Timeline of the Constitution
From the beginning of the Revolution to the adoption of the Bill of Rights, trace the timeline of the American Constitution.
Events in 1776
May 15 | Second Continental Congress: Address to the Colonies |
June 12 | Virginia Bill of Rights adopted |
June 29 | Virginia Constitution adopted |
July 3 | New Jersey Constitution adopted |
July 4 | Declaration of Independence signed |
September 21 | Delaware Constitution adopted |
September 28 | Pennsylvania Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
November 11 | Maryland Constitution adopted |
December 18 | North Carolina Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
Events in 1777
February 5 | Georgia Constitution adopted |
April 20 | New York Constitution adopted |
Events in 1778
March 19 | South Carolina Constitution adopted |
Events in 1780
March 2 | Massachusetts Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
Events in 1781
March 1 | Articles of Confederation adopted |
Events in 1784
June 2 | New Hampshire Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
Events in 1786
September 14 | Annapolis Convention: Call for a Grand Convention |
October 16 | Virginia selects seven delegates |
November 23 | New Jersey selects five delegates |
December 30 | Pennsylvania selects eight delegates |
Events in 1787
January 6 | North Carolina selects five delegates |
January 17 | New Hampshire selects four delegates |
February 3 | Delaware selects five delegates |
February 4 | Shays Rebellion ends |
February 10 | Georgia selects four delegates |
February 21 | Congress approves Constitutional Convention |
February 28 | New York selects three delegates |
March 8 | South Carolina selects four delegates |
March 10 | Massachusetts selects four delegates |
March 14 | Rhode Island declines to send delegates |
May 5 | Rhode Island again declines to send delegates |
May 14 | Constitutional Convention lacks necessary quorum |
May 21 | Connecticut selects three delegates |
May 25 | Constitutional Convention meets quorum requirement |
May 29 | Virginia Plan introduced |
June 13 | Virginia Plan amended |
June 15 | New Jersey Plan introduced |
June 16 | Rhode Island again declines to send delegates |
June 19 | New Jersey Plan rejected |
July 13 | Northwest Ordinance adopted |
July 16 | Connecticut Compromise accepted |
July 26 | Constitutional Convention adjourns |
August 6 | Constitutional Convention reconvenes: Committee of Detail Report |
September 12 | Committee of Style Report: final draft of Constitution |
September 17 | Constitution signed |
September 20 | Confederation Congress reads Constitution |
September 26-28 | Confederation Congress debates Constitution |
September 28 | Call for state ratifying conventions by Confederation Congress |
September 28 | Pennsylvania calls for state convention |
October 17 | Connecticut calls for state convention |
October 25 | Massachusetts calls for state convention |
October 26 | Georgia calls for state convention |
October 31 | Virginia calls for state convention |
November 1 | New Jersey calls for state convention |
November 3 | Rhode Island Rejects Call for a State Ratifying Convention |
November 6 | Pennsylvania elects 69 delegates |
November 10 | Delaware calls for state convention |
November 12 | Connecticut elects 168 delegates |
November 19-January 7 | Massachusetts elects 355 delegates |
November 20-December 2 | Pennsylvania ratifying convention meets |
November 26 | Delaware elects 30 delegates |
November 27 | Maryland calls for state convention |
November 27-December 1 | New Jersey elects 38 delegates |
December 3-7 | Delaware ratifying convention meets |
December 4-5 | Georgia elects 26 delegates |
December 6 | North Carolina calls for state convention |
December 7 | Delaware ratifies 30-0 |
December 11-20 | New Jersey ratifying convention meets |
December 12 | Pennsylvania ratifies 46-23 |
December 14 | New Hampshire calls for state convention |
December 18 | New Jersey ratifies 38-0 |
