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The Constitutional Convention
was a proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral legislative branch. The plan was drafted by James Madison while he waited for a quorum to assemble at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. -
Judiciary act of 1789
It was signed into law by President George Washington on September 24, 1789. Article III of the Constitution established a Supreme Court, but left to Congress the authority to create lower federal courts as needed. Principally authored by Senator Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, the Judiciary Act of 1789 established the structure and jurisdiction of the federal court system and created the position of attorney general. -
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George Washington Presidency
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington served as a general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolution, and later became the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. He died on December 14, 1799, in Mount Vernon, Virginia. -
Bill of Rights
James Madison wrote the first ten amendments and the bill of rights of the constitution in 1791. -
First Presidential Veto
George Washington cast the first presidential veto determining that an apportionment bill passed by Congress violated the constitutional guidelines for determining the number of delegates that should comprise the House of Representatives.The proposed apportionment bill violated the constitutional principle that no state should receive more than one delegate to the House of Representatives for every 30,000. -
Liquor tax
George Washington urged rebellious citizens to recognize and pay the tax on liquor that had become law on July 15, 1792, and Aug. 7, 1794. And because a so-called Whiskey Rebellion broke out in Pennsylvania, Washington actually led a military contingent there to end the violence. Later, in 1795, he pardoned guilty participants. -
Midnight Judges
The lame-duck Federalist congress passes the Judiciary Act, which stocks the courts with Federalist judges. Jefferson, furious, will spend much of his presidency trying to fight the lingering Federalist presence in government. -
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Thomas Jefferson Presidency
Thomas Jefferson was a draftsman of the Declaration of Independence and responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia.He was the nation's first secretary of state (1789-94); second vice president (1797-1801); and, as the third president (1801-09), the statesman responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson died in bed at Monticello (located near Charlottesville, Virginia) on July 4, 1826. -
Military Establishment Act
Reduced the Army's manpower by 40 percent to 6,126 men in a shift to more commercial priorities -
Army Limitations
Congress reduces the size of the U.S. army to its 1796 limits. It also passes an act, which is signed into law by Jefferson, establishing an official United States Military Academy at West Point. -
U.S and Britain Make-up
A convention between the United States and Britain regarding the treaty of 1794 is concluded. A commission rules that the United States owes £2,664, 000 to British citizens in settlement of Revolutionary War claims. -
Louisiana Purchase
The 1803 Louisiana Purchase was a massive western region of North America, consisting of 828,000 square miles, that was sold by France (Napoleon) to the US (Thomas Jefferson) for 15 million dollars, about 4 cents per acre. The lands extended from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains between the Gulf of Mexico and the Canadian border. -
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James Madison's presidency
Born on March 16, 1751, in Port Conway, Virginia, James Madison wrote the first drafts of the U.S. Constitution, co-wrote the Federalist Papers and sponsored the Bill of Rights. He established the Democrat-Republican Party with President Thomas Jefferson, and became president himself in 1808. Madison initiated the War of 1812, and served two terms in the White House with first lady Dolley Madison. He died on June 28, 1836, at the Montpelier estate in Orange County, Virginia. -
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War of 1812
A war between Britain and the United States, fought between 1812 and 1815. The War of 1812 has also been called the second American war for independence. -
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James Madison
Born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, James Monroe fought under George Washington and studied law with Thomas Jefferson. He was elected the fifth president of the United States in 1817. He is remembered for the Monroe Doctrine, as well as for expanding U.S territory via the acquisition of Florida from Spain. Monroe, who died in 1831, was the last of the Founding Fathers. -
Missouri zcompromise
A settlement of a dispute between slave and free states, contained in several laws passed during 1820 and 1821. Northern legislators had tried to prohibit slavery in Missouri, which was then applying for statehood. -
Tariff of 1824
A plan to gain more revenue by James Monroe. Implemented protectionist measures in support of local manufactures and goods, angering the South and pleasing the North -
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Andrew Jackson's Presidency
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in the region between North Carolina and South Carolina. A lawyer and a landowner, he became a national war hero after defeating the British in New Orleans during the War of 1812. Jackson was elected the 7th president of the United States in 1828. Jackson destroyed the Second Bank of the United States,founded the Democratic Party,supported individual liberty and instituted policies that resulted in the forced migration of Native Americans. -
Indian Removal Act
Congress passes the Indian Removal Act, sanctioning the forcible relocation of Creek, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Choctaw, and Seminole tribes to land allotments west of the Mississippi river. Ninety-four removal treaties follow the bill's enactment. From 1835 to 1838, Cherokee and Creek are forcibly removed from the Southeast onto reservations. Nearly one quarter die along what became known as the “Trail of Tears.” -
2nd Bank closings
Andrew Jackson shuts down Second Bank of the U.S. On this day in 1833, President Andrew Jackson announces that the government will no longer use the Second Bank of the United States, the country's national bank. He then used his executive power to remove all federal funds from the bank, in the final salvo of what is referred to as the “Bank War.” A national bank had first been created by Washington and Hamilton in 1791 to serve as a central repository for federal funds. -
National debt
On Jan. 8, 1835, all the big political names in Washington gathered to celebrate what President Andrew Jackson had just accomplished. A senator rose to make the big announcement: "Gentlemen ... the national debt ... is PAID."
