From the French and Indian War, Stamp Act, and Boston Tea Party to the Declaration of Independence, Yorktown, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
Golden rules (General American pronunciation): vowels and silent or glide letters (w, h, y) carry no digit · silent letters are ignored (knife /naɪf/ → 28) · doubled letters count once (bell → 95, hammer → 34) · sound, never spelling, decides.
| Date | Event | Peg word | IPA | Digits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1754 | Outbreak of the French and Indian War and Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union | owl +arrow /aʊl/ + /ˈæ.ɹoʊ/ | /aʊl/ + /ˈæ.ɹoʊ/ | 54 |
| 1763 | Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War; Royal Proclamation of 1763 restricts western settlement | shoe +ham /ʃu/ + /ˈhæm/ | /ʃu/ + /ˈhæm/ | 63 |
| 1765 | Stamp Act triggers widespread colonial resistance ("no taxation without representation") | shell /ʃɛl/ | /ʃɛl/ | 65 |
| 1770 | Boston Massacre deepens colonial opposition to British troops and customs enforcement | goose /ɡus/ | /ɡus/ | 70 |
| 1773 | Boston Tea Party: Sons of Liberty dump British East India tea chests into Boston Harbor | comb /koʊm/ | /koʊm/ | 73 |
| 1775 | Battles of Lexington and Concord begin the Revolutionary War; Second Continental Congress convenes | eagle /ˈiːɡəl/ | /ˈiːɡəl/ | 75 |
| 1776 | Adoption of the Declaration of Independence (July 4) and publication of Thomas Paine's Common Sense | cage /keɪdʒ/ | /keɪdʒ/ | 76 |
| 1781 | Franco-American victory at Yorktown and ratification of the Articles of Confederation | hive +hat /haɪv/ + /hæt/ | /haɪv/ + /hæt/ | 81 |
| 1783 | Treaty of Paris formally recognizes American independence | wave +ham /weɪv/ + /ˈhæm/ | /weɪv/ + /ˈhæm/ | 83 |
| 1787 | Constitutional Convention drafts the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia; Northwest Ordinance enacted | hive +key /haɪv/ + /ki/ | /haɪv/ + /ki/ | 87 |
| 1789 | Inauguration of George Washington as first President and Judiciary Act of 1789 | wave +pie /weɪv/ + /paɪ/ | /weɪv/ + /paɪ/ | 89 |
| 1791 | Ratification of the Bill of Rights (first ten Amendments) and chartering of the First Bank of the United States | boot /but/ | /but/ | 91 |
1754 — At dusk in the Ohio Valley woods as Franklin urges colonial unity in the Albany Plan, a watchful owl perches on a mossy stump beside a feathered wooden arrow standing upright in the turf. (l → 5 · ɹ → 4)
1763 — Along the Appalachian boundary drawn by the Royal Proclamation of 1763, a traveler's low-cut colonial shoe rests on a split-log bench beside a spiral-scored glazed bone-in ham. (ʃ → 6 · m → 3)
1765 — On the sunny cobblestones of a colonial port protesting the Stamp Act, a giant fluted scallop shell echoes the colonists' cry of "no taxation without representation!" (ʃ·l → 65)
1770 — On snowy Boston cobblestones outside the customs house in March 1770, a tall grey-and-white farm goose raises its long S-curved neck and honks in alarm as tension grips the town. (ɡ·s → 70)
1773 — Along the weathered wooden planks of Griffin's Wharf during the Boston Tea Party, a large amber tortoiseshell comb lies beside floating tea crates in moonlit Boston Harbor. (k·m → 73)
1775 — At dawn above Lexington Green as the Revolutionary War begins and the Second Continental Congress prepares to meet, a fierce bald eagle spreads its wings on a split-rail fence. (ɡ·l → 75)
1776 — On July 4 outside Philadelphia's red-brick State House after Common Sense stirs the colonies, an empty wrought-iron cage swings its door wide open to proclaim American independence. (k·dʒ → 76)
1781 — On the coastal bluff overlooking Yorktown as the Articles of Confederation take effect, a coiled golden straw hive sits beside a wide-brimmed colonial felt hat on the grass. (v → 8 · t → 1)
1783 — At the harbor quay as news of the 1783 Treaty of Paris crosses the Atlantic, a steep curling ocean wave crests beside a glazed bone-in roast ham on dry pier planks. (v → 8 · m → 3)
1787 — In the sunlit courtyard outside the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, a golden straw hive rests beside a gleaming brass skeleton key unlocking the new federal Constitution and Northwest Ordinance. (v → 8 · k → 7)
1789 — By New York's harbor seawall on George Washington's inauguration day, a curling blue harbor wave rises beside a warm golden lattice-top apple pie welcoming the new presidency and federal courts. (v → 8 · p → 9)
1791 — On the granite steps outside Philadelphia's classical hall as the Bill of Rights and First Bank take effect, a tall calf-high buckled leather riding boot stands firmly planted in triumph. (b·t → 91)