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Election of George Washington
George Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789. Washington was not as excited as he was nervous about becoming the 1st president. His first steps however were, to create a cabinet, pass the Judiciary Act, and reduce the national debt. ⅓ of his cabinet, Alexander Hamilton, proposed the Hamilton’s compromise with the idea of reducing debt. George Washington was sure to set the example for upcoming presidents by setting many precedents. -
Bill of Rights added to the Constitution
James Madsion, father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, promised to add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution. He promised his due to the disagreement between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Madison started with 42 rights, but after passing through the House of Representatives and the Senate, it was lowered to just 10. On December, 15, 1791, these 10 rights became know as the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. -
Beginning of the Federalist Party
The Federalist Party first appeared after the retirement of George Washington. The views that our country’s leaders had differed so much they split into two different groups. Those who shared the same beliefs as Alexander Hamilton were called the Federalists. A few of the things they believed in were: manufacturing and trade industries, strong federal governments, and a loose interpretation of the Constitution. This party began to disappear after the death of Alexander Hamilton. -
Beginning of Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic Republican Party first appeared after George Washington’s presidency. People who made up this party shared the same ideas with Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson believed in the farming industry, having a weak federal government, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. This party eventually split into two giving us our Democratic and Republican parties we have today. -
Whiskey Rebellion 1 Oct 1794
-in July of 1794, numerous whiskey rebels attacked and destroyed the home of a tax inspector. The tariff effectively eliminated any profit by the farmers from the sale or barters of an important cash crop, and became the lightning rod for a wide variety of grievances. The rebellion grew, and threatened to spread to other states.Hamilton knew that the presence of a large and potentially hostile force in Pennsylvania could not be tolerated. -
XYZ Affair
France was upset with America because we didn’t help them in the French Revolution. France started to attack U.S. ships, so John Adam, the president at the time, sent John Marshall, Elbridge Gerry, and Charles Pinckney to have a peace talk with the French minister. The French minister refused to let them talk to him, so instead he sent three men known as X, Y, and Z. These men proposed that the U.S. pay 250,000 to the minister, and they replied, " Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute!" -
Alien Act
The government began to worry about activity overthrowing the government. Adam decided to pass the Alien Act. The Alien Act gave the president power to imprison or deport alien suspected activities that could cause a threat to the government. -
Sedition Act
The government began to worry about subversion. So the president at that time, John Adams, passed four laws to protect the country, one of which being the Sedition Act. The Sedition Act allowed for punishment of those who criticized the government either verbally or in writing. Many people felt as if these laws were unfair and designed to keep Federalists strong. Furthermore, the Sedition Act directly violated the Constitution, which promised freedom of Speech. This act was repealed in 1801. -
Election of John Adams 7 Dec 1796
Adams served as vice president under Washington. After serving in the Massachusetts State Senate and the U.S. Senate, the younger Adams rejoined diplomatic service under President James Madison, helping to negotiate the Treaty of Ghent (1814), which ended the War of 1812. As secretary of state under James Monroe, Adams played a key role in determining the president's foreign policy, including the famous Monroe Doctrine. -
Election of Thomas Jefferson 3 Dec 1800
Thomas Jefferson was the informal leader of what would become thenation's first opposition political party, the Democratic-Republicans.. When Washington declined to run for a third term in 1796, Jefferson’s name was nominated by a caucus of Democratic-Republican leaders who were against John Adams's run for the presidency. While the vice president received only two electoral votes south of the Potomac, Jefferson won only eighteen votes outside of the South, thirteen of which. -
John Marshall appointed 27 Jan 1801
Marshall was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1782, 1787, and 1795. Although offered appointment to the United States Supreme Court in 1798, Marshall preferred to remain in private practice. Marshall was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1799, and in 1800 was appointed Secretary of State by President John Adams. The following year, President Adams nominated Marshall Chief Justice of the United States. -
Marbury v. Madison
William Marbury was a federalist lawyer as the justice of peace in the District of Columbia. He was appointed to government posts by Congress in the last days of John Adams presidency. But his appointment was never fully finalized by James Madison. James Madison was the Secretary of State. This unfinalized appointment brought up argument about the power of the Supreme Court. -
Louisiana Purchase 1 Dec 1803
-the Louisiana Purchase considered the greatest real estate deal in history. The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France at a price of $15 million, or approximately four cents an acre. The ratification of the Louisiana Purchase treaty by the Senate on October 20, 1803, doubled the size of the United States and opened up the continent to its westward expansion. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Few people knew anything about the new land the US had acquired, so Thomas Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to explore the land, who then asked William Clark. Their objectives were to map a route to the Pacific Ocean, study the terrain, and learn about Natives in the area. A woman named Sacagawea guided the explorers and acted as translators. They reached the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 1805. -
Embargo Act
Jefferson persuaded Congress to pass an Embargo Act on foreign goods. The Embargo Act stated that imports on tea, sugar, and molasses were cut off. The Embargo Act hurt New England merchants the most. The Embargo Act resulted to many people smuggling imported and exported goods. Jefferson then started to send navy troops to enforce the embargo. The Embargo Act had failed. -
Election of James Madison
James Madison was the 4th president. He won the Election of 1808 against Alexander Hamilton, and served as president from 1809-1817. He easily won the election due to his many political involvements, skill as a Congressman, and the fact that Alexander Hamilton was not born in the United States. -
1 Non-Intercourse Act 1 Mar 1809
the last days of President Thomas Jefferson's presidency, the United States Congress replaced the Embargo Act of 1807 with the almost unenforceable Non-Intercourse Act of March 1809. This Act lifted all embargoes on American shipping except for those bound for British or French ports. The intent was to damage the economies of the United Kingdom and France. Like its predecessor, the Embargo Act, it was mostly ineffective, and contributed to the coming of the War of 1812. In addition, it seriously -
War of 1812 11 Sep 1812-24 Dec 1814
War of 1812 11 Sep 1812-24 Dec 18142 - In the war of 1812, the United States fought against the strongest, biggest, greatest, and naval in the world. Great Britain attempts to restrict U.S. trade the Royal Navy's impressments of American seamen and America's desire to expand its territory. The United States suffered many costly defeats at the hands of British, Canadian and Native American troops over the course of the War of 1812. -
Election of James Monroe
James Monroe was the Republican candidate in the Election of 1816. He was almost 60 years old when he took office. He easily won the election, which showed how the Federalist party was becoming less popular. When he ran again for a second term in 1820, the party had completely disappeared. The time during Monroe’s presidency was known as the Era of Good Feelings, because the country had maintained peace. -
Monroe Doctrine
There was much uproar about war and alliances going on in Europe during 1823. The president at the time, James Monroe, wanted to stay out of the affairs of the other countries. He wrote a message to Congress known as the Monroe Doctrine that stated the US wouldn’t interfere with the actions of European countries. It also said that the US wouldn’t try to form colonies in Latin America. This document shaped America’s foreign policy for more than 100 years. -
Gibbons v. Odgen
In this case, New York passed a law that controlled steamboat travel between New York and New Jersey. However, the Supreme Court ruled that a state could only regulate trade within its borders. Only the federal government could control trade between states. This is another case, which the federal government gained power from. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
Congress chartered the Second Bank of the U.s in 1816. In 1818, Maryland passed legislation to impose taxes on the U.S. bank so that the power of the state banks would increase and the power of the federal bank would decrease. The cashier of the Baltimore branch of bank, James W. McCulloch refused to pay the tax.