December 25-January 5 | Georgia ratifying convention meets |
December 31 | Georgia ratifies 26-0 |
December 31 | New Hampshire elects 110 delegates |
Events in 1788
January 3-9 | Connecticut ratifying convention meets |
January 9 | Connecticut ratifies 128-40 |
January 9-February 7 | Massachusetts ratifying convention meets |
January 19 | South Carolina calls for state convention |
January 30 | Massachusetts Compromise proposed |
February 1 | New York calls for state convention (Assembly)(Senate) |
February 6 | Massachusetts ratifies 187-168 with 9 proposed amendments (Elliot) |
February 13-22 | New Hampshire ratifying convention votes 56-51 for adjournment until June 18 |
March 3-31 | Virginia elects 168 delegates |
March 24 | Rhode Island rejects call for a state ratifying convention |
March 28-29 | North Carolina elects 268 delegates |
April 7 | Maryland elects 76 delegates |
April 11-12 | South Carolina elects 222 delegates |
April 21-29 | Maryland ratifying convention meets |
April 26 | Maryland ratifies 63-11 |
April 29-May 3 | New York elects 67 delegates |
May 12-24 | South Carolina ratifying convention meets |
May 23 | South Carolina ratifies 149-73 |
June 2-27 | Virginia ratifying convention meets |
June 17-July 26 | New York ratifying convention meets |
June 18-21 | New Hampshire ratifying convention: second session |
June 21 | New Hampshire ratifies 57-47 with 12 proposed amendments (Tansill) |
June 25 | Virginia ratifies 89-79 with 20 proposed amendments |
July 2 | Congress accepts ratification of Constitution |
July 21-August 4 | North Carolina ratifying convention meets |
July 25 | New York rejects conditional ratification |
July 26 | New York ratifies 30-27 with 31 proposed amendments |
August 2 | North Carolina votes 184-84 against ratification |
Sept. 13 | Congress prepares for a new government |
November 30 | North Carolina calls for a second state convention |
Events in 1789
January 7 | Presidential electors chosen |
February 4 | Election of Senators, Representatives, and President |
March 4 | First Congress meets |
April 1 | House organized |
April 6 | Senate organized |
April 30 | First Inaugural Address of George Washington |
June 8 | Madison argues for a Bill of Rights |
July 28 | Report of House Select Committee on Madisons Proposals |
August 13-24 | House debates Select Committee Report |
August 21-22 | North Carolina elects 271 delegates to second state convention |
August 24 | House passes 17 Amendments to the Constitution |
September 9 | Senate passes 12 Amendments to the Constitution |
September 24 | Judiciary Act passed by Congress |
September 25 | Congress sends 12 Amendments to the state legislatures for ratification |
October 10 | Last business under Articles of Confederation |
November 16-23 | North Carolina ratifiying convention: second session |
November 20 | New Jersey adopts the Bill of Rights |
November 21 | North Carolina ratifies the Constitution 194-77 |
December 19 | Maryland adopts the Bill of Rights |
December 22 | North Carolina adopts the Bill of Rights |
December 23 | Maryland cedes ten square miles for a federal city |
Events in 1790
January 17 | Rhode Island calls for state convention to ratify Constitution |
January 19 | South Carolina adopts the Bill of Rights |
January 25 | New Hampshire adopts the Bill of Rights |
January 26 | Delaware adopts the Bill of Rights |
February 8 | Rhode Island elects delegates to ratifying convention |
March 1-6 | Rhode Island ratifying convention: first session |
March 10 | Pennsylvania adopts the Bill of Rights |
March 27 | New York adopts the Bill of Rights |
May 26-29 | Rhode Island ratifying convention: second session |
May 29 | Rhode Island ratifies the Constitution 34-32 |
June 11 | Rhode Island adopts the Bill of Rights |
Events in 1791
March 3 | Vermont admitted to the United States |
November 3 | Vermont adopts the Bill of Rights |
December 15 | Virginia ratifies the Bill of Rights |
December 15 | Bill of Rights added to the Constitution in the form of Ten Amendments |