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Common Sense
In this pamphlet by Thomas Paine it states how a republic is greater than that of a monarchy. He also put in there that the colonists needed to fight back since the island of Britain was so small and America was so large. -
Period: to
A New Nation
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Declaration of Independence
This started the pathway to building the United States by establishing their freedom and independence from Britain. This document listed all of the grievances that set the foundation for the Constitution and the United States in its entirety. -
Articles of Confederation
This was the new government that the colonies made and presented to France so that they could gain France's alliance and recognition. It wasn't until 1781 that the Articles were ratified by all thirteen states. Let states have most of the power and the central government was weak. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle marked the turning point in the Revolutionary War because it was the colonists first strategic win. This battle let Britain, and France, know that they could persevere and had a chance at winning the war. -
French- American Alliance
This alliance marked the start of the world becoming involved in the war instead of just Britain and the colonists. This treaty also marked the start towards victory for the Americans. -
Treaty of Paris
This was the official peace treaty that the Americans signed with Britain which allowed the new nation to recieve recognition from Britain, land West to the Mississippi and North to the great lakes. In return the new nation was to stop discriminating against Loyalists and to finish paying off debts owed to British creditors. -
Treaty of Fort Stanwix
This was the treaty between the pro-British Indians and the colonists which ceded most of the Indian land to the new nation. This was the first treaty between the colonists and Native Americans and was not the last as Americans pursued westward expansion. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
This helped start the new territories on the track to statehood by dividing the land and selling it to settlers. By selling the land the money earned would help pay off the nationakl debt while also getting the area prepared for towns and settlers. -
Northwest Ordinance
This was the law that filled the gaps of the Land Ordinance of 1785. It provided how to govern new colonies and issue them to statehood. It had a two stage plan which first started with the territory being subordinate to the federal government with some of the rights granted to citizens living in states. Next if the territory could provide evidence of 60,000 residents it would be considered by Congress to become a state. -
Constitutional Covention
This was the meeting of 55 delegates from twelve states in which a change of the government from the Articles of Confederation was needed. They were there for months and finally after the Great Compromise they drafted the Constitution. -
Ratification of Constitution
New Hampshire was the ninth state needed to ratify the Constitution. This made the Constitution the new law of the country and has led to the great nation we are today. -
Washington Elected President
The first President under the Constitution and the only to be elected unanimously. He established the Presidential cabinet and marked the begining of the United States. -
Bill of Right adopted
This document was the begining of the many rights and amendments made to the constitution over the next 200 years. It gave the basic rights such as freedom of speech and the right to own firearms. All of these were the fixes to the issues layed out in the Declaration of Independence. -
Bank of the U.S Created
This sparked a debate between Hamilton and Jefferson about the constitutionality of the bank and created the two interpretations of the constitution, the federalist loose interpretation and the anti-federalist strict interpretation. -
Washington Re-elected
The people valiantly choose Washington to lead aagin in a landslide. He later sets the two term policy which all predecessors follow until FDR. -
Jay's Treaty
This was a multi-cession hearing with Britain which resulted in the payment of war debts to Britain and money to U.S ships that were raided. This outraged the Jeffersonian Republicans and led to Jay's hanging. -
Whiskey Rebellion
This was the first major rebellion in the U.S. Many rural farmers and countrymen who did not trust the new government were outraged when a tax on whiskey was introduced under Washington's administration. They gathered up arms and started a rebellion which washington quickly put down with the Federal Army to show that rebellions would not be tolerated. -
Pickney's Treaty
This was the chance Spain saw to see that the U.S would not make a British alliance. They haded over what the U.S was asking which was trading rights on the Mississippi and the territory of North Florida. This helped keep the U.S with Spain for a time. -
John Adams is Elected
This is after the mud slinging campaign that both the federalists and republicans threw. Adams was finally elected yet ran into many difficulties even in his own cabinet and congress. -
Washington's Farewell Address
In his farewell he warned against permanent alliances with other nations and only favored temporary ones. He also unofficially established the two term presidency. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien acts tried to stop the flow of immigrants that would support the Jeffersonian Republicans and hurt the Federalist party. The Sedition acts prohibited the freedom of speech and press by allowing the government to arrest those who talked against the Adams administtration. -
Convention of 1800
