-
Virginia Declaration of Rights
This was written by George Mason in 1776, and argued for "inherent" rights, like life and liberty. It was also said that sovereignty resided with the people, and the government should use its power to serve them. This gives people the right to speak out against the government, also ensuring freedom of religion, press, and so on. -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
This bill was drafted by Thomas Jefferson who argued for the separation of church and state, this reason being why many people left England in the first place. This is important because it eventually led to the first amendment. -
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
AOC was ratified after Virgina, the colony with the most westward claims,
Took effect in March of 1781 -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty signed in Versailles that guaranteed Great Britain will acknowledge the United States as its own sovereign nation, ending the Revolutionary War. This actually consisted of several treaties between the US, France, Spain, and Britain. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
This provided for the survey and sale of western lands, dividing the land into townships of 36 sq. miles (640 miles) each. Thomas Jefferson wanted the land to be given to settlers, but it was instead auctioned off for at least one dollar per acre. 1000s of westerners could not wait for the land to be officially given out north of the Ohio River, so many went ahead and illegally settled. -
Period: to
Shays' Rebellion
Shays' rebellion was a rebellion of Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays from 1786 to 1787. They were in debt, and protested the taxes implemented for them from Congress. This rebellion was important because it showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and was one of the things taken into consideration for the new Constitution. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
3 to 5 states were to be carved out of the northwest territory, and slavery was prohibited. -
Constitutional Convention
55 men from 12 different states met to edit the Articles of Confederation in the Pennsylvania state house. The Virginia Plan was to give states give representation based on their population, benefiting larger states. The New Jersey Plan would give all states equal representation, benefiting smaller states. The Great Compromise made two houses of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, one with representation based on population and the other with equal representation. -
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
These resolutions from two of the Founding Fathers approved the need for succession, which would later be used by the Southern states at the beginning of the Civil War. These gave the national government a more central control, proving their power. -
George Washington's Inauguration
On this day, George Washington became the first ever president of the US. He made Thomas Jefferson the secretary of state, Alexander Hamilton the secretary of the treasury, Henry Knox ran the War Department, and Edmund Randolph ran the Justice Department as the Attorney General. -
Ratification of Constitution
The Consitution was finally ratified in 1790, once Rhode Island agreed to its terms. This was important because it changed the way the US viewed government, by giving more power to the central government, having changed the Articles of Confederation. -
Period: to
French Revolution (US)
The Conservatives in the US were against the "Reign of Terror" in 1793. The Franco-Americans of 1778 also made Americans question whether or not they should get involved in the French Revolution. America declared neutrality on April 22nd, 1793. -
Period: to
Whiskey Rebellion
The main rebellion itself occurred during Washington's presidency in the summer of 1794. Congress had placed a excise tax on whiskey, causing farmers to rebel the tax, arguing it went against the principles of the revolution. The colonists had argued for a long time that they had "taxation without representation," but in this situation, they were doing the same. -
Jay Treaty
John Jay signed this treaty to make sure the remaining British were removed from America, giving both countries the most favored nation trade status. This was important because it allowed the US and Britain to resolve tension, but damaged Washington's reputation because of its opposition. -
Pinckney Treaty
Thomas Pinckney negotiated a trade deal with Spain that established a boundary along the 31st parallel. This treaty established friendly relations between the US and Spain. -
Treaty of Greenville
This treaty was signed between Anthony Wayne and Indians chiefs at Fort Greenville in Ohio. Because of this, 12 Indian nations had to give a large portion of terrioty to the US. This was important because it vreated temporary peace between the Indians and the US government. -
Washington's Farewell Address
Washington was not to continue to a third term of presidency, so during the last few months of his term, he published his Farewell Address in a newspaper. His main points were that the colonists should avoid sectionalism, not form any political parties, and to not make any permanent alliances with other countries (getting involved in European affairs). -
Election of 1796
This election created two incredibly important political parties; the Federalists, led my Alexander Hamilton, and the Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson. The Federalists believed that government should be shared, and in turn, have more power. The Republicans believed that the government should be limited in its power. -
XYZ Affair
In 1798, John Adams sent an American delegation to France to negotiate trade terms and ease tensions. However, the Americans become even more enraged after the French diplomats demanded a bribe as a condition for negotiating with the Americans. -
Period: to
Quasi War
This was an undeclared naval war from 1798 to 1800 that occurred between the United States and France. Congress grew the continental army immensely during this time. -
Alien and Sedation Acts
Congress, with a Federalist majority, passed four acts that severely limited freedom of speech and press against the government. For ecample, the Sedition Act made citizens pay fines or even jail time if they spoke out or wrote against the government. These acts were used to suppress the Republican's opinion, keeping the Federalists in power. -
Election of 1800
In this election, Jefferson became President, and Burr became the Vice President. The Federalist party did not have a contending candidate in this race, so it was up to them to decide who would win. Hamilton endorsed Jefferson, and although they were historical opponents, Jefferson ended up receiving the presidental nomination.