th

15th

April 10, 1869 - The number of Supreme Court Justices is increased from 7 to 9.

From January 27 and July 15 of 1870 - Virginia - Mississippi - Texas, and - Georgia were readmitted to the Union, in that order.

Expansion

August 1, 1870 - After three tries, Colorado is the 38th state admitted to the Union. May 17, 1884 - The Alaska Territory is organized. November 2, 1889 - North Dakota is the 39th state admitted to the Union. Both North and South Dakota became states on that date.

November 8, 1889 - Montana is the 41st state admitted to the Union. November 11, 1889 - Washington is the 42nd state admitted to the Union.

May 2, 1890 - The Oklahoma Territory is organized

July 3, 1890 - Idaho is the 43rd state admitted to the Union

July 10, 1890 - Although the Wyoming population was not enough to qualify for statehood, Wyoming was the 44th state admitted to the Union January 4, 1896 - Utah is the 45th state admitted to the Union

The Spanish-American War

April 20, 1898 - The United States declares war on Spain. December 10, 1898 - The United States and Spain sign the Treaty of Paris 1898, officially ending the Spanish-American War.

February 6, 1899 - The United States annexes Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. February 22, 1900 - The Hawaii Territory is organized.

January 16, 1907 - Oklahoma is the 46th state admitted to the Union. Oklahoma became state on November 6, 1907, with a population of 1,414,177, including residents in Indian Territory.

July 12, 1909 - The 16th Amendment is passed by Congress. January 6, 1912 - New Mexico is the 47th state admitted to the Union. February 14, 1912 - Arizona is the 48th state admitted to the Union.

May 16, 1912 - The 17th Amendment is passed by Congress.

February 25, 1913 - The 16th Amendment is added to the Constitution.

April 8, 1913 - The 17th Amendment is added to the Constitution.

16th

17th

World War I

July 28, 1914 - World War I begins as the Ottoman Empire declares war on Bosnia.

March 2, 1917 - Puerto Rico is made a United States territory. April 6, 1917 - The United States enters World War I on the side of the Allies.

December 17, 1917 - The 18th Amendment is passed by Congress. November 11, 1918 - The Allied and Central Powers sign an armistice, ending World War I.

January 29, 1919 - The 18th Amendment is added to the Constitution. June 28, 1919 - The Treaty of Versailles is signed, ending World War I.

18th

The Roaring 20's

June 5, 1919 - The 19th Amendment is passed by Congress. On August 26, it is added to the Constitution

19th

The Great Depression

January 23, 1933 - The 20th Amendment is added to the Constitution. On December 5, the 21st Amendment is added to the Constitution. March 7, 1936 - Germany invades the Rhineland (Austria). September 1, 1939 - Germany invades Poland.

October 29, 1929 - The New York Stock Market crashes to an all time low (referred to as "Black Tuesday"), signaling the start of the Great Depression.

World War II

September 4, 1939 - France and Great Britain declare war on Germany. June 22, 1941 - Germany invades the Soviet Union. December 7, 1941 - Japanese forces attack the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. December 8, 1941 - The United States declares war on Japan.

December 11, 1941 - Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. August 7, 1942 - United States Marines land at Guadalcanal. November 28, 1943 - Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin meet in Tehran to discuss WWII. June 6, 1944 - Allied forces invade Normandy (referred to as "D-Day"). August 25, 1944 - Allied troops liberate Paris.

December 16, 1944 - A German surprise attack begins the Battle of the Bulge. December 24, 1944 - Allied forces push the German troops back, past the German border. January 12, 1945 - American forces liberate the Philippines.

June 26, 1945 - The United Nations is established. July 12, 1945 - American forces take Okinawa. August 6, 1945 - The United States drops the 1st atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. August 9, 1945 - The United States drops the 2nd atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. September 2, 1945 - Japan unconditionally surrenders to the United States, ending World War II.

During the Cold War

July 4, 1946 - The Philippines, a United States protectorate, gains its independence. October 1, 1946 - Nazi war criminals receive sentencing at the Nuremberg trials. October 17, 1946 - Winston Churchill proclaims "an iron curtain has swept across the continent (Europe)," beginning the Cold War.

March 24, 1947 - The 22nd Amendment is passed by Congress. April 4, 1949 - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United States.

22nd

The Korean War

June 25, 1950 - The Korean War officially starts as North Korea invades South Korea.

June 26, 1950 - North Korean forces take Seoul.

June 27, 1950 - The United Nations declares war on North Korea.

September 15, 1950 - U.N. forces take Inchon. October 7, 1950 - U.N. forces recapture Seoul. January 4, 1951 - North Korean/Chinese forces recapture Seoul.

February 26, 1951 - The 22nd Amendment is added to the Constitution. November 1, 1952 - The United States detonates the 1st thermonuclear device. May 17, 1954 - The U.S. Supreme Court declares that segregated schools violate the 14th Amendment

January 3, 1959 - Alaska is the 49th state admitted to the Union. August 21, 1959 - Hawaii is the 50th state admitted to the Union. June 16, 1960 - The 23rd Amendment is passed by Congress.

22nd

March 29, 1961 - The 23rd Amendment is added to the Constitution. April 17, 1961 - An American backed Cuban invasion force lands at Bahia de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs). August 27, 1962 - The 24th Amendment is passed by Congress.

October 14, 1962 - American spy planes spot Soviet missile bases on Cuba. October 22, 1962 - The Soviet Union pulls its missiles out of Cuba.

23rd

& 24th

The Vietnam War

November 1, 1963 - American/Vietnamese forces stage a coup in Vietnam. January 30, 1964 - The 24th Amendment is added to the Constitution. July 2, 1964 - Segregation is now abolished in the United States.

24th

August 4, 1964 – North Vietnamese forces attack an American Destroyer (USS Maddox). August 7, 1964 - The United States begins military presence in Vietnam. July 6, 1965 - The 25th Amendment is passed by Congress. On February 10, 1967 it is added to the Constitution. March 16, 1968 - American forces take My Lai.

25th

July 20, 1969 - American astronaut Neil Armstrong is the 1st human to walk on the Moon. April 30, 1970 - American forces invade Cambodia. December 31, 1970 - The United States begins withdrawing troops from Vietnam. March 3, 1971 - The 26th Amendment is passed by Congress. On June 30, it is added to the Constitution. May 7, 1992 - The 27th AMENDMENT XXVII Originally proposed in 1789, is Ratified

26th

27th

“Over the struggles of conscience, history places a layer of events,

Brimming with victories and defeats.

History does not conceal them - it proclaims them.”

Karol Voytila, from the poem “ My Country”

For additional Information about US policies and history visit http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/