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The Constitution for The United States of America was written
The Constitution established the government for the United States of America. The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates at the Constitutional convention. The Constitution consists of 4 pages and the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments in the Constitution. -
Hamilton's Economic Plan
Hamilton believed that the government should assume the state debt from the Revolutionary War. Hamilton also wanted to create a National Bank and promote the manufacturing industry by promoting tariffs and by taxing whiskey. Federalists supported Hamilton's ideas, but Republicans believed that Hamilton wanted America to be more like England, which they thought was corrupt. -
The Democratic-Republican Party Founding
The Democratic Republican Party was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson. Democratic Republicans believed the people should have political power, favored strong state governments, emphasized agriculture, favored strict interpretation of the constitution, opposed National Bank, and opposed protective tariffs. -
The Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a protest against the government's tax on whiskey. The Rebellion was led by farmers from Western Pennsylvania. This Rebellion caused the new nation, and George Washington, a looming crisis. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic and political episode early on in the John Adams presidency. The affair involved a confrontation between the United States and Republican France that led to the Quasi-War. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in preparation for an upcoming war with France. The Acts tightened restrictions on foreign-born Americans and limited speech critical of the government. This prevented anyone from speaking out against the US Government in war time. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were political statements that took the position that the federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. The Resolutions also claimed that because these Acts overstepped federal authority under the constitution, they were null and void. -
Revolution of 1800
The Revolution of 1800 was the election of 1800. The Democratic-Republican Party candidate, Vice President Thomas Jefferson, defeated the Federalist Party candidate and incumbent, President John Adams. This was the first peaceful transition of political power in the United States. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was a landmark supreme court case that established the principle of judicial review. Judicial Review meant that American courts had the power to strike down laws that they found to violate the Constitution. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a transaction with France where the United States bought 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. This purchase was made by Thomas Jefferson and doubled the size of the United States. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain. The War was over British violations of United States maritime rights. The War ended with the exchange of ratifications of the Treaty of Ghent. -
The Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feeling was a period in the political history of the United States that reflected a sense of national purpose and a desire for unity among Americans in the aftermath of the War of 1812. The Era was the name for President Monroe's two terms and since there was only one political party, there were no partisan conflicts. -
Adams-Onis Treaty
In the Adams-Onis Treaty Spain gave East and West Florida to the United States and the United States agreed to assume claims by citizens of the United States against Spain. The treaty was because Spain had defined the Western limits of the Louisiana Purchase, so Spain surrendered its claim to the Pacific Northwest. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
McCulloch v. Maryland was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that defined the U.S. Congress's legislative power and how it relates to the powers of American state legislatures. The ruling said that the Federal Government had the right and power to set up a Federal bank and that states did not have the power to tax the Federal Government. -
The Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine warned European powers to not interfere with affairs of the Western Hemisphere. The Doctrine also said that any intervention in the political affairs of the Americas by foreign powers is a potentially hostile act against the United States. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
Gibbons v. Ogden was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which held that the power to regulate interstate commerce encompasses the power to regulate navigation. The decision ruled that the constitution gave control of interstate commerce to the U.S. Congress, not the individual states through which a route passed.