| 1215 | June | 15 | Signing of the Magna Carta |
| 1765 | March | 22 | British Parliament passes the Stamp Act |
| | October | 7 | The Stamp Act Congress convenes |
| | | 25 | The Stamp Act Congress adjourns |
| 1767 | June | 29 | British Parliament passes the Townshend Act |
| 1770 | March | 5 | Boston Massacre |
| 1773 | May | 10 | British Parliament passes the Tea Act |
| | December | 16 | Boston Tea Party |
| 1774 | | | British Parliament passes the Quebec Act (one of the Intolerable Acts |
| | March | 30 | British Parliament passes the Boston Port Act (one of the Intolerable Acts) |
| | May | 20 | British Parliament passes the Massachusetts Government Act (one of the Intolerable Acts) |
| | | | British Parliament passes the Administration of Justice Act (one of the Intolerable Acts) |
| | June | 2 | British Parliament passes the Quartering Act (one of the Intolerable Acts) |
| | September | 5 | First Continental Congress convenes |
| | October | 26 | First Continental Congress adjourns |
| 1775 | March | 23 | “Liberty or Death” Speech by Patrick Henry |
| | April | 19 | Battles of Lexington and Concord (Patriots’ Day) |
| | May | 10 | Second Continental Congress convenes |
| | June | 17 | The Battle of Bunker Hill |
| 1776 | January | 10 | First Edition of Common Sense |
| | July | 4 | Signing of Declaration of Independence (Independence Day) |
| 1777 | November | 15 | The Articles of Confederation adopted by Second Continental Congress |
| 1778 | | | British Parliament passes the Taxation of Colonies Act (repealing the Stamp Act) |
| 1781 | March | 1 | The Articles of Confederation ratified |
| | | | Second Continental Congress adjourns |
| | | | Congress of the Confederation convenes |
| 1783 | September | 3 | Peace Treaty signed with Great Britain |
| 1786 | September | 11 | Annapolis Convention convenes |
| | | 14 | Annapolis Convention adjourns
|
| 1787 | May | 25 | Constitutional Convention convenes
|
| | September | 17 | United States Constitution submitted to States |
| | | | Constitutional Convention adjourns |
| | October | 27 | Publication of Federalist No. 1 |
| | | 31 | Publication of Federalist No. 2 |
| | November | 3 | Publication of Federalist No. 3 |
| | | 7 | Publication of Federalist No. 4 |
| | | 10 | Publication of Federalist No. 5 |
| | | 14 | Publication of Federalist No. 6 |
| | | 15 | Publication of Federalist No. 7 |
| | | 20 | Publication of Federalist No. 8 |
| | | 21 | Publication of Federalist No. 9 |
| | | 22 | Publication of Federalist No. 10 |
| | | 24 | Publication of Federalist No. 11 |
| | | 27 | Publication of Federalist No. 12 |
| | | 28 | Publication of Federalist No. 13 |
| | | 30 | Publication of Federalist No. 14 |
| | December | 1 | Publication of Federalist No. 15 |
| | | 3 | Publication of Federalist No. 16 |
| | | 5 | Publication of Federalist No. 17 |
| | | 7 | Publication of Federalist No. 18 |
| | | | Delaware ratifies Constitution |
| | | 8 | Publication of Federalist No. 19 |
| | | 11 | Publication of Federalist No. 20 |
| | | 12 | Publication of Federalist No. 21 |
| | | | Pennsylvania ratifies Constitution |
| | | 14 | Publication of Federalist No. 22 |
| | | 18 | Publication of Federalist No. 23 |
| | | | New Jersey ratifies Constitution |
| | | 19 | Publication of Federalist No. 24 |
| | | 21 | Publication of Federalist No. 25 |
| | | 22 | Publication of Federalist No. 26 |
| | | 25 | Publication of Federalist No. 27 |
| | | 26 | Publication of Federalist No. 28 |
| | | 28 | Publication of Federalist No. 30 |
| 1788 | January | 1 | Publication of Federalist No. 31 |
| | | 2 | Publication of Federalist No. 32 |
| | | | Georgia ratifies Constitution |
| | | | Publication of Federalist No. 33 |
| | | 5 | Publication of Federalist No. 34 |
| | | | Publication of Federalist No. 35 |
| | | 8 | Publication of Federalist No. 36 |
| | | 9 | Publication of Federalist No. 29 |
| | | | Connecticut ratifies Constitution |
| | | 11 | Publication of Federalist No. 37 |
| | | 12 | Publication of Federalist No. 38 |
| | | 16 | Publication of Federalist No. 39 |
| | | 18 | Publication of Federalist No. 40 |
| | | 19 | Publication of Federalist No. 41 |
| | | 22 | Publication of Federalist No. 42 |
| | | 23 | Publication of Federalist No. 43 |
| | | 25 | Publication of Federalist No. 44 |
| | | 26 | Publication of Federalist No. 45 |
| | | 29 | Publication of Federalist No. 46 |
| | | 30 | Publication of Federalist No. 47 |
| | February | 1 | Publication of Federalist No. 48 |
| | | 2 | Publication of Federalist No. 49 |
| | | 5 | Publication of Federalist No. 50 |
| | | 6 | Publication of Federalist No. 51 |
| | | | Massachusetts ratifies Constitution |
| | | 8 | Publication of Federalist No. 52 |
| | | 12 | Publication of Federalist No. 53 |
| | | | Publication of Federalist No. 54 |
| | | 13 | Publication of Federalist No. 55 |
| | | 16 | Publication of Federalist No. 56 |
| | | 19 | Publication of Federalist No. 57 |
| | | 20 | Publication of Federalist No. 58 |
| | | 22 | Publication of Federalist No. 59 |
| | | 23 | Publication of Federalist No. 60 |
| | | 26 | Publication of Federalist No. 61 |
| | | 27 | Publication of Federalist No. 62 |
| | March | 1 | Publication of Federalist No. 63 |
| | | 5 | Publication of Federalist No. 64 |
| | | 7 | Publication of Federalist No. 65 |
| | | 8 | Publication of Federalist No. 66 |
| | | 11 | Publication of Federalist No. 67 |
| | | 12 | Publication of Federalist No. 68 |
| | | 14 | Publication of Federalist No. 69 |
| | | 15 | Publication of Federalist No. 70 |
| | | 18 | Publication of Federalist No. 71 |
| | | 19 | Publication of Federalist No. 72 |
| | | 21 | Publication of Federalist No. 73 |
| | | 25 | Publication of Federalist No. 74 |
| | | 26 | Publication of Federalist No. 75 |
| | April | 1 | Publication of Federalist No. 76 |
| | | 2 | Publication of Federalist No. 77 |
| | May | 23 | South Carolina ratifies Constitution |
| | | 28 | Publication of Federalist No. 84 |
| | | | Maryland ratifies Constitution |
| | June | 14 | Publication of Federalist No. 78 |
| | | 18 | Publication of Federalist No. 79 |
| | | 21 | Publication of Federalist No. 80 |
| | | | New Hampshire ratifies Constitution |
| | | 25 | Publication of Federalist No. 81 |
| | | | Virginia ratifies Constitution |
| | | 26 | New York ratifies Constitution |
| | July | 2 | Publication of Federalist No. 82 |
| | | 5 | Publication of Federalist No. 83 |
| | | 26 | New York ratifies Constitution |
| | August | 13 | Publication of Federalist No. 85 |
| 1789 | March | 4 | Congress of the Confederation adjourns |
| | November | 21 | North Carolina ratifies Constitution |
| 1790 | May | 29 | Rhode Island ratifies Constitution |