08/15/2026
The NSDAR is focused on preserving the history of our great land. Every year we try to bring awareness of that by having Constitution Week which we observe September 17-23 each year. Please share in conversation or through your local school what led to us becoming such a great country. The following are some significant events that happened during this time period.
King George was the King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 until his death. He ruled for 59 years. He led Britain through wars against France and lost the American Colonies. Later in life he suffered a severe mental illness. During the Revolutionary Era (broadly spanning the mid-18th century through the ratification of the Constitution), numerous pivotal events shaped the birth of the United States. Here are some of the most significant milestones:
Prelude to Revolution (1763–1774)
The Proclamation of 1763 (October 1763): Issued by King George III following the French and Indian War, this forbade American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, creating friction between the Crown and colonists eager for western expansion.
The Stamp Act (March 1765): The British Parliament passed the first direct tax on colonists, requiring a stamp on all paper goods, legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards. Widespread outrage led to the cry of "no taxation without representation."
The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770): British soldiers fired into a hostile, snowball-throwing crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five men. The event was heavily publicized by patriots as evidence of British tyranny.
The Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773): In protest against the Tea Act and the monopoly of the British East India Company, members of the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Native Americans, boarded British ships, and dumped $342$ chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
The Intolerable Acts / Coercive Acts (Spring 1774): Parliament passed a series of punitive laws designed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor and replacing the local government.
The Outbreak of War and Independence (1775–1776)
Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775): The first military clashes of the American Revolutionary War. Minutemen met British troops in Massachusetts, famously sparking the "shot heard 'round the world."
Publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (January 1776): A powerfully written pamphlet that advocated for complete independence from Great Britain in plain language, swaying public opinion heavily in favor of a republic.
The Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776): Formally adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, this document—primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson—announced the thirteen American colonies' separation from British rule and outlined foundational democratic ideals.
Key Military Campaigns and Turning Points (1777–1781)
Battle of Saratoga (September – October 1777): Fought in New York, this decisive American victory resulted in the surrender of an entire British army. It proved to France that the Americans could win, prompting the French to enter the war as official military allies.
Winter at Valley Forge (1777–1778): Washington’s Continental Army encamped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, enduring extreme hardship, disease, and starvation. Under the training of Baron Friedrich von Steuben, the army emerged transformed into a disciplined, professional fighting force.
Battle of Yorktown (September – October 1781): A combined American and French force, backed by a French naval blockade, trapped British General Charles Cornwallis on the Virginia coast. Cornwallis's surrender effectively ended major fighting in North America.
Nation-Building and Foundation (1783–1789)
The Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783): Great Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States, establishing generous national boundaries stretching west to the Mississippi River.
Constitutional Convention (May – September 1787): Delegates met in Philadelphia to address the weaknesses of the original government under the Articles of Confederation. They ultimately drafted the United States Constitution, creating a new federal framework with a system of checks and balances.
Ratification and the Bill of Rights (1787–1791): Following fierce debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, the Constitution was ratified by the states. The first ten amendments—known as the Bill of Rights—were adopted in 1791 to guarantee fundamental liberties.
