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Washington becomes president
First president of the U.S under the constitution. He was faced with the task of creating an entirely new government alongside congress. He was against foreign affairs and political parties and in fact didn't even want to become president. -
Judiciary Act of 1789
The first task Washington and Congress focused on was the creation of the judicial system. This act established a Supreme Court consisting of a chief justice and 5 associate justices. This also set up 3 federal circuit courts and 13 federal district courts. Section 25 of this act allowed state court decisions to be appealed to a federal court when constitutional issue were raised. This guaranteed that the federal laws remained the supreme law of land as the constitution intended. -
First Bank of thte United States is established
Primary duties were to issue paper money and handle tax receipts and government funds. The idea for this bank was purposed by Alexander Hamilton. Opponents of the bank feared that the bank would form alliances with the wealthy elite. The creation of this bank was determined by congress due to the elastic clause and was established after Hamilton convinced both Washington and several members of congress. -
Whiskey Rebellion
A result of congress wanting to make America self sufficient thus creating a tariff on all imports from Europe. Hamilton however wanted to push this even further by creating an excise tax on whiskey which taxed the manufacture, sale, or distribution of whiskey. Hamilton looked upon the whiskey rebellion as a way for the federal government to enforce the law along the western frontier because he knew it would infuriate the frontier farmers. This was considered a milestone in the consolidation of -
John Adams elected as president
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Alien and Sedition Acts passed
A series of laws passed by the Federalist Congress in 1798 and signed into law by President Adams that were designed give new powers to deport foreigners as well as making it harder for new immigrants to vote. They also prohibited public opposition to the government. Fines and imprisonment could be used against those who "write, print, utter, or publish . . . any false, scandalous and malicious writing" against the government. -
Thomas Jefferson elected president
Election of 1800: Between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Jefferson won by 8 electoral votes. But Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr received the same amount of votes so the House of Representatives was called upon to vote on who would be president and who would be vice. Eventually Alexander Hamilton intervened and got Jefferson elected as president. The deadlock revealed a flaw in the Constitution and thus Congress created the 12th Amendment which called for electors to cast separate ba -
Lousianna Purchase
The 1803 purchase by the United States of France’s Louisiana Territory for $15 million, that extended from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains -
War of 1812