History

American history is punctuated with pivotal periods , all of which have the United States what it is today . However , the most pivotal period in American history was the Revolutionary War era . During this period , the British colonies of North America banded together and successfully revolted against their mother country , which they felt was grossly mistreating them through unfair taxation . Several men played important roles in the colonies reaching that success

The first was George Washington . As the unanimously appointed leader of the Continental Army , Washington was responsible for the military victory

that the American army eventually gained . While a great portion of the war seemed to go in favor of the British , Washington persevered winning battles at just the right moments , thus ensuring continued support for the army and for the cause they were fighting for . Following the end of the war , he chose to go into retirement , but with politics in his blood , he continued to remain informed of all that was going on through the newly independent nation . He would eventually serve as the first president of the United States , remaining in office for two terms . The second was John Adams . With his skill for writing and oration Adams played a major role in convincing the Continental Congress that going to war against Britain was the only way for the colonies to gain their independence from the unfair taxation being imposed on them . He would also play a role in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence . Although he did not write it himself , it was his idea to have Thomas Jefferson write it , believing that Jefferson had a better way with words than he did . Finally , he would serve as the second president of the United States . Despite what many would call a disastrous presidency , it was through his efforts that the United States avoided warfare with France so soon after the Revolutionary War

The third was Thomas Jefferson , who is forever remembered as the author of the Declaration of Independence . Without this document officially declaring the colonists ' break with Britain , there would have been no credibility to the early battles of the war , which had already occurred at Lexington and Concord , Massachusetts . Jefferson 's words continue to serve as the basis of what it means to be American

The fourth and fifth are James Madison , who is often called the `Father of the Constitution ' and Alexander Hamilton , the creator of our national economic system . Through the relentless efforts of James Madison , the Constitution was hammered out during the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia PA . Without his insistence that the Articles of Confederation be revised , the fragile new nation may have crumbled within the first four years after winning its independence . Without the hard work of Alexander Hamilton and his excellent writing skills , the Constitution may have taken twice as long as it did to get ratified by the states . The efforts of these two men resulted in the creation of our present legal and governmental systems...