That was the one time in U.S. history when the country was debt free. It lasted exactly one year.
By 1837, the country would be in panic and headed into a massive depression. We'll get to that, but first let's figure out how Andrew Jackson did the impossible. -
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James Polk
James Polk (1795-1849) served as the 11th U.S. president from 1845 to 1849. During his tenure, America’s territory grew by more than one-third and extended across the continent for the first time. Before his presidency, Polk served in the Tennessee legislature and the U.S. Congress; in 1839 he became governor of Tennessee. A Democrat who was relatively unknown outside of political circles, Polk won the 1844 presidential election as the dark horse candidate. -
Walker Tariff
a set of tariff rates adopted by the United States in 1846. The Walker Tariff was enacted by the Democrats, and made substantial cuts in the high rates of the "Black Tariff" of 1842, enacted by the Whigs. It was based on a report by Secretary of the Treasury Robert J. Walker. -
Independent Treasury Act
the public revenues be retained in the Treasury building and in sub-treasuries in various cities. The Treasury was to pay out its own funds and be completely independent of the banking and financial system of the nation. -
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Abraham Lincoln's Presidency
In 1846, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he gave the infamous “Spot” speech about the war that had begun with Mexico. He demanded President James K. Polk reveal the exact spot on which American blood had been shed, starting the war, and whether that spot was on American or Mexican soil. -
Emancipation Proclamation
an executive order issued by President Lincoln freeing slaves in all portions of the United States not then under Union control (that is, within the Confederacy). -
13th Amendment
abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. In Congress, it was passed by the Senate by President Lincoln. -
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William McKinley's Presidency
He established the gold standard as the official backing of American currency in a rejection of inflationary proposals and strove to end sectionalism between the North and the South, but overlooked opportunities to improve civil rights. -
Dingley's Tariff Law
President McKinley signs the Dingley Tariff Law, which raises custom duties by an average of 57 percent. Although American industries no longer needed such heavy protection against foreign goods, the tariff was raised nonetheless; imported woolen products, for example, faced a 91 percent rate. Republicans associate the high tariff with national prosperity while Democrats and progressives will blame the tariff for causing subsequent price increases. -
Spanish-American War
A war between Spain and the United States, fought in 1898. The war began as an intervention by the United States on behalf of Cuba. ... The United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines in the war and gained temporary control over Cuba. -
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Woodrow Wilson's Presidency
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born on December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia. (Because his mother said he arrived around midnight, some sources list Wilson’s birthday as December 29.) His father, Joseph Ruggles Wilson (1822-1903), was a Presbyterian minister, and his mother, Janet Woodrow Wilson (1826-1888), was a minister’s daughter and originally from England. Tommy Wilson, as he was called growing up, spent his childhood and teen years in Augusta, Georgia, and Columbia, S Carolina. -
WW 2
A war fought from 1914 to 1918 between the Allies, notably Britain, France, Russia, and Italy (which entered in 1915), and the Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. -
New Deal
A group of government programs and policies established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s; the New Deal was designed to improve conditions for persons suffering in the Great Depression. -
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Franklin Roosevelt
Born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York, Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio in 1921. He became the 32nd U.S. president in 1933, and was the only president to be elected four times. Roosevelt led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II, and greatly expanded the powers of the federal government through a series of programs and reforms known as the New Deal. Roosevelt died in Georgia in 1945. -
Emergency Banking relief
An act passed by the United States Congress in March 1933 in an attempt to stabilize the banking system. Authorized by FDR; the government ordered to examine the finances of closed banks and they would re-open when they were safe -
Executive Order 9066
A United States presidential executive order signed and issued during World War II by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. -
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Harry Truman's Presidency
Harry S. Truman was born in Missouri on May 8, 1884. He was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s vice president for just 82 days before Roosevelt died and Truman became the 33rd president. In his first months in office he dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, ending World War II. His policy of communist containment started the Cold War, and he initiated U.S. involvement in the Korean War. Truman left office in 1953 and died in 1972. -
