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Tariff of 1789
the first major piece of legislation passed by the new Congress. It was particularly important because it gave the new national government a source of revenues to pay for its operations and to pay down the national debt from the Revolutionary War. The 5% tax placed on most imported goods (some higher) also helped to protect U.S. manufacturing, so the country would be less dependent on imports. While that helped northern manufacturers, it also made manufactured products more expensive for souther -
The first cabinet positions—treasury, war, state, attorney general
Washington appointed his first cabinet. -
Judiciary Act, 1789
In Marbury, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress cannot pass laws that are contrary to the Constitution, and that it is the role of the judicial system to interpret what the Constitution permits. Thus, the Judiciary Act of 1789 was the first act of Congress to be partially invalidated by the Supreme Court. -
Philadelphia as the nation’s capital, 1790
In 1790, Philadelphia was named the national capital for a ten-year period while the Federal City (now Washington, D. C.) was under construction. Morris volunteered the house to serve as President Washington's residence. -
First Bank of United States , 1791-1811 (Report on Public Credit, Report on Manufactures)
In February 1791, the First Bank of the United States (1791-1811) received a unique national charter for twenty years. Alexander Hamilton’s brainchild, a semi-public national bank, was a crucial component in the building of the early U.S. economy. The Bank prospered for twenty years and performed traditional banking functions in exemplary fashion. With a main office in Philadelphia and eight branches nationwide to serve its customers, the Bank’s influence stretched along the entire Atlantic seab -
The Bill of Rights, 1791
The 1st ten amendments of the constitution -
Fugitive Slave law, 1793
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 was an Act of the United States Congress to give effect to the Fugitive Slave Clause of the U.S. Constitution (Article 4, Section 2, Clause 3 Note: Superseded by the Thirteenth Amendment)[1] guaranteed the right of a slaveholder to recover an escaped slave. -
French Revolution - Citizen Genet, 1793
The French Revolution (French: Révolution française) was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799 that profoundly affected French and modern history, marking the decline of powerful monarchies and churches and the rise of democracy and nationalism. -
Eli Whitney granted patent for the cotton gin, 1794
Eli Whitney's original cotton gin patent, dated March 14, 1794. The modern mechanical cotton gin was invented in the United States in 1793 by Eli Whitney (1765–1825). Whitney applied for a patent on October 28, 1793; the patent was granted on March 14, 1794, but was not validated until 1807. -
Whiskey Rebellion, 1794
a revolt of settlers in western Pennsylvania in 1794 against a federal excise tax on whiskey: suppressed by militia called out by President George Washington to establish the authority of the federal government. -
Jay’s Treaty with England, 1795
was a 1795 treaty between the United States and Great Britain that is credited with averting war,resolving issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783 (which ended the American Revolution),and facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the United States and Britain in the midst of the French Revolutionary Wars, which began in 1792. -
Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain, 1795
Pinckney's Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on October 27, 1795 and established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. It also defined the boundaries of the United States with the Spanish colonies and guaranteed the United States navigation rights on the Mississippi River. The treaty's full title is Treaty of Friendship, Limits, and Navigation Between Spain and the United States. Thomas Pinckn -
Farewell Address, 1796
a letter written by the first American President, George Washington, to "The People of the United States of America". Washington wrote the letter near the end of his second term as President, before his retirement to his home Mount Vernon. -
XYZ Affair, 1797
The XYZ Affair was a political and diplomatic episode in 1797 and 1798, early in the administration of John Adams, involving a confrontation between the United States and Republican France that led to an undeclared war called the Quasi-War. The name derives from the substitution of the letters X, Y and Z for the names of French diplomats in documents released by the Adams administration. -
Naturalization Act, 1798
The Naturalization Act, passed by the United States Congress on June 18, 1798 (1 Stat. 566), increased the period necessary for immigrants to become naturalized citizens in the United States from 5 to 14 years. -
Alien Act, Sedition Act, 1798
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four (4) bills that were passed by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress and signed into law by President John Adams in 1798, the result of the French Revolution and during an undeclared naval war with France, later known as the Quasi-War. Authored by the Federalists, the laws were purported to strengthen national security, but critics argued that they were primarily an attempt to suppress voters who disagreed with the Federalist party -
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, 1798
political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799, in which the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures took the position that the federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. The resolutions argued that the states had the right and the duty to declare unconstitutional any acts of Congress that were not authorized by the Constitution. In doing so, they argued for states' rights and strict constructionism of the Constitution. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 were written secretly by -
"Midnight Appointments"/Judiciary Act of 1801
an effort to solve an issue in the U.S. Supreme Court during the early 19th century. There was concern, beginning in 1789, about the system that required the Justices of the Supreme Court to “ride circuit” and reiterate decisions made in the appellate level courts. The Supreme Court Justices had often voiced concern and suggested that the judges of the Supreme and circuit courts be divided.