Memory Timeline

March 1, 1781- Articles of Confederation 

Designed as the first constitution, this document is meant to serve Congress during the Revolutionary War. The articles are eventually considered too broad to be of use after independence and are repealed after the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where the Constitution of the United States was eventually ratified.  

January, 1782 – Loyalists leave the US 

Colonists still loyal to the British evacuate the US to other parts of the Empire, including England, Canada, Africa, and the West Indies. They are compensated for property loss and aided with land grants and professional appointments to help them with relocation.  

September 3, 1783 – The Treaty of Paris or The Peace of Paris 

The preliminary treaty formally ends the war and ratifies the existence of the United States of America. Great Britain recognizes the US as an independent nation and formalizes its boundaries to the Mississippi River. Canada remains in the possession of the British Empire.