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Events That Were Pivotal to the Decades After the Ratification of the Constitution.
Brief Reflections: If Jays treaty had not been signed, chances are that America would have gone to war with Britain yet again, costing the country more than it could probably handle. It was included because I couldn't find anything else to do instead of it (aside from the Whiskey rebellion, but this looked easier). I chose to write about Fulton and his Steamboat engine, not because I viewed it as pivotal, but because Heron (Hero) of Alexandria invented the first steam engine around 100 AD. FIN. -
Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin (Social)
The cotton gin, a machine that cleaned the seed from cotton, was patented by Eli Whitney March 14, 1794. The fact that this machine was so useful and could be so easily pirated, eventually put Whitney out of business by 1797. -
Jay’s Treaty (Political)
Although the Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War in 1783, the relations between America and England were rough at best in the following years. England refused to leave frontier forts in the Northwest Territiory, and captured American ships, frocing those aboard to serve in a war of their own. While England was doing that, America was passing Navigational laws that were damaging to Great Britain. Jay's Treaty solved all this when it was signed November 19, 1794. -
Washington D.C. is chosen as the nation’s capital (Political)
Washington D.C. became America's capital on June 11, 1800, though the site was chosen by George Washington in 1791. The first President to live in Washinton D.C. was John Adams. Washington D.C.'s name was chosen to honor not only Washington, but Columbus. The D.C. stands for District of Columbia (Columbia being a slightly more feminine verision of Columbus). -
The Louisiana Purchase (Political)
The Louisiana Territory was purchased from France, giving farmers and settlers an abundance of land. Napoleon deciding to sell this land to America truly meant the ends to his plans for an American Empire. Without this land, America wouldbe much, much smaller. -
Louis and Clark’s expedition (Political)
In the May of 1804, Meriwether Louis (Lewis to some) and William Clark, set out upon a great journey across the previously purchased Louisiana Territory. Though they had set off in 1804, they did not return from their expedition until September 23, 1806. On November 4, 1804, Toussaint Charbonneau, a French Canadian Fur trapper was hired as their interpreter.Toussaint's wife, was a Shoshone know as Sacagawea. Sacagawea helped to interpret when the expedition came across Shoshone indians. -
Fulton develops a powerful steam boat engine (Social)
Thanks to Robert Fulton, the steamboat became a great commercial success. On the seventh of August in 1807, Fulton made history in a 150-mile trip from New York to Albany that took thirty-two hours going at five mph. -
Tecumseh loses against U.S. troops (Political)
At the Battle of Thames, Tecumseh lost against the American forces and was killed. Tecumseh was at war with the Americans because he wanted no compromise over the territory issues that were present. When Tecumseh left the war (The War of 1812 to be exact) it meant a great load left America's shoulders. -
The U.S. signs a peace treaty with the British (Political)
The Treaty of Ghent was signed on the twenty-fourth of December, ending the war of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Though it was signed, the Senate did not ratify the treaty until Febuary 16, 1815. -
The Erie Canal is Built (Social)
The plans for building the Erie Canal were delayed by the War of 1812, but construction finally began July 4, 1817. The Erie Canal was needed to provide reliable transport into the continent. It would also help to unite the settled states with frontier America. It was not finished until 1825 when it became a large economic sucess. -
Missouri Compromise (Social)
So as to balance the power of the slave states and the free states, Congress brought about the Missouri Compromise. This meant that Missouri was a slave state and Maine, a free one. The Missouri Compromise also meant that there would be no slavery allowed in the Louisiana Territory.
