Timeline of Crises Between
1781–1787
The government under the Articles of Confederation failed to build a framework for an effective constitutional government that ensured self-governance.
The Articles of Confederation Are Ratified
March 1, 1781
March 1, 1781
The colonists’ first attempt at forming a national government was with the Articles of Confederation. This document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in November 1777, and was not ratified by the states until 1781. The Articles were inherently weak, with states acting like independent countries in a league of friendship instead of one united nation.
The Battle of Yorktown
September– October
Sep 28, 1781 – Oct 19, 1781
Seizing this opportunity, General George Washington and his Continental Army marched hundreds of miles from their headquarters near New York City to Yorktown. The French Navy blocked British general Charles Cornwallis from escaping, while the combined American-French armies laid siege to Yorktown. Cornwallis eventually surrendered, and the decisive battle led to Americans winning the War for Independence.
After fighting several campaigns in southern states, British forces moved into Virginia and camped at Yorktown.
Peace Negotiations Begin In Paris
The terms required that Great Britain recognize American independence, evacuate all its troops from the American frontier, and give up its territory between the Mississippi River and the Allegheny Mountains. These terms doubled the size of the new nation.
April 1782
The United States sent Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay to discuss peace with Great Britain in Paris, France.
George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy
March 1783
Congress struggled financially throughout the war because it didn't have the power to tax under the Articles of Confederation. Instead, Congress had to rely on irregular, voluntary payments from the states to support the army. Without regular support, the Continental Army grew increasingly frustrated, and widespread unrest in the armed forces bordered on mutiny.
Officers threatened the civilian government and challenged the authority of the Confederation Congress. The series of events became known as the “Newburgh Conspiracy.” George Washington defused the situation with an eloquent, personal plea to his officers, asking them to remain loyal to Congress, perhaps saving the American Revolution and the republic.
Treaty of Paris Is Signed
September 1783
September 3, 1783
The Treaty of Paris was signed by U.S. and British Representatives on September 3, 1783, ending the American Revolution.
Evacuation Day – Loyalists Leave New York
November 1783
November 25, 1783
British forces had occupied New York City as their main encampment since 1776. The city was also the site of refuge for American Tories, or Loyalists to Great Britain. Knowing the war was over and knowing they were unwelcome in their country, Loyalists packed their belongings and sailed to Canada and England. When the British sailed away, General Washington triumphantly led the Continental Army into the city.
June 20, 1783
Pennsylvania Mutiny
Land Ordinance of 1784
April 23, 1784
April 23, 1784
Thomas Jefferson headed a committee that proposed a plan for dividing the western territories. In this plan, the new states would forever be a part of the United States, pay federal debts, and uphold a republican government. The plan also stipulated that after 1800, slavery and involuntary servitude would be banned in all new western states. The clause banning slavery lost by only one vote. The plan was adopted but not put into effect.
Congress Lacks Power over Commerce
February 16, 1785
February 16, 1785
Congress created a committee to address the need for increased congressional power over commerce. On February 16, 1785, the committee chaired by James Madison recommended amending the Articles of Confederation to enlarge Congress's powers to regulate commerce between the states and with other countries.
Congress then sent the proposed amendment to the state legislatures as well as a letter urging them to take immediate action. Few states responded to the call, and no effective measure was taken.
May 18, 1785
Land Ordinance of 1785
Shays’ Rebellion
August 29-1786 – February 1787
Summer of 1786
End of August
January 25, 1787
February 1787
Annapolis Convention
September 1786
In September 1786, delegates from five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss barriers to trade under the Articles of Confederation. The commissioners decided that they did not have enough states present for the meeting . Despite the failure of the Annapolis Convention, the delegates who had attended it, including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, pressed on with a recommendation for a national convention in Philadelphia the following year to address defects in the Articles of Confederation.
Timeline of Crises Between
1781–1787
February 1787 - July 1787
February 21, 1787
May 25, 1787
July 1787
Shays’ Rebellion
Summer of 1786
In the summer of 1786, farmers, many of whom were Revolutionary War veterans living in western Massachusetts, assembled to petition the Massachusetts legislature for relief from Revolutionary War debts and taxes. These debts and taxes were so high that farmers lost their property. Critics were concerned about the breakdown of law and order when the farmers began more threatening actions.
Shays’ Rebellion
End of August
At the end of August, 1,500 angry farmers took up arms and seized the courthouse in the town of Northampton. In late September, a crowd of 1,500 prevented the Massachusetts Supreme Court from meeting in Springfield. This rebellion was named after Revolutionary War captain Daniel Shays.