Hiroshima Bombing
On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was almost completely destroyed by the first atomic bomb ever dropped on a populated area. Followed by the bombing of Nagasaki, on August 9, this show of Allied strength hastened the surrender of Japan in World War II. -
WW 2
A war fought from 1939 to 1945 between the Axis powers — Germany, Italy, and Japan — and the Allies, including France and Britain, and later the Soviet Union and the United States. -
Truman Doctrine
Truman delivers his “Truman Doctrine” speech to Congress, asking for a $400 million appropriation to fight the spread of Communism in Greece and Turkey. His plan was to liberate, help, and aid any country that had any major sense of communism. -
Executive Order 9981
An executive order issued on July 26, 1948, by President Harry S. Truman. It abolished racial discrimination in the United States Armed Forces and eventually led to the end of segregation in the services. -
Health Orgsnization
Attends the World Health Organization Conference in Geneva, Switzerland -
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Dwight Eisenhower's Presidency
Bringing to the Presidency his prestige as commanding general of the victorious forces in Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower obtained a truce in Korea and worked incessantly during his two terms to ease the tensions of the Cold War. He pursued the moderate policies of "Modern Republicanism," pointing out as he left office, "America is today the strongest, most influential, and most productive nation in the world." -
Korean War
A war fought in the early 1950's between the United Nations, supported by the United States, and the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). -
Federal Highway Act
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (Public Law 84-627), was enacted on June 29, 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law. -
Little Rock Nine
a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their enrollment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Orval Faustus, the Governor of Arkansas. -
Civil Rights Act
primarily a voting rights bill, was the first federal civil rights legislation passed by the United States Congress since the Civil Rights Act of 1875 written by Eisenhower. -
NASA
NASA research, which was generously funded by Eisenhower’s successors, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, was responsible for successful and groundbreaking American achievements such as the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969 and the development of the space shuttle, first launched in 1981. NASA has sent robotic exploratory missions to Mars and launched a spacecraft to view Pluto. NASA’s research has also contributed to advances in tech telecommunications satellites and computer tech.. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
A young Cuban nationalist named Fidel Castro drove his guerrilla army into Havana and overthrew General Batista. For the next 2 yrs, officials at the CIA tried to push Castro from power. In April 1961, the CIA launched what its leaders believed would be the definitive strike: a full-scale invasion of Cuba by 1,400 American-trained Cubans who had fled their homes when Castro took over. The invaders were badly outnumbered by Castro’s troops and surrendered less than 24 hrs of fighting. -
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John F Kennedy's presidency
JFK was born into one of America’s wealthiest families and parlayed an elite education and a reputation as a military hero into a successful run for Congress in 1946 and for the Senate in 1952. As president, Kennedy confronted mounting Cold War tensions in Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere. He also led a renewed drive for public service and eventually provided federal support for the growing civil rights movement. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
A confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1962 over the presence of missile sites in Cuba; one of the “hottest” periods of the cold war. The Soviet premier, Nikita Khrushchev, placed Soviet military missiles in Cuba, which had come under Soviet influence since the success of the Cuban Revolution three years earlier. President John F. Kennedy of the United States set up a naval blockade of Cuba and insisted that Khrushchev remove the missiles. Khrushchev did. -
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Lyndon Johnson's Presidency
Johnson launched an ambitious slate of progressive reforms aimed at alleviating poverty and creating what he called a “Great Society” for all Americans. Many of the programs he introduced–including Medicare and Head Start–made a lasting impact in the areas of health, education, urban renewal, conservation and civil rights. He declined to run for a second full term in office, and retired to his Texas ranch after leaving the White House in January 1969. -
Great Society Program
The name President Lyndon Johnson gave to his aims in domestic policy. The programs of the Great Society had several goals, including clean air and water, expanded educational opportunities, and the lessening of poverty and disease in the United States. (See War on Poverty.) -
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Richard Nixon's Presidency
Reconciliation was the first goal set by President Richard M. Nixon. The Nation was painfully divided, with turbulence in the cities and war overseas. During his Presidency, Nixon succeeded in ending American fighting in Vietnam and improving relations with the U.S.S.R. and China. But the Watergate scandal brought fresh divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation. -
Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
SALT) were two rounds of bilateral conferences and corresponding international treaties involving the United States and the Soviet Union—the Cold War superpowers—on the issue of armament control. -
Water Gate Scandal
Several burglars were arrested inside the DNC. The robbers were connected to President Nixon’s reelection campaign, and they were caught while attempting to wiretap phones and steal secret documents. Nixon took steps to cover it up afterwards, raising “hush money” for the burglars, trying to stop the FBI from investigating the crime, destroying evidence and firing uncooperative staff members. After his role in the Watergate conspiracy had finally come to light, the president resigned. -
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Gerald Ford's Presidency
Gerald Ford took office on August 9, 1974. Ford became the first unelected president in the nation’s history. A longtime Republican congressman from Michigan, Ford had been appointed vice president less than a year earlier by President Nixon. He is credited with helping to restore public confidence in government after the disillusionment of the Watergate era. -
Richard Nixon's parfon
President Gerald Ford pardons Richard Nixon, Sept. 8, 1974. On this day in 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, his disgraced predecessor, for any crimes, spawned by the Watergate scandal, that he might have committed or participated in while in office. -
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Jimmy Carter's Presidency
In the foreign affairs arena, he reopened U.S. relations with China and made headway with efforts to broker peace in the historic Arab-Israeli conflict, but was damaged late in his term by a hostage crisis in Iran. Carter’s diagnosis of the nation’s “crisis of confidence” did little to boost his sagging popularity. Over the next decades, Carter built a distinguished career as a diplomat, humanitarian and author, pursuing conflict resolution in countries around the globe. -
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David. -
Department of Education Organization Act
Strengthen the federal commitment to assuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual;
Supplement and complement the efforts of states, the local school systems and other instrumentality of the states, the private sector, public and private nonprofit educational research institutions, community-based organizations, parents, and students to improve the quality of education;=. -
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Ronald Reagans's Presidency
.Dubbed the Great Communicator, the affable Reagan became a popular two-term president. He cut taxes, increased defense spending, negotiated a nuclear arms reduction agreement with the Soviets and is credited with helping to bring a quicker end to the Cold War. Reagan, who survived a 1981 assassination attempt, died at age 93 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. -
Sander Day O' Conner
Sandra Day O'Connor. Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is a retired associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from her appointment in 1981 by Ronald Reagan until her retirement in 2006. She was the first woman to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. -
Persian Gulf War
A war between the forces of the United Nations, led by the United States, and those of Iraq that followed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. The United Nations forces, called the Coalition, expelled Iraqi troops from Kuwait in March 1991. -
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Bill Clinton's Presidency
Clinton appointed a number of women and minorities to top government posts, including Janet Reno, the first female U.S. attorney general, and Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state. In 1998, the House of Representatives impeached Clinton on charges related to a sexual relationship he had with a White House intern. He was acquitted by the Senate. Following his presidency, Clinton remained active in public life. -
North America Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement among the United States, Canada and Mexico designed to remove tariff barriers between the three countries. -
Madeline Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937) is an American politician and diplomat. She is the first woman to have become the United States Secretary of State. She was nominated by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0. -
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George W Bush
Bush worked in the Texas oil industry and was an owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team before becoming governor. In 2000, he won the presidency after narrowly defeating Democratic challenger Al Gore. Bush’s time in office was shaped by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against America. In response to the attacks, he declared a global “war on terrorism,” established the Department of Homeland Security and authorized U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. -
Education No Child Left Behind Reform
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, President George W. Bush's education-reform bill, was signed into law on Jan. 8, 2002. By all accounts, it is the most sweeping education-reform legislation since 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson passed his landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
