United States: Polity Style: 1781-2023

United States: Polity Style: 1781-2023
2 Jul 1776	a resolution in favour of independence of the British colonies in North America is passed, session of the Continental Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:506-507)
4 Jul 1776	the British colonies represented in the Continental Congress are proclaimed "free and independent states" in accordance with a declaration approved by the Congress on 4 Jul 1776, session of the Continental Congress, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:510-515) [1]
1 Mar 1781	the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia constituted a confederation under the name of the United States of America in accordance with the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union (passed by the Continental Congress on 15 Nov 1777, effective upon the completion of the ratification on 1 Mar 1781) (Journals of the Continental Congress, 9:907-925, 19:213-223) [2]
1 Mar 1781 -	United States of America


[1]	The Declaration of Independence was approved by the representatives of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. Both "United Colonies" and "United States of America" were used as a term of reference in the declaration. A resolution of the Continental Congress of 9 Sep 1776 provided for the replacement of "United Colonies" with "United States" in all commissions and other instruments emanating from the Congress (Journals of the Continental Congress, 5:747)
[2]	The ratification of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was completed when the representatives of the State of Maryland, signed the document at the session of the Continental Congress on 1 Mar 1781. Maryland was the last out of the thirteen states to approve the ratification.