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1781 BCE
Ratification of Article of Confederation
the first constitution of the US was signed in 1777, However, the Articles of confederation was not ratified until 1781 because of land dispute between Maryland and Virginia. The constitution affirmed the Articles as the outline of the official government of the United States. -
Virginia declaration of rights 1776
.It was a document written by George Mason and adopted by Virginia in 1776 .It gave man natural rights and rights to abolish inadequate government. It was a model for the Bill of Rights added to the U.S -
treaty of Paris
The treaty of Paris was signed between the US and Britain which ended the revolutionary war and recognized American independence. The treaty was manly conducted by Franklin, Jay, and Adam. in the treaty, American fisherman had the right to access new land and Canadian waters. In return the US agreed to end the persecution of Loyalists by state and local governments and to restore their property confiscated during the war. Both countries agreed to pay off their debts -
Land Ordinance of 1785
This law was in the article of confederation. Western land was divided into townships and sold to the people. Since the central government was not allowed to levy taxes under the AOC, it was a great way to make revenue -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
Thomas Jefferson’s bill was enacted by Virginia which made each church equal in the eyes of the law and prohibited religious requirements to hold office. It was the first amendment that protected people against religious discrimination -
shay's rebellion 1786-1787
This rebellion was a series of protests by farmers who were against the collection of taxes and judgments for debts. Although the rebellion happened in some stated it was most serious in Massachusetts because of economic depression, and bad harvest which made it harder for them to pay taxes and fear to lose their farms. The rebellion raised concerns about the stability and power of the National government. It was one major factor that led to the writing of the new constitution -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The ordinance was laws that described how the Northwest Territories would be governed. It was a way to better organize territories the acquired during the war. As population grew, they would gain rights to self government. Slavery was outlawed in the Northwest Territories although it was still legal in the states. -
George Washington Inauguration
On April 30, 1789, George Washington took his oath of office as the first President of the United States in New York. It was a unanimous vote out of respect for Washington as a war hero -
Ratification of Constitution
The articles required that any constitutional law changes should go through states and 9 out of 13 states were needed to ratify the constitution. Conventions were held for the people to evaluate those changes. After the ratification, the constitution was officially the new way the USA would be governed -
constitution Convention 1787-1789
It was a convention in Philadelphia organized to address problems of the weak central government in the Article of Confederation. A US constitution was created and gave the federal government specific powers. The result was the United States Constitution and its adoption as the instrument of government for the USA. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Farmers from Pennsylvania rebelled against the whiskey tax imposed by Hamilton. Several federal officers were killed but the army led by Washington put down the rebellion. This showed that the federal government was more organized and could act fast under the new constitution. -
Jay Treaty
The treaty attempted to end tensions between the US and England since the end of the revolutionary war. Britain's military had posts in the US, and seized American ships in the West Indies during England’s war with France. In the treaty, Britain had to pay for the seized American ships, and remove their troops from the Ohio valley. The treaty helped manage the relations between England and the US; it also made it possible for America to trade with England and France. -
Treaty of Greenville
The treaty was signed in Greenville( Ohio) between the federal government and the natives. The treaty established clear boundary between native and American land. It gave fertile land and allowed settlers to live in those regions -
Pinckney Treaty
The treaty was an important success for the US. It fixed land disputes between Spain and the US. It also granted American ships the right to navigate freely on the Mississippi River as well as duty-free transport through the port of New Orleans, then under Spanish control. It also defined the boundaries of the United States and Spanish colonies. -
Washington Farewell
The Farewell document announced the departure of Washington from office. He warned the US to be careful of alliances made by foreign governments. Not to be withdrawn from the world, but to stay neutral since the US was such a new independent country. The document embodied Washington's core beliefs. It also sets precedent for other presidents to follow the 2 term tradition and later became a law -
Election of 1796
It was the first contested presidential election. Federalists supported John Adams and republican supported Thomas Jefferson. Adams won and Jefferson became vice president. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The sedition acts gave the government to deport Foreigners , moved the requirement to become an American citizen from 5 to 15 years, and prohibited opposition to the government. The Alien and Sedition acts were both passed as a result of the XYZ affair. Madison was now against national authority and helped the Kentucky legislature reject the federal law. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
It was written in secret by Jefferson and Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition act. It stated that the states had the right to nullify federal law and it violated the 1st amendment. The document supported the idea of having more self government and more rights to the states -
French Revolution (relates to the US)
The US was initially for the revolution but as the war became more violent, the US's opinion became more divided. This led to political division between the Democratic - Republican Party who supported the revolution and the Federalist Party who wanted to maintain a good trade relationship with Britain. However when European countries went to war with France, The US both parties decided to stay neutral. The rise of French spies in the US led Congress, to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798. -
XYZ affair
The French felt that the US violated the Franco- American treaty, and didn’t like Jay's treaty with England. To avoid war Adams sent representatives to negotiate a peace agreement with France. XYZ asked for a bribe to speak with French foreign minister Talleyrand. The US refused to pay and left France. This led to an unofficial war between France and the US -
Quasi War
The quasi war was an undeclared war between the US and France after the XYZ affair. The US increased their forces and the Nav. They spent 2 years attacking each other's ships. Adams avoided the war and sent delegates to negotiate again with the French. The US and France came with an agreement and officially ended the France-American alliance -
Election of 1800
The election was between Jefferson and Burr. They had the same number of electoral votes but Hamilton supported Jefferson although they didn’t like each other which helped him win the election. Political power was shifted between parties peacefully and also caused further conflict between Hamilton and Burr
