July 13, Congress enacts Northwest Ordinance which establishes formal procedures for transforming territories into states. It provides for establishment of 3 to 5 states north of the Ohio River, to be considered equal with the original 13. Includes a Bill of Rights that guarantees freedom of religion, the right to trial by jury, public education and a ban on slavery in the Northwest
July 16, Constitutional convention, Roger Sherman proposes compromise allows for representation in the House of Representatives based on each state's population and equal representation for all of the states in the Senate, slaves will only count as 3/5 of total population
September 17, Thirty nine delegates vote to approve and then sign the final draft of the new Constitution
December 7, Delaware is the first of the nine states needed to ratify the Constitution. To be followed by: Pennsylvania (Dec. 12) New Jersey (Dec. 18) Georgia (Jan. 2, 1788) Connecticut (Jan. 9) Massachusetts (Feb. 7) Maryland (April 28) South Carolina (May 23) and New Hampshire (June 21)