Shays’ Rebellion
January 25, 1787
On January 25, a rebel army of almost 2,000 men, urged on by Shays, advanced on an armory through four-foot snow drifts. The militia that was defending the armory fired grapeshot, killing four and wounding dozens. The farmers retreated. Most of the insurgents dispersed and returned to their farms. Shays and other leaders fled to Vermont and New York to escape prosecution; later, the governor pardoned them.
Shays’ Rebellion
February 1787
Shays’ Rebellion led to calls for revising the Articles of Confederation to strengthen the national government. Governments not strong enough to maintain order, Founders such as Alexander Hamilton and George Washington argued, were too weak to protect liberty.
Pennsylvania Mutiny
June 20, 1783
By 1783, Congress had not paid the officers and soldiers of the army for months or even, in some cases, years. Nearly 400 Continental Army soldiers marched on Congress, demanding their pay. They surrounded Independence Hall, armed and angry. Members of Congress fled to Princeton, New Jersey, for safety. The rebellion was eventually quelled, but it represented the great danger an unpaid military posed to republican government.
Land Ordinance of 1785
May 18, 1785
The Confederation Congress under the Articles of Confederation arranged for surveys to divide the western territories into states and townships, with one lot in each town set aside as a site for a public school. The Founders agreed that a self-governing people in a republic must be educated to be an informed and virtuous citizenry.
Philadelphia Convention Begins
In late May of 1787, delegates assembled in the Pennsylvania State House. All agreed that the Articles of Confederation had numerous weaknesses that needed to be addressed. They quickly exceeded their instructions to revise the Articles and began working on a comprehensive new plan of government. They spent the next few months debating and creating what would become the U.S. Constitution. They focused on the principles that would shape the new government, the different branches of government, the powers of each branch, and the relationships among the branches. They also attempted to create a more energetic and balanced government to support the liberties of the people.
The Confederation Congress Passes the Northwest Ordinance
During the sweltering summer of 1787, while the delegates of the Philadelphia Convention debated the framework of a new government, the Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance. This legislation created the Northwest Territory, established a government for the territory, and outlined the process by which it would be divided into new states and how those states would be admitted into the Union. The Northwest Territory covers the area occupied by the modern-day states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. The Northwest Ordinance is generally seen as one of the most important acts of the Confederation Congress.
The Confederation Congress Endorses the Constitutional Convention
The Confederation Congress endorsed the idea of a Constitutional Convention to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The Congress charged the Philadelphia Convention with a mandate to revise the Articles of Confederation.
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Transcript
Timeline of Crises Between
1781–1787
The government under the Articles of Confederation failed to build a framework for an effective constitutional government that ensured self-governance.
The Articles of Confederation Are Ratified
March 1, 1781
March 1, 1781
The colonists’ first attempt at forming a national government was with the Articles of Confederation. This document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in November 1777, and was not ratified by the states until 1781. The Articles were inherently weak, with states acting like independent countries in a league of friendship instead of one united nation.
The Battle of Yorktown
September– October
Sep 28, 1781 – Oct 19, 1781
Seizing this opportunity, General George Washington and his Continental Army marched hundreds of miles from their headquarters near New York City to Yorktown. The French Navy blocked British general Charles Cornwallis from escaping, while the combined American-French armies laid siege to Yorktown. Cornwallis eventually surrendered, and the decisive battle led to Americans winning the War for Independence.
After fighting several campaigns in southern states, British forces moved into Virginia and camped at Yorktown.
Peace Negotiations Begin In Paris
The terms required that Great Britain recognize American independence, evacuate all its troops from the American frontier, and give up its territory between the Mississippi River and the Allegheny Mountains. These terms doubled the size of the new nation.
April 1782
The United States sent Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay to discuss peace with Great Britain in Paris, France.
George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy
March 1783
Congress struggled financially throughout the war because it didn't have the power to tax under the Articles of Confederation. Instead, Congress had to rely on irregular, voluntary payments from the states to support the army. Without regular support, the Continental Army grew increasingly frustrated, and widespread unrest in the armed forces bordered on mutiny.
Officers threatened the civilian government and challenged the authority of the Confederation Congress. The series of events became known as the “Newburgh Conspiracy.” George Washington defused the situation with an eloquent, personal plea to his officers, asking them to remain loyal to Congress, perhaps saving the American Revolution and the republic.
Treaty of Paris Is Signed
September 1783
September 3, 1783
The Treaty of Paris was signed by U.S. and British Representatives on September 3, 1783, ending the American Revolution.
Evacuation Day – Loyalists Leave New York
November 1783
November 25, 1783
British forces had occupied New York City as their main encampment since 1776. The city was also the site of refuge for American Tories, or Loyalists to Great Britain. Knowing the war was over and knowing they were unwelcome in their country, Loyalists packed their belongings and sailed to Canada and England. When the British sailed away, General Washington triumphantly led the Continental Army into the city.
