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Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Virginia Declaration of Rights was a document written during the American Revolution that listed all the natural rights of men and influenced the Bill of Rights. This was one of the first times people came together and listed out what they believe should be protected after they become a sovereign nation. This is important, because it showed that people wanted to have their rights protected by their government and fueled the rebellion when they felt they were not.
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Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
The articles of confederation was a rudimentary government system that governed over the newly formed 13 states in 1777-1781. The founding fathers of the United States drafted a binding document that went to every state to be ratified and it was changed along the way to suit the needs of all the states. This is important, because it did not allow for many necessary functions of government such as: taxation, a standing army, and bogged down the ability to negotiate with foreign countries. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)]
The treaty of Paris was a treaty signed by France, England, and the 13 colonies in 1783, that officially ended the American Revolution and established the American Colonies as an sovereign nation. The treaty established many important American rights that the colonists had been fighting so hard to keep. This is important, because it established a foundation for the American virtues that were protected under the Constitution. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was a system in which people could purchase the title to land out in the west which was adopted by the Confederation Congress in 1785. This system created a much needed revenue flow into the Confederation Congress, as they had no way to tax the colonies in order to collect revenue.
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Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
The Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom was first drafted in 1777 by Thomas Jefferson for the Virginia General Assembly, but was not passed into law until 1786. This law protected people who wanted to practice their own religion and made certain that it could and would not interfere with their ability to effectively govern. This created a want for protection of certain rights, which was a main concern for Anti-Federalists, who wanted their rights protected.
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Shays’ Rebellion
Shays’ Rebellion was a rebellion in protest against economic injustices and the suspension of civil rights under the Articles of Confederation from 1786-1787. The rebellion wanted to reform the dilapidated and useless Articles of Confederation into something that protected individual rights under a stronger national government. The causes of the rebellion were linked to a weak federal government which spured the need for the Constutional Convention.
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Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was a secret meeting by some of the founding fathers who were supposed to be revising the Articles of Confederation, but instead proposed an entirely new system of government. Hamilton and Madison were the chief leaders and wanted to create a system where tyranny of the masses would be negligible yet still appealed to people who wanted less government. This is important, because the Articles were sub-par and needed major additions to be feasible.
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Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was an act of the Congress of the Confederation which created the Northwest Territory, the first of its kind, in the area that is now the Great Lakes area. This in turn was a response to pressures from citizens wanting to expand west for more space, a drained treasury of the United States, and violence from Native peoples. This shows how that the government was weak and a new system needed to be put in place that could effectively govern the Union. wikipedia.org -
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Ratification of Constitution
The Ratification of the Constitution was when the Constitutional convention sent out the final draft of the Constitution to all 13 states and asked them if they were interested in making this their new system of government from 1787-1790. This shows how issues that were highlighted by Shay's rebellion and the inability for the federal government to do key tasks pertaining to a smoothly running government, created the need for a new system in which all the states needed to ratify to make legal. -
George Washington Inauguration
George Washington's Inauguration set the precedent for each and every presidential inauguration after his. He knew that this would effect the country many years into the future, and wanted to make sure he did everything in his power to keep the morals of the newly formed government alive. This is important, as it created a standard for how the Founding Fathers wanted the constitution to live up to, and they needed a perfect balance between power and freedom in order to effectively do so. -
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French Revolution
the French Revolution was when the Third Estate, the lowest class of people, rose up against the tyrannical aristocrats and monarchy. The ideas of the enlightenment thinkers had reached full swing in France and, spurred by the successful revolution in the 13 colonies, proceeded to have one of their own. This event polarized Americans and was another reason for the creation of the Two Party System as well as a reason we gained the Louisiana Purchase from France. -
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Quasi War
The Quasi War was almost entirely a naval war between the United States and France between 1789 and 1800. The United States refused to repay its war debt incurred during the American Revolution to France and as a result, France attacked American ships. this created strained relations between France and The United States but it was resolved with a treaty after many Americans were captured and killed by French forces. -
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Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest by citizens in the colonies and was suppressed by George Washington riding out in front of his army, although there was no actual confrontation. Local farmers believed that they were embodying the spirit of the revolution by arguing against what they believed was taxation without representation. This shows that the new National Government had the power to impose its will on the people wither they liked it or not.
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Jay Treaty
Jays's Treaty was a treaty signed by the United States and England in order to avert war and facilitate trade between the two countries. This treaty resolved issues that had been standing since the end of the Revolution and angered many people who believed that America should have nothing to do with their ex-mother country. This treaty is important, because it lead to both the creation of the two party system, and the War of 1812.
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Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was an agreement between the United States Government and verious Native American tribes signed on August 3, 1795. This treaty established a boundary between land that ould bec used by Americans and land that could be used by the Native American tribes. This is important, because the government agreed to send supplies and money to the tribes every year which gave the government considerable power over the tribes.
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Pinckney Treaty
The Pinckney Treaty was an agreement between the United States and Spain over the boundaries between Georgia and the Spanish colony of West Florida in 1796. The 31th parallel divided the land between the US and Spain, who had assisted during the American Revolution but did not have and future plans for their colonies in the New World. This created a need for a distinct border as the States were rapidly expanding and Spain closed the port of New Orlands until the countries reached an agreement. -
Washington Farewell
George Washington's Farewell Address established a tradition that presidents would follow for the entirety of the Unites States' existence. He decided to decline a third term and instead resign after the end of his second, and in addition condemned the forming of parties and defended his administration. This created a precedent that all of the future presidents would keep and if he had done anything differently, the entire nation would be changed. -
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Election of 1796
The Election of 1796 was an important political event that occurred in November-December 1796. The first president had resigned and a new president needed to be chosen for the first time ever. John Adams won the presidency and a member of the opposite party, Jefferson, was chosen as his vice president, an unnatural combination. This would eventually be changed but for the time being, it created many ways for conflict to occur within the Executive Branch. -
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XYZ affair
The XYZ affair was when France declared they wanted bribes and a loan before negotiations between the United States and France to prevent a war between the two nations. The entire thing was kept under wraps in order to prevent the public from knowing about the strained relations between the two nations. France captured American vessels and Charles Pinckney was refused as a US minister which lead to the quasi war between the US and France. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a group of four acts passed by congress in 1798 to suppress who could become a citizen of the United States. This would create exclusivity in the new country and set a precedent that would be followed for years to come after people did not agree with how much power the government had. Three of these acts were repealed by congress following the election of Thomas Jefferson after deciding that the Federalist party did not need so be suppressed anymore. -
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Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were bills passed in the Kentucky and Virginia state legislatures in 1798 and 1799. The two resolutions passed, stated that the Alien and Sedation Acts were unlawful and unconstitutional and argued that they could repeal acts that they felt went against the constitution. This determined Judicial Review and gave the ability to determine if something was unconstitutional was given to judges.
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Election of 1800
The Election of 1800 was a special occasion in the history of American Government and occurred from October 31 to December 3, 1800. The elecion was a realigning election, where the Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson won against the Federalist John Adams. For the first time in American political history, the federalist party was not in control of the executive branch and ushered in a new system of laws and ordinances to reflect this.
wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_1800