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Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Virginia Declaration of Rights was a document drafted to proclaim the rights of men, created by George Mason. Among these rights was the right to decide and later abolish an "inadequate" government. -
Ratification of Articles of Confederation
The Ratification of Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States.John Dickson was the author of the the fourth attempt that later became the Articles of Confederation. It took awhile for all the states to agree to ratify the Articles because they created a loose central government and a loose confederation of sovereign states that not all states agreed on. -
Treaty of Paris
The end of the American Revolutionary War was brought by the signing of the Treaty of Paris by King George III of Great Britain and the representatives of the U.S. Some of the representatives of the U.S. included Ben Franklin, John Adams and John Jay. This treaty acknowledged the U.S. as being sovereign and independent and allowing them certain rights. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
Thomas Jefferson was the first author of the Ordinance in 1784.The United States later adopted the Land Ordinance in 1785, which gave settlers the ability to buy farmland in the west where there was very little developed land. This provided the U.S. with an important revenue system since they were unable to tax individuals at this time. -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
Thomas Jefferson drafted the Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, which was later passed by legislature in 1786. This bill called for freedom of belief and separation of religion and state. This bill made it possible for people to practice any religion that they desired. -
Shays’ Rebellion
Between 1786 and 1787 there was a series of protests by farmers against the state. The farmers believed that the local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt were unfair. The rebellion was named after Daniel Shays who was the leader of the rebellion in Massachusetts. This rebellion led to revisions in the Articles of Confederation even though Shay and his followers were defeated. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1787. The Convention was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, however James Madison and Alexander Hamilton didn't agree with the Articles. George Washington led the Convention, which led to the creation of the United States Constitution -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created the Northwest territory, which was the first organized territory in the United States. Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Ordinance in 1784 led to the Northwest Ordinance which was now possible due to the new Constitution. This was important because it represents the expansion of the U.S. -
Ratification of Constitution
The Ratification of Constitution took place on December 7, 1787 it lasted 3 months and was signed by 38 to 41. George Washington led the long debate and eventually they came to a decision. The Constitution was made after the Revolution due to an apparent lack of central government. -
George Washington Inauguration
The first presidential inauguration took place in 1789 and was the inauguration of president George Washington. George Washington won with 69 electoral votes and later took his presidential oath which represented the start to his renowned era. -
French Revolution
The French Revolution was social and political change in France. The Revolution caused various different European wars. This pushed the United States to form a clear policy of neutrality in order to avoid being caught up in the European wars. -
Whiskey Rebellion
During the presidency of George Washington there was a tax protest known as the Whiskey Rebellion in 1791. A tax on whiskey and other alcoholic beverages was formed to reduce national debt. This taxation plan was devised by Alexander Hamilton in order to pay off war debt. Farmers resisted the whiskey tax, and after some time the tax was called off. -
Jay Treaty
The Jay Treaty was a treaty signed by the U.S. and Great Britain in order to resolve issues, avert war, and insure peaceful trade between the two countries. George Washington and Alexander Hamilton signed the treaty which gained the primary American goals. -
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville ended the Northwest Indian War in Ohio. The Native Americans and General Anthony Wayne got together to sign the treaty which established a boundary between Native American and colonist lands, insuring peace. -
Pinckney Treaty
The Pinckney Treaty was signed in order to establish a relationship between Spain and the U.S. Thomas Pinckney represented the United States and Don Manuel de Godoy represented Spain during the signing of the treaty. The treaty established the boundaries between the United States and the Spanish colonies, additionally guaranteeing the U.S. navigation rights of the Mississippi River. -
Washington Farewell
Washington's Farewell of 1796 declared his step down from presidency. Washington with thee help of Alexander Hamilton came together and wrote the address that there would be no third term, additionally stating Washington's beliefs and stand points so that there would be no political disputes after he left. -
Election of 1796
The Election of 1796 was the third presidential election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. John Adams ended up winning the election. -
XYZ affair
The XYZ affair was an incident between the United States diplomats along with John Adams and the French. The affair was held to negotiate possible peace but they two sides didn't see eye to eye. The result of the affair was the war that happened later, known as the Quasi War. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
John Adams signed four bills that formed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which made it more difficult to immigrate and become a citizen. These bills allowed punishments for people that were not citizens that were found in the U.S. -
Quasi War
The Quasi War happened as a result of the XYZ affair that was held between John Adams and other U.S. diplomats and the French. This war was an undeclared naval war due to disagreement and hostility during the French Revolution. The U.S. teamed up with the Royal Navy in order to take down the French. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Kentucky and Virginia legislatures began to argue that the state has the right to declare acts of Congress as unconstitutional when they're not authorized by the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison started secretly writing The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions -
Election of 1800
The Election of 1800 was the fourth presidential election, held between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Thomas Jefferson's defeat of John Adams brought in the generation of Democratic Republican rule, leading to the end of the Federalist Party