June 20, 1783
Pennsylvania Mutiny
Land Ordinance of 1784
April 23, 1784
April 23, 1784
Thomas Jefferson headed a committee that proposed a plan for dividing the western territories. In this plan, the new states would forever be a part of the United States, pay federal debts, and uphold a republican government. The plan also stipulated that after 1800, slavery and involuntary servitude would be banned in all new western states. The clause banning slavery lost by only one vote. The plan was adopted but not put into effect.
Congress Lacks Power over Commerce
February 16, 1785
February 16, 1785
Congress created a committee to address the need for increased congressional power over commerce. On February 16, 1785, the committee chaired by James Madison recommended amending the Articles of Confederation to enlarge Congress's powers to regulate commerce between the states and with other countries.
Congress then sent the proposed amendment to the state legislatures as well as a letter urging them to take immediate action. Few states responded to the call, and no effective measure was taken.
May 18, 1785
Land Ordinance of 1785
Shays’ Rebellion
August 29-1786 – February 1787
Summer of 1786
End of August
January 25, 1787
February 1787
Annapolis Convention
September 1786
In September 1786, delegates from five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss barriers to trade under the Articles of Confederation. The commissioners decided that they did not have enough states present for the meeting . Despite the failure of the Annapolis Convention, the delegates who had attended it, including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, pressed on with a recommendation for a national convention in Philadelphia the following year to address defects in the Articles of Confederation.
Timeline of Crises Between
1781–1787
February 1787 - July 1787
February 21, 1787
May 25, 1787
July 1787
Shays’ Rebellion
Summer of 1786
In the summer of 1786, farmers, many of whom were Revolutionary War veterans living in western Massachusetts, assembled to petition the Massachusetts legislature for relief from Revolutionary War debts and taxes. These debts and taxes were so high that farmers lost their property. Critics were concerned about the breakdown of law and order when the farmers began more threatening actions.
Shays’ Rebellion
End of August
At the end of August, 1,500 angry farmers took up arms and seized the courthouse in the town of Northampton. In late September, a crowd of 1,500 prevented the Massachusetts Supreme Court from meeting in Springfield. This rebellion was named after Revolutionary War captain Daniel Shays.
Shays’ Rebellion
January 25, 1787
On January 25, a rebel army of almost 2,000 men, urged on by Shays, advanced on an armory through four-foot snow drifts. The militia that was defending the armory fired grapeshot, killing four and wounding dozens. The farmers retreated. Most of the insurgents dispersed and returned to their farms. Shays and other leaders fled to Vermont and New York to escape prosecution; later, the governor pardoned them.
Shays’ Rebellion
February 1787
Shays’ Rebellion led to calls for revising the Articles of Confederation to strengthen the national government. Governments not strong enough to maintain order, Founders such as Alexander Hamilton and George Washington argued, were too weak to protect liberty.
Pennsylvania Mutiny
June 20, 1783
By 1783, Congress had not paid the officers and soldiers of the army for months or even, in some cases, years. Nearly 400 Continental Army soldiers marched on Congress, demanding their pay. They surrounded Independence Hall, armed and angry. Members of Congress fled to Princeton, New Jersey, for safety. The rebellion was eventually quelled, but it represented the great danger an unpaid military posed to republican government.
Land Ordinance of 1785
May 18, 1785
The Confederation Congress under the Articles of Confederation arranged for surveys to divide the western territories into states and townships, with one lot in each town set aside as a site for a public school. The Founders agreed that a self-governing people in a republic must be educated to be an informed and virtuous citizenry.
Philadelphia Convention Begins
In late May of 1787, delegates assembled in the Pennsylvania State House. All agreed that the Articles of Confederation had numerous weaknesses that needed to be addressed. They quickly exceeded their instructions to revise the Articles and began working on a comprehensive new plan of government. They spent the next few months debating and creating what would become the U.S. Constitution. They focused on the principles that would shape the new government, the different branches of government, the powers of each branch, and the relationships among the branches. They also attempted to create a more energetic and balanced government to support the liberties of the people.
The Confederation Congress Passes the Northwest Ordinance
During the sweltering summer of 1787, while the delegates of the Philadelphia Convention debated the framework of a new government, the Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance. This legislation created the Northwest Territory, established a government for the territory, and outlined the process by which it would be divided into new states and how those states would be admitted into the Union. The Northwest Territory covers the area occupied by the modern-day states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. The Northwest Ordinance is generally seen as one of the most important acts of the Confederation Congress.
The Confederation Congress Endorses the Constitutional Convention
The Confederation Congress endorsed the idea of a Constitutional Convention to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The Congress charged the Philadelphia Convention with a mandate to revise the Articles of Confederation.