-
Election of George Washington
George Washington was elected as the president of the United States of America on April 30, 1789. The vote was unanimous, as he ran unopposed. The only problem was deciding who would be the vice president. Receiving the most votes, John Adams became the vice president. -
Bill of Rights added to Constitution
The Bill of Rights was ratified and added to the Constitution on December 15, 1791. It was written on September 25, 1789. Many people did not want a “bill of rights” for they believed that it would merely limit their rights. Others would not ratify the Constitution until a “bill of rights” was added. -
Beginning of Federalist Party
They controlled the federal government at the time. They wanted the Federal government to have the most power. It was formed by Alexander Hamilton. He built a network of supporters. -
Beginning of the Democratic-Republican Party
It was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. It was formed in every state for elections. Madison started the party among the congressman in Philadelphia. They opposed the Federalist Party. -
Whiskey Rebellion
This was one of the first rebellions under George Washington. It originated in a dispute over the role of taxation in the United
States. When the farmers rebelled, Washington made it clear that he would not stand for this. He stood his ground and the farmers fumbled. -
Election of John Adams
This was the first contested election under the First Party System. Adams’ opponents were Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. It was expected that John Adams would dominate the votes in New England. Most federalists wanted Hamilton to be a candidate. -
XYZ Affair
The French asked the U.S. diplomats to pay a tribute just to talk to their ambassador. The American diplomats answered, “not a sixpence!” This led to the saying “Millions for defense, sir, but not one cent for tribute!” The XYZ Affair occurred on April 1, 1798, leading to the passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts. -
Alien Act
The Alien Act was passed by Congress on June 25, 1798 by Federalists. They hoped to quiet the French refugees in the process. This led to much argument over the Constitutionality of the law, causing much controversy. This act was considered one of the top mistakes made by presidents. -
Sedition Act
It was an act for the punishment of certain crimes against the United States. It took away many rights that fell under the freedom of speech and the press. This was met by a strong opposition from the Democratic-Republican party. It was put into place by John Adams. -
Election of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was elected to a state of presidency on December 3, 1800. He became the third president of the United States. The election highlighted the ongoing battle between Democratic-Republican supporters of the French. His opponent was John Adams. -
John Marshall appointed
Before being appointed to the position of Chief Justice, John Marshall served as the Secretary of State. John Marshall was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on January 31, 1801. He held his position until 1835. He, of course, was replaced after his death on July 6, 1835. -
Marbury v. Madison
The case began on February 11, 1803. The case of Marbury v. Madison was decided on February 24, 1803. The end decision was that Marbury was denied of his proposal. This led to the judicial branch gaining the power of “judicial review.” -
Louisiana Purchase
It occurred on December 1, 1803. The U.S. government was wishing merely to purchase New Orleans for trading purposes. Instead, the French government decided to offer up all of Louisiana. The U.S. government purchased all of Louisiana from France for a total of 15 million dollars. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark’s expedition occurred between May 4, 1804 and 1806. This was the first transcontinental expedition of the United States. They were accompanied by a Native American named Sacagawea. Their objectives were to observe and document plant and animal life, to study the geography and map out the region, and to find what could be exploited economically. -
Embargo Act
It was a law that imposed a total ban on foreign trade. Foreign goods were no longer welcome in the United States. It was passed on December 21, 1807. This was later replaced by the Non-Intercourse Act. -
Election of James Madison
James Madison was a Democratic-Republican. Madison was running against Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. He became the fourth president of the United States. Madison received a dominant 64.7% of the votes. -
Non-Intercourse Act
t was a restriction passed by Congress to forbid direct American trade with Europeans. This occurred in direct response to British's control of American trade. This replaced the Embargo Act of 1807. It was set into motion by Thomas Jefferson. -
War of 1812
It is often referred to as the "Second War of Independence." Great Britain was angered by the Americans and decided to attack. They began war on September 11, 1812. This led to the burning of the White House. -
Battle of New Orleans
This was the final battle of the war of 1812. American forces defeated the British army. The British army intended on seizing New Orleans and the united states that had started the Louisiana purchase. The battle was referred to as the greatest American land victory of the war. -
Election of James Monroe
James won 80% of the electoral votes. He was the last president during the first party system era of American politics. There wasn't much of a race in this election. Monroe defeated Georgian William H. Crawford in the democratic republican convention. -
Expanded suffrage to all white males
Andrew Jackson wished to extend suffrage to the common people. He gave them this right in his process of creating a “Jacksonian democracy.” On March 5, 1820, suffrage, or the right to vote, was extended to all white males. By 1850, they didn’t even have to own land. -
Missouri Compromise
This was an agreement passed between the pro-slavery and the anti-slavery. There were an uneven number of slave states and free states. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory. The house of representatives refused to accept this compromise. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that Americans would stay out of European business and wars, as well as the European colonies in North America. It also warned them to stay away from us. Another thing it did was keep the newly independent South American nations safe. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
A decision was made where the supreme court of the United States held the power of the federal government to regulate trade between the states. The court did not pass a law from new york that tried to control steamboat travel between New York and New Jersey. The court then told that a state could regulate trade only within its own borders. -
McCulloch v. Maryland
This was a case in which the Supreme Court ruled that states had no right to interfere with federal institutions within their borders. This granted more powers to the federal government. Many federalist praised it for strengthening their central government, Many saw this as a landmark decision for the Supreme Court. -
Election of 1824
John Quincy Adams was elected president on February 9, 1825. The election was decided by the house of representatives. The election of 1824 is famous for benig the only election since the passage of the 12 th amendment. Several states did not send a popular vote, but allowed the state legislature to choose their electors. -
Election of Andrew Jackson
he election saw that the power was going towards Jacksonian Democracy which was marking the first Party System which then affected the Jeffersonian Democracy. Many historians believe it marked the start of modern American politics. Jackson won a majority of the votes but still did not beat John Quincy Adams. Henry clay, an unsuccessful candidate, did not like Jackson and his beliefs. -
Jacksonian Democracy
This spread political power to more people. It was a movement for more democracy in American government. Championed better rights for the common man. Jackson was helped by the people of the newer settlements from the south and west. -
Indian Removal Act
This was a law passed that forced many Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River. It quickly led to the Trail of Tears. Even, the Cherokee, a recognized nation, were moved. Looking back, many historians say that this was one of the worst things that Andrew Jackson did. -
Worcester v. Georgia
Samuel Worcester claimed that the state of Georgia had no legal authority to pass laws regulating activities within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Nation was recognized through treaties with the United Sates. This occurred on March 3, 1832. Regardless of this, the Trail of Tears still occurred. -
Closing of the U.S. Bank
Jackson despised the bank because of its fraud and corruption. Although its charter was to be up for renewal in 1836, he wanted to “kill it” earlier. It closed as a federal bank on March 1, 1836. It later went bankrupt as an ordinary bank in 1841.
