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Virginia Declaration of Rights
Also known as the foundation of the Bill of Rights, the Virginia Declaration of Rights (passed in Virginia) was drafted by George Mason and outlined the rights that pertained to the people and their prosperity. This is important because this served as a basis for government in the aspect of natural rights. -
Articles of the Confederation
The Articles where first drafted in the Continental congress in Pennsylvania by Benjamin Franklin. It was adopted to clarify the sovereignty of the states and defined the role of central government . Under the AOC central government had limited power and the states had majority power. This in turn did not allow central government to collect commerce and regulate taxes, which was important during the period of development for the nation dealing with revenue. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed negotiation between the United States and the British which ended the Revolutionary war and addressed the independence of America. Benjamin Franklin and other political members signed the the treaty alongside British officials and was later ratified in the Continental Congress in Pennsylvania. This was the period of British withdraw and acceptance of American independece. -
Land Ordinance
This was an act passed under the Articles of the Confederation and written by Thomas Jefferson, which created a grid system of surveys by which all subsequent public land west of the Ohio River was made available for sale. This act was necessary in the organization of land after the United States won the territory, and since natives demonstrated resistance to the American's claims of the land. The land policy served for a significant amount of time (1862) -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
Jefferson drafted this bill and it was established in Virginia. Virginians felt that they should have been able to choose their own religion and were now able to do so. This is important because this defined separation of state and church. -
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Shay's Rebellion
This was a protest among farmers most prominent in Western Massachusetts, which was against state and local enforcement about tax collection. This enraged poor farmers because they were threatened about the loss of their farms. This was important because it called attention to government officials about making revisions to the Articles of the Confederation. -
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Constitution Convention
In this conference in Pennsylvania, many topics were discussed for the future of America between important political figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The conference was in secret and was important because alternatives for the Articles of the Confederation were discussed and the constitution was drafted. -
Ratification of Constitution
The constitution being drafted by the founding fathers had to be ratified among the states and was first ratified by Delaware. New Hampshire was the last and ninth state to approve therefore the Constitution was what people had to abide by. The purpose of this document was to centralize power more after the AOC failed to unite the states. The constitution later had amendments added to them and is still used to this day. -
Northwest Land Ordinance 1787
This was passed by congress to structure settlement of territories west of the Ohio River because of the desire to settle West . Legislation prohibited slavery in the Northwest territories under this and this ordinance provided a model for incorporation of future territories into union as co-equal states. -
George Washington Inauguration
George Washington's inauguration occurred in New York and was important since Washington was the first president ever. During his speech he set up plan that he had for the nation, as his views are still present in today's society. -
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French Revolution (relate to US)
After recently getting out of their own war, the United States declared to remain neutral when the French asked for assistance in their revolution. Minister Genet was sent to negotiate this issue with George Washington but ended up failing. This in the end created tension between France and the United States. -
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Whiskey Rebellion
Congress placed a tax on the distillation of whiskey, which in turn caused a wave of rebellion from farmers in Western Pennsylvania. Farmers were enraged because the whiskey was produced from their corn and was their source of income. As a result, George Washington sent out his federal army to resolve this issue. This is important because it it demonstrated federal power over the local community and the commitment to a perfect union. -
Jay's Treaty
This treaty, signed by George Washington, was written by John Jay to negotiate with the British about British seizure of American ships (and was passed through the Supreme Court). Ultimately the United States avoided war with the British by giving up more for the retreat of the British. The French saw this act as betrayal since America was negotiating with the Britsh. -
Treaty of Greenville
The treaty meant that the Native Americans in the old Northwest where forced to cede most of the present state go Ohio to the United States after the Natives lost the Battle of Fallen Timbers. It was signed between General Anthony Wayne and chiefs of the Indian tribes. -
Pinckney Treaty
The treaty was a negotiation with the United States and Spain to open up boundaries at the Mississippi River. It was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial between Thomas Pinckney and Don Manuel de Godoy. This defined United States boundaries and established a relationship between the two countries. -
Washington Farewell Address
Although it was never recited, it was published in Pennsylvania and addressed George Washington's wishes for the future of the United States. In his speech he addressed the importance of staying united, neutral, and the importance of avoiding factions. -
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Election of 1796
This election was the very first and had the very first election of a vice president. The election came down to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams who turned out to be the victor. This was the defining moment for the structure of future elections. -
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XYZ affair
This was the diplomatic incident where Americans where sent to France to negotiate but the French diplomats in response demanded a bribe as a condition for negotiating. This outraged the Americans because of the mistreatment which influence the Quasi War to occur. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
Four bills were passed by Congress in order to curtail freedom of speech and liberty of foreign residents in the United States. These were passed because they were meant to restrict public activities of those who sympathized with the French revolution. This showed the extent of the neutrality that was desired from the French Revolution. -
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Quasi War
This was the undeclared naval war between the United States and French after the French outraged the Americans in the XYZ affair. This was the period of time where French was going under a period of political reconstruction and now had a dictatorship with Napoleon. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
This was written in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts because the states felt as if the acts were unconstitutional. They were drafted by James Madison for Virginia and Thomas Jefferson for Kentucky. The resolves were important because it demonstrated strict constructionism. -
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Election of 1800
Thomas beat John Adams in this election. It was a more brutal election than usual because of the competition. This election was important because the nation went without a president for a period of time which tested how well the United States was able to hold up.