Was the official peace treaty between the U.S and France. This was labelled as one of the highlights of Adams presidency. France ended their origional alliance and in return America agreed to pay off the damages to its ships. -
Jefferson Elected
This was labelled as the first peacful exchange of power from the Federalists to the Anti-Federalists. Jefferson sought to decrease the size of government yet found that it was working adequetly. Marked the decline of the Federalist party. -
Judiciary Act
Was the last thing passed under the Adams administration and the Federalist congress. It appointed sixteen new offices and judges. They were named the "midnught judges" as Adams was at his office until nine at night on his last day in office. -
Marbury vs. Madison
John Marshall, the head of the Supreme Court headed this case. He ended the case by establishing the priciple of judicial review which states that the supreme court decides the constitutionality of laws. -
Louisiana Purchase
This was a non intended purchase because Jefferson sent Monroe to obtain New Orleans but instead Napolean sold Monroe the entire Lousiana Territory. He needed the money and did not need the costs of losing the territory to Britain so he went ahead and sold it all. This was a crossroads for Jefferson because he did not know how to deal with the land since it was not in the constitution. -
Embargo Act
This act restricted all exports with foreign countries in order to place their neutrality during a war between France and Britain. It turned into a war on the citizens instead by making many unemployed and hurting the overall economy. -
Madison Elected
James Madison becomes president after the two term presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Madison was highly intellectual and was endorsed by Jefferson. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
This is a major victory for the future president William Harrison and the U.S against the Native Americans Prophet and Tecumseh. This drove the Native Americans into an alliance with Britain during the War of 1812. -
U.S declares war on Britain
This marks the begining of the so called second war for independence and is also dubbed Mr. Madison's war becasue Madison asked congress to declare war. -
Washington is Burned
After the failed attempts in Canada the Americans were determined to control the Northern border. After the many defeats, except on the Great Lakes, the Brittish finally stormed the capitol and burned it. This did not hinder the spirits of the Americans and they kept on fighting. -
Hartford Convention
This was the gathering frustration that the New England Federalists had because of the War of 1812 and the cost it had on business. Three states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island went to the convention to discuss a redressing of the losses by the U.S government. They did mention cecession but ended up asking for aid until the Battle of New Orleans. -
Battle of New Orleans
The British tried a frontal attack which was the key to the American victory. The Americans were entrenched and so they could easily kill of the frontal advance. The British suffered the largest loss during this battle. Andrew Jackson became an instant hero for leading the great victory and that eventually led to his election as President. -
Monroe Elected President
James Monroe was another Virginian to be elected into office thus continuing the Viginia dynasty. He is also the Third Democratic - Republican elected to office. -
Treaty of 1818
This treaty done under the Monroe Administration set the boundary between British North America and the U.S which is now the U.S - Canada border. It also allowed for shared fishing rights off of Newfoundland. -
Panic of 1819
Many western lands were being overspeculated and the Bank of the U.S became involved in the overspeculation. This and a few other minor causes led to the depression, bankruptsy, deflation, etc. that the Panic brought. It left the morale of the nation low and led to many wetserners to hate the National Bank. -
Missouri Compromise
Slavery had been a huge issue for the country since the Revolution and the Constitution. The balance of slave states and free states were equal until Missouri was admitted to be a state. The compromise allowed Missouri to be a slave state but no other state above the southern border of Missouri could be a slave state. In order to keep the balance Maine was admitted to be a free state. -
Land Act of 1820
This tried to get more western settlers by selling 80 acres at a $1.25 an acre. Selling the land this cheap helped increase the population in the west while freeing up the east to som eextent. -
Monroe Doctrine
Warned European powers to stay out of the Americas because the era of colonization was over in the Americas. It later justified Roosevelts protection of South America from European Powers. -
Russo-American Treaty
Russia finally halted its expansion at the now southern border of Alaska and in doing so Monroe gained praise for his doctrine and ite effects. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
This case was another upholding of the power of the Federal government. It shot down the attempt by New York to grant trade with New Jersey to a private concern. Marshall again proved that the Supreme Court decides the constitutionality of any decisions or laws. -
John Q. Adams is elected
John Q. Adams was a very quiet and solitary person. He was the son of John Adams but was not affiliated with his fathers policies because he was a Democratic - Republican. -
Erie Canal Completed
This canal helped trade across the northern portions of the U.S as well as the great lakes region. The canal is a large economic advatage that the U.S obtained and wasn't overshadowed until the Panama Canal. -
Works Cited
Kennedy, David, Lizabeth Cohen and Thomas Bailey. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. 1015. PRINT
