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Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Virginia Declaration of Rights was one of the works by George Mason. This declaration was in Virginia. This declaration is important because it provided an outline for the bills of rights in other states' constitutions. -
Ratification of Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first form of government in the United States after the American Revolution. The Articles of Confederation gave the individual states the most power. Because these states held the power, there was no strong central government. This lack in a national government lead to uncontrolled conflicts and questionable actions. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was a negotiation between the United States and Great Britain. This Treaty recognized American Independence. The Treaty gave American access to fishing land. -
Land of Ordinance
Thomas Jefferson established a land system is his Land of Ordinance. This system is important because it established a base on how the government will distribute land to citizens. -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
This bill was written by Thomas Jefferson in Virginia. This bill is important because it gave equality to all Christians in Virginia. It demonstrated the principle of separation of church and state. -
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Shays' Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was a series of protests in Massachusetts that was started by Daniel Shay and was supported by farmers. The farmers were enraged about the state enforcing tax collections on their land. This rebellion is important because it led politicians to question the long term stability of the Articles of Confederation. This led to the replacement of the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution. -
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Constitution Convention
The Constitution Convention took place in Philadelphia. The purpose of the Constitution convention was to address the problems of the Articles of Confederation. This convention is important because the constitution emerged which established a strong central federal government. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This was established by the members of Congress in order to settle the dispute of competition among land. Thomas Jefferson proposed the idea that the United States would claim western territories. After the Ordinance, the territory that the US claimed had appointed officials such as a governor. This ordinance allowed for public education and civil liberties. -
Ratification of Constitution
The last state to ratify the constitution was New Hampshire. Since all the states ratified the Constitution, this piece was an official document for all the lands of the United States. This ratification is important because it provided a strong framework on how the government should operate for future generations. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions was in response to the Alien and Seditious Acts. Madison wrote the Virginia Resolutions and Jefferson wrote the Kentucky Resolutions. They questioned the actions of congress and its relation to either it correlates with the constitution. -
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French Revolution
The French Revolution was a series of European wars. This Revolution cause the United States to form a policy of neutrality so that they won't be involved with European conflicts. -
George Washington Inauguration
This was the first presidential inauguration that happened in New York. During his speech, Washington addressed his wants for the United States. He stated that he will unite and nation and ensure that the citizens' interests will be met. -
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Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was caused by the tax that Hamilton imposed on distilled spirits. The outraged created was among men living in Western Pennsylvania. This tax was created in order to lessen the financial burden that was created from the American Revolution. This Rebellion is important because it demonstrated how the newly formed government was able to handle a threat to federal authority. -
Jay's Treaty
This treaty was created by John Jay. This treaty settled the economic and geographic tension between Great Britain and the United States. This treaty met the United States interests and some British interests. -
Treaty of Greenville
This treaty was a peace agreement between the United States and Native American tribes. It established which land was the natives' land and which land was the Americans' land. This treaty is important because the U.S was able to govern all its territories. -
Pinckney Treaty
This treaty was created by Thomas Pinckney. This treaty is important because it was a diplomatic success for the United States. This treaty settled territorial issues and enables American ships to travel through the Mississippi River. -
Washington's Farewell Address
In this address, Washington advised that the United States should not form permanent alliances. Instead, he addressed his favor towards temporary alliances in the case of emergencies. This address is significant because Washington warned against political parties and promoted neutrality. -
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Election of 1796
This election enabled white male citizens to choose between competing political parties and to who they wanted to be president. This election ended up between John Adams versus Thomas Jefferson. John Adams won the election. This election is crucial because it illustrates the electoral college. -
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XYZ Affair
This affair was a diplomatic incident between the United States and France. President John Adams sent Pinckney, John Marshalls, and Elbridge Gerry to meet with Talleyrand in order to restore peace. However, Talleyrand sent three diplomats that demanded the U.S to provide France with a loan. This infuriated the citizens which caused Quasi War. -
Alien and Seditious Acts
John Adams passed the first act of the Alien and Seditious Acts, the Naturalization Act, on June 18th. These Acts limited the freedom of the press, did not allow immigrants, and did not allow individuals to protest against the government. Basically, the act striped away the personal civil liberties of its citizens. This is crucial because it demonstrated how much power the federal authority exercised. -
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Quasi War
The Quasi War contradicted the United States stance on neutrality. This war was a naval war between France and the United States under John Adams presidency. The Quasi War was important because it questioned neutrality, the limits of presidential power, and the role of the military. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
These Resolutions were passed in response to the Alien and Seditious Acts. These Resolutions placed state rights above the federal government. Madison, who wrote the Virginia Resolution, questioned how the Congress were exercising power that was not given to them by the constitution. Jefferson who wrote the Kentucky Resolutions claimed that the states had the ability to invalidate unconstitutional acts. This is important because it justified the secession of southern states. -
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Election of 1800
This election was between john Adams and Thomas Jefferson. This election demonstated the contrasting opinions between the federalist and antifederalist. This election was significant because it marked the transition of which party was in power of the government
