- Establishing the Continental Army in June 1775: to defend the colonies against British forces.
- Approving the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776: declaring the colonies' independence from Great Britain.
- Establishing a national government under the Articles of Confederation in 1781: the first formal constitution of the United States.
- Negotiating the Treaty of Paris in 1783: officially ending the American Revolution and recognizing the United States as a sovereign nation.
- Creating the Northwest Ordinance in 1787: establishing a process for admitting new states to the union and governing the Northwest Territory.
- Ratifying the Constitution of the United States in 1788: replacing the Articles of Confederation and establishing the federal government as it exists today.