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Articles of Confederation approved
More than a year before it was approved, the Congress appointed a Committee of Thirteen, made up of one member from each colony got together to start disscussing and drafting the new document. Under the article, a new Confedartion Congress would become the central national government. -
Articles of Confedaration ratified
Four years after the Articles of Confedaration was approved it was ratified by the 13 states. -
Spain takes over Florida
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The U.S. begins using the dollar as its currency
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Shays's Rebellion
Shays's Rebellion was named after its leader Daniel Shays, a war veteran and poor farmer. What caused this uprising was that state of Massachusetts increased it's taxes on land to pay off its war debt, but most farmers were poor and could not afford it, so the state was forcing them to sell their land. In January 1787 the rebels were defeated by state troops. This event was significant because it helped reveal weakness in the Articles of Confedaration. -
The Northwest Ordinance
Congress passed this ordinance to form a political system for the region north of the Ohio River. It also created a system for bringing new states into the Union once they reached a population of 60,000 people. The ordinance had a bill of rights, and it also required that public education be provided for the citizens of the region. -
The Constitutional Convention
Twelve states sent a total of 55 delagates to the Convention because they agreed that it was time to change the Articles of Confedaration. They met in Philadelphia's State House to disscuss important issue such as slavery and taxes and tariffs. Edmund Randolph presented the Virginia Plan which offered a new federal constitution that would give surpreme power to the central government. It also divided the goverment into three branches, the executive, judicial and the legislative branches. -
Delaware ratifies Constitution
Delaware was the first state in the Union to ratifiy the Constitution -
Constitution goes into effect
The same date that New Hampshire ratified the Constitution it went into effect. -
The French Revolution begins
During the French Revolution people overthrew their monarchy and created a republican government. The Declaration of the Rights of Man satated the French Revolution's principles: " liberty, equality, and fraternity." -
George Washington elected 1st U.S. President
George Washington was concerned that his lack of political experience might make you him a poor president, but many Americans saw him as a great leader. When he was elected Washington accepted the presidency because he felt that it was his duty to give service to the country in obedience to its call. This event was significint because this was the first time the people could vote for their leader. -
James Madison submits possible amendments to the Constitution
James Madison beleived that since they made a promise that if the states ratified the Constitution that they would create a bill of rights that they had to keep that promice. He made it his top priority to submit some amendments that he thought would fit. -
North Carolina ratifies Constitution
North Carolina was the second to last state in the Union to ratifiy the Constitution. -
Rhode Island last state to ratifiy the Constitution
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Washington D.C. chosen as site for new capital
Many southerners did not like having the capital in New York, because they thought that it gave the northern states too much influence over national policy.Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison met and Hamilton promised that he would convince northern members of Congress to move the capital if in exchange Jefferson and Madison agreed to gather support for Hamilton's debt payment plan. In July the House of Representatives approved and they chose an area along the Potomac River for the new capital. -
The Bank of the U.S. is formed
President Washington and Congress hoped that a U.S. bank would offer more security for the national economy so Congress chartered the Bank of the United States. -
Vermont becomes 14th State
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The Bill of Rights is ratified by the states
Several states only ratified the Constitution because they were promised a Bill of Rights so James Madison understood the promise and therefore wanted to make a bill of rights one f the new government's first priorities. They created 12 amendments that they beleived that would reflect the will of the people. They finally sent the amendments to states for ratification in September 1789, and by December 1791 three fourths of the staes had ratified 10 of the 12 amendments. -
Kentucky becomes the 15th State
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President Washington issues a proclamation of neutrality
The Neutrality Proclamation stated that the United States would not take sides with countries at war in Europe. -
The Whiskey Rebellion
The reason for the Whiskey Rebellion was because in March of 1791 Congress passed a tax on American-made whiskey. Farmers who could not afford to pay the tax formed together and refused to pay the tax and even tarred and feathered the collectors. The president assembled 13,000 men but as they approched the rebels fled. -
The Battle of Fallen Timbers
Despite the protests of American Indians, Americans continued to settle in the Northwest Territory, so supplied with guns and ammunition from British traders the indians attacked in 1790 and 1791 and defeated U.S. forces. President Washington then sent Anthony Wayne to take charge of the army and they fought but Waynes troops won. They burned down the village and fields and in 1795 we signed a treaty with the indians. -
Jay's Treaty
John Jay was sent to London to work out a peaceful resolution with the British. Jay's Treaty was a compromise because the British began seizing all ships carrying food to the French West Indies. -
John Adams is elected the 2nd President of the U.S.
John Adams was President George Washingtons vice president before he became president. John Adams first goal as president was to improve relations between the U.S. and France. -
Tennessee becomes 16th State
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George Washington publishes his Farewell Address
In 1796 George Washington decided not to run for office again because he wished for retirement, and because he believed that by stepping down he would remind Americans that he was only president, not a king. With the help of two friends he wrote his Farewell Address, in which he wrote what he believed were the greatest dangers to the American republic. This now ment that the second president would be elcted that year. -
The XYZ Affair
President Adams sent three men to Paris to talk about the French using privateers to attack American ships but the French foreign minister Talleyrand would not speak with them. Instead three agents visited them and said that Talleyrand would only discuss a treaty for a bribe and loan. We refused and President Adams substituted the letters X, Y, Z for the names of the French agents, and called it the XYZ Affair. -
Congress passes the Alien and Sedition Acts
Federalists passed the Alien and Sedition Acts in the summer of 1798 to allow the president to have foreign residents removed from the country im he beleived that they were involved in any treasonable or secret machinations against the government. It also made it illegal to print, write, utter, or publish any false or hostile words against the government or its policies. -
George Washington dies at Mount Vernon
George Washington died at the age 67 of acute laryngitis.