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Washington elected president
Washington was elected as the first president of the United States in 1789. -
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Whiskey Rebellion
The whiskey rebellion was caused by a tax on whiskey. Many corn farmers in the south who could not transport their goods would convert their corn into whiskey because of how much easier it was to transport. The sheer number of whiskey makers resulted in the whiskey rebellion. -
The creation of the cabinet
The cabinet held its first official meeting on February 25, 1793. The members of the cabinet at the time were Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Knox, Secretary of War, and Edmund Randolf, Attourney General. -
Proclamation of Neutrality
The Proclamation of Neutrality was passed to prevent America from getting involved in the war between Britain and France. The Proclamation not only declared that the U.S. would not take part in the conflict, it also threatened to punish any citizens of America who attempted to aid any of the countries at war. -
Creation of Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in the south in 1793, and was granted a patent a year later. The cotton gin allowed southern planters to mass produce clean cotton, but the amount of cotton that could be produced by the cotton gin required more slaves to farm the cotton. -
Jay Treaty
The Jay treaty was passed in order to remove British troops from American forts given to the Americans in the treaty of Paris, and to end the prevention of American trade with India by the British. -
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XYZ Affair
The xyz affair was a confrontation between America and France from 1797 to 1798. X, Y, and Z stood for the names of three French politicians, Hottinguer, Bellamy, and Hauteval respectively. These letters took the place of the politicians names in some documents from the Adams administration. The affair was when an American diplomatic commission involving three people was sent to France and were demanded bribes by agents of the French minister in order for formal negotiations to start. -
End of Washington's presidency
Washington's presidency ended after his second term when he refused to run for a third. This established the two term policy we use today. -
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Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition acts were passed by John Adams in 1798 in order to give the president more power to deal with unknown or potentially harmful. These laws allowed Adams to deport immigrants that could be a threat, and gave the president power to imprison people who may work against the president. -
Jefferson is elected president
Thomas Jefferson is elected president, and nearly doubles the size of the country during his time in office. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was a case deciding whether or not William Marbury should receive his commission making him justice of the peace. The court decided that, although refusing to give Marbury his commission was unconstitutional, the supreme court could not change anything because it did not have original jurisdiction. Because of this, Marbury did not receive his commission. This case also set up the idea of judicial review. This case has to do with the value of authority. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was when America purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15,000,000 USD. This was controversial because as president, Jefferson did not have the power to make treaties or purchase land. -
The Embargo of 1807
The Embargo of 1807 was an embargo on all exported goods from America. This embargo was put into effect in an attempt to weaken the British during the Napoleonic wars. -
End of Jefferson's presidency
Jefferson's presidency ended after his second term. He won the election for his second term 162-14. -
The Missouri Compromise
In 1820, Congress passed the Missouri compromise, making Missouri a slave state, but prohibiting slavery in the rest of the land gained in the Louisiana purchase above the 36th parallel. -
Jackson elected president
Jackson lost his first run for president against John Adams in 1824. Afterwards, he and his followers founded the Democratic Party, and he won the next election. -
Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Indian Removal act gave Andrew Jackson, the current president of the United States, the power to negotiate with native tribes to remove them from their lands and into lands past the Mississippi River. -
Cherokee Nation's appeal
After a failed attempt to convince the Federal government not to force them out of their land, the Cherokees made the Cherokee Nation's appeal in order to convince the American people that forcing the Cherokee's out of their land was wrong. -
The Second Annual Message
Andrew Jackson's second annual message was sent to Congress in order to inform them that the removal of native Americans was going well, and that it would benefit everybody in the future. -
Worcester v. Georgia
Th Worcester v Georgia case was a case involving whether or not Samuel Worchester was subject to Goergia state laws while inside Indian territory inside of Georgia. The decision was made that the native Americans were their own sovereign nation, and therefore were not affected by the laws of American federal or state governments. -
Worcester v. Georgia
In the court case, Worcester v. Georgia, Samuel Worcester was convicted by the state of Georgia for living on native land without a license. The court decided that the state's law that required Worcester to have a warrant was unconstitutional. This decision meant that Worcester could go free, and also meant that Indian territories were to be regarded as sovereign nations. This decision supports the value of freedom because people were now free to enter Indian territories without a license. -
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Nullification crisis
After the signing of the Tariff of 1828 and the Tariff of 1832, South Carolina adopted the Ordinance of Nullification, which said that both the aforementioned tariffs were unconstitutional. This problem was resolved when the Compromise Tariff of 1833 was passed, and found acceptable by South Carolina. -
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People's Republic of Texas
The people's republic of Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836 and became an independent nation. After the US fought and won the war with Mexico over Texas, Texas became part of the Union. The US did not immediately annex Texas because they were worried about conflict with Mexico. -
End of Jackson's presidency
Jackson served two terms as president. John C. Calhoun was Vice President during his first term until they became bitter rivals. -
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was when many Native American tribes, most prominently the Cherokee in 1838, were relocated from their homes into territories west of the Mississippi River. Some native Americans were allowed to stay in U.S. territory provided they became U.S. citizens. -
Annexation of Texas
Texas was legally annexed into the union in 1845 by popular vote of both a convention of elected delegates and by congress. John Tyler originally proposed that Texas be annexed in order to prevent the British from using it. -
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Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American war was a war between Mexico and the Union that lasted two years. The war began in 1846 after a Mexican cavalry unit killed about 12 American soldiers in disputed territory. -
Wilmot Proviso
The Wilmot Proviso was introduced only two months after the start of the Mexican-American war by David Wilmot. The Wilmot Proviso banned slavery in any territory claimed by the union during the war. -
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California Gold Rush
The gold rush started when James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. Approximately 300,000 people took part in the gold rush, and soon after, California became the 31st state. -
Compromise of 1850
The compromise of 1850 was a compromise that allowed Congress to avoid issues related to sections and slavery. The bill was signed into law by Vice President Millard Fillmore. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act was introduced by Stephen A. Douglas in 1854 in order to gain more land for his transcontinental railroad route. Many southerners objected to this, so Douglas proposed repealing the Missouri compromise line, and using the territory to make two states, one free and one slave. -
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Bleeding Kansas
"Bleeding Kansas" was the term used to describe the violence surrounding the settling of Kansas. The term is said to have first appeared in Horace Greeley's New York Tribune. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court decided that Dred Scott could not sue his owner for freedom because, since Dred Scott was not an American citizen, he had no right to sue. This decision spurred lots of unrest in the North. -
Lincoln elected president
Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States on November 6th, 1860. He was the first ever president from the Republican Party. -
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Secession
The secession began in 1860, when South Carolina seceded from the United States. Within the next year, 10 more states had seceded, the last of these states being Tennessee. -
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The American Civil War
The American civil war started because of two main reasons, the South's secession into the confederacy and the legality of slavery. The American civil war lasted over 4 years and is the deadlies war in American history, resulting in the deaths of 750,000 American soldiers, and many more civilians. -
The Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam was a battle fought between George McClellan and Robert E. Lee's forces at Miller's Cornfield. Despite the fact that the battle ended in a draw, Lincoln took this moment to present the Emancipation Proclamation. -
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation passed in 1863 by Abraham Lincoln, declared that "all persons held as slaves" inside of rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free." -
Suspension of Habeas Corpus
The suspension of the writ of habeas corpus is a very controversial issue. Although Abraham Lincoln did not have the power to suspend the writ of habeas corpus (this is a power granted to congress), Lincoln's actions did save many lives and may have even helped the Union win the civil war. -
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The Battle of Gettysburg
The battle of Gettysburg occurred when General Robert E. Lee was moving his troops into Pennsylvania. When they were confronted by union troops, a battle ensued. The outcome of this battle greatly helped to turn the tide in the union's favor. -
The Gettysburg Address
Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863 at the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery in order to honor those who died at the Battle of Gettysburg -
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Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's march to the sea lasted slightly over a month and resulted in the destruction of houses, railroads, and methods of communication in the south. -
Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the American civil war. -
Lincoln is assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford Theatre on April 15, 1865. -
Thirteenth Amendment
After being passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives and after being ratified by the required number of states, the Thirteenth Amendment was adopted and officially ended slavery -
Miranda v. Arizona
In court, Ernesto Miranda's lawyer argued that, because Miranda was not fully informed of his rights, his decision to speak was not entirely voluntary. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court decided that people had the right to be informed of their rights before being arrested. This became known as "Mirandizing" -
Tinker v. Des Moines
This court case was a debate as to whether or not students should be allowed to wear black armbands protesting the Vietnam war. The school decided that the students should be allowed to wear the armbands because preventing them from doing so would violate their rights to freedom of speech. Because of this decision, the student's suspensions were erased. This case also strengthened student's rights. This case ties mostly to the value of freedom, because freedom of speech is a type of freedom. -
Bethel v. Fraser
This court case decided whether a student's inappropriate speech was protected by the 1st amendment. After both the district and appellate courts had ruled in Fraser's favor, the school took the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decided that the speech was not protected because it was in direct violation of school rules. The court's decision meant that Fraser continued his suspension, and it also put permanent restrictions on student freedom of speech. This reflects the value of order -
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier
In the court case, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, it was decided that schools could put reasonable regulations on student freedom of speech. -
Morse v. Frederick
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court decided that, because the sign promoted illegal drug use, and because a school event was technically part of the school, the principal did not violate Frederick's right to free speech. -
Riley v. California
After David Riley was pulled over and police searched his car, the police proceeded to search his phone. The police found lots of evidence on his phone that helped convict Riley. However, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court decided that the police needed to have first obtained a warrant in order to search Riley's phone.
