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The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was an agreement between the 13 original states that founded the United States as a confederation of sovereign states, and served as the country's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation would later be replaced with the current U.S Constitution because of the need of a more federalist government system supporting constitution, other than then, the current Articles that supported ideas more similar to an anti-federalistic system. -
Newburgh Conspiracy
The Newburgh Conspiracy was a result of economic depression in the colonies' treasury, and the ability of it not being able to pay its soldiers. It was a plan that Continental Army officers would gather together to hold members of Congress hostage in an exchange for their wages, and the wages of their men, to be payed off. The plan was soon disbanded when General Washington made a suprise gathering of the officers and delivered a convincing speech to stop any action from taking place. -
Treaty of Paris
The Revolutionary War came to an end when representatives of Britian and the newly formed United States government met in Paris, France, for the signing of the Treaty of Paris. This treaty had the British give all lands east of the Mississippi and south of the Great lakes to the United States, except for Florida,(in which the British gave it back to Spain in a seperate agreement). -
West Florida Contraversy
The West Florida Contraversy was a 2-part dispute between the United States and Spain involving the Spanish colony of West Florida's, along with East Florida's, borderings. The first part of the dispute was just after the British ceceding of the Floridas back to Spain after the ending of the Revolutionary War, and the second part was during the purchase of Louisiana from the French in 1803. -
Depression of 1784-1785
After the Revolutionary War, the United States had amassed a massive amount of debt from wartime expenses, and established heavy taxes as a result, to make these payments. This lead to a great economic depression that lasted from 1784-1785, and affected all areas of the country. In the south especially, with the loss of around 60,000 slaves in the war, the souths economy suffered due to the lack of a proper work force to retain high production of cash crops, leading to poor profiteering. -
Piracy in Africa and the Mediterranean
Up until the Revolutionary War, all colonial American sailors had been under the protection of England, but after the United States gained their independence, American sailors no longer had significant protection in the Mediterranean and North and West Africa. Many sailors were captured, and sold into slavery, and in one case an entire merchant ship's crew in 1785 was captured off of the coast of Portugal by Algiers pirates. -
Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising, led by Daniel Shays, of poor Massachusetts farmers who were being heavily taxed by the Massachusetts government. They revolted against the taxation and goverment courts, and also attempted to seize militia weapons and overthrow the colonie's government. The rebellion was eventually suppressed when colonial militia defeated most of the opposing 'Shaysite' forces, and when scattered opposion finished in June of 1787 -
Federalist No. 10
Federalist No. 10 was a federalist essay believed to have been written by James Madison, while also being published under the pseudonym Publius, the same as all of the published federalist papers. The essay questioned how to safeguard from "factions" of citizens that may have ideas contrary to the rights of the people and the interests of the whole community. Madison tried to persuade with this that a large republic would be a better defense from these tyrannys than smaller ones (states). -
Admission of Delaware
Delaware was the first state in the Union to ratify itself into the newly founded United States on December 7th, 1787, and is nicknamed 'The First State'. It was before part of the middle colonies of colonial English-America. It mainly was dependent on indentured labor for agriculture as an economic cash-cropping colony, mainly in tobacco. -
Admission of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania became a state of the Union on December 12th, 1787, and was the second state to do so. Pennsylvania was the largest of the middle colonies prior to its admission as a state, and was home to much political activity. Most conventions and signings of the revolution were held, in then, the federalist's capitol of Philadelphia, such as the Constitutional Conventions, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution. -
Admission of Connecticut
Connecticut was the fifth colony to become a state of the United States, and became one on January 9th, 1788. Connecticut was part of the New England colonies and was seen as an important producer of educated clergy and civil leaders with the establishment of Yale College, a distinguished college of the time, and currently. Connecticut mainly recieved economic gain through trade, and fishing and whaling, or fur trading. -
Federalist No. 51
Federalist No. 51 was an essay printed by James Madison under the psuedonym Publius. It talks about a system of checks and balances that should be instilled into a government to regulate power between legislative officials and areas, and it supported the idea of seperation of powers in the national government, such as the legislative, judicial and executive branches. -
Admission of Massachusetts
Massachusetts was the sixth colony to become admitted as a state into the Union on February 6th, 1788. Massachusetts was part of the New England colonies prior to joining the U.S. as a state, and was a massive hub of trade, and influence. A large portion of the American Revolution sparked in the Massachusetts area, more specifically Boston, with figures such as Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, and events such as the Boston Massacre, and the battles of Lexington and Concord. -
Federalist No. 70
Federalist No. 70 was an essay written by Alexander Hamilton under the pseudonym "Publius" that was published on March 15th, 1788. This essay argued that the executive branch should be run by a single individual, and that the energy and safety of the country would be drawn out by that one individual, leaving that person responsible and accountable for the status of the country, and that there is no questioning who to point to for answers or repercussions. -
Admission of Maryland
Maryland was the seventh of the original British colonies to become a state under the United States Union on April 28th, 1788. Maryland was part of the southern colonies, and was seen as a large sunctuary for refugee Catholics who were being prosecuted in either other colonies, or in Europe. Maryland's main economic product was cash cropping of tobacco, and relied heavily on slave labor to do so. -
Admission of South Carolina
South Carolina was the eighth state to be admitted into the Union on May 23rd, 1788. South Carolina was part of the southern British colonies before it was admitted as a state, and was a great agricultural colony, prospering in the fertile low lands with the growing of rice cash crops, and harbor-based trade, more notably in Charlsetown, where trade between England and the West Africa grow. -
The United States Constitution
The United States Constitution was created on September 17th, 1787, and was made in the purpose to replace the current Articles of Confederation, which was seen to support state government over federal government, and was thought to lack proper laws to help regulate government existence and function. The Constitution is used as the overarching basis for the U.S current government laws and as the blueprinting for rules and regulations of the country's state and federal systems. -
Admission of Virginia
Virginia was the tenth of the original American colonies to be admitted into the United States on June 25th, 1788. It was part of the southern colonies, and was a large agricultural colony that mainly focused on cash-cropping as an economic staple, such as tobacco, and cotton crops. -
Inauguration of George Washington
George Washington became inagurated as the first president of the United States of America at Federal Hall, New York City, on April 30th, 1789. This was the beginning of the United State's newly formed democratic government as a whole, and allowed the nation to truely begin their reconstruction from a collection of British colonies into an independent governmental body. -
Admission of Rhode Island
Rhode Island was the thirteenth of the original thirteen colonial American states to be admitted to the Union on May 29th, 1790. It was part of the New England colonies before, and was mainly a colony focused on trade of imports and exports of goods between New England and the West Indies, along with England and its other imperial colonies.
