March 4, 2021 – On this day in 1789, the first meeting of the United States Congress was held in New York City.

in 1787, the US Constitution was adopted at the Constitutional Convention being held in Philadelphia. Thirty-nine delegates from 12 states affixed their names to the document 11 years after colonists stated their grievances against British rule in the Declaration of Independence.

Delegates from the 12 states spent many months writing the Constitution after determining the Articles of Confederation that were in effect since the Revolutionary War ended could not be revised. The Articles of Confederation simply did not reflect the scope of the new experiment in democracy the country had fought so valiantly to achieve.

People today still admire the brilliance of the Founding Fathers as they designed federal governance that is grounded in checks and balances with three co-equal branches of government – executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch.

The following is a timeline highlighting key developments along the road to independence and the final ratification of the US Constitution.

1768: British “redcoats” occupy Boston.

1773: Boston Tea Party — Colonists take bold action to let the British know the American colonies do not want to subsidize the needs of England without a voice. Colonist dump an entire shipment of tea into the Boston Harbor that arrived in port from the British East India Company.

1775: April 19 — The first shots were fired in the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

1775: June 17 — The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place in Boston and is the first battle where British soldiers and American colonists engaged in direct battle.

1776: July 4 — The colonists issue the Declaration of Independence after approving the document in Philadelphia at a Continental Congress of delegates.

1776: Dec. 26 — George Washington leads his Continental Army to victory in the Battle of Trenton after crossing the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to New Jersey on Christmas night.

1781: With help from France, the American colonists defeat the British at the Battle of Yorktown, a decisive victory.

1782: Peace negotiations begin in Paris.

1783: Sept. 3 — The Treaty of Paris is signed. England agrees that the United States is now a sovereign country.

1787: In the four years since the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War, many people argue for a stronger federal government. In May, 55 men from 12 states gather in Philadelphia to chart a new path for the federal government.

1787: Sept. 17 — Thirty-nine delegates to the Constitutional Convention sign the US Constitution. Three-fourths of the states must ratify the Constitution in order for it to take effect. Delaware was the first state to ratify it.

1788: June 21 — New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the Constitution fulfilling the three-fourths requirement and the US Constitution takes effect. All agreed that the government would begin operating on March 4, 1789. George Washington is unanimously elected the nation’s first president.

1789: April 30 — Due to a delay in voting, George Washington is inaugurated at Federal Hall in New York City. Subsequent inaugurations were held on March 4 as designated in the Constitution.

1791: The first ten amendments to the US Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, are ratified and set out the rights of American citizens