What Happened Directly After The American Revolution Ended?
The Loyalists Left America
It's easy to think that when the Revolutionary War was raging in the colonies, most if not all Americans were in support of rebelling against the crown. The truth is that around 15 to 20% of the American colonists were still loyal to the crown and were unhappy when the British surrendered at Yorktown in 1781. Some of these Loyalists were beaten up by gangs of Patriots, who came to their houses to punish them for backing the other side. While a number of people had the luxury of keeping silent about their politics, those living on the front lines often had to pick a faction and stick with it.
Therefore, when the British started pulling out of the states, many Loyalists left with them.
Lord North Resigned As British Prime Minister
The year after the British surrendered at Yorktown, the first prime minister of Britain, Lord North, resigned in disgrace. Before the conflict ended, he tried to put an end to it through diplomacy with the Conciliation Plan. It basically said that the British would stop any oppression if the colonies ended the rebellion. The colonies, however, continued to fight.
By the time the American Revolution ended, North was exhausted by the tension between the two countries and couldn't handle the position anymore.
The British Evacuated Savannah, Georgia
It took a while for the British to fully leave the colonies after their surrender. On July 11, 1782, British Royal Governor Sir James Wright and military personnel fled Georgia for South Carolina. The goal was to evacuate the colonies via the ocean. Several ships sailed for New York, while others went to Florida and the West Indies.
Wright eventually returned to London and perished there three years later.
The Articles Of Peace Were Signed
Though the British surrendered at Yorktown, the conflict was technically not over for some time. Peace talks began the following year in 1782 in Paris. Richard Oswald negotiated for the British while Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams represented America. Eventually, the Articles of Peace were signed, which became the basis for the formal treaty several years later.
Congress Ratified The Preliminary Peace Treaty
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The agreement set up by John Jay, John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Richard Oswald brought both America and Britain closer to the conclusion of the conflict. In 1783, the Continental Congress officially ratified a preliminary version of a treaty.
This allowed them to take a more fleshed-out version of the treaty to Paris, where representatives from the United States, Great Britain, Spain, and France gathered.
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The Treaty Of Paris Was Signed
The document that finally led to the formal end of the revolution, the Treaty of Paris, was the product of many months of negotiation and politics. As the result of the treaty's final iteration, England had to recognize America as an independent nation, American fishermen were allowed to fish in Canadian waters, and England had to hand over territory between the Allegheny Mountains and the Mississippi River. America also agreed not to persecute Loyalists or block creditors who had debts to collect, and to restore property taken during the conflict.
British Troops Left New York
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The last British soldiers departed from New York in November 1783. The soldiers left with thousands of Loyalists and former slaves. The event became a holiday known as Evacuation Day. When the soldiers left, they nailed their flag to a pole and greased it so that it would be hard to remove.
For years afterward, on each anniversary of the event, an American citizen would reenact the daring climb of John Van Arsdale, a sailor who scaled the pole and replaced the British flag with an American one.
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George Washington Resigned As Commander
One month after the last British troops left the country, George Washington resigned as commander of the US Army in Annapolis, MD. It was seen as a patriotic act that showed his commitment to the country over his desire for personal power.
After resigning, he went back home to his plantation in Mount Vernon, VA. That is, of course, until duty called once again during the country's first presidential election.
Shay's Rebellion Took Place
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An economic crisis swept through Massachusetts in the 1780s, forcing many farmers into intense debt. The state didn't forgive their debt and many farmers lost their property or were thrown in jail. Naturally, this meant that people were very angry and upset. As rage continued to foment, the citizens took up arms against the government.
The governor of Massachusettes, James Bowdoin, assembled his own military force and crushed the rebellion. Siding against the rebels cost the governor, as he was badly defeated in the following election.
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The Constitution Was Written At The Philadelphia Convention
The initial document outlining American society created in 1777, the Articles of Confederation, was in need of a revision after America won independence and become a functioning nation. The original articles did not have any power to affect change or regulate the nation. It even lacked the power to tax the people.
A constitution was needed, so a convention of delegates was called to Philadelphia in 1786 to craft a document. Over several months, delegates presented different plans for the federal government and compromises were reached. After a signing ceremony on September 17, the United States Constitution was finished.
The States Ratified The Constitution
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It took several years for the states to ratify the constitution. The first five (Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut) quickly ratified the document. Several other states, however, had misgivings about the document because it failed to protect basic human rights such as freedom of speech and religion. Therefore, the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added to the document.
The First Presidential Election Took Place
In 1789, America held its first presidential election. The rules were a little different than they are today, as only white male property owners were allowed to vote and the man with the second-most votes would become vice president.
George Washington won the election and was sworn into office on April 30, 1